


Children of Solomon

by century_berry



Category: Magi: The Labyrinth of Magic
Genre: Adventure, Alma Torran Arc, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Arranged Marriage, Blessed children, Character Development for Judal, Clashing Ideologies, Competent Rulers, Cross-Posted on FanFiction.Net, Disney References, F/M, Fantastic Racism, Found Family, Friendship, Gen, Ghosts, Hilariously Overpowered Children, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, Inspired by Akatsuki no Yona and Kagerou Project, Jamal constantly kicks down the fourth wall to make references, Kinda, Lots of Original Characters - Freeform, M/M, No emo path for Hakuryuu, Or inventions, Original Culture for the Magi Universe, Period-Typical Sexism, Politics, Preventing the End of the World, Protective Siblings, Reincarnation, SI Reincarnation, SI as Kougyoku, Saving the World, SinDAD, Time Loop, Time Travel, Worldbuilding, dungeon diving
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-23
Updated: 2020-02-06
Packaged: 2020-12-28 21:35:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 72
Words: 591,260
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21143591
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/century_berry/pseuds/century_berry
Summary: Fate wasn't meant to be changed. But a wish made by a young king sends him back in time, resulting four souls from our world to be reborn as influential players to this version of fate. Enter: The Ghost, The Warrior, The Princess, and The Liar as they play the game of politics to help the king prevent the doomed future he traveled back in time to fix.





	1. Prologue: His Wish

**Author's Note:**

> This is an already completed story I'm moving over to this site from Fanfiction.net. This was one of my biggest and most ambitious projects, which was inspired by my love for Time-Travel, reading many Reincarnation Stories, and sitting in a World History class. 
> 
> To those who haven't read "Children of Solomon", I wish you a wonderful journey!
> 
> Now, Onwards!

The world was burning.

Shion ignored how his side stung from the burn a magician had inflicted on him earlier in the battle. He shakily got up onto his feet and stumbled towards a glinting object in the dirt.

His bare feet bled from walking on weapons and broken armor. He struggled to breathe as the essences of blood, skin, and smoke accompanied the air in his every breath. He stepped over bodies of enemies and comrades alike. He passed friends, family, and his lover. But he didn't stop. He didn't mourn. How could he when he had not the leisure nor time to do such extravagant things? It was war.

It was hell.

Shion was a king, a leader to countless people. They had looked upon him as if he was the next coming King Solomon himself. He was known as a wise ruler, a friend, a son, a dungeon captor, and a lover, but never did he think general, warrior, and murderer would be part of his list of labels.

The war had forced him to become those things.

The man forced himself to move his body to his last hope, ignoring everything else, since his comrades' sacrifices would be all for naught if he failed. Shaking hands picked up an old, dirt-covered object that was as common as a table or a chair:

A Lamp.

Shion rubbed the dirt off of the common object with what was left of his shirt. The symbol of Solomon glowed faintly when the residue was removed from the artifact. Shion sighed in relief when he saw that the lamp was still active. Time and time again, the lamp had been the object that had saved his life.

This time, it was going to save this world.

This cruel, flawed, bloody, selfish, _beautiful_ world.

Through chapped lips, Shion rasped, _"Andromalius, I summon thee."_

As always, Andromalius answered his call. The djinn came forth from the lamp and faced his master with an impassive expression on his face. _"O master, what do you wish for?"_ He asked Shion as he had always done in the past. Shion coughed and gave his djinn a sheepish smile. "I guess I couldn't save everyone."

The djinn raised his brow at his master's words but said nothing else in reply. Their interactions were always like this. The king would summon, the djinn would speak the same phrase, and the king would make a wish. End of interaction.

The young king chuckled at his djinn's antics. Even at their final moments, he was too prideful to converse with him. Shion took a shaky breath before saying his final wish.

_"I wish to change this fate."_


	2. Chapter 1: Her Name is Amani

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A not-so-new soul opens her eyes to a world that is both familiar and not-so familiar. She manages just fine. Until she doesn't.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Onwards to the beginning

When Anise discovered her pregnancy, she knew that it was either her job in the palace or her unborn child. A practical woman would have secretly gotten rid of the child. Getting the potion to get rid of it was a bit pricy, but it was better than the consequences that would follow if she were to be found out.

Anise was not a practical woman.

By sunrise, she had packed as much as she could carry and left the palace. By the end of the day, the slums had a newcomer.

Perhaps, if she had chosen a different path, she would have had a long, comfortable life. But fate had decreed her to love her unborn child and love her unborn child she did.

After all, it was the King's child she carried.

* * *

Phoebe Winthrop was an excellent student.

Since both her parents were geniuses, she was expected to be just as bright.

So she met those expectations.

As she walked up the platform to receive her diploma on her graduation day, many had wondered:

_What would she be?_

_A doctor like her mother?_

_A lawyer like her father?_

Many had wondered what she would become. She had so many choices to pick from yet she would only be able to choose one.

_A doctor?_

_A lawyer?_

What would she choose?

Many people had expected great things from Phoebe. They expected her to save people, from injury or injustice. They expected her to lead a long, fortunate life.

Phoebe Winthrop was an excellent student.

_Was._

Since she died.

* * *

Anise stared in awe at the lives in her arms. The whole birthing process was painful, yes, but the result was worth every moment of agony.

A wail came out of the blanket before another wail followed. Embracing her motherly instincts, Anise began rocking her precious children. She assured them that they were safe and murmured endless sweet-nothings until both of them were fast asleep.

Once again, Anise looked at her children with awe and bewilderment.

Twins.

Anise hadn't expected twins.

The baby with the blonde wisp yawned loudly and snuggled against his mother even more. Anise's quizzical frown disappeared at the adorable sight. "Are you tired, little one? Sleep then. Your mother will take care of you."

She turned to her other child.

Unlike her brother, the other infant had far fairer skin and paler, almost white, hair. It was almost as if she was a mere reflection of her twin. So far she had only cried once. She was a quiet baby, which worried Anise. Did this mean her daughter wouldn't survive the slums?

The infant wiggled a little and then kicked, surprising Anise with her strength.

"Are you telling me that you will be strong?" She wondered aloud. The infant gave another kick as if to answer her mother's question. Anise smiled. "You will be strong. As will your brother."

Anise stroked her daughter's cheek fondly. "I am fortunate to have two healthy children. Who am I to deserve such luck?"

* * *

Rebirth was a fickle thing.

It's like gambling or roulette. Whatever person, whatever gender you will be reborn as is all by chance. A good person could be reborn as the unluckiest human being in the world. A bad person could live a life filled with luxury and riches.

It's all by chance. There are no favors or exception for any mortal.

So that's why, when Phoebe Winthrop opened her eyes, she wasn't smart, eighteen year old Phoebe Winthrop anymore. No, she was a small, defenseless infant only a day old, born in the slums of a foreign city.

_Phoebe Winthrop was dead._

Naturally, she freaked out.

Where was she? Why was her body like this? How was she still alive? Who was that woman? What was that thing beside her? Why couldn't she move? How couldn't she say anything? Why was she crying? Why was it so humid?

Why was it so humid?

"Shhh, Shhh, love. I'm here. Mother is here."

The foreign voice automatically calmed the newborn's body and temporarily calmed her buzzing mind. It was then when the newborn girl who used to be Phoebe Winthrop assessed her situation with the calm and sharp mind she was lauded for in her past life.

Her body was too small and weak to be her own. Judging by how the woman was handling her, she was recently born.

Even though she understood the woman, she knew that the woman wasn't speaking the English language.

The…thing beside her was another infant. So she was a twin?

The room she was in was no hospital. It looked dusty and if she were to guess, the woman gave birth to her and her sibling right in the room with no medical aid. The woman was without medical aid because she couldn't afford it. So the woman was poor.

There was no man.

Her mother was a single mother. It didn't matter if her father was dead or was just an affair. Her mother was barely able to support herself. How was she going to support newborn twins?

_Clink. _Ah, jewelry. And pretty jewelry too. Why would the woman keep such expensive-looking jewelry when she couldn't afford to go to a hospital?

The scent in the room was sweet. It was mainly coming from the woman. She wore simple enough clothes but she was still very much beautiful.

Then it all clicked.

_Phoebe Winthrop was dead._

And now, she was reborn as a newborn twin of an unknown ethnicity who had a prostitute for a mother.

Well.

It wasn't the best situation, but it wasn't the worst.

"Alibaba." Anise decided for the boy.

"And you, my daughter, will be Amani."

Amani, newly named, blinked owlishly at her mother.

To Anise, it seemed that her daughter simply didn't understand that she and her brother were just named. They were just a day old after all.

In reality, Amani was both attempting to familiarize herself with her name and trying not to gape at her brother's.

* * *

Phoebe was clever, obedient, and quiet.

Whatever book was placed in front of her, she would memorize line by line if it were requested from her. Her classmates were envious of her ability. Her parents accepted this quality as it was: a tool that would push Phoebe's success. Phoebe's parents were strict with how she used her ability. What she placed in her memory banks should only be relevant to her studies. Her parents had drilled it deep into her mind that perfection was the least that was expected of her.

They had expected genius, brilliance.

Phoebe was clever, obedient, and quiet.

But, in rare moments in her life, she was only clever and quiet.

Like the day when she added _A Thousand and One Nights_ to her memory bank purely for enjoyment

* * *

Amani was careful.

She made sure that her brother overshadowed her in every action. Since she was born in a world where women were naturally underestimated, it wasn't that hard.

_Keep your head down. Be invisible._

When Alibaba began to crawl, Amani would do the same the day after. When Alibaba said his first word, Amani would garble out the same word the week after. When Alibaba began to walk, Amani would be toddling after him within a month.

Amani paced herself. While Alibaba did his best to shine, she remained in his shadow and watched him.

She was no longer in her world. As much as the idea completely defied the logic she was taught when she – _Phoebe_ – was alive, Amani had no choice but to accept it.

As long as she kept quiet, her life in this world would pass by quickly without any problems. Alibaba would find the cave filled with treasures and outwit bloodthirsty thieves. The end. And she would have no part in it.

That was what she planned.

_Year One._ She dragged herself around the small space she lived in, an attempt to regain her ability to walk. Alibaba took months before he actually succeeded. Amani revealed her walking ability a month after, when in reality, she already was able to walk three months before her brother.

_Year Two._ She secretly practiced writing in English on the ground and practiced speaking in English to the cloth walls of her home during her brother's naptimes. Who knew when it would come in handy in the future?

_Year Three._ She wandered outside of her home for the first time. With her brother, she walked the streets that she would eventually know like the back of her hand. She kept a mental list of small jobs she could do to support her mother. Shoe polishing and touring seemed to be a nice career choice for a child.

_Year Four._ She would secretly sneak outside of her home during the nights to watch the stars, noticing similarities and differences in the constellations of this world to the ones of her old world. At least the North Star was still there.

_Year Five._ She learned how to mend and wash clothes, which was useful since Alibaba always came home with dirty and ruined clothes. Though, since he was still a little child, he wore something that resembled a white dress made of rags. Her mother praised her embroidery and, despite her bleeding fingers, Amani felt as if she achieved something great for the first time. Indeed, she was beginning to get good at "blending in".

_Year Six._ But was she really successful?

It was hard to hide. Amani may have been just a child of the slums, but Phoebe was an educated genius with remarkable memory. She walked differently than the other children. She spoke differently than the other children. She expressed her affection differently than the other children. She looked paler and weaker than the other children.

All in all, Amani was simply _different_.

"Hey you! Ghost!"

The loud boy did not help her situation.

Alibaba, who was standing beside her, puffed up in indignation at the insult aimed toward his sister. "Don't call her that!" He cried out defensively. And then, Amani's brother and her offender began a juvenile fistfight in which Alibaba was losing.

Amani shook her head and, at the right moment, grabbed her brother and tugged him out of his adversary's fisted hands while giving the other boy a well-aimed push that made him stumble away. The boy gave her a scathing glare, which she pointedly ignored.

"No more fighting." She reprimanded her brother firmly. "You were losing anyways." She added before her brother could complain.

"B-But that jerk called you-!"

"Ghost." Amani confirmed. "Which is a pretty creative nickname."

The other boy perked up in surprise at her statement. "R-Really?"

"Uh huh. It fits me. I think I'll keep it." Amani said thoughtfully. She glanced at the gaping boy. "You don't mind if I use it, do you?"

"Um. Sure." The boy just looked gob smacked now.

"Now apologize for picking a fight, Alibaba."

Her brother pouted and looked away. "No!" He cried out stubbornly. "It's not my fault!"

Amani restrained herself from sighing. Of course, her brother was still six. Technically, she was still six too but mentally…

"Look, I know you did it for me, but I can handle my problems by myself. If I need help, I'll tell you." She told him. "But you have to apologize to-um…sorry, what's your name?"

The boy, who was being ignored until now, stiffened at the sudden attention he was getting. His face flushed in embarrassment at her probing gaze and he dropped his head. "Kassim." He muttered.

"Alibaba, apologize to Kassim."

Alibaba pouted even more.

"Apologize or no dinner."

Of course, she wouldn't let her brother starve, but he was a gullible child and he believed everything she said.

Alibaba's eyes widened comically before he whirled around to Kassim and a quick, "I'm sorry for punching you!" and turned back to Amani nervously. She nodded and patted his head. "Good boy."

Kassim looked at the two with a strange expression on his face that Amani couldn't pinpoint. "Hey…Alibaba, right? Want to join me and my friends on a game of "king of the hill" in Junkyard Street? You can bring your sister too if you want. She can play with my sister Mariam."

"Eh? Really? That sounds fun!" Alibaba cheered.

Amani, on the other hand, was deep in thought.

_"King of the Hill"._

_Junkyard Street._

_Mariam._

_Kassim._

Why did all of this sound so familiar?

* * *

"Mother?"

"Yes, Amani?"

"Where are we?"

"We're in the country of Balbadd, of course. You didn't know?"

What a mistake she made. She wasn't in _A Thousand and One Nights_. Oh no, she was in a manga, of all storyline dimensions she could be in.

_My God, I'm in **Magi**!_

* * *

As the twins grew, Anise couldn't help but feel pride for her children.

Her son, Alibaba, was a bright child. Though physically lacking, his creativity and optimism rivaled her own. He had already made friends with many of the other children in the slums. Every day he would come back home bruised, dirty, and grinning. He was a natural leader. He came first. His sister went afterwards. He would be loud and would get into mischief as any other child would. It would be his sister who would get him out of the sticky situations.

Her daughter, Amani, was a quiet one. She would follow her brother around, holding his hand and letting him guide her wherever he went. Amani was a perceptive one and Anise suspected that her daughter was a genius, very much like her father. The residents of the slum were wary of Amani's intelligence, ignorantly assuming that her genius was some unnatural magic. If Amani noticed the glares that many sent at her way, she did not comment or react. She was so unlike her brother, but she complimented him nicely and supported him silently.

"Mama! Look! I played 'king of the hill' and I won!" Alibaba crowed, while waving the flag around as if it were gold gifted by the king. "Amani helped with coming up with the tunnel plan. She also told me how to sneak up on Kassim!" He added as an afterthought.

"Amani, is that true?" Anise asked.

Amani shrugged nonchalantly. "Alibaba did most of the work. I only made a few suggestions. The other boys didn't allow me to play anyways."

Most adults would have been uneasy by the blank expression that Amani wore. Anise, who was used to it by now, grinned proudly at her daughter's modesty, knowing that Amani did the majority of the planning. "My two geniuses!" She praised enthusiastically while swooping them up into smothering hugs.

Alibaba whined while Amani waited patiently for the smothering to end.

Ah, how different they were.

Anise quickly pecked Alibaba's head. "My Sun." She then gave her daughter the same treatment. "My Moon."

Yes, as different as the sun and moon.

* * *

"Is your arm okay, man? It looks really bad."

"It's fine! I just tripped."

Amani's perceptive eyes rose at Kassim's answer while Kassim's friends shrugged off the bruise on his face. Even skeptical Alibaba went back to playing.

"That must have been quite a fall." She commented lightly as he passed her.

He flinched and glared at her defensively.

"What? Are you saying that I'm lying?"

"Not at all. I was just impressed that the ground managed to bruise your lower back and your face at the same time."

* * *

"Mother?"

"Yes, Amani?"

"Someone is hurting Kassim."

* * *

"Big sister Amani?"

A week before, Amani's family had two new additions: Kassim and Mariam. It was apparent that the latter was attached to the pale girl. Amani didn't mind so much since Mariam wasn't the annoying sort, so she allowed the younger girl to follow her around everywhere.

"Yes?"

The younger girl blinked adorably at her idol. In her eyes, Amani was beautiful and graceful in every way. To sum it up, Mariam thought Amani was perfect.

"Do you like big brother Kassim?"

Amani hummed. "I don't _dis_like him so I guess I like him. Why?"

Mariam just giggled giddily and focused right back onto her sewing. Amani stared just a little more before shrugging and doing the same. The two had the wonderful idea of sewing beautiful pictures onto scraps and selling them for a few copper coins.

Currently, Amani was able to scrounge up enough money to buy a whole loaf of bread and five jerky scraps, which was the equivalent of a feast in the slums.

* * *

Anise was dying.

She hid it well from the other children, but she knew that she couldn't escape the shrewd eyes of her genius daughter.

That was why, when Kassim took Mariam and Alibaba to play, Anise pulled Amani out to speak with her alone.

"Mother. It's getting worse, isn't it?"

Anise wasn't surprised that Amani had known what their conversation would be about. She was always a special child. Anise pulled her daughter onto her lap and began to brush back her hair. "Yes, love."

"…You're not going to stay with us for long." It wasn't a question.

Amani was a special child.

So that was why Anise told her the truth. What was there to hide?

"Yes."

Amani bit her lip. "I'll try to find some medicine for you. My sewing improved and tourists are rushing into Balbadd more than usual. I think I'll be able to gather enough to buy the medicine. And if that's not enough, Alibaba and Kassim-"

"No!"

Amani flinched in surprise when Anise raised her voice on her for the first and most likely last time.

Anise made Amani look at her eyes. "They must not know, Amani. I do not want to trouble them on my last days. The money that you will earn will be to feed them and yourself."

"…But-

"_Please._ Do this for Mother."

There was a moment of silence. Then, Amani took Anise's hands. As a foreign expression crossed her face, Anise began to see her daughter. When had her daughter's hands grown that big? That calloused? When had her eyes become so old? So tired? "Don't worry, Mother. I won't tell them if that is your wish."

When had her daughter grown up so quickly?

* * *

Phoebe Winthrop cried countless times in her life. Some were for reasons that she forgot through time. Some were from pain. Some were from anger. All were moments of weakness that she only showed to the walls of her room.

Amani, on the other hand, cried only two times in her seven years of living in this world.

Neither of those times was for her mother's death.

She just stared at the still form of her beautiful mother, knowing that the gentle woman would never have a proper burial.

On the ground was a small pot filled with herbs.

_Too late._ Her mind chanted. _Too late. Too late._

Kassim didn't say anything.

He didn't cry either.

Later, Alibaba would scream at her for not being there for their mother and ignore her for a very long time. Even though they would reconcile with each other a week after, there would be something between them that was broken.

But that would be later.

For now, Amani stared at the reality of the world she was placed in.

_I couldn't save her._

* * *

"Mother?"

"…"

"I'm sorry."

"…"

* * *

Amani and Kassim became closer after Anise's death. It seemed that both had a mutual understanding of what she did. Unlike her naïve twin, Kassim had noticed the signs and how much harder Amani had worked.

That was why, when their mother's body was taken away, Kassim had stood by Amani all night, comforting her as if she were crying. He hugged her and followed her when she went outside to watch the stars.

He didn't say anything. He didn't ask anything. He didn't demand anything.

He was just there with her.

It was the same nights after that. Even after Alibaba reconciled with her, Kassim followed her to the rooftops where they admired the silence of the stars. He never pushed her to tell Alibaba the truth. He never blamed her for being too late. He never questioned why she did what she did.

He was just there with her.

"Kassim, are you going to-?"

"No. I won't tell him. This is between us."

It was ironic how this boy was able to read her better than her own blood brother.

* * *

_I couldn't save her. I can't save you._

A year after Anise's death, Amani would witness Kassim being attacked by his father. She would witness how her small feet weren't able to be there on time again. She watched with horror and guilt how Kassim was forced to retaliate.

"Kassim…you have the same dirty blood as me…" The vile man had gurgled out.

But it was Amani who had the final blow. She took the knife from Kassim's shaking hands and finished the man with a clean slash.

_Phoebe Winthrop's mother was a doctor._

_They had expected Phoebe to save many people._

"The only one with dirty blood here is just you. See? It's making such a mess."

* * *

They scrubbed their red hands clean with the rainwater.

"Ghost?"

"Yes?"

"Why did you do that?"

"Because even scum don't deserve to suffer."

"Ghost?"

"Yes?"

"Did you-?"

"No. I didn't tell Alibaba. I didn't tell Mariam either."

"Will you-?"

"I won't. This is just between us, remember?"

"…Heh, right."

* * *

A week.

That was all she had before she was dragged from the slums and into the palace. That was all she had before Kassim began resenting Alibaba and possibly her. And she took the limited time graciously and spent it on entertaining Mariam, making sure Kassim was comfortable when he came back home, and frequently nagging Alibaba.

"Thank you for the food, big sister!"_ Mariam, who will succumb to an unknown disease two years after they leave…_

"You worked hard." _Kassim, who will later curse his fate and fall into depravity because of his jealousy towards Alibaba…_

"It was great Amani!" _Alibaba, who is fated to shoulder the burden of being the third prince of Balbadd and fated to aid a certain Magi…_

Amani could have told them. She could have told them how she knew their futures. She could have warned them of their fates and somehow fix it.

But instead, she smiled at them and asked who wanted seconds.

A loud chorus of "ME!" filled the tiny tent that the children called their home.

_I couldn't save her. I can't save you. Any of you._

_It's useless to even try._

* * *

"Let's run away."

Amani looked up in surprise when Kassim walked up to her out of the blue and began dragging her away from the direction of their home. She was just coming back home from a long day of work. Kassim's behavior was a little off, putting Amani on edge. "What happened?"

Kassim's grip on her arm became tighter but he remained focused on what he was doing. He was almost bordering desperate, judging by his body language.

"Kassim? Did you get into trouble? Where's Alibaba?"

Kassim gritted his teeth at her brother's name. By now, Amani's wrist looked red. "Who cares about that idiot? Let's go. Far away."

And then it clicked.

Amani's shoulders slumped. So it had happened. She knew that, if she had not been working, she would have met her biological father. It seemed that fate had set things in motion.

"Did you and Alibaba get into a fight?"

Kassim didn't answer but his walking slowed.

"Where do you think we can run? Aren't you forgetting Mariam?"

He stopped.

"We're the responsible ones, Kassim. We have to take care of them. They're weaker and more naïve than us. It's what mother would have wanted of us." Amani adjusted Kassim's grip in a way that she was holding his hand. "Let's go home."

Guilt filled Amani's senses as she walked back home where Alibaba wrenched her away from Kassim and proclaimed what they were. He told her excitedly of how their life was going to be better in the palace. Mariam joined in expressing how she always knew that her big sister was a princess and giving the twins her well wishes.

And the whole time, Kassim didn't look at her. Not even once.

* * *

"Kassim." _Are you okay?_

"Princess." _Leave me alone. You are different than me._

"Call me that again and I'll sock you in the face." _You're wrong._

"Isn't that a bit unladylike for her highness?" _You're different. You'll realize it sooner or later._

"Oh, so you're caught up in that royalty shit too. What? Did you think that having the blood of some old man changes the fact that it's just as dirty as the rest of us? Do you think that just because they're going to drag me into the walls of the palace and change how I look and speak that I'm going to be any different than you?" _How could you think like that? Don't you remember all the things we went through together? Stop assuming the worst from me! We're the same!_

"…That was the most you've ever said in a sentence. You know that, Ghost?" _I'm sorry._

"Yeah. Just wanted to make that clear to you when I leave." _It's okay. But I'm still going._

"Then why are you leaving?" _Don't go._

"Alibaba needs me."_ I can't stay._

"Isn't Alibaba enough? Can't they just leave you alone? It's not like they would've known or cared if it was just you." _Please stay._

"No." _No._

* * *

The next day, Alibaba and Amani would leave the slums and move into the palace where they would spend their next seven years. The next day, they would begin to spend years attempting to prove themselves to everyone in the court. The next day, they would take on the name 'Saluja'.

But tonight, Amani took in the white cloth of her makeshift home. She relished the dirt under her feet. She praised the sky above her. She treasured the wind around her.

She enjoyed the last day of being just 'Amani'.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Everyone, say hello to Princess Amani Saluja.


	3. Chapter 2: Years of the Caged Bird

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Amani resigns herself to the storyline's fate as she lives in the palace. But then she learns something that changes everything.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING!: This chapter contains mentions of rape. Skip Year 7, Age 13 (Part 3) to avoid it. Though, there will be mentions of the event in future chapters. You have been warned.
> 
> Otherwise, please proceed onwards

Mr. and Mrs. Winthrop did not approve of any nonsense that wasn't educational.

During her short life, Phoebe's experience with pop culture was severely limited and almost nonexistent. It was a sad thing that she was grounded for a month for being caught reading _Grimm's Fairy Tales_.

Phoebe was never caught reading anything of the sort again.

She was never caught.

Until her last day.

It was a shock to everyone when her parents discovered many borrowed manga books in her book bag on the day of her death. Oh the horror it was to find stacks of _D. Gray Man, Katekyo Hitman Reborn, Fullmetal Alchemist, Naruto, Magi,_ and many, many more manga series hidden expertly in her closet.

They didn't inform Phoebe of their discovery, though. It was her graduation day, after all. The Winthrop's had planned to talk to their daughter afterwards about her interest in the strange cartoons. They did not approve of any nonsense that wasn't educational.

But they never got the chance to.

Since she died.

* * *

_Year 1, Age 7_

Amani Saluja, First Imperial Princess of Balbadd.

The moment she stepped into the palace, she knew that her childhood nickname "Ghost" would never be heard or used again. Despite her denials to Kassim's accusations, she knew that following Alibaba to the palace was her fist step in creating the gap between her and her old home in the slums.

When a handful of maids dragged her to Allah knows where, Amani was tempted to bolt. She was tempted to go back to the slums. Back to the small corner where her tent-like home was. Back to Kassim and Mariam. Perhaps she could change more things there than she could here.

But Fate hated to be changed.

So, she bit her tongue and bore with it when she was tossed into cold, cold water. She kept quiet as her hair was untangled strand by strand. She didn't struggle when clothes that were too beautiful, too heavy with beautiful things, were put on her.

Amani made sure to remain silent throughout it all.

"What a polite girl." One maid whispered when she thought Amani couldn't hear her. "I had expected children from the slums to be animals but look at her! As demure and royal as any of those nobles!"

"Didn't struggle at all." Another said, impressed. "Didn't even make a peep."

Amani went on acting as a doll as her hair was made. She inspected her dress and concluded that it looked very expensive. She wondered how many loaves of bread this dress was worth. Probably thousands.

"_I_ think she's stuck up for a bastard." A bitter one sniffed. The two maids shushed her loudly, glancing nervously at the little princess. She made no indication that she heard the snarky comment. "You shouldn't say things like that, Leah. She _is_ going to be our mistress from now on."

"What? That child? I consider no one my master and that little brat won't be an exception." Leah snarled. She boldly rounded up to Amani, who was admiring the careful craftsmanship of the carpet under her silk slippers. It must have taken hours.

Amani's thought process was cut short when she was jolted from her chair and forced to face a scowling face of a maid. "See here. You're not my master. I am not going to spend the rest of my life serving a girl. So don't expect anything from me."

Amani blinked slowly at the woman. She knew she should be offended but the gall she showed was an attitude that wasn't uncommon to Phoebe. No, Phoebe was very much used to bullies like these. "Alright then."

Leah jerked back at the passive acceptance of the girl in front of her. Then, her face darkened and she began to shake the little girl. "Now you see here-

_"Stop."_

The room seemed to still at the firm command that left the seven-year-old's lips. Her originally blank face was now set in a faintly offended but mostly disapproving expression. "Just who do you think you are to handle me in this manner? I was nothing but polite to you. Stop this nonsense and release me now."

Unfortunately, Leah was too flabbergasted at Amani's sudden burst of emotion to make a move.

Amani quietly sighed. Then, she carefully loosened Leah's grip from the dress, finger by finger, until she was finally released. Amani smoothed her clothes and stood straighter.

"You may not regard me as your master right now, but I have all the intention of proving myself of my fath- _his majesty's_ bloodline. I am very much aware that my circumstance makes me lower than my half brothers. I am a slum rat. I respect that it's the image of how you see me. I will be willing to hear any opinion you have of me. But lay a hand on me again and I will not hesitate on defending myself."

She lifted her head up firmly, mimicking how her father usually appeared. The similarity was so uncanny that the maids in the room had to restrain themselves from kneeling in front of her.

"I am Amani Saluja. Do not think that I am a mere spoilt child, Leah."

Leah paled and spluttered when she realized that her mistress knew her name. "Y-You know my…?"

Amani blinked. "Of course I do. I know all of your names."

All the maids froze at the implication of the little girl's statement. She was with them in only a few hours. To have picked up their names would mean that she was _listening into all of their conversations for the whole time_.

The pale, small, seven-year-old girl suddenly appeared older to every one of the maids' eyes. Uneducated? Strange? Alien? This girl was that. Weak? Naïve? Ignorant? This girl was none of that. The same thought ran through all of the maids minds.

What a pity that she was female. She would have made a wonderful king.

But still, that didn't mean that she was any less powerful. Women, despite being seen as the lesser of the two genders, still had their ways of attaining some form of power. This slum child had a great potential.

Leah, realizing this, bowed her head to the woman-like child. "Forgive me, my lady. I was out of line."

Amani frowned at Leah's sudden submissiveness but accepted her apology nonetheless. "I am fine, Leah. But please…never do that again."

"Understood, my lady."

Amani stifled a sigh and rose to leave the room. "Now, I think it's about time for me to be introduced to the rest of my family?"

"Of course, my lady. Allow me to show you the way."

As she had expected, Amani was sneered at or ignored by the nobles of the court. Her older half-brothers mostly focused their hatred toward Alibaba since he was more of a competition for the throne.

That, and Amani's worth was practically useless.

Something inside the pale girl reared up in retaliation to the whole palace's condescension. Amani quickly and effectively squashed it. Let them think of her as insignificant.

She was never supposed to be significant in this world anyway.

* * *

"Have you heard about the King's youngest child? She's his only daughter."

"Yes, I've heard. I've also heard that she is a smart little one."

"She'll do well in the palace."

"It's a pity that she was born a girl. She would have made a wonderful king."

* * *

_Year 2, Age 8_

By her second year in the palace, Amani Saluja was invisible.

It was to be expected that everyone would pay more attention to her brother. She was a girl, after all. Sometimes, even her own maids would overlook her existence in brief moments before remembering her again. It usually happened when Alibaba was around.

But Amani wasn't unhappy. She actually encouraged this. The less this world acknowledged her, the less impact she would have in this storyline.

She made sure to pace herself so that her brother was always ahead of her. It was bad enough that he was looked down upon by everyone but for him to be surpassed by his own _sister_?

In this world, that was disgraceful.

Phoebe was annoyed that just about every male in this world was a sexist pig. Her irritation and anger demanded some sort of retribution. Amani, on the other hand, accepted this viewpoint coolly. It did her no good to struggle against tradition. It would only make Alibaba's life harder.

Amani was surprised that her father allowed her to study what her brother studied. For a world that thought of women as an equivalent to a bargaining chip, this was very unorthodox.

Still, she didn't complain at the rare act of generosity from her sire and took full advantage of it. Amani made sure to learn whatever her tutors taught her, no matter how reluctant they were to teach a girl, and secretly studied subjects more advanced during the evening in the royal library.

It was a bit of a relief to find that this world had a universal language, a bit like English was to Phoebe's world. Her young mind made it easy to suck every lesson up. Now, she was able to write and read the Toran as well as she could speak it.

Her mastery opened up a new world for her every time she visited the library. She somehow got her hands on a scroll mapping out the known lands. For the first time, Amani had a grasp on what her world looked like. In an eerie way, the geography was not that different from Phoebe's world. It wasn't surprising since the author of Magi based this world on a children's tale of their world.

Balbadd…was it based on the famous trading city Baghdad of the Persian Empire?

If that was so, then this Kou Empire must be China's parallel.

How many other empires resembled the ones back in her past life?

It was then when Amani made it her mission to know the structures of the world from inside out. She poured all of her concentration into learning different languages, cultures, politics, and magic.

Why her brothers did not take advantage of these books, she would never know.

"My lady, it's getting late."

Amani's head snapped up to see a tired and irritable Leah. Surprisingly, the bitter maid turned out to be Amani's most loyal handmaiden. Yes, she made small quips here and there, but Leah was a good secret-keeper. With Leah's bold statements and Amani's open-minded acceptance, the pair got along very well.

What could she say? Shared modern thinking makes strong bonds.

Amani stood up from her seat and sent Leah an apologetic look. "I'm sorry, Leah. I've lost track of the time. Thank you for reminding me."

Leah shrugged. "It is no problem, my lady. My sleeping quarters are on the way there. Would you like me to take you to your room?"

Amani's room was at the other end of the palace. Making Leah walk with her there and then walk back to her sleeping quarters would be counter-productive.

She was too old to be afraid of the dark.

"It's fine, Leah. I'll find my own way there. Please, get some sleep. You look half-dead."

* * *

"Leah how is the young mistress?"

"She's studying. As usual."

"It's just not fair that she's being set aside just because she's a girl."

"It's not fair that our princes can't be more like her."

"Why couldn't she have been born a boy?"

* * *

_Year 3, Age 9_

There were times when Amani felt envious of her brother.

Watching him parry his instructor's blade halfheartedly, Amani decided that this was one of those times. She couldn't believe how reluctant he was to learn sword fighting. Everything that Amani wished to learn but couldn't because of her gender, Alibaba took for granted.

Amani sighed and made a move to walk away but stumbled when she tripped over something. Looking down, she found a pair of flour weights used to make the stance of an amateur martial artist stronger. She distantly remembered reading something like this in the library. She picked it up and inspected it.

The weights couldn't have been much for an adult but, for a nine year old like her, it was slightly heavy.

A very Phoebe-like idea flashed through the princess' head before she could stop it.

Would they notice of just _one_ pair of weights was gone?

"Princess Amani?"

Amani discreetly hid the weights in her sleeves as she turned to greet the person who called for her. She blinked in surprise when she found that it was a well-dressed, silver-haired woman. An aristocrat? No, the woman's clothes were made of linen, not silk. A scholar's daughter perhaps? Amani recognized her face from one of the political meetings that the king made her and Alibaba attend so she must have been important. A woman's face was rarely seen in the affairs of men.

Amani groped for a name in her mind. In a few seconds, she finally found the one that matched the face. "Ah…are you Fatima?"

The woman's eyes widened with faint surprise. "You remember me, princess?"

"Yes," Amani assured Fatima, who was very beautiful for a woman around her mid-twenties. "It is rare to see a woman attending his majesty's meetings so it made it very hard to forget such a face."

Fatima hummed in agreement.

"Was there something that you needed, Miss Fatima?" Amani boldly asked. Instead of being offended by her gall, Fatima laughed. A romantic would compare her laugh to bells but Amani personally thought that Fatima's laugh was breakable, like the sound of two pieces of glass bumping into each other with the risk of both shattering on impact.

"A bold one. I like her, Fatima." A new voice rang out, catching both Amani and Fatima's attention. Fatima raised a delicate brow at the new addition. "Ranya. What is your business here in Balbadd?"

Curious, Amani took a closer look at this 'Ranya'.

Years later, Amani would vividly remember her first meeting with the enigma named Ranya as an event that was the catalyst that changed the way she viewed the world. Amani would remember the throaty way she laughed. Amani would remember her sun-kissed skin and light blonde hair. Amani would remember the brilliant smile that was aimed at both no one and everyone. Amani would remember the sly, blue-eyed wink that the woman sent her, as if both of them shared a secret that nobody else knew.

And honestly, Amani knew what Ranya's secret was. Amani was shrewd. It was hard to hide the truth from her, no matter how well it was concealed.

"I will be seeing you later, Fatima. I need to visit the others before I go back home. Maybe I'll be seeing you again, kid."

"My name is Amani."

Ranya stared at her for a moment and then nodded. "Amani it is, then."

"That is a beautiful knife you have there, Miss Ranya. Your ring and your bracelet also complement your clothes very well." Amani complimented calmly. Ranya stared again before giggling joyfully. Fatima's lips twitched a little too.

"Smart brat. You're going to make huge changes one day with that sharp mind of yours."

Amani blinked innocently. "I do not know what you are speaking of and my name is Amani."

"Stubborn one, aren't you? And where did you learn your manners, young one?"

"Sadly I am still learning the art of etiquette. I was raised in the slums, you see. But I did learn that red raspberry or ginger tea is an effective way to get rid of nausea." Amani calmly retaliated, ripping another bout of snickering from the blonde haired woman.

"Oh, so you _did _know."

"I have no idea what you are talking about, Miss Ranya. Being nine years of age, there is only so much a child could know." Amani said respectfully before turning away and making her way back to her room.

"Wha-_nine?_ Is that kid seriously nine, Fatima?"

Fatima clicked her tongue. "She is also the First Imperial Princess of Balbadd."

"No kidding!"

Amani held the weights in a tighter grasp and made a mental plan of wearing them everywhere she went. It would help improve her speed at least…

* * *

"Fatima, I want you to tell him that I won't be returning for a while."

"Does he know?"

"No."

"Will you ever tell him?"

"I will, just not yet. And Fatima-"

"He won't hear it from me, Ranya. Don't worry. When you're done with what you have to do, you can tell him yourself."

"Thank you, Fatima."

* * *

_Year 4, Age 10_

It was strange how people could easily forget Amani was there.

Once upon a time, she had wanted her existence to fade away from this world so she wouldn't have to face the full impact of what her birth had caused. She was never meant to be.

The art of being unnoticed was an easy thing to learn. It almost came as second nature to her once she began to practice it. All she had to do was to keep quiet and walk around silently. All she had to do was to seem insignificant and useless. Amani liked to pretend that she was a ghost, just like her nick-namesake. And her efforts finally bore fruit.

Just yesterday, her twin brother had passed by her without giving his usual greetings. He just…walked past her and walked on.

It hurt more than she thought it would.

"It hurts when they forget, doesn't it?" Fatima had once asked her when they passed each other on the halls. Amani paused for a moment and looked back at the mysterious woman. She still held her place in the courts a year after their meeting, which gave Amani the hint that the woman was more than she seemed.

In a way, the woman had become an ally within the palace walls. There was neither judgment nor scorn in her eyes as she spoke to the woman-child. She never spoke with flattery. Sometimes, she never spoke at all, opting to communicate with Amani with silence. Amani knew by now that Fatima was a woman of little words and that whatever little she said was important.

Fatima gave Amani a once over before nodded solemnly. "Yes, it seems that you are the one I was waiting for. I suspected it when I met you but I still needed proof."

The one? Proof?

"Look ahead of you, princess. What do you see?"

Amani did as she was told and felt her heart sink when she saw that her maids had walked on, oblivious to their mistress' momentary pause.

They had forgotten her.

"What were you talking about when you said that I was 'the one'?" Amani asked Fatima distantly. Even Leah hadn't noticed she was gone.

Fatima blinked. "You, my princess, are a Blessed Child of Solomon."

Amani's mind immediately recalled a text she stumbled upon in one of her nightly reading:

_The Great King Solomon created this world._

_He was the first king to be chosen by the three magi._

_He was also the first king to be supported by four children of mysterious powers so he could ascend into his throne. With them, his three magi, and his seventy-two household members, King Solomon became a powerful ruler of a peaceful world._

_From generation to generation, the powers of the four children were passed on from predecessor to successor. Kings garnered support from these supernatural children and created powerful empires._

_It was said that, aside from Solomon, there was no king who had the support of all four of the children. All generations had insisted that they were waiting for their 'true king'._

_The four children became known in the books of old as 'The Blessed Children of Solomon'._

Well, if that fun fact wasn't something that wouldn't change the fate of this whole universe, Amani didn't know what would.

* * *

"My king."

"Fatima. What is it?"

"I found her."

* * *

_Year 5, Age 11 (Part 1)_

Invisibility

That was her supposedly 'kick-ass' ability that kings had fought over for generations. Personally, Amani thought that the power of the Blessed was overrated.

(What a waste of good men and blood, tsk, tsk.)

Technically, her ability wasn't 'invisibility' according to Fatima. _That_ sort of thing required more energy and effort. What Amani had been doing was accidental misdirection. She had made her existence seem unworthy of attention to the eyes of others. If she were invisible, people would be walking all over her. Instead, she just made herself faceless and unimportant.

Fatima was a Blessed and Amani's predecessor. She explained to the only princess of Balbadd that it was one of her duties as one of the Blessed to impart knowledge to the next generation.

Amani was the last of the next generation to be found since her ability was practically built to 'hide herself from the world', which was very ironic since that was her goal all along. The other three were recognized at once during their birth.

Fatima presented Amani in front of the king as her successor. For the first time, Amani's father looked at her, truly looked at her. Amani, thanks to Phoebe, was neither inexperienced nor naïve to the thoughts of those in political power. Her father's sudden interest in her was only because of the unexpected increase of her worth. But still. The part of her that was still a young girl felt embarrassed and, dare she think it, _bashful_.

In her discomfort, Amani 'disappeared', confirming Fatima's claims.

That was the beginning of Amani's life as a Blessed Child.

Amani was no longer simply the 'Imperial Princess'. She was now a princess who could give whichever king she chose her powerful support. Her presence alone would change the outcomes of wars. Not only that, she had a personal connection with the King of Balbadd: she was his bastard daughter. Blood was blood. Bonds like that were thicker than water. It didn't come as a surprise to her when the king subtly flaunted her when foreign ambassadors came to visit. Wherever her father-the King-went, Fatima and Amani had to follow.

It was a busy time for Amani.

(By then, Alibaba and she stopped meeting each other altogether.)

There was at least one thing that Amani got out of this whole 'Blessed Child' business and it was having Fatima as her teacher. Unlike her past tutors, Fatima didn't underestimate Amani's intelligence and didn't second-guess her abilities because of her gender.

She dumped piles and piles of scrolls onto Amani's lap, demanding every single one of them to be read and memorized by the following morning. Fatima knew Amani had a good memory so there were no excuses.

Amani learned the ropes to politics and war. She learned how to know when a person lies. She learned every weak point in the human body. She learned about the history of the past kings of Balbadd. She learned about her predecessors and how they used their invisibility skills.

By the time Amani drained the palace library dry, she felt as if her head would burst with everything she learned. It was a strangely satisfying feeling.

But Fatima's lessons weren't only through scrolls. She took the effort in physically showing how Amani should walk and hold herself in certain way with certain company. Fatima spoke with Amani in various different languages every day to ensure that her student wouldn't forget the languages she had picked up from the different countries they visited.

Fatima also taught her how to fight.

Amani was shocked to find out that her mentor used to be an assassin. It was just that Fatima was so reserved and…harmless.

Amani soon learned that she was so very, _very_ wrong. Within her first month of training, the Blessed-to-be encountered the true meaning of hell-on-earth. She woke up early and went to bed late. She held countless weapons and memorized more than a thousand ways too kill a person with seemingly harmless objects.

Amani could no longer look at a quill the same way again.

But the woman-child learned more than she ever had the chance to learn in her past life and she took every lesson to heart. Unlike her brother, who was most likely slacking off in his lessons, Amani strove to be great. Why? Because of the before mentioned brother.

Support.

That was all she could do now with her remaining family. Her half-brothers and her father could go rot in a hole somewhere but Alibaba was important to her.

Becoming his Blessed when he was crowned king was the best she could provide for her beloved brother.

Even if he had forgotten her.

* * *

"Have you heard? The princess is a Blessed Child."

"What luck! Maybe now the young princess will have a chance to take over after her father leaves!"

"Blessed Children cannot be kings, remember? And no sane ruler would make a daughter his successor."

* * *

_Year 5, Age 11 (Part 2)_

Amani killed for the second time in a summer evening.

Her first was Kassim's poor excuse of a father.

This time, she successfully disarmed an assassin and slit his throat. It was faster and more merciful than snapping his neck, since she was still too weak to make a death like that painless.

The masked man had been creeping outside her brothers' chambers. The man had expected three dead kids and a bag full of gold for his efforts. He had expected easy killings since the guards in Balbadd were lax. His plans had been flawless and every step had been performed without any trips.

One mistake was made that night:

He had overlooked Amani.

Even though she wouldn't have minded if the killer killed her half-brothers, she still couldn't take the chance of the man killing Alibaba too.

But unlike the last time she killed, Amani didn't feel any shock.

"This wasn't your first time."

It wasn't a question. Fatima rarely asked questions. She knew and Amani knew she knew. Not that Amani cared much. Fatima was raised in a family of assassins. The idea of young children killing was not a new thing for her. But, to appease her teacher, Amani answered Fatima's not-question.

"Slum rats have to do what they can to live."

Which was the truth. Amani had to do what she could to protect her loved ones.

Even if she had to stain her hands red.

* * *

"Little sister Amani?"

"Sahbmad. Is there something you need from me?"

"I would like to thank you for what you did last night. I am in your debt."

"You know?"

"Yes, and Big brother Ahbmad may not say it but he's thankful too. Is there anything from us that you need?"

"Just don't let Alibaba know."

* * *

_Year 6, Age 12_

A dungeon had recently appeared a handful of miles from Balbadd. Despite the warnings that told her to stay the _hell away_ from the death trap, Amani went.

Besides, Fatima didn't stop her so she had full confidence that she could face whatever challenges the dungeon threw at her. Was there a moment of doubt? How could there be when she knew that this dungeon wasn't in canon? How could she doubt, when this simply stood as an opportunity for her to become strong enough to protect? Without any hesitation, Amani jumped through the dungeon portal.

Amani was well armed with weapons and supplied with a good amount of food and water, since she wasn't so naïve as to think that the dungeon would provide her with non-lethal sustenance. It was built to kill her, not nurture her.

The dungeon was more than what Amani imagined. It was like a whole _desert _was transported in there. Ruins of many different empires were scattered all over the landscape. Amani suspected that she was supposed to enter one of the entrances to the underground tombs. The entrances to the tombs gave her an Egyptian feeling since they had an uncanny resemblance to the ones Phoebe saw when her family visited Egypt. The sand glittered under the light.

Which seemed to come from nowhere.

Which also raises the question: how were dungeons so well lit without lanterns, torches, light bulbs (were there any in this world?), etc.?

Amani decided to save that sort of question for the djinn at the end of her quest.

Of course, that reminded her of the _other_ inhabitants of the dungeon. Amani wondered what sort of monstrosity she would have to face.

The ground shook in cue to Amani's mental question. As she prepared herself to face the dungeon monster, she took steps back in case the creature was a long-distanced fighter. Fatima's lessons flickered through her mind as she raised her throwing knives in preparation.

The monster was a sick combination of a bat, crab and a scorpion. Its black armor glinted when the artificial light hit it as if the light was the sun itself and its pincers snapped threateningly at her. The leather wings on its back stretched open to show off the sheer size of its wingspan. The movement disturbed the sand around Amani, causing some grains to get into her eyes. She blinked them away, not daring to let go of her weapons. Not only was it double the size of the royal palace, but it also had hand-sized minions too.

This was her moment to prove herself.

Amani raised her knives in challenge and the creature reared back, preparing itself to attack. The young princess swallowed and braced herself. The monster shrieked and barreled towards her and-

**"Wah! Get away! Get away!"**

**"Run, it's after us!"**

**"I knew going into this dungeon wasn't a good idea!"**

-went after some random men she hadn't noticed were there in the dungeon with her and _passed right by her as if she wasn't there_.

"…."

Amani didn't know whether to feel relieved or offended.

Behind her, screams bounced off the walls of the ruins and fizzled out when it reached the sand before they abruptly stopped at the sounds of sickening crunches. Amani didn't dare look back at the carnage that was most likely there and moved forward.

It was sad to say, but Amani's experience in her first, and probably last, dungeon was quite literally a walk in the park.

Yes, there were some riddles and mini-cyclones from here to there but all of them were logic-based so she had no problem getting the right answers. The monsters ignored her and she did her best to avoid them. All and all, the whole experience lacked the excitement and suspense that her brother's dungeon capturing would be when he met Aladdin.

For Amani, the hardest part in this whole 'adventure' was finding the metal vessel. It took Amani about thirty minutes to find it. Turned out, her vessel was a gold, jewel-decorated gourd about two times the size of an adult's hand. Or, in common man terms: a fancy-looking water bottle.

Yeah. It was just as disappointing as the whole experience.

Amani waited patiently as the symbol glowed and her djinn appeared in front of her. Thankfully, her djinn wasn't as pathetic as a spider or a crab, but in the form a petite, humanoid female.

At least she was pretty. Amani comforted herself with that thought before stepping forwards close enough that the djinn would notice her. She even made the effort in dropping her misdirection abilities so that the supernatural being wouldn't overlook her as the monsters in the dungeons had done.

_"I am Foras, the Djinn of Logic and Ethics."_ The djinn boomed, surprising Amani with the strength and depth of her voice. _"Who will be king?"_ The djinn's eyes wandered around the chamber before settling on Amani's muchsmaller form. _"Oh? Will you be the one to take the throne, young one?"_

"Ah…me?" Was Amani's clever reply.

_"Yes, young one. I am speaking to you."_ The djinn said patiently. It was then when Amani realized that the djinn was speaking to her like any adult would to a child, in a comforting yet slightly patronizing tone.

Amani's spine straightened as she took on the regal stance that Fatima had drilled her into memorizing and perfecting. The djinn's expression took on a more interested look at the sudden change in the young blonde.

_"I will ask again: do you wish to be king?"_

"No."

The djinn's brows rose comically at Amani's blunt proclamation.

"I mean," Amani amended quickly when she saw the look that was aimed at her, "I do not wish for power. For a person like myself, I only want to have the ability to support and protect the one I wish to make king."

_"So you wish to serve another."_

"It's fine if you don't choose me as your 'king vessel'. If my wishes don't meet your standards, it can't be helped." The princess shrugged nonchalantly. "That just means that you'd be completely useless to me even if I somehow force you into becoming my djinn. So I won't make the effort."

The djinn clicked her tongue. _"Cheeky brat."_

"You're not the first to say so." Amani admitted with a smile while remembering her encounter with Ranya. "But aren't the cheeky ones the most entertaining?"

_"Indeed."_ Foras mused before leaning closer to Amani. _"You will be an amusing master, Blessed One. King or no king, you are still destined to aid fate. For that reason and your wit, I will accept you as my king vessel."_

Oh. So the djinn appreciated her blunt honesty. That was unexpected. But it was also completely fine with Amani in the long run since she gained a powerful companion. With those thoughts in mind, Amani nodded in acceptance. "Thank you."

And then it was done.

The djinn disappeared back into her gourd thing. Amani was transported back to the world of the living with a butt-load of money. Word was sent out about the child, not to mention the thought-to-be-dead _princess_, who had conquered the dungeon at the mere age of twelve.

That feat had not been achieved since Sinbad's first dungeon conquering and he had been fourteen, making Amani the youngest dungeon captor in all of history.

There went her invisibility.

But the young blonde child didn't mind. The world may know her name, but they would never recognize her if she ever walked up to them, so her invisibility was secure.

Of course, the King of Balbadd heard and he immediately sent soldiers over to Amani so she would be 'safely brought back to him'.

Bah, she knew he only pretended to care because of her position as a Blessed Child and her latest success. Though, she was secretly proud that she was finally deemed important enough by her proud sire to be shown _some_ sort of affection.

As Amani was led back into the palace with her boon, she distantly wondered how Fatima would react to her success and if the King would finally allow her the chance to meet with her twin brother after two years of complete separation.

Foras thrummed comfortingly at her new master's side.

* * *

"The princess' metal vessel is amazing! The small gourd seems to have an endless amount of sand in it! And the sand is alive! Have you ever seen sand act like that?"

"It's as if the sand has a mind of its own, shielding the little princess when she needs it. And it happens like that even without the princess consciously ordering it to!"

"What a clever thing!"

"Did you know that the little princess could do other impressive things without that vessel?"

"Yes, she was trained by Fatima, after all."

"Didn't I tell you she'd be alright in the end? Even if she's a girl."

* * *

_Year 7, Age 13_

"C'mon, Amani! It'll be just for a few hours." Alibaba begged with big, watery eyes. "You have no idea how boring it is within the palace walls. You're always out with father doing exciting things."

Amani cringed at her brother's obvious attempt at guilt-tripping her since it was, to her utmost shame, working. "Don't be stupid." She snapped at her other half. "I am very well aware of the tedium of the palace but until you finish your studies as I have, you can't go outside."

When Amani returned to the palace with her metal vessel, she was met with heaps of praise, a sickening amount of attention, and a very amused Fatima. The King allowed his daughter one favor for her magnificent success. Anything she asked of him would be granted if it were within his ability. When Amani requested her room to be moved closer to her brother's, the King had been surprised, since it was a simple request.

But he granted it nonetheless and Amani got to spend more time with her brother as she had always wished. They had caught up with each other for years they had lost. Alibaba chattered about his lessons and trading successes while Amani listened to every word without a complaint.

When he had asked her about herself, she knew that he wanted to hear about her ability and her experience in the dungeon.

Amani told him everything. She told him about the day she discovered her identity as the Blessed Child. She told him about Fatima. She told him about the piles and piles of books she had to read. She told him about the hellish training and the weapons she had to master. She told him about the various different ambassadors she had to meet. She told him about the wonders and horrors of the dungeon, making sure to remind her brother that every dungeon was different so he wouldn't arrogantly assume that it was simple to conquer. She exaggerated some of the parts of her story to entertain her brother and left out the parts where she was forced in situations to kill.

(Of course, she didn't fool herself into thinking that she would hide something like this from her brother forever. The truth would have to come out eventually. Just not now.)

Amani loved her brother. She always would.

(It's just that he would never understand her. Not without knowing the truth.)

That was why she wanted to postpone Alibaba's outing from the palace as long as she could. Fate could wait a little longer, couldn't it? She wanted to see Alibaba's smiling face a little longer before she had to leave him in fate's hands. Besides, she had to speak with her brother about something.

"Alibaba. There's another reason why I'm not letting you out of the palace." Amani confessed while playing with her sleeves. In reality, she was making sure that the senbon needles and the kunai knives hidden within her royal garbs were secure to her person. (No need for those to fall out and scare her brother.)

Alibaba looked at his sister questioningly. "Yes?"

"In about two weeks, I'll be leaving with Fatima to go to meet with a Kou Prince. It's selfish. But I wanted to spend a little bit more time with my brother before I leave for Kou since we don't have too long."

"Huh? But won't you have time to spend time with me after you finish your ambassador mission to Kou? Why do you want to spend time together now?" He asked innocently, causing his twin to flinch.

"Isn't it obvious?"

Alibaba's oblivious expression told her that _no, he did not understand_. Amani sighed in exasperation and looked out of one of the palace windows to calm down before looking back at her brother's face.

"I'm engaged, you dolt."

Alibaba's jaw dropped and he made the shrillest sound a boy his age could make.

* * *

"That poor little princess. She worked so hard to be acknowledged by her Father only to be sent away to be the perfect wife of a barbaric Kou Prince."

* * *

_Year 7, Age 13 (Part 2)_

Amani considered just leaving for Kou a week early when she discovered Alibaba's empty room the next evening. Apparently, her brother didn't take the news of her engagement well and didn't talk to her for the whole day, which to her opinion was overly childish. Did Alibaba honestly think that she would remain unmarried? She was the only royal daughter, the only bargaining chip that the country had. It was inevitable that she would be married off one day.

How could Alibaba be so naïve?

(How could he not even consider how she felt about this?)

Amani left the palace, donning simple clothing and leaving behind jewelry. She didn't need to wander aimlessly around the city since she knew exactly where her brother was.

No one even glanced her way when she entered the tavern. Amani breathed in pungent air of unwashed bodies and booze. She supposed that it was her training with Fatima and her travels that made her less sensitive to the smell and sight of this place.

She found Alibaba happy, drunk, and laughing with Kassim.

Kassim had grown. He grew a few feet and he wasn't as awkwardly shaped, as any other teenage boy would be. His braids had grown out past his shoulders and didn't look as unkempt as they did when they were children. Amani was thankful that he wasn't as skinny as she had expected him to be. No, rather he was beginning to look like the handsome, enigmatic man who would lead the infamous 'Fog Troupe'.

Fog Troupe.

Amani swallowed thickly and pretended that she was catching her brother in an innocent outing with an old friend. She pretended that Kassim had no hurtful intentions and was genuinely having a good time with her brother. It was better to think of things that way.

Amani put on a smile and made her way towards the table.

"-And I managed to sneak past the guards and Amani to get there through those tunnels! Isn't it amazing?" Alibaba was babbling. Amani knew that he had already explained to Kassim in full detail about the secret pathways into the palace.

"Yeah! Impressive!" Kassim praised him.

"Amazing! I almost didn't notice!" Amani chimed in from the seat she took between Alibaba and Kassim, dropping her misdirection ability. Just as she had expected, both males jerked back in shock. The hazy drunk look on her brother's face disappeared to be replaced by an expression filled with shock and guilt. "Amani? How did you know I'd be here?"

"Never underestimate my abilities in finding you, brother." Amani warned him darkly. "Remember, Fatima was the one who taught me. You do remember Fatima, don't you Alibaba?"

In the past, Alibaba made the terrible mistake of getting his lunch on Fatima. It was her best robes so the glare that she sent him could have sent him to hell seven times over. Since then, Alibaba was afraid of even the _mention_ of Fatima. The horror stories that Amani told him didn't exactly help either.

Alibaba shivered in fear and nodded.

The pale blonde turned to the other person in the table, taking note that the shock was still present on his face. "It's nice to see that you're well, Kassim. You've grown handsomely." She complimented gently.

Kassim still seemed to not accept what was sitting in front of him. "Ghost?"

"Boo."

Amani's sarcastic quip jerked the tanned youth from his trance. A wide smile spread like wildfire across his face. (How long did it take for him to perfect such a genuine-looking smile?) "Ghost! It's been a while!"

Amani drew Kassim into a warm embrace and, to the surprise of both Alibaba and Kassim, kissed his cheek affectionately out of habit since it was a ritualistic greeting between her and Alibaba. Kassim jerked back in embarrassment, losing the cool, mature façade he originally wore. He looked so much like the child Kassim Amani used to know that she had to laugh. "Kassim, you're all red!"

Alibaba began howling in laughter and he patted Kassim in the back. He assured his red-faced friend that his sister greeted him like that all the time. By then, Kassim's face had cooled and his calm façade was back on.

"So Ghost…want a drink?"

* * *

"So, Alibaba. Why did you look so down when I found you? You didn't get into another fight with Ghost, did you? The two of you always seemed to get into fights."

"She's getting married."

"…."

"She tried so hard, Kassim. Out of all of us, Amani tried the hardest. Everyone could see that. She studied, trained, and even became really, really strong, but they're still going to marry her off like cattle. It's just not fair. It's not fair that she was born a girl. She deserves better."

"How is she?"

"Healthy. Strong. Confident. Beautiful. I wish she came out with me. She would've been happy to see you."

"Have another drink, Alibaba."

* * *

_Year 7, Age 13 (Part 3)_

Amani should've known better.

She should've known better than to keep her bedroom doors unlocked. She should've known better than to trust the abilities of the guards. She should've known better than to leave her weapons next to her and not on her. She should've been more protected since she_ knew_. She knew what Kassim would do. She knew he would betray her brother and storm the palace.

But she also assumed that he wouldn't lay a hand on her since they were family.

(Foolish, so foolish.)

Fatima had taught her better than this. But then again, she was gone. Fatima, her beloved teacher and most trusted confidant, was dead. At least she had died quickly. She had taken a lucky hit to the head by a spiked club when she was distracted by Amani's screams.

Amani had screamed. She wished she hadn't. If she hadn't, Fatima would have been alive.

Kassim had come into her room. She thought he was Alibaba so she allowed her guard to go down, giving him the chance to pin her down. He pinned her down. No matter how much she had struggled and begged, _begged_ him to _let her go_ and to _stop_, he didn't. He wouldn't. No, he has gripped at her, ripped at her, and _he had hurt her_. He had _taken_ her so harshly that she had screamed and bled. She had screamed her teacher to her death but she didn't know it then.

And Kassim.

Gone was the friend who shared secrets with her. Gone was the older brother who she could depend on. Gone was the kind Kassim who had understood her the most. As Kassim's rough, chapped lips had forcefully covered her own, Amani tasted the booze, tobacco, and blood that defined Kassim through her painful haze. She had long since given up in her struggling and instead waited for it to all end. It was too late.

Too late.

Her weapons had been on the ground, Foras had been too far to aid her, and it was hopeless.

Had Kassim blamed her for Mariam's death too? Did he hate her that much for being more fortunate (more aware? More cursed?) than him and having a better (worse, far worse) fate?

Amani didn't blame him if he hated her. She hated herself too.

(It's your fault, you know it's your fault. Mariam is dead and it's your fault because you _knew_.)

But she still felt betrayed for what he did to her. She still felt hurt since he was the one to hurt her. She trusted him and he broke all that by doing the last thing she expected Kassim to do.

When he had finally finished, Amani couldn't move. She couldn't think. She couldn't struggle. She had been just…empty.

"I'm sorry." Was what he told her, as if he had actually meant it.

(Liar, you liar you don't mean it you never did.)

She remembered wanting to scream at him. She had wanted to claw at his face and demand him to take back the only thing that made her worthy to be at the palace, at Alibaba's side. She remembered wanting to turn back the sands of time and fix the mistakes she made. She wanted…

But she had only asked him "why?"

Kassim never answered and he left.

Amani used to be very good at reading her brother-friend (or was he really that now after all he did?) but now she couldn't read him at all.

She couldn't recognize the back of the man walking away from her. She still didn't.

The next day, after the fire was put out and Alibaba was safely placed in his bed. The servants found their king dead and the princess in tattered clothes, traumatized and sitting in her own pool of blood.

They didn't need to be told what happened. They knew.

The maids cried over their quiet but kind princess and the palace guards paid their respects to their princess, knowing that it was due to their incompetence that this happened and that she was lucky to even be _alive_. The townspeople wailed at the knowledge that their beloved dungeon capturer, Blessed Child, and princess was sullied in such a way. Even the people of the slums kept silent, not once jeering the princess for her situation.

Both Ahbmad and Sahbmad checked on their half-sister. Ahbmad, because he was the new king and Amani was now his responsibility, and Sahbmad, because he was genuinely concerned for the strong sister he had grown to love. Sahbmad regretfully told her of her twin's flight from the palace. Amani had already known that this would happen so she wasn't as upset as everyone had expected her to be.

No one told her about Fatima.

Amani was too shocked to even ask.

Surprisingly, just when Balbadd thought that Kou would break their alliance and marriage agreement, Kou sent a message through a personal messenger expressing their condolences for the Balbadd Princess and assured her that she could take her time to recover before sailing over to Kou to meet her betrothed.

They had sent a young child to deliver this message.

The shrewd Amani would have been suspicious but she was too shaken to think or suspect anything at the moment. To a broken Amani, Kou had sent a child to show that they had no ill will towards Balbadd.

Thankfully, Amani's broken self's judgment was not wrong and Kou did not attack Balbadd the next day.

Unfortunately, the next day was the day of Fatima's funeral and the day when Amani realized how much she had lost.

Her friend.

Her teacher.

Her brother.

All gone.

* * *

"Excuse me, can you tell me where the princess' room is? I have a message for her that will surely cheer her up."

"Her room is at the far right. But be warned, if this is a trick, King Ahbmad will flay you alive for damaging the princess even more than which is already done if I don't get to you first, brat."

"Don't worry, Miss Maid! Thank you!"

"Miss? I'm too old to be a 'Miss' anymore." Leah grumbled. "And what were those Kou Royals thinking, sending a five-year-old boy as a messenger?"

* * *

_Finale: And The Door of the Cage Breaks_

Amani was no weak human.

Yes, it took her many days to get over the shock of being betrayed, sullied, and the deaths of many of her dear ones.

(She came to love her father at the end.)

But she was not weak. So now she planned. She planned on how to move on from this point of her life. Planned how she would return to her homeland by the time the 'Fog Troupe' incident started. Planned to be reunited with her brother. Planned to be very, very strong by then. Amani checked herself in the mirror again, making sure that she looked as strong as she thought she felt. She wore makeup willingly for the first time and actually wore her jewelry to symbolize her position. Now was not the time to look like the street rat everyone had thought she was in the beginning. Now, she was the imperial princess of Balbadd. By the next day, she would be sent to Kou to be wed to a faceless prince.

(Who cared? It was just marriage. As long as it helped Alibaba in the end, it didn't matter.)

A hollow knock thumped through the door. With her metal vessel at her side, Amani answered the door. To her pleasant surprise, it was the young messenger boy. It was not always obvious, but Amani had a very soft spot for younger children and the flowers in his hands gave her a good idea why he came knocking at her door.

The boy smiled brightly and handed the banquet to the princess, of which she accepted graciously. "Thank you."

"May I enter into Her Highness' quarters?" He inquired sweetly.

It was a strange thing that Kou sent over a boy who was too young to be entangled in the game of politics or understand anything for the matter. And he wore clothes of a common merchant or fisherman's child of Balbadd, tanned skin, turban, and all.

But neither Amani nor Foras felt that the boy's presence was threatening so they allowed him into their room but not without wariness.

As the door shut, the boy was led to a seat, which he enthusiastically took while thanking her profusely. He expressed his dislike for standing too long by babbling in long sentences and showing her the bruises and blisters under his feet. To any other royal, this would have offended them. But Amani was simply amused and charmed by the innocence of the child.

But, then again, those blue eyes blinking at her from time to time seemed so familiar and _old_. Had she met this child before?

"Princess?"

"Yes?" Amani answered with a kind smile. "What is it? Are you hungry? Or is it that you have a personal message sent for me from Kou?" Just because he was a child, Amani would never stop being suspicious. Underestimation was the most common downfall.

A flicker of something like admiration flitted across the blue eyes before it glassed over with a look of nostalgia. "You always were the smartest of them all, Amani. It's a pity that you were forced to be here a bit earlier than your supposed time though I admit it was mostly my fault." The young child's whimsical air was gone abruptly and Amani suddenly had the feeling that she was speaking with someone very much like her. "Or do you prefer the name 'Phoebe Winthrop'?"

Amani's body jerked forward at the name.

How long was it since someone last spoke of her name?

"H-How-?"

"Again, it was my carelessness. I made a very foolish but necessary wish that sent my eighteen-year-old consciousness into my newborn infant self. Very much like your situation though I wasn't reincarnated." The boy hummed to himself while leaning back into his chair. "If there are any questions, please ask. I am here to clarify your situation, since it's my fault."

Amani (Phoebe) fell back into her seat but forced herself to remain focused. This was her one chance to find out why she was here. "What do you mean by I'm 'here earlier than I'm supposed to be'?"

"Straight to the point as always." The boy said with a wide smile. "Well, first off, I'm a time traveler of this world. In fourteen years in the future, you and three of the other Blessed Children will choose me as your king. No lie." He added at the end at Amani's dubious expression. "And to prove it to you, I can bet that the three other Blessed Children remember _exactly_ who they were in their past life: eighteen year old students of the United States of America."

_America._

(Home.)

_Three others._

(Others like me.)

_Not alone._

(Not alone.)

"See? Do you believe me now? I know it's a lot to take in." The boy said comfortingly. "But I needed to find you four before one of you changes the timeline to the point where I can't fulfill my mission."

"Your mission?" Amani asked distantly, still absorbing the fact that she was not alone. "Is that what you came back in time for?"

"Wait! I didn't answer your first question yet! The thing is: you four were _supposed_ to be reborn into this world. You, Phoebe Winthrop, are supposed to be Alibaba's firstborn child, Amani Saluja. The other three were born around the time of your birth too, connected to powerful people."

"So I was supposed to be my brother's _daughter_?"

"Pretty much."

"But why am I his sister this time around?"

The boy coughed sheepishly. "_Well_, all four of you were born around the time I was chosen to be the crown prince of the country I founded. Otherwise known as my first ascension in becoming king. Since my soul was already confirmed to be mature enough to bear the weight of being king, the reincarnation of your souls were cut short and your old souls failed to be wiped clean. Thus, you have memories of a eighteen-year-old high school genius and you forced yourself to exist as Alibaba's twin sister who was supposed to be stillborn."

Amani sat back while clutching her head. This was all too fast. But she also understood that it was necessary. "I understand. I think that both of us are about the same page now. My God, this just sounds like a complex sci-fi novel."

She mentally filed the whole conversation in her head for a later date before leaning towards the not-child. "What is this mission you are speaking of?"

"Saving the world." The boy stated simply.

"…Really?" The princess asked skeptically.

The boy sighed and rolled his eyes. "Yes, really. There is going to be a huge series of events in about three to four years from now that will tear this whole world apart. I'm here to prevent doomsday from happening."

Hopping out of his seat, the boy stretched and made his way to the door. "I told you what you need to know. Whether or not you want to help is all up to you. I'm still going to accompany you to Kou so take your time in your choice. See you tomorrow…"

"Amani." She told him firmly. "Phoebe died. I am and I will always be Amani."

"Amani." The boy repeated before a boyish grin broke out across his face. Unlike his innocent smile, this one was more mature and less pure. It was aimed at both no one and everyone. It was the smile that finally made it click in Amani's mind why the boy looked so familiar. "You're Ranya's child."

The boy dipped his head in mock greeting, confirming her suspicions. "Shion, at your service. Please treat me well in the future."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To clarify some things:
> 
> 1\. Amani's side comments to Ranya were about her metal vessels and her hidden pregnancy
> 
> 2\. Fatima was the Royal Advisor of the Balbadd King and his personal assassin
> 
> 3\. Amani is also taking up Fatima's assassination skills so she would act be to her brother as Fatima is to the King.
> 
> 4\. Alibaba is still childish and selfish so he's going to seem like a jerk.
> 
> 5\. Shion's the king in the Prologue if you've forgotten him
> 
> 6\. Kassim killing his father (technically Amani killing him since she was the one to slit his throat) happened after Anise's death. There are no significant changes in the storyline (yet).


	4. Chapter 3: Interlude of the Outcasts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Amani wasn't alone. And the other Blessed Children are more familiar to her than she thinks.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Onwards

_The Girl Who Died_

_(1)_

It was funny that it took Harley three years, a hug, and a dusty letter to realize that the smartest girl in her whole school thought that Harley was her only friend.

Phoebe was brilliant. She was everything that Harley's parents wanted her to be and they tried pushing her to be just that. She was bitter about it, but couldn't bring herself to hate Phoebe.

No, she _wouldn't_ hate her. They, in some twisted sense, were the same.

Everyone expected too much from them.

Both loved watching stars, birds, Disney movies, and reading awesome-sauce manga.

Both had dreams of going against all those expectations after graduation.

So yes. Maybe Harley was a bit thick headed for not realizing that she was important to Phoebe since Phoebe was just as important to her. They were two of a kind and the best of friends.

Yes. _Friends_.

It was a sorry situation that Harley never got to tell her this before Phoebe died.

_(2)_

Sydney came home one day and cried about the girl who died. She made sure to do it silently so no one would hear. If she were to be heard, she would get hurt more than usual. Her long sleeves could only hide so much.

Phoebe, she remembered, was not a mean girl like the other popular girls were to her. Once, she smiled at her and said 'Good morning' when they passed in the hallways. Another time, she let Sydney borrow a few volumes from her secret manga collection. Since Phoebe knew Sydney would stay quiet about it, the cleverest girl in the whole town let her borrow as many manga books as she pleased.

Phoebe was kind to her.

But that was not why she cried.

She didn't know Phoebe Winthrop very well, but she definitely knew the truth of Phoebe's death.

But the world was deaf. Who would hear her if she spoke?

_(3)_

Remy could only stare at the newspaper that all but shouted about the death of the town's brightest student.

Who was Phoebe? _Brilliant._

Did he know her? _Somewhat._

Was she kind? _Yes. And she was kind to him. Once._

Was her death his fault? _Yes, yes, and a thousand times yes._

Did he feel guilty? _Of course he did. Who wouldn't? But he didn't mean to. No one really means to. No one knows but him about who really killed Phoebe Winthrop. And no one will know since he will make sure that it stays silent._

Why was she killed? _Because she was everything that he wanted to be._

* * *

**Rebirth**

**(1)**

The moment she woke up, Harley immediately assumed that she was dreaming. Yes, she was dreaming a funny dream about blankets that hugged her body to the point of suffocation. She dreamed about giants who spoke in soft voices. She dreamed about someone kissing her on the forehead, something that her mother had stopped doing to her when she turned five. It was a nice dream.

Then, just like that, it was broken by a high shriek and all warmth was ripped away from her. She felt herself being handled roughly by hands that were too big to be considered human hands. Her vision was abruptly cut off by something cold and hard placed on her face.

A mask. But why?

"You should have died." She heard a man say to her. For some reason, her mind responded with an: '_I know, but I'm alive. Can't be changed. So sorry, man'._

She _was_ still alive, wasn't she?

Wasn't she?

_No._ Her mind answered. _You are dead. You died and now you are awake._

How?

_A car hit you, don't you remember? You weren't paying attention. You died three days later in the hospital. It was only a month after Phoebe's death._

Right.

"To have thought that my own child would be born cursed." A different, younger voice murmured with disdain painting his tone. "It's such a pity. She's a beautiful child. Now we can't marry her off. Her skin is blemished with curse markings and having eye contact with her would be fatal. She's useless."

Bastard. Harley wanted to rip his eyes out but the more logical part of her mind told her to _stop and listen_.

"Not completely, my son." The older man said. "We already sent a message to Raja. He will be here to pick the cursed thing up and take it with him. He'll train it to become a fine weapon for the country of Sasan, like he is."

Raja? Train? Weapon?

"Do you think that it is wise, my king? She's a girl."

There was a sound of heavy footsteps and a grunt. Harley assumed that it was this "Raja" person the two men were talking about. Good. Hopefully, this man would be nicer than these two bastards. The footsteps stopped eventually and Harley heard a yawn. "Is this her?"

"Raja." The older man or 'the king' greeted.

"Is this her?" Raja repeated.

Harley felt herself being handed over to rougher arms. They held her awkwardly. Harley had the distinct suspicion that this 'Raja' was staring at her as if she was an alien from outer space.

"You must raise her to be Sasan's weapon, Raja."

"Whose child is this?" Her holder asked. "Wouldn't the mother or father want to visit her from time to time when she's stable?"

The younger man stepped forward. "That thing was mine, but no longer. My wife won't be seeing it anymore either since that is my own choice. That thing is not my child."

Raja snorted. "And here I was, thinking that you Sasan nobles couldn't sink lower." The arms gripped around Harley in a more protective manner. "_I'll_ be the one raising _her_, you little _shit_. And when she becomes a woman far more beautiful than the rest of this disgusting court and far more useful than even _you_. You'll regret the day you threw her away."

The younger man spluttered.

"Raja." The king said almost comfortingly. "She is still the princess of Sasan. Though my son-in-law may have rejected her, the child is still my granddaughter. But until she can prove herself to be worthy, she will not be acknowledged as an official Princess of Sasan."

Raja grunted and finally, _finally _left the two horrible men. Harley wasn't sad that she wouldn't be seeing them for a long time. Besides, she liked this Raja person _way _better anyways. He seemed like a reliable person.

"So what the heck should I call you anyways?" The young man holding her grumbled, "Are babies supposed to have nametags or something? And what do they eat?"

Never mind. Harley took that back. This guy was hopeless.

She began garbling incoherently. She tried to tell the man that she was 'Harley' and that no, babies don't have nametags. They were _named. _And she also tried to ask him if his own mother ever fed him since it was common sense what babies 'eat'.

"Well, whatever. I'll figure it out later."

_What?_ Harley gaped.

"Oi, don't make that expression." Raja ordered. Harley automatically stopped. She heard Raja chuckle. "Well, at least I know you'll make it easy for me to raise you. I'm not the best parent material (Harley: _no shit_), but it's just going to be you and me against the world from this moment forward."

Raja paused for a moment. He stooped down and picked something up. Harley's sensitive ears heard something very thin and very weak snapping. Then, something light fell on her chest and Harley's senses were filled with something distantly sweet. She sneezed.

"Smells nice, right kid? These are Jasmine flowers. They can only grow properly on Sasan soil. Fatima _loves_ these sorts of flowers. That's why I bring them to her every time she visits." Raja said wistfully. Harley fumbled and tried to hold onto the flowers that were placed on her small chest. "Like them too?"

Harley sneezed again.

"Good. 'Cause this is what you're going to be named after. From here on out, your name will be Yasmine. Fitting for a princess of Sasan, don't you think?"

Sasan did not sound familiar. And Harley knew by now that she was a baby. She couldn't move or talk like these grown men could. She wasn't strong enough. But she remembered being eighteen. So she was reincarnated into a different universe as a completely different person?

Awesome-sauce. That just meant that in this life, Yasmine was going to be a prodigy.

**(2)**

When Sydney opened her eyes, she knew exactly what her situation was. Even though she was more than half-blind.

She had died. Someone had suffocated her to death with a pillow and she knew exactly who and why. But that didn't matter. Now, she was breathing in a smaller, newer body without bruises and cuts. Sydney felt herself sigh in relief.

_Tabula Rasa._

A clean slate.

That meant no more hurting, no more threats, and no more hiding.

Sydney was never one to believe in God. How could she when her life was like that? An all-powerful God who truly loved his people wouldn't allow something like that to happen to her. Reincarnation, on the other hand, was a better and more believable afterlife.

So she was reincarnated, that wasn't a surprise to her.

But how could 'Sydney' still be conscious? Didn't reincarnation require souls to be cleansed completely of their past life? Now this confused her. As she pondered her situation, her pillows shifted. Those 'pillows' turned out to be her new mother's chest. It was the most awkward situation that Sydney had ever come upon but she supposed it was inevitable seeing that she was a baby.

"A girl." A voice moaned. "A girl. Why did you have to be a girl, my daughter? Why not a son? They'll still take you away from me, but now you will have a harder life. You will be sold and cast aside. Why did you choose to be a girl?"

The woman obviously didn't take her biology lessons. If she was a girl, it was because of the father. She had no choice in this.

"Oi! Lowly courtesan! Hand over the low-life!" A sharp voice barked. Sydney wanted to snarl back at the rude person but thought better of it when she remembered that her body was way too small to go against someone else. "By the orders of the king's younger brother, she will be his eighth daughter. Feel lucky that he's even considering raising this bastard. She'll be of use when he needs a pawn to marry off."

"Please! Please don't take away my little Kougyoku!"

Sydney's eyes widened at the name. Then, her little body was wrestled out of her mother's arms and shoved into a different pair. She had a feeling that it was going to be the last time she was ever going to see her birth mother.

Kougyoku? Like Kougyoku Ren of the manga _Magi_?

The storyline of the manga was still fresh in Sydney's or rather _Kougyoku's _mind. It was her latest obsession, after all. _Naruto_ and _Bleach_ volumes were hard to get after Phoebe's passing so she had to rely on less popular series to pass her time. _Magi _was the best out of all of them.

Sydney also wasn't unfamiliar with the reincarnation fanfictions. Rather, they were beginning to become popular around the time she died. She knew how it worked: main character dies (bet none of them were killed by a pillow, ha!), gets reborn as their own character or a canon character, and tries to mess up the whole storyline. She died.

_Sydney_ died.

Only to be reincarnated as _Kougyoku Ren._

_But I wanted to be Morgiana!_ She mentally complained. Being a kick-ass Finalis would have been advantageous in this world. Now she had to be underestimated until she performed something huge and impressive like capturing a dungeon.

The woman holding her was surprisingly gentle and Kougyoku had a feeling that the woman was the only person out of the group who would show any kindness to her.

"You are strangely compliant for a baby." The woman mused. "Makes it easier to ignore your existence."

Kougyoku pouted. How mean of the woman. She had misjudged her completely!

"But," the woman added to herself, "that also shows a quality of deep-thinking and wit. What do you think, Haji?"

'Haji', who was going to be insignificant to the whole Magi plot in general, grunted.

"With all due respect, my lady, who cares? The runt is just a low born, another girl to our lord's growing collection." He sneered.

By then, her vision was better and she could see that the woman, Ping, was very, very pretty. Like any other Asian back in Sydney's world, she had dark hair and brown eyes. She seemed to glow with some gentle light that assured Kougyoku that this woman was _good _and _safe._ Yet, she had an interesting tattoo on her neck. Was it some sort of fashion trend? She had a light frown on her face at the soldier's sharp remark but said no more and ceased in instigating more conversation.

Kougyoku caught sight of the palace and sighed mentally while turning her cheek. Ping caught sight of this and peered closer. She huffed in faint surprise and slight triumph at what she saw. "Well." She murmured in amusement, "it seems that the little miss won't be so useless after all."

"What was that?" Haji snapped. Ping sent him a condescending look that sent angry shivers down the soldier's back. His companion held him back, lightly whispering that it wasn't a good thing to 'attack such an important person'.

"It _means_ that I finally found my successor!"

Ping looked thrilled about this revelation. It seemed to be a good thing since the soldiers were now looking at her in awe as if they weren't calling her 'trash' a second ago.

"Having no one but the emperor and his brother know is crucial. So the two of you better keep your traps shut about it. _Okay?_"

The pair of guards shared a horrified look before hitting their heads onto the ground simultaneously. "Of course!" The pair shouted. These actions didn't seem to shock the townspeople. Maybe this was a normal thing? "We will cut off our tongues before betraying your trust, my lady!"

"Good," Ping sniffed while checking her nails, reverting from her originally 'calm demenor' to 'prissy noble' mode. She must be more important than Kougyoku thought. "I would know if you two betrayed me anyways."

"We know that you know." Haji grumbled. His companion shushed him hurriedly.

Ping ignored him and opted to give Kougyoku a look that was noticeably more admiring and gentle. "You, my princess, are a _very _special person. Let's get along now. Okay, Kougyoku?"

**(3)**

Remy had sinned and this was his price.

Hell? No. Fire and brimstones would have been much better than what he was going through at the moment. When he died, he had expected the afterlife, not an _after_ life. It was as if whatever God up there wanted him to suffer even more than necessary for what he did. Reincarnation couldn't have been crueler. Not only was he the cause of a death in his past life, he also already had two lives on his hands this time around.

The first would be the woman who brought him into this world.

(She was blonde, pale, and blue-lipped. Her abdomen was bloody. He must have been cut out.)

The other was the stillborn body of the baby that was supposed to be his twin sibling.

(Small, so small. And still. Had the beginnings of black hair and probably was his mirror image.)

Killer in the last life, killer in this life.

It seems that even lifetimes couldn't wash away sins. So that was why he didn't struggle when a pair of rough arms picked him up from the ground. He looked up to find a handsome yet tired and angry face. That man also had black hair, just like his dead sibling and probably just like him. He supposed this man was his father. He didn't complain when no warm blanket wrapped around his vulnerable body. He didn't complain when he felt his body roughly deposited on a random hill.

So, death immediately after birth, eh?

This wasn't too bad. Compared to his last death, this one was more peaceful. The wind was cooling and the stars above him were comforting. Remy thought about the face of his stillborn sibling and thought: _that will be me in a couple of hours._ But he deserved it. Remy's face numbed at the thought.

Remy patiently waited for his second death.

"A-re? There's a cute baby lying all alone in the grass! Now what terrible parent would do that?" Remy's eyes snapped open at the new voice and, to his surprise, he _understood_ this strange language that spilled from this strange person's lips. The steps came closer and Remy felt himself being lifted up. He heard the clicking of a tongue. "Not even a blanket. How cruel."

It was terrible how relieved Remy felt when he felt a thin piece of cloth wrap around his body.

Remy was brought up face-to-face with his savior and reared back in shock.

It was the same man who had originally deposited him onto the hill. Why would this man come back and get him? Wasn't he angry at Remy for taking away his wife? And why was he acting as if he had never left him behind in the first place?

And there was another funny thing about this man. (Remy couldn't bring himself to call this man his father, not really. The father that he remembered was a kind man who loved to fish and play tennis. He was always supportive of Remy's choices, no matter how ridiculed they were to others.) He seemed as if he was…wearing his face. _It was as if it wasn't his face at all._

Remy scrunched up his face in thought. The man mistakenly thought that the abandoned baby was going to cry, so he hurriedly tried rocking him and shushing him. "It's okay. It's all right. I'm not going to leave you, okay? So don't cry. _Please _don't cry."

For a moment, Remy thought he saw the man's face flicker to someone else's face. But that wasn't possible, right?

Right?

The man sighed in relief when Remy's face scrunching stopped. "Good. I can't deal with crying babies. Or crying people in general. They're too honest."

Remy snorted. Him? Honest?

He had told more lies in his last life than there were stars in the sky. If that didn't make him dishonest, Remy didn't know what would.

The man noticed the look in Remy's face. He inspected it before chuckling. "That's an interesting look you've got there, kid. It's something that grown-ups usually wear. I'm guessing that you're more aware of your situation than others think, huh?"

Remy didn't answer. Remy _couldn't _answer. But if he could, he'd say 'yes'.

He wished, for a moment, that he could be older. He wished to be like that man so he could speak. Remy felt his face numb for a moment.

"What the-?" The man holding him almost dropped him as he stared at Remy in shock. Remy began to panic. Real tears streamed down his face this time and he wanted to show this man that he was 'defenseless' and 'weak'.

Remy's face numbed again.

This time, the man didn't drop him but held on to his little body a little tighter. "Shhh, kid. You don't have to be anyone else, you know? Just be you." This time, the man's face actually _did _flicker and change into someone else's. It was the same face that Remy caught sight of before.

It wasn't as handsome as his other face, but this face seemed to fit this man better. Remy had a guess that this was the man's real face. "See? I'm doing it too."

_Too?_

"So relax. Think about being _you_, kid. And don't pretend you don't know what I'm saying. I know you do."

Remy thought about being _Remy_. But that didn't work. It might have been because Remy was dead so he opted in being the baby that came out of his mother's belly and into the new world. He was that weak baby holding the hand of his dead sibling's. He was the killer of two innocent lives.

Remy felt something slide off his face but when he reached up his chubby fists to rub it off, there was nothing there.

"Oh." The man murmured. "So _that's _how you truly look like."

Remy shrunk back in shame. He was well aware of how he truly looked. He was well aware of what he truly _was. _It was probably one of the main reasons he was thrown away like he was. He looked up to see the man's reaction. He had expected shock and disgust but none of those were there.

There was resolution in the man's face this time.

"I'm going to keep you." He decided. "Since you're just like me."

"I'm Marius Shambal and you will be my child from here on out. I will do my best in training you to be my successor."

"And you, kid, will be named 'Sai Shambal'."

* * *

Lessons and Conversations

(1)

"Raja?"

"Yes, princess?"

"Why do I have to wear this silly mask all the time? It's heavy and dark. And it looks like the skull of some sort of animal or something like that. It makes me look scary."

"That's the point. I have one too. See? And it's made from real tiger skull. Yours is just made from wood and glass. Not that impressive."

"But why do we have to wear it?"

"We're cursed. That's why."

"Is that why people look at me funny when they see the weird markings on my skin?"

"Yes, since it identifies you as my successor."

"How are we cursed?"

"When people look into our eyes, they believe they'll turn into stone. It's a silly misconception but they believe it. We just freeze their whole body. It's not too bad if we control the intensity enough. But if we aren't careful, we could cause their hearts to stop pumping with one glance. That's why we need this mask."

"Even if it completely blocks out our eyesight?"

"Our eyes could see through solid bone if we desired them to. You can walk around with that thing on, can't you?"

"But I can't see any colors! It's all black and white to me."

"That's the price we have to pay for our powers. But look over there. Can't you see the details of that hawk miles away? Can't you see the subtle movements of the flowers in the field as the wind moves it?"

"Yes."

"Then isn't the price worth this?"

"…Yes."

* * *

"Raja?"

"Yes, princess?"

"Am I the reason why you're losing your eyesight?"

"No. I'm just getting too old. That, and it's your turn to bear the banner of the curse until your successor comes along. It's your duty as it is mine to do so. The power of the Blessed Children is leaving me and is being transferred to you. Sooner or later, you'd be able to see across _countries _if that is your wish. It's not your fault. It's just how it is."

"I'm sorry."

"Yasmine, I told you that you are not to blame. Now pay attention! The scythe can't move itself, can it? Handle that weapon better."

"Yes sir!"

* * *

"Raja?"

"Yes, princess?"

"Are you leaving?"

"For a little bit. The Knight King had sent me on another mission to defend the border."

"Another? Do you want me to come along this time too?"

"No, Princess Yasmine. You will be staying here this time. Practice your katas and exercise your eyes. When you remove your mask, don't make any eye contact. Remember your manners. Clean and sharpen your scythe every time you finish using it. Don't be rude to the king, no matter how much of a bastard he is. Ignore any taunts. Deflect if necessary but never attack. Be kind, princess, no matter what happens."

"Raja, you're not coming back, are you?"

"No, princess."

"You can't see me anymore, can you?"

"No, princess."

"Is this our goodbye then, Raja?"

"Yes, princess."

* * *

"Good night, Raja."

* * *

(2)

"When you look at a human being, you must always question their intentions, Kougyoku. No person is completely pure. Only infants and the most sheltered children could have those qualities. But not anyone in this palace."

"Ping, why should I bother? I already know they're all lying pigs so what's the point?"

"_The point _is that you should pick out the stupid liars from the _really _good liars. Appearances, even in the images shown to our eyes, are untrustworthy. It's just the surface."

"…So you're teaching me to read in between the lines of the truth we see?"

"Exactly, my lady. My, how clever you are for a three-year-old. It usually takes children a very long time to grasp these sort of things. I knew you would be a deep thinker. Now please, tell me what you see in the servant girl."

* * *

"That official is corrupt. His aura shines with gold and blood and his clothes are made of paper money. He takes any bribes no matter how immoral the price is. He is in charge of the eastern district, judging by the fern leaves he treads on. I heard that the taxes there are higher than the other districts. Such a man should be removed, but he has connections that allows him to keep his seat."

"Good."

"That servant lady is having an affair with my father. But it's against her will, seeing those glass shackles on her wrists. The tiny handprints on her frock tells me that she has three children to take care of. The prospect of losing her life scares her since she values her own life and requires herself to live so she can support her children. And no one can defy the lust of my sire. It's a good thing that she is infertile or I would have a younger sibling. The number three painted on her cheek shows that her third child will be her last."

"Very good."

"That little boy, Hakuryuu, was it? He's my cousin. He's pure, extremely so. His brothers and sister must coddle him. Which isn't such a bad thing since he's a kind one. There's nothing much on him since he has no ambition yet."

"Correct.

"And that woman over there. She's wearing dragon-scale armor. She's a warrior. Which is rare since the Kou Culture requires women to remain at home and look pretty. Her aura is bloodstained so her status as a soldier isn't just a front. She's skilled. She's dedicated. She's noble. The glow that surrounds her makes those qualities apparent. But she also has a temper that she's learning to repress, looking at the steady flames at her feet. Frustrated with how the country views women, perhaps? She's also a dungeon capturer, judging by the symbol glowing on the sheath of her katana."

"Only to your eyes, my lady. To others, it is just another sword. She is also the fiancée to young Prince Hakuren, Seishin Ri. She usually spends her time of leisure with Hakuyuu's wife but it seems that the imperial princess is feeling ill of late. It would be good that you keep an eye on this one. She's a truth-teller."

"She looks strong."

"She is. Now, who's next?"

"And the regal woman over there…"

"She's our queen."

"Yes, she is my queen and my aunt, Ren Gyokuen. She may be charming and kind to others but to my eyes…"

"Yes, but you must keep silent about this, Kougyoku. Pretend that you do not know. It is better to allow the smart liars keep to their lies, lest they swallow us up too in their disgusting games."

* * *

"Kougyoku. From here on out, you will take my place as a Blessed Child. When you turn seventeen, the whole palace will know of your importance, but not yet. You are still merely six and vulnerable to the whims of the court and the queen."

"Ping. Why didn't you tell me you were sick? Why didn't you tell me that I was slowly taking away your own ability to see the truth and your health? _Why didn't you tell me you were dying?_"

"You didn't need to know."

"Lies."

"No one can fool you now, can they?"

"Of course they can't. I'd see right through them since I can see what they cannot."

"Avoid the queen and the dark magi. Take heart to my lessons. Let them underestimate you. Fool them with their own eyes, Kougyoku."

"I will, Ping. So please…"

"…"

"Please don't leave me alone. I'm scared."

* * *

"Good night, Ping."

* * *

(3)

"Where are we, Marius?"

"Hmm, probably around Kou's borders, why? Missing the steppes of the Kouga Tribe? You know, we'll eventually visit that area again so don't worry."

"So I'm in _Magi_."

"What was that?

"Nothing. Just carry on with the lesson, already."

"Fine, fine. Breathe in and hold it. Imagine a desire you have, who you wish to become. Then, imagine a face. When you feel the tingly feeling, you know you're doing the right thing."

"…Did it work?"

"Perfectly. You're a natural at this, Sai~! Your face looks exactly like mine."

"Oh no. Better change my face quickly then."

"That hurt, Sai. That hurt right here."

"Whatever. What do I have to do next?"

"Maa, be patient. Now, we would have to focus more on imitating the person's voice…"

* * *

"Sai. You don't have to be so disappointed. Magoi manipulation doesn't come easily to some people."

"But I'm part of the _Yambala_ Tribe_. _Aren't we supposed to specialize in that area? Aren't I shaming us all for my uselessness?"

"No. You're not. You're just a late bloomer. I was one too when I was your age."

"Are you lying?"

"I swear I'm not~! Geez, put some trust in your teacher, won't you? It's a natural thing for the Blessed to have a hard time with magoi manipulation. Especially one with eye-affecting abilities."

"There are types?"

"Well sure there are! You didn't think that we were the only Blessed Children out there, did you~?"

"…"

"…Did you?"

"…"

"Oh great Solomon, I forgot to tell you, didn't I?"

"_Yes, yes you conveniently did."_

"Maa, maa, calm down. I'll tell you about the others. It's good that we brought this subject up, eh? Okay, there are four blessed children. Two have eye affecting abilities and two have the eye-contact ability…"

* * *

"You knew that they'd kill you the moment you lost your abilities."

"…"

"Marius, how could you be such an _idiot_? Why didn't you just run away like any other sane man? Why did you remain loyal to such a stupid tribe? They hated and feared us anyways. Why didn't you just take me and go?"

"…"

"Was it because of pride? Was it because of shame?"

"…"

"Was it because you felt indebted to such a prejudiced clan? They did nothing for you, you bastard. _Nothing._ And now you're dead because you had some sick sense of duty. Didn't you tell me that the first priority of a liar is their life?"

"…"

"Why didn't you just let me die? You _idiot_."

"…"

"A-re, a-re, you're being so mean, teacher. Promising to always be by my side when you had always known you couldn't. So mean~!"

* * *

"Good night, Marius."

* * *

"Their Finale"

(1)

(Yasmine, age 14)

Yasmine wasn't stupid.

When Yasmine's grandfather summoned her from Sasan's borders, she knew that it wasn't because he 'missed his granddaughter' as he claimed in the letter. The only time he had even _glanced_ her way was only to tersely remind her that she had to step up on her duty of keeping the borders enemy-free. Her grandfather either wanted to use her for political purposes or to finally get rid of her for good by assassinating her, whichever one out of the two. It was shocking how she had managed to live until fourteen.

That was why, when she marched into the palace with distressed maids trailing right behind her, she was covered in dirt, sweat, and blood. She was still in her battle clothes and even those were merely cut up rags. She had long since thrown away the heavy armor of her nation's usual uniform for soldiers. The strange markings on her skin were no longer hidden. In one hand was her scythe. In the other was a whole collection of decapitated heads of her enemies.

Yasmine casually dropped the heads to expressions of paralyzed shock and horror at her grandfather's feet, ignoring the gasps of the palace priests and the stare of the foreign princess who probably came to Sasan for some political purpose. Defeating her enemies had become painfully easy ever since she gained control of her eye power or, as she dubbed it, her 'Medusa' powers. She managed to reign in her smirk as she bowed 'respectfully' to the king, making sure to dirty it up with the blood and dirt on her clothes.

"I, Yasmine of the Border Defense, have come to greet you, my King."

Behind her mask, her eyes opened. She stared eerily at the old man and he shifted uncomfortably, knowing that the only reason he was still breathing was because of the tiger-bone mask covering her eyes.

"Granddaughter." He greeted stiffly. "I take it that you have gotten my message."

Yasmine nodded.

Beside the king were two people. One was a pale blonde, ghostlike girl who was watching all of this in amusement. As if she knew that Yasmine was inspecting her, she winked. Yasmine decided that she liked this girl. The other was a red, almost pink, haired girl with a strange expression on her face. Yasmine assumed that this was the ambassador of Kou, judging by her clothes.

"This is young lady is Princess Amani of Balbadd. She is a Blessed Child, like you. I hope that you can make her stay here at Sasan comfortable."

Which translated as: _She's a creep like you and she's from an enemy country. Keep an eye on her._

Her grandfather gestured over to the other girl.

"This young man here is her companion Prince Kouha of Kou. You will be watching over him also. Be respectful."

Ah. So she was a he. Whoops.

The Princess of Sasan respectfully bowed her head, causing more blood to spill onto the floor.

_Drip. Drip. Drip._

"Welcome to Sasan. I hope-

Yasmine found her left arm, now free of the many heads she had carried in, in a very strong grip. Then, she was dragged out of the throne room in an undignified manner, not that she minded. The Balbadd Princess quickly followed her companion. The girly prince grinned broadly at the Balbadd Princess and announced. "I like her! Let's keep her, Amani!"

Well then. This was a surprise.

"We can't. She's the princess of Sasan." The pale-haired girl murmured as she gently pried Yasmine out of her in-law's grasp. He pouted at the loss of his new toy. "You should treat her more gently, Kouha."

"It's fine." Yasmine assured them shortly.

"She needs to change her clothes." Amani decided while taking the masked girl's arm. "And a bath. I'll help her out. You wait out here, Kouha."

Yasmine waited patiently as Amani dragged her into a random room. She had a feeling that the Balbadd Princess wanted to talk to her alone. It didn't seem as if she was an assassin, so Yasmine supposed it was fine. It was actually very kind of the foreign princess to worry about her. "Princess Amani, I don't have a room, so-

"Harley Kingston."

Yasmine halted.

"You're…Harley, right?"

Yasmine tried to answer, but her shock blocked her throat. She nodded instead.

"Don't worry. You're not alone in this world." Amani comforted Yasmine (Harley, her name used to be Harley and she _knew _her). "I'm just like you. I lived another life too. Harley, don't you remember me? I may appear and act a bit different than I did before and it was a while, but I'd think that some acknowledgement is deserving for a friend who sat through _hours_ of a Disney Marathon."

"_Phoebe?"_

(2)

(Kougyoku, age 14)

"Oh look, it's the _low life._"

"Pretend that she isn't there."

"Just because father became the emperor doesn't mean the trash's worth is better than it is. Hopefully, she'll be married off and finally be useful."

"How useless."

_I can hear you, you know. You dumb _ _ **cows** _ _._

Kougyoku had no interest in acting the part of the shy, meek princess. Unfortunately, acting as herself would blow her cover. No, it was better to make them to think that she was an easy target.

The moment she overheard her older sisters calling her useless, she strove to prove them wrong. She strove to become more useful and powerful than all of those hags combined (which, seeing how the original Kougyoku turned out, wouldn't be too hard).

"Like _hell_ I'm going to let them have the last laugh." She muttered to herself darkly while walking down the halls. The maids avoided her because of the heavy cloak of gloom that surrounded her. Some whispered to others that the eighth princess was 'just as depressed as ever' and 'possessed by a demon'.

Feh. If only. Maybe then she'd have kick-ass powers. Hers were _lame_. All she could do was see a person's 'true form'. And it wasn't even an offensive ability!

"Wow, what an ugly face."

Kougyoku slowly turned and shot her deadliest glare at the speaker. "_Shut up_."

"Or what, old hag?" The boy taunted. (Why was that nickname so familiar?)

Kougyoku's eyes narrowed dangerously as she walked up to the rude boy. She took his shoulders with both hands and drew him in so they would look at each other eye-to-eye. "Care to repeat that again, _brat_?"

The boy, technically a teenager judging by his size and voice, daringly leaned in closer. Their noses touched. "_Old hag."_ He hissed.

Before he knew it, the boy felt a sharp pain burst in his forehead as the force that caused his pain sent his head snapping abruptly back. He took a step back and fell on his ass, clutching his bleeding forehead the whole way. It took him many seconds to realize that _she had head-butted him_ and _it had hurt_.

Kougyoku smirked in victory and loomed over the bratty boy, ignoring the faint aching in her own forehead. "Listen here, _brat_. I am the eighth princess of Kou. But, I'm not like any of my flowery and weak sisters so _don't_ underestimate me. After I find someone who will train me properly, and I mean_ properly_, I'll become a general of this empire! So don't you dare call me an old hag again!" She snarled, concluding her long-winded rant.

The boy stared at her strangely for a long time. He stared at her to the point that it made her uneasy. Did she break him or something? Then, when she was convinced that he was brain-dead, he stood up, brushed himself of any dust, and walked away, lacking the bounce of confidence he had before.

Kougyoku didn't really care. She just sniffed and made her way to her room where she ripped more heads off of paper dolls. It was actually a stress-relieving activity she gained after she had to imitate the 'depressed chibi-Kougyoku' under Ping's orders.

Not that it mattered now. Everyone knew now that she had a violent streak after that stunt she pulled in the hallway.

But how was that boy familiar? His aura was covered in so much darkness and bloodshed that she couldn't see his face clearly. It was a downside when her abilities got in the way of seeing the appearance of a person that other people could see. The empress, for instance, looked…horrific. Kougyoku couldn't see the beauty that the woman was famed for.

But wasn't that the truth?

There was a firm knock on the door. "My lady? A little servant boy wants to meet with you. Should I let him in?"

Kougyoku recognized the voice as Koubun's. Five years ago, when her father ascended to the throne, he and two guards were assigned as her personal servants, just as the _Magi _timeline dictated.

Meeting Koubun was the most entertaining event in this life so she decided to allow him to think of her as something to be 'fixed' and to be made 'proper'. It was funny how he thought he was good at manipulating people when she could see his lies even without the help of her eye-ability.

"Let him in."

A turban-wearing child sauntered into her room with an easy-going smile on his face. The way he walked was eerily reminiscent of the way a teenager would walk. At his side was a glowing scepter. His fingers were covered in rings and jewels. His clothes were of royal birth. Upon his head was a crown. And his aura…

Servant boy her ass.

"Who the hell _are_ you? You're not one of our servants."

Ping would have thrown a fit for her language, but Kougyoku couldn't bring herself to care.

The boy bowed. "Shion, at your service, my lady. I have a message for you…"

Shion talked and Kougyoku listened. He mentioned time travel, reincarnation, and dimension hopping. He spoke of electricity, cars, and peace. He spoke of a world where a weak, seventeen year old was smothered to death because she knew too much.

"-So would you help me in preventing the end of the world, Sydney Trent? Or would you prefer Kougyoku?"

"…What?"

"If it's fate you're worried about, then rest your mind. I messed up the set course simply by going back. Changing it even more won't do a thing."

"What?"

"And you can meet others like you! Actually, you've already bumped into Amani from time to time in the palace, since she will be your new sister-in-law. She's actually Phoebe Winthrop, by the way. Did she tell you that yet?"

"_What?"_

At the end, Kougyoku was recruited to 'Mission: Save the World'. How, she had no idea, but she had a feeling that sticking with this child-man-king was her safest bet in making her second life exciting without doing anything terrible. Besides, who wouldn't want to mess up a storyline?

Kougyoku only hoped that this was the only surprise she would be getting for a long, _long _time. Sue her. She's overwhelmed.

As if the fates heard her mental wish, she had the same brat who insulted her knocking at her door with flowers in hand, demanding her audience and her attention only a week later.

Turned out that the boy was Judal, the Dark Magi of Kou and main antagonist of the whole _Magi _storyline. He was the character she had been avoiding her whole life because of his role.

(She _knew _he seemed familiar.)

It also turned out that Kougyoku's stunt in the hallway inadvertently gained her an obsessive admirer out of the villain who was - apparently - also a masochist. Joy.

(3)

(Sai, age 14)

A lone figure walked on a straight road while whistling a cheerful tune.

"Pardon me, young man, but could you be the Blessed Child Sai?" A voice called out hesitantly. The whistling stopped and the figure turned to the voice. Though he seemed relaxed, his magoi was tense and prepared for any attack. "And who asks?"

"A friend." The man assured while approaching Sai. This time, Sai was wearing the face of a veteran soldier of Reim. Sai relaxed when he saw the man's face. Instead, he appeared surprised. "A-re? What is a traveling magi doing concerning himself with the business of a Blessed Child?"

"So you know me then?"

"Who wouldn't with all those rukh around you? They're so loud." Sai complained.

"You see them?" Yunan seemed surprised.

Sai shook his head. "Nah, I just hear them chirping from time to time. It's only when there's a lot that I can recognize them and you're surrounded with those stuff. So, what's your business with me, Magi?"

"I bear a message from my nephew. It seems that he is in need of your help."

Sai raised his brow. "You have a nephew?" He didn't remember hearing about that fact.

Yunan's lips quirked up in affectionate amusement, "Yes. I know it's surprising, but Magi do have families. He is my sister's child, six years old now. He says: 'I would like to meet you since I already met the others. Before you think of ignoring the message, please at least pay close attention to this small one." Yunan paused and took out a slip of paper while clearing his throat.

"Remy Perdue," The magi stumbled over the _English_ pronunciation in the _English _language, "Phoebe Winthrop is alive."

Sai cursed.

"Did I pronounce that phrase correctly?" Yunan wondered aloud. "I've never encountered this language before. Oh, I do hope Shion isn't pranking me again. That would be embarrassing!"

* * *

(A year before)

"_So, Princess Amani? What is your choice?"_

"_I'll join you. I'll help you change fate."_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yasmine:
> 
> Yasmine, if you haven't guessed, is based on Aladdin's Princess Jasmine. I changed the first letter of her name to avoid any confusion. The name meaning doesn't change. (Raja is based on the tiger that she sics on her suitor). Her power is based on Mary's eye power from the manga Kagerou Days and her backstory pretty much copies Shin-ah's from Akatsuki no Yona. (Actually, I think the whole Blessed Children situation is based on that manga).
> 
> Kougyoku:
> 
> I wanted to use Kougyoku because of her position in the whole storyline. I saw a great potential in expanding her situation since she seems like a weak character in canon (seems, I actually think what she can do is impressive). I also wanted someone else in the palace to be aware of Gyokuen's folly and have close viewpoint on Al Thamen. She'll also influence Judal's character in the future. Her powers was actually one that I made up. Since Kougyoku is a character known to be gullible, I made this version to be more wary, political savvy, and aware of the truth of a person. A person's overall personality and true character would always be evident to Kougyoku but the details are something that she has to guess.
> 
> Sai:
> 
> Sai, my original male character, will be my wildcard. You can see that he's bitter but his sudden change of character is him being purposefully OOC. His ability is 'stealing' other people's faces. Sort of like a shapeshifter. His power and personality is a mix of Kano and Shinataro from Kagerou Days. He's going to be very imperfect so be prepared to either love him or hate him.
> 
> Amani:
> 
> Amani is Amani. She, like Sai, is based on no one and is completely original. She, out of the four, has the closest connection to the main trio so she's the placeholder of the plot. Power is based (again) on a character from Kagerou Days named Kido. Her ability annoys her more often than not.
> 
> Shion:
> 
> Shion is a character who I'll expand more on later. For now, you just have to know him as the 'King from the Future' and 'Next Coming Solomon'.
> 
> NOTE:
> 
> 1\. To avoid confusion, I want to make it clear that Kougyoku's power cannot be 'turned off' so to say like Yasmine's, making their eye abilities 'Eye Contact' abilities. Sai and Amani have 'Eye Effecting' abilities. Kougyoku purposefully avoided the empress and Judal since she didn't want to be involved with the 'bad guys' of the storyline. Her meeting with him was purely by accident.
> 
> 2\. Marius' death was caused by the fellow members of the Yambala tribe. They were wary of his power (thus, the masks they wear in canon) and took the chance on getting rid of him the moment he lost his eye-ability. Sai leaves the tribe and leads a life of traveling alone.


	5. Chapter 4: Homecoming

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Amani returns home with a friend as she joins the "Magi" storyline.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Onwards

_Blessed Child: Sai_

_Mission: Locate the 'Fog Troupe', infiltrate and join its ranks_

_Location: Balbadd_

_Importance: Very_

_Personal Note: Do your best and don't mess this up, Sai-chan!_

"Maa, maa, that bossy kid is at it again. Can't he give me a heads up before he drops this sort of bomb on my head?" Sai complained lightly while casually destroying the piece of paper with his fire-type magoi. "Maybe then I'll do my mission correctly for once."

It was very early in the morning. The sun hadn't risen yet and the air was bitingly cold. The consistency of the weather was one thing that Sai missed about his old life. He mentally grumbled to himself while retaining Marius' smile. He always wore Marius' smile no matter what form he was in, aside from his undercover missions. Those were the times he had to flawlessly act like a stranger.

At the moment, he was in his 'Sai' form. His shoulder-length black hair was pulled back into a short ponytail. His wrists and ears were bare from any jewelry since Sai preferred a more casual look. The only strange trait about him was his silver eyes. But he was in an anime, eyes and hair were supposed to be weird.

"Don't worry. You won't be doing this job alone."

Sai looked up and whistled. There, on the small hill in front of him, stood his friend and squad leader, Amani, holding up a similar sized piece of paper to the one that Sai had destroyed seconds before.

_Blessed Child: Amani_

_Mission: Locate 'Fog Troupe', infiltrate and join its ranks, reconnect with brother(s)_

_Location: Balbadd_

_Importance: Very_

_Personal Note: (Scribbled Out)_

"Bee-chan! Long time no see! So we're partnering up for this little job? Can't be bad if it's a joint job with you~"

"It's Amani." She corrected while walking up to his side. "And when we get to Balbadd, you will be my personal bodyguard from Kou. In the past, you were born a street urchin. During one of my trips outside the palace, I found you getting beat up by a street vendor for stealing an apple."

"_Aladdin,_ much?" Sai mused.

Amani sent her companion a chiding look. "Hush. It was Yasmine's idea. What did you expect? She loves that movie and it's not a bad backstory. Me taking in Kou street urchins as personal servants isn't an uncommon event and is well known within the royal court. So if anyone gets suspicious, they'll hear of my habits and we won't be caught before the game's over."

"So an ex-slum rat and a con man fooling a troop filled with ruthless and vengeful thieves." Sai stated. He shrugged. "Not bad. I'm pretty confident we can pull that off. Why the stress in this mission, though?"

"This is a turning point in the _Magi _series, isn't it? Don't you know the plot of this whole manga better than I do? I only read the series until chapter seventy seven."

"So one chapter into the Sindria/Zagan arc, huh? So you probably don't know about _that_ scene…"

"What scene?"

Sai smirked. "Nah. Not telling you. Don't worry, it's not a life-changing thing but I'd really like to see your reaction to it when it happens. And knowing you, I have a good guess of what your reaction will be."

Amani restrained herself from strangling her tricky companion. And he was such a sweet boy in her past life. She shook her head in disappointment. "Fine. I'll leave you to your amusements. Let's hurry to Balbadd. I'd like to see Alibaba again."

Sai wrinkled his nose but continued to walk his way to Balbadd a step behind the pale-haired young woman. Her hair had paled to a white color as she grew. The remnants of blonde had disappeared completely, leaving behind white hair long enough for her to sit on. "I never understood why you gave up so much for that coward. After everything you did for him, I can't believe he left you like that."

"He's my brother." Amani stated simply. "And it was fate that he fled from the palace. If he didn't, he wouldn't have met Aladdin."

"You're too forgiving. You even forgave scum like me for being the cause of your previous death." Sai stated in a bitter voice.

Amani scoffed. "_Please _don't flatter yourself. The cause of my death might have been successful because of your unintentional aid, but you did not drive the knife into my chest on graduation day."

"I was jealous of you." Sai informed her freely. "I wanted you to die."

"Liar." Amani sighed. "No person who wished death upon another would cry on the day of their funeral. And yes, both Yasmine and Kougyoku told me they saw you. You might have despised me, but you never wished something as terrible as death upon me. Misfortune, perhaps, but never death."

"Again, too forgiving."

Amani smiled to herself and Sai had to wonder what she found amusing. Before he could ask her, she turned away from him towards the rising sun.

"Let's depart."

* * *

_Blessed Child: Kougyoku_

_Mission: Infiltration mission in Balbadd, keep tabs on Al Thamen and Black Magi_

_Location: Balbadd_

_Importance: Not Very_

_Personal Message: I know it's hard being engaged to a pig, but be comforted that you won't be marrying him in the end. If this goes well, you will be back in Kou by a fortnight. Then you can officially announce yourself as a Blessed Child to avoid any more marriages. Thanks for this!_

The note was wetted to the point where the message was unreadable. Kougyoku sighed and tossed the wet piece of paper into the wind. Judal had summoned a large magic carpet to transport her and her personal servants to Balbadd. The tiny pieces of paper fell and floated away.

"What an idiot."

"Who's an idiot, princess?" Koubun asked curiously.

Kougyoku sighed. "A friend of mine. Do you remember the young man who was once a member of the Yambala Tribe? The one who taught me to refine my magoi manipulation?"

"Do you mean young Master Sai?"

"Yes. That idiot."

Of course, Kougyoku wasn't talking about Sai. Though she truly did think he was an idiot. He was a mere shadow of the shy boy Remy once was though Kougyoku supposed she had changed in great magnitudes also. Her temper was shorter in this life and she was more daring.

The idiot she was thinking about at the moment was Shion. The young boy, technically young man, had glimpsed into the other dimension where the four Blessed Children had originally came from during the transfer of his soul from the future to the past. He learned about their history, their flaws, their victories, and their pop culture. He was especially fond of the James Bond movies, so he incorporated the themes into their missions every chance he got.

For a person who claimed to be the next Solomon, he was very immature.

"Princess, did the contents of the message upset you that much?" Koubun inquired hesitantly. Judal perked up from his seat on the carpet. "Should I dispose of the annoying young man for you?"

"I can do the disposing for you, princess!" Judal crowed for both blood and acknowledgement. Even after three years, the dark magi was doggedly vying for the Kou Princess' attention. From flowers to pretty baubles, Judal had piled numerous gifts to draw her eyes to him. Unfortunately, Kougyoku wasn't interested in a relationship (not that it stopped him).

But she had to admit, the attempts were adorable when they weren't annoying and they boosted her ego. She also knew that what Judal probably had for her was only a strong infatuation. Who based their romantic feelings on a head butt? Honestly.

Though the Magi made a surprisingly good friend. He was very loyal too, it seemed.

Kougyoku shook her head. "No. I was just reminded of my engagement that is coming up in three weeks." She explained bitterly, drawing an understanding look from Koubun and a mirroring bitter look from Judal.

"Princess…this is for-

"The country. I know." Kougyoku finished the overly cliché line, though now she could connect with the poor Disney princesses who had no say in who they were going to be married to. The only reason why she wasn't throwing much of a fit was because she knew the outcome of the engagement.

How disappointed was the Kougyoku in the original storyline when her efforts in capturing a dungeon and years of martial arts training went to waste when news of her engagement came to her? This whole marriage situation was giving her a new view of her least favorite character. Perhaps the little princess had a good reason for acting like a lovesick fool?

"I am merely nervous. What sort of man is King Ahbmad, Judal? I heard you visited Balbadd before so you must have seen his face and conversed with him."

_He's a greedy pig and a spoiled midget to boot._

"Dunno." He shrugged. "I don't remember."

"I hope he is kind." _Whoever the man who will __**actually **__marry me is. _Kougyoku confessed while clutching Vinea to her chest for comfort. Her metal vessel thrummed under her fingers in assurance.

_I hope this mission is carried out smoothly. I hope we don't disrupt the storyline to the point that we can't tell what path the future will take. I hope I don't mess up. I hope the others won't mess up. I hope everything will be fine in the end._

_I hope Shion knows what he's doing._

Kougyoku remained silent and carried on admiring the view from her carpet. She didn't notice the dark magi gritting his teeth and freezing a small part of the carpet in anger.

"He better be." He muttered darkly under his breath.

* * *

_Blessed Child: Yasmine_

_Mission: None until further notice_

_Location: Wherever_

_Importance: Not at all_

_Personal Note: Since you did all the work on the last mission, I decided to give you a well-deserved break. Enjoy doing whatever you want for a week or two. Ciao~!_

"Seriously?"

Yasmine scowled at the piece of paper. Amani had told her the Balbadd Arc was the most exciting part of the manga! And she was going to miss it! She crumbled the message to dust in irritation. "Stupid boss." She muttered to herself before turning and returning to the little hut she called home.

Ever since Phoebe…no, Amani came back into her life, Yasmine felt less lonely and more daring. For the first time in her whole second life, she dared to look in a mirror without the hindrance of her mask. The face that had stared back at her was sharp-featured due to malnourishment. Her brown hair looked a bit ratty and unclean since she never had to take care of her hair her whole life. Yasmine also realized that she was small, very small for her age, another result of her malnourishment.

Yasmine didn't dare look at her own eyes.

Amani had assured her that a bath, a haircut, a brush, healthy meals, and new clothes was what she needed. And without hesitation, Amani had thrown Yasmine into the guestroom and began washing, brushing, cutting, and refining her. Kouha had taken a hand in choosing the new garments for her to wear and braiding her hair.

At the end, even Yasmine couldn't recognize herself.

Now, her once rowdy brown hair had grown to her shoulder blades, clean, though a bit frizzy, as it was the day of the makeover. If she didn't have to wear her mask all the time, Yasmine would have sported the same side bang as her grandfather, father, and many uncles had.

Instead, she clipped it back with a small jasmine hairclip from Kou, courtesy of Kouha. She wore the usual garments of a Sasan royal, which were high-collared, ornamented clothes with metal protectors on her shoulders. Connected to her right shoulder was a real tiger's pelt. The tiger was already dead when Yasmine found it, so she took advantage of its thick coat to keep her warm during the cold seasons.

Many times her friends would be compare her to a '_Sesshomaru_' character, whoever he or she was.

("Blasphemy!" Sai had howled when she informed him that _no, she did not watch or read _Inuyasha.)

Her feet and arms remained bare so the markings labeling her as a Blessed Child were shown off to the world. She didn't know it then, but the markings were giant letters of the Toran language. Amani told her that they translated to: "Blessed with far-reaching eyes that create mountains," repeated over and over again.

Yasmine's scythe now bore the mark of Solomon, recognizing it as her metal vessel: Gamigin. He was a very useful Djinn that gave her the ability to deconstruct the form of anything that was related to the earth.

So yeah, she could rot and rust anything she wanted. Even human skin, depending on how much concentration she put into the attack. It didn't improve her reputation in Sasan, but she didn't care.

Prejudiced fools. And she still blamed them for her short size. They should have fed her properly!

Yasmine sighed as her head hit the pillows of her bed. It wasn't anything fancy. It was a fluffy, feather-filled mattress with a warm blanket draped over and she loved it.

Just as she was beginning to relax, a pair of arms slithered around her waist and pulled her close. She froze for a moment but relaxed when she smelled the faint aroma of sweet grass and sandalwood, both smells of Kou.

"Kouha. What are you doing in my bed?"

Kouha groaned and buried his head into the crook of her neck. "Comfy. Tired. Need rest."

"Out." Yasmine said firmly while giving him a hard kick, dislodging the androgynous boy off of her body.

Kouha tumbled out of the bed, whining. "Yasmine~ I came all the way here to visit you. Is this how you're supposed to treat a good friend? I wanna sleep in your super comfortable bed _please._ I'm so _tired_. Can't you kick me out after I rest? I swear I won't hug you or get into your space."

"Out." She repeated.

"_Please_?"

"Out."

* * *

The cloaked Amani weaved through the streets as if it were second nature to her. Sai, on the other hand, lagged behind. "Hey Bee-

"It's Amani or Princess now, remember? Actually, Princess would be a better choice. If you're too familiar with me, people will start getting ideas about us." Amani smirked. "Imagine the scandal of a sheltered and well-loved princess getting involved with her dashing bodyguard. The horror!"

"It's a pretty popular storyline used in romance novels." Sai pointed out in between pants. His voice became noticeably more heavy and serious. Amani glimpsed Sai's new face and had to admit that this new form looked more attractive. It would be annoying if she had to pry prostitutes off of him but another glance at his appearance confirmed that this fate would be inevitable. "It's not as if it didn't happen before. Especially if the bodyguard is 'dashing' and the princess is loveable." He wiggled his eyebrows at this while making 'kissy-kissy' noises, which looked a little off with his new look.

"Did you just put on a 'bishie' look?" Amani questioned in amusement. "I don't think that's wise. Prostitutes will be crawling all over you for free just because of your appearance."

"How are you so sure?" Sai teased.

"My mother was a prostitute, so I grew up with them. I would know." Amani stated simply and left it at that.

Both companions had dressed in simple clothing that could pass them off as children of so-so traders. Not rich enough to be targeted frequently by pickpockets, but not poor enough to be looked down on by the richer folks.

Amani knew many ways to become invisible that were not dependent on her powers.

All Blessed Children agreed that depending on their abilities was the lazy way out. Seeing how they were talented enough without them, every member focused on strengthening their body and brain. Amani already had a head start on both areas thanks to Fatima, Solomon bless her soul, so she focused on magoi manipulation, which Sai was a pro at. Both had bonded over the training experience and were close ever since.

Amani had bonded with Kougyoku also through their shared interest in their metal vessels. Kougyoku was a natural and had achieved djinn equip before Amani, even though she captured her metal vessel years after Amani did. Kougyoku wasn't hesitant at all in helping the others achieve theirs.

Yasmine and Sai focused on hand-to-hand combat since it was Sai's weakness and Yasmine's strength.

Amani taught the other three how to render someone unconscious quickly and silently. She knew how to kill someone silently too but she had a good feeling that they wouldn't want to do that, aside from Yasmine who was experienced in slaughtering people.

The group had worked on each other's strengths and weaknesses. Throughout the years, they had successfully formed an effective team that rivaled the one in the future Shion was from.

Which brings them to now, the event where the Blessed Children were going to make their debut in the _Magi _storyline.

Amani took a breath before letting it out with a small whoosh.

"Nervous, my lady?" Sai asked softly in his bodyguard mode. It was hard to snap Sai out of his acting modes until he was either discovered or successful in finishing the mission. Amani was far too used to him changing his personality by now to be surprised.

"A bit."

"I'm sure your brother will be ecstatic to see you again as long as you don't try talking him out of aiding the Fog Troupe." Sai suggested. "Which reminds me, what will my name be?"

"Cain. I will call you Cain."

"Doesn't that sound a bit too western, my lady?" 'Cain' asked doubtfully. "Wasn't I supposed to be from Kou?"

"Yes, but it's not uncommon for bastard children of visiting Western Lords to pop up from here and there. It would explain your good looks and your position by my side. Even if I did bring a street urchin in, the Kou Royal Court would never allow anyone without a drop of some honorable blood to serve by my side." Amani explained patiently. "And if anyone asks, your father was cheated of all of his fortune in a gambling game. He sold your pregnant mother so he could get the money to return to his home. You were born in the streets and grew up as an orphan."

"You thought this out pretty well, didn't you my lady?" Cain mused with an impressed grin. "I trained you well."

"That you did." Amani allowed. "But don't let that get to your head." She added.

With everything prepared, Amani followed her instincts as she did years before to find Alibaba. Sai, now Cain, silently followed her as if in habit. His body language mimicked one of a seasoned soldier and his steps were heavy, a stark contrast to what they were hours ago.

It took Amani an hour, thirty-five minutes, and twenty seconds to find the hideout.

"Impressive, my lady." Cain commented. "Tell me, do you always find your brother through gut instinct?"

"It seems it's a one-sided twin thing."

"That makes sense."

No, no it did not. But with Sai/Cain's thought process, who knew what was considered normal or strange? He simply accepted Amani's answer without suspicion or further inquiries.

"…Shall we go in, my lady?"

Amani gave a short nod. "Yes."

Amani entered the building with Cain following her. She was reminded of the building she was born in. It was as dusty and worn as this one. The scent of spices and sand were strong in the air, just like the time she realized she was born as a different person in a different world. The smell strengthened her will and her courage. So she walked on.

She wasn't surprised when she was met with hostile glares from the residents in the room. She looked suspicious and foreign to them.

"I apologize for intruding, but I heard that a young man named Alibaba is here."

"What'cha want with Alibaba, missy?" A stout man snapped defensively. Amani mentally rolled her eyes at the man's amateur attempt at appearing threatening. _Please._ All he did was show how low he was in the rankings of the thief guild and literally tell her that Alibaba was indeed here. She raised her hands up instead in a soothing gesture. "No harm. I am simply here to deliver a message and reacquaint myself with an old friend. You see, my companion and I have traveled a long way from home to bring him good news."

There was truth in Amani's voice and everyone in the room had heard it. To a stranger, they may have seemed as threatening as ever. To Amani, their stances relaxed and their eyes held less suspicion.

"What business do you have with me?" A voice suddenly rang out.

A smile crawled across Amani's lips as she heard her brother's voice. It was much deeper than it was the last she saw him. Her eyes flickered up to his figure. Yes, it was her Alibaba. He strongly resembled the Alibaba featured in the black and white pages of the manga she had devotedly read in her past life. A pang in her heart reminded her that she had missed four years of her life with her brother.

Her heart almost stuttered to a halt when she saw the figure beside him.

Kassim.

_No, no, no, no._ she reminded herself firmly. _You forgave him a long time ago. You told yourself that you would put what happened behind you. You meditated on this. You __**decided **__this. There's no use backing out now. There's no use holding it against him now._

_If you continue on like this, he'll _ _ **die** _ _._

_You don't want that weighing on your conscience, Amani. Do you?_

"Alibaba." She said. It came out smoother than she expected. "Long time no see."

"Do I know you?" He asked crossly. Amani held back a flinch. _He doesn't know. _She reminded herself. _You have your hood on. He can't see your face._

With a flick of her fingers, Amani's hood fell from her head, revealing her face to her brother after four years. The gesture was a bit dramatic, but it gave the effect that Amani had wanted. All eyes were on her movements because of _curiosity. _Let them watch then. Let them witness the moment Amani Saluja comes into the picture. The more witnesses, the more wonder. Even Kassim appeared genuinely interested though that quickly morphed into shock when he saw her face. But he didn't matter. None of them did. Only Alibaba's reaction was the one that mattered to Amani.

It took a whole second for Alibaba to recognize her and another whole second for him to react. Amani relished the surprise that bloomed across her brother's face.

"A-Amani?"

She smiled.

"Hello, brother."

* * *

Shion couldn't be more embarrassed.

Who knew that taking a brief nap in the middle of the desert would result him being captured by slavers? He didn't. He thought they only went for caravans and populated areas but he was wrong in that judgment.

"If Sai finds out, he'll tease me to death." He muttered to himself sullenly. "How embarrassing to be caught by such simpletons."

A hand from the darkness grabbed his and squeezed them in what Shion assumed was assurance. "Don't worry! We'll find a way out of this place." A small voice told him with confidence. The voice sounded about ten or eleven years old, two or three years older than his current body.

Shion didn't need comfort, but the rare show of kindness from a stranger touched him. He squeezed back. "I know. I'm just bad at waiting."

"Should I tell you a story then to pass the time?"

"That would be nice. What's the story about?"

"It's an exciting tale about dungeons, heroes, and different lands!" The voice informed him in an excited voice. "It's long, too!"

"Really? It's been a long time since someone told me a good story like that. Tell me!"

* * *

The underground hideout of the thieves was in an uproar. Amani, the _princess _of their country, had returned to her homeland. But, to the majority of the thieves, their _Ghost _had returned to the slums right where she belonged. Under the orders of Alibaba, the Fog Troupe celebrated that night, postponing any plans they had originally.

Amani was allowed a seat beside Alibaba on the pile of rocks that served as his pedestal. It was bigger than she thought it would be and she had the whole Fog Troupe in her view.

Cain decided to mingle with the members of the Fog Troupe, introducing his presence and making friends.

"This isn't good."

The chatter in the room fell silent at Amani's statement. Amani ignored them and focused on Alibaba. "This isn't good at all."

"What, sis? Do you not like the taste of the food? I can always-

"No, no, the food is delicious. Compliments to the chef." Amani assured him. "No, the real problem is…"

She turned her gaze to the top of Alibaba's head with an accusatory glare. "You're taller than me."

"…Yes?"

"I can't accept that my _twin _brother is taller than me. Shrink now!" Amani demanded childishly. The tense aura in the room immediately dispersed to a sea of amusement at the princess' 'order'. Alibaba, on the other hand, took her statement seriously and begged her to understand that it was something he couldn't control.

"Alibaba, I was joking, _joking_." Amani finally relented when her brother looked as if he was going to have a heart attack.

Her brother looked at her strangely. "You joke?"

"Yes?"

"I never knew you joked."

It suddenly hit Amani that her interactions with the other Blessed Children had loosened up her personality by _a lot_. They had helped her control her 'disappearing' moments. It still happened, but not as frequently as before. The stress and weight of accidentally changing fate was also gone, thanks to Shion. She didn't have to worry about Alibaba for a whole four years.

She had changed.

"I'm not surprised. This is a recent thing. I blame Sai."

Alibaba tilted his head at the name. "Sai?"

Realizing her little slip up, Amani decided to go along with it and use Sai as a conversation leader to what she _truly_ intended to speak with him about. "Yes. He's a friend I made in Kou. He's a jokester and a clown at heart. No room of the palace was free of his pranks. He was part of the nomadic Yambala Tribe but he decided to leave it to train me in my magoi manipulation."

"Magoi manipulation?"

Amani waved his question away, knowing that it was too early for him to be interested in this sort of subject. "Complicated stuff that involves my fighting style. The training with Sai has improved it by a lot."

_Be curious, be curious, be curious._ Amani mentally begged. She knew if she asked Alibaba he would refuse to let her join, and Kassim would be suspicious. Her only hope in joining the ranks would be if Kassim made the choice himself.

It just showed who was actually the leader of the Fog Troupe.

Unfortunately, Kassim hadn't taken an interest in their conversation at all. Actually, he was avoiding having any contact with her, skirting away from meeting her eyes whenever she turned to him. _**Coward**_**,** a darker part of her hissed, _**h****_e_ has no right to act like that after what he did.**_

"My lady is a ninja." Cain loyally agreed, butting into the conversation. _Thank you, Sai. Alibaba is bound to become curious._

Just as she predicted, Alibaba looked at Cain in interest. "What's a ninja?"

"A shadow warrior." Cain explained excitedly, eager to share the culture of the mysterious assassins. "They are able to escape the sight of any untrained eye and kill their opponents in a blink of an eye. They can sneak into anywhere and escape _from_ anywhere. They're just like shadows."

"So you're saying she can do those things?" Kassim finally spoke up challengingly.

_Gotcha._

Amani looked at him. "Yes." She informed him not unkindly. "Would you like an example?" Kassim warily nodded. "Cain!"

Cain backed away a few steps and drew his blade. "Please be gentle, my lady."

"…No."

To everyone's surprise and wonder, Amani disappeared in front of their eyes. There was a wide amount of space for Cain to stand in and all eyes wandered around the cringing bodyguard for a hint to where she was.

After a few silent seconds, Amani appeared out of nowhere and pressed the flat part of her kunai knife to his neck while disarming him with one smoothly executed move. Cain grunted when she forced him to his knees. After she was finished, Amani looked up to gauge Alibaba and Kassim's reaction.

"Whoa! You can become invisible at will now? That's amazing!" Alibaba complimented loudly. His eyes shone with the same admiration as they always would when she performed something new or said something interesting to him. "I thought you had no control over it."

"Not anymore." She told him proudly. Then, she deflated. "Though…there are times when I lose control and I disappear randomly."

"Very good, my lady." Cain wheezed. "But can you please find the mercy within yourself to release me?"

"Sorry." She released him abruptly.

As a result, Cain fell flat on his face.

Ignoring the groaning man, Amani walked up to her brother with a pleased smile on her face. She glanced at Kassim. "Was that ninja enough for you?" She asked both of them (but really just him).

_Did it catch his attention? Did it impress him enough for him to consider…_

He returned her look calculatingly, though his face presented a charming and dazzling smile. "Yeah, that was pretty impressive, Ghost! You can sneak into anywhere and defeat anyone. Must be useful."

"Thank you, Kassim."

Kassim poured a small cup and handed it to her, finally daring to look her straight in the eye. "Want a drink?"

Amani knew she got in.

* * *

"-Then, the bad man kidnapped the innocent villagers of the Tribe. The nice princess was then blamed for the event since she was in charge of the bad man. But the princess was a very honest and honorable person and she stood tall as she was attacked. She gained a nasty scar, but she convinced the villagers that she was innocent and good. The bad man was found out and defeated, and the princess made friends with the villagers."

Shion listened intently, stopping the voice from time to time to ask questions. This story sounded strangely familiar, though he couldn't pinpoint where he heard it. It seemed as if someone had told him the same story long ago…

"That was a good story." Shion complimented.

The voice laughed. "Yes! Yes it was! And when I leave, I'll gain more and more good stories from my adventures and make more friends. What is your name? You will be my friend too!"

"Shion."

"Nice to meet you, Shion! I'm Aladdin."

Oh. So that was why.

* * *

"Kassim! How could you suggest such a thing?"

Alibaba was upset, which wasn't a surprise to Amani when she walked into the hallway where the two boys she grew up with were arguing. Cain stood back and watched as she casually walked up to the two.

"I'm telling you, Alibaba. She can contribute so much to the Fog Troupe." Kassim argued in Amani's stead. "You want to protect your sister. I understand that. But does she look as if she needs to be protected? Did she ever need protection in her life?"

Yes, she did. _That_ night, she was alone and she had wished more than anything for someone to come save her. She had made herself appear to everyone as an indestructible and unstoppable force, but she _wasn't_. Her inability to show her flaws was a huge flaw itself. She knew that now.

"She's my _sister_." Her brother stressed. "I am not going to get her involved with our business. Unlike me, she has responsibilities. How would it look to Kou if she openly opposed the current King of Balbadd? She'd be at the mercy of the Royal Court in Kou, not to mention her _husband_. Did you ever think of that?"

"Actually," Amani chipped in from her position _right in between the two_, "Ahbmad could go die in a hole for what he's doing to _my _country. The Royal Court if Kou values me too much to punish me too harshly so they're not the problem. And my _fiancé_," Amani added with a soft smile, "and I are not married yet. He has no control over the consequences I will face. Besides, he would side with me if the court ever goes against me for my choice." _It's only the queen who I should be concerned about._

Alibaba and Kassim had flinched in surprise at Amani's sudden appearance but had listened attentively to Amani's words. Alibaba seemed surprised that she wasn't married yet. "Huh? But weren't the two of you engaged four years ago? What happened?"

Amani cleared her throat uneasily. "There was a debate about which prince I should be married to. After the incident before my trip to Kou, I became…unsuitable for the prince I was originally engaged to."

"Eh? Was father being alive that important in the engagement process?" Alibaba wondered. Amani gave him a confused look. Why did he think-?

Then, she saw Kassim's panicked expression and realized that _Alibaba didn't know_. He had no clue about what happened to her the night…the night that…

(But everyone knew. How could he not _know_?)

"A-Ah!" Amani said. "No, no, it's not that. It's just that a better candidate came up for him, nothing big." _She lied._ "They were more suitable for each other anyways. It would've been a pity if I went in between that." _That part was true._

"Kou still wanted me to be married into the royal family to strengthen the alliance between our countries. There were two princes who the court wanted me to marry, so there was a long debate about that. The issue was just settled last month. I will be married in three months according to the Oracle's calendars and readings."

i.e. Judal just wanted to give the groom a hard time.

Alibaba nodded. "So that's how it is…"

Kassim expression relaxed when the bullet was dodged but then it suddenly soured when a thought crossed his mind.

"I'm joining." Amani announced abruptly. "And Cain is joining too."

"Your bodyguard?" Alibaba seemed more relaxed at that. "But why? Isn't he loyal to Kou?"

"He is loyal to _me_ and that's all that matters." She told her brother dismissively. "He would join simply because I am. And no," she interrupted Alibaba before he could speak, "I am not changing my mind about this. Don't be picky about your allies, brother. You need them the most now."

Eventually, after a long argument, Amani convinced Alibaba to let her join. While Alibaba was upset, Kassim looked thrilled but his expression was wiped clean off his face when Amani gave him a pointed look that heavily suggested that they needed to talk.

And they _would_ talk, whether he wanted to or not.

* * *

The bastard was avoiding her!

A whole week had passed without any hiccups. Cain had made his place in the Fog Troupe as a fine warrior and an overall friendly person. He got into Alibaba's good books by just being his twin's bodyguard.

Amani, on the other hand, was an already respected figure.

She had impressed many with her seemingly countless number of weapons she had on herself. Her invisibility ability had made many of the thieving expeditions quicker and more effective. The 'Fog Troupe' was more feared ever since their new member 'Ghost' was recruited.

Though he wasn't that happy with Amani's decision, Alibaba was no doubt grateful for his sister's help.

Everything was moving smoothly and the day when Aladdin and Morgiana came to Balbadd was coming closer and closer by the hour.

_Two more weeks…_

There was one thing she hated and that one thing was having regrets. If she didn't talk to Kassim soon, if fate somehow got its way in the end, she may never be able to get the chance to talk to him.

Amani was beginning to get desperate.

* * *

Shion was beginning to get bored.

"Why aren't we out yet?" He asked nobody. "Why is the help so late?"

He. Was. So. BORED!

"Ah, screw pride and dignity." He muttered. "I don't care if Sai mocks me for eternity. Someone get me out of here!"

* * *

"I thought you would never willingly let yourself be in the same room with me again after what happened. I thought you would have avoided meeting me again. That's how people would normally react."

Amani had dragged Kassim into her given room the moment they were alone so they could converse without any interruption. Yes, she was afraid. She still flinched at the touch of strangers and her fingers still shook at the mention of _that _night. But her fear of Sai overhearing their conversation overrode her fear of the memory.

She had told the others of what happened, but she never told them _who _had done it.

If they knew, Kassim's death would be ensured and by their hands. Amani didn't want that, no matter how hurtful and horrifying his actions were. Kassim was still _family_.

"So, are you going to kill me?" Kassim asked from his seat on Amani's bed.

(He was taunting her. Why was he taunting her?)

In reply, Amani took all of her weapons and dropped them on the ground beside her, including her metal vessel, no matter how naked she felt without Foras. She took her cloak off and folded it neatly. She then forced herself to walk forward.

One step, two steps, three steps

Right, left, right again.

Kassim watched the whole time as she walked in silent amazement. It was as if he was watching her tightrope walking on a thin rope suspended between two skyscrapers when, in reality, she was simply walking across the room.

To him, her steps were flawless and unhesitant.

To her, she was inches away from stumbling onto her face or turning away to run.

Then, she stopped right in front of the young man she used to call her closest friend. She paused for a moment to consider her options and re-think her choices. She paused to bundle up a large amount of her courage because even she knew that 'a lot' didn't always mean 'enough'. Amani was like a hydrophobic getting ready to dive into the deep-end of the pool. She was a fool for even thinking of doing this and she knew it.

Amani hugged Kassim anyways.

She was still standing, a little bent over, but still standing. Her back was still the closest to the door. But this was still a huge act and Kassim knew it, judging by his stiff back. He didn't move. Whether he chose not to move or he _dared _not to move, Amani didn't know. She didn't ask. It was taxing enough that she was doing this.

"…So what? Are you trying to seduce me?" Kassim commented bitingly though the shake in his voice showed her that he didn't mean it like that.

"Shut up."

Amani could snap his neck in this position. She knew how. Had this been a year ago, she would have.

(But she already made her decision. For the world. For herself.)

"Shut up." She repeated, "And let me concentrate."

Breathe In.

_Tobacco._

Breathe Out.

Breathe In.

_Booze._

Breathe Out.

In.

_And Blood. So much blood. And pain. So much pain that he caused even though she trusted him, she trusted him with everything even though she _ _ **knew ** _ _he was a liar and a traitor and selfish and so, so very jealous of her brother and maybe even _ _ **hates ** _ _her for everything-_

**Out.**

"You're shaking." He commented softly as if any volume louder than this one would scare her off. Then slowly, very slowly, his hand lifted up and rested on hers with a butterfly-soft touch. It was then when Amani realized that he was shaking too. "Are you scared of me?"

"What kind of question is that?" Amani's voice broke at the end. " I'm not scared of you. I'm _terrified_. I trusted you more than anyone, _even my own brother_. And then you did…**that **to me."

Kassim had the decency to cringe.

"I felt as if I couldn't trust anyone anymore." She whispered harshly, adding salt to the wound. "I felt as if it would be impossible for me to ever forgive you. But…"

"But?"

"I already decided a long time ago that I wouldn't hate you anymore." Amani confessed while tightening her arms and drawing him closer. "So _let me concentrate_. Tomorrow, I want to be able to touch you without shaking, I want to talk with you without being reminded again and again of how you said nothing that night, and I want to see the stars with you again."

She wanted them to be the way they were before everything happened.

(But she knew it was an impossible dream.)

Kassim hesitantly brought his arms around Amani. When she didn't make any move to get out of his hesitant hug, he drew her closer and returned her tight embrace. He buried his face into her shoulder, making sure there was no skin contact.

"I'm sorry." She felt him say.

(Was he lying again?)

"I'm sorry, Amani."

(He never called her Amani.)

"Why?" She whispered.

Kassim didn't answer.

"No." Amani decided aloud. "I shouldn't be asking you that. Not anymore."

This was supposed to be her first attempt in forgiving him. Forgiving his acts in thought was easier to do, but seeing his face and hearing his voice made it so hard. But she was willing to try for herself.

This was for herself.

(She didn't want this to weigh her down anymore.)

"I don't know why you did what you did. And maybe I will never know. But that doesn't matter. I already know that whatever you did that night was because you cared. It might have been selfish, but the Kassim I know would have done that for a good reason."

"Naïve." Kassim choked.

"I know." She sighed. "But that's how I decided to think. Your opinion doesn't matter on this subject. Besides, you still have to work hard for my forgiveness, so you shouldn't be talking."

Amani gently pulled him to the bed and lied down without breaking the embrace. This time, she knew Kassim wouldn't try anything. (That, and she feared that if she let go, she'd never have the courage to interact with Kassim again.) She might have been a bit idealistic, but there was some realism mixed into her decision too.

_Besides, he will die_.

Amani squashed that thought. Nonsense. He was going to live. She was going to make sure that he was going to live. Kassim's death was a result of Al Thamen's efforts in changing fate so…

"Sleep. We're both tired and it's been a long day. Perhaps we can talk again like this tomorrow and I can hear something from you. Four years is a lot to catch up on and that doesn't even include the seven years before that."

"How can you trust me?"

Amani looked up at the moon. She wasn't so sure either but the gut instinct that had led her to her brother told her that she was safe tonight. It told her that the reason he had done what he did years before was obsolete the moment Shion gave her his offer. So he had no reason to do anything now.

But she couldn't give him a reason like that. "This isn't trust. My trust in you was shattered years ago. That is something you must earn back along with my forgiveness. This is called a 'chance'. It's a one time thing, so don't squander it."

"How?" He persisted.

"Why?" She countered back. "I just can't hate you. Let's just leave it at that."

This wasn't forgiveness. Amani wasn't even close to completely forgiving him.

But Kassim was family. Kassim was her strength. Kassim was her brother-friend. He was _worth _trying for. So she will.

She was.

The rest of the night, Amani pretended that Kassim's whole body didn't shake and shiver with some unnamed emotion. She pretended that she didn't feel his face scrunch up in guilt and self-hatred. And she definitely pretended that the growing damp spot on her shoulder wasn't there.

_One week left…_

* * *

Outside of the room, Cain pushed himself off the wall he was leaning on and began making his way back to his room. Once he entered it, he reformed himself back to Sai.

He had known.

Being a liar and a secret-keeper himself, he knew that Amani had been lying when she told them that she didn't recognize the man who raped her and left her all broken inside and out.

Yes. He'd said it. Rape.

It didn't take long for him to put the pieces together and when he did, he wasn't happy with the results.

It didn't matter to him at all that Kassim had been a favorite character of his in his past life. Sai could not forgive him for doing what he did to his comrade. If that bastard came out of this whole arc alive, Sai would never accept him as his ally. Kassim had stepped over many lines in the manga, but this was a new low for him.

Sai had considered just finishing the slum rat's pitiful life many times in the past so the whole Balbadd incident wouldn't happen. But he didn't, since he thought it unfair to take away Amani's chance of revenge.

What he didn't know was how utterly _complicated _the whole situation actually was.

Sai could read people like a book without the help of Kougyoku's eye powers and it didn't take him long to see what was going through Kassim's mind when he made subtle glances at Amani and fired out harsh quips.

The Blessed Child bit the inside of his cheek in frustration.

Why did Kassim's character have to be so goddamn _complex_? Why couldn't he just be like the other bad guys and stay _bad_ so he could continue hating him?

Stupid complications.

Sai let out a long sigh and sat back on his bed. A small moth fluttered into the room through the glassless window.

"That bastard~ thinking that he has the right to insult _our '_Bee." He sang darkly while playing with his chakram. "He's lucky that she gave him another chance. If he messes this one up, he's going to be sashimi."

A symbol of Solomon glowed faintly on the small weapon.

"_Steal, Barbas_."

In seconds, the moth that had flown into the room was writhing helplessly on the floor as Sai loomed above it with a bitter smile and a small pair of wings between his fingers.

* * *

Shion blinked many times before his eyes got used to the light. He tried not to be too disturbed by the headless djinn coming out of the small flute and focused on Aladdin instead.

So this was what the magi looked like when he was a little kid. Aladdin as a kid was unexpectedly innocent and huggable-looking. The Aladdin in Shion's memories was…

Well, different.

"Thanks for saving me, Aladdin."

Aladdin grinned at him. "No problem! Where are your parents? Did they escape?"

"Ah, no. My parents aren't with me. I was captured alone when I was on my way to Balbadd to meet up with my friends." Shion informed the blue-haired magi. "I overheard that it's the location you're going to. Do you mind if I accompany you and the pretty Finalis?"

Morgiana blushed and Aladdin looked overjoyed.

"Of course!"


	6. Chapter 5: Countdown to the Inevitable

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kougyoku plays tourist. Meanwhile, Amani and Sai resign themselves to a (hopefully brief) life of crime.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Onwards

_(On the day Amani reunited with her brother)_

Balbadd was a beautiful city.

Just like in the manga, Kougyoku decided to take a tour around the city. Though the three had come to Balbadd earlier than they had done in the canon plot (thanks to Shion and his insistence that she had to be there _three weeks _before anything important happened), the events that followed went similarly to the extra chapters portrayed, with more details and excitement.

It was a good thing that Kougyoku had prepared Balbadd clothing for this purpose. When Koubun asked why those were in her traveling pack, she confessed that she had been planning on touring the city beforehand, much to his chagrin.

"Princess, please…slow down for your loyal vassal." Koubun panted. "You are moving too quickly."

Kougyoku immediately slowed down her pace. "I'm sorry, Koubun. I didn't mean to give you any trouble. I was just so excited to see the sights here. And the food! Everything smells so good!"

Judal smirked at the princess' obvious excitement. "Then you should check out their sweet bread, Princess. I heard that it's what they're known for. I tried it myself and it wasn't too shabby."

"The food connoisseur has spoken." Kougyoku told Koubun sagely in her Sai-voice. "We_ must _try it! Judal, can you lead us to the closest sweet bread stall? Maybe we can get some fresh peaches on the way. Oooh! Amani told me that they weave the most beautiful carpets here. Can we see that? And the stars! Amani said that they are marvelous when all the lights are out. I don't suppose I would be allowed up that late, do you?"

Kougyoku admitted to herself that her 'excitement' was a bit overkill but she needed to keep her mind off of everything that she saw. The whole country was shrouded with some sort of sickly depression that reminded her of a dying pet, driven to starvation by the negligence of their owners.

Judal and Koubun casually walked down the street, seemingly unbothered by the _wrongness _of the land. But, in their defense, they couldn't see what she saw.

"Fish for sale! Fresh fish just imported from Sindria!" Which meant it was two weeks old. The price was also higher than it was supposed to be. Kougyoku knew it was because of inflation, but the price that the man had set on his goods was too high for the common people to buy. This was a good sign that this man only wanted to attract the rich.

"Fruit! Fruit! Various assortments of fruit! Get your fruit right here!" Kougyoku picked a handful of peaches for Judal and went along her way. The fruit seller was a good hardworking man, so she paid extra so his family could have a full dinner tonight. The gratefulness that leaked out of the man's fingers as she gave him the coins was worth the effort.

"Lady, lady, pretty lady! There's jewelry here for your pretty face! Half price for you since you're pretty!" A man cried out, shoving jewelry in her face. Kougyoku flinched when she saw the blood on them. The pretty stones were dulled by the corruption of their last masters. The metallic smell of the delicate chains strongly reminded the princess of freshly spilled blood and she had a feeling that it was the blood of the innocent and weak.

"Urgh."

Instinctively, she drew closer to Judal. Whenever there was blood, Judal was always the best person to be close to. Though he caused much bloodshed, the blood of others seemed to shrink back in his prescience. It was ironic, but Judal's aura rejected blood.

The black magi's hand snatched out and grabbed her shoulder as if to steady her. He shot the merchant a scathing glare and pointed his wand threateningly. Apparently, Judal was well known in Balbadd since there was recognition in the shaking man's eyes. "Back off. Or I'll kill you where you stand."

The man did just that.

The princess paled and blanched at the smell of fear that suddenly filled the market. Fear, to her, smelled of sour fruit and urine. It wasn't exactly her favorite smell but the palace also reeked of it from time to time. It seemed that they had everyone's attention now. Perhaps depending on Judal was a bad idea after all. She elbowed Judal harshly on the side. "Jerk." His fault for making the air sour.

Judal shot her a genuine look of confusion. "What did I do?"

She ignored him and walked on before stumbling again. This time, it was the stench of poverty from the street down on her right.

A _strong _stench of poverty

Koubun was immediately by her side. "What's wrong?"

"I just got a little dizzy, that's all." She lied with a forced smile. "The spices and food give off such an overwhelming smell. I guess I'm not used to these things."

"Well, then. I guess we should be going back to the hotel, then."

Oh no. Bad idea. If she were sentenced to her hotel room without any entertainment, she'd be bored for a whole two weeks. No way.

"Huh?" Kougyoku gave her attendant a kicked puppy look. Her eyes watered and her lip trembled. Koubun flinched and Judal gave him a dirty look despite their previous disagreement. Ah, the advantages of having such an expressive face. "B-But we didn't do anything yet! I just got a little overwhelmed, that's all. Oh _please_, let me look around a little longer! We still didn't try out those sweet breads Judal was talking about."

Koubun still didn't look convinced, so Kougyoku decided to take out the big guns.

Kougyoku looked down 'sadly'. "I…I just wanted to enjoy the country and have a little fun before I get married. Is it foolish to want to spend my last days of being free with my two most precious people?"

"My lady…"

"Princess…."

In the end, Kougyoku won. As always.

* * *

"Why are you still here?"

Yasmine was not amused.

Kouha had decided to remain in Sasan and enjoy the wonders of the battlefield. It was amazing how stupidly persistent the barbarians were. No matter how many times they were wiped out by Raja and Yasmine (only her now), they always came back again.

At least Kouha had a fun time.

He had quite literally painted the whole battlefield with the blood of his enemies. Yasmine had to admit that his metal vessel was impressive and useful in the battlefield. He _had_ wiped out half of the intruders in one swing.

Yasmine took one last look at the sea of blood and corpses before turning away. "After you wash the blood off in the lake over there, you will leave." She informed the young man she (sometimes) considered a friend.

"Aw, how cold! And I helped you too!"

Yasmine wiped the blood off of her scythe before placing it onto her back. She ignored Kouha's whining and began walking away.

"You just did it for the bed."

* * *

_(On the day of Amani's confrontation to Kassim)_

Kougyoku stared out of the window while her fingers twitched for her hairpin. Koubun, knowing very well that she would eventually succumb to her desire to spar with _someone _during her time in the hotel, took her metal vessel away.

"Bored. Bored. Bored." She droned to herself.

It had already been a week since her arrival in Balbadd. Though the hotel service was nice, she needed to be _outside_. In her last life, she enjoyed the outdoors and even slept outside when the weather was nice. It sure was better than being inside her house.

Sydney got hurt if she stayed inside the house too long...

Kougyoku lightly slapped both of her cheeks. No, no more thinking about being Sydney! Now, she was Kougyoku, the eighth princess of Kou! She had power in this world and she was going to use it as much as she could!

That was why she couldn't risk her mind wandering from the mission-

_SPLAT_

Kougyoku's eyes twitched as a sticky substance slid down her face. "Judal…" She said in a scary voice. She turned to the dark magi, whose hand was frozen in a throwing position. She scowled when she saw the overly ripe fruit in his hand. The fact that he was planning to do it to her _again _aggravated her even _more._

"Well, I heard that fruit juice was good for the skin so I decided to try it on you, Princess!" He informed her cheerfully. He peered at her face. "Oh! I think it's actually working!"

She slowly got up while muttering darkly under her breath.

"-to three." Judal heard. He tilted his head to the side. "Eh? Princess, what did you say? I couldn't hear you."

In a clearer voice, she said to him: "You have until I count to three to escape." At the end of her sentence, her eyes grew dangerously sharp. "Just because I don't have my metal vessel, doesn't mean I can't wrap my hands around your scrawny neck, you bastard!"

For the rest of the day, Judal spent his time running away from the irate princess of Kou. It was an event that later gained Kougyoku the reputation of being an evil demon in disguise. Not that she minded. In her opinion, it made her seem strong and powerful. Koubun, on the other hand, was scandalized and blamed Judal.

In a retrospect, Kougyoku's boredom was cured. That was why she only kicked him _once_ when she caught him.

(Okay fine, it was in between the legs, but can you blame her? He was being a prick.)

* * *

_Countdown: 6 days left_

"Alibaba…the whole tornado of fire is impressive and all, but is that all you can do?"

Alibaba looked up from his drink to face his sister.

Amani had changed in the four years they were separated. For one, it seemed that she was more…noticeable. Though, she _had _learned to control her unique abilities because of…something about being a Blessed Who? Alibaba couldn't remember.

"Ah…yeah. Why?"

Amani smacked her forehead, causing Alibaba's vein to pop. Hey, causing big huge bursts of fire was a pretty impressive power! Just because she did awesome things as a living didn't mean she had to talk down his abilities! "Alibaba, you haven't mastered 'Djinn Equip' yet?"

Alibaba tilted his head to the side. "Djinn Equip?"

"_Must you always forget what I tell you, brother?_" Amani groaned. She had already known that Alibaba wasn't aware of Djinn Equip in the canon storyline, but she had gone through great lengths to inform him about the wondrous powers of a djinn and many, _many _other fun facts. Had he forgotten _everything _that she told him?

Cain stood behind her and patted her back comfortingly. "There, there, my lady. It isn't the young master's fault that it slipped his mind. He went through a lot in the past four years."

Amani sagged. "You're right."

Cain turned to Alibaba with a formal smile. "Young master, your sister would be more than happy to show you an example of a djinn equip. She achieved hers a while ago now."

"Don't go off making those decisions on your own." She muttered in irritation. "Aren't you supposed to be my loyal vassal?"

"And as your loyal vassal, I am merely suggesting a solution to the current issue." Cain informed her smartly. Amani _swore_ she saw him send her a taunting smirk when she wasn't looking and she couldn't help but scowl at him. "Besides, wouldn't it be _more productive _if you spent your free time teaching your brother the basics of djinn equip? Mastering the ability is a _long_ process, after all." He stressed the last part.

He did have a point. Amani supposed that it would be helpful if her brother knew how to perform 'djinn equip' properly, even if it was only a partial one, for the future events.

"Fine." She turned to Kassim. "Do you mind telling the others to clear the floor, Kassim? I'm afraid that my djinn equip requires space."

"Sure thing, Ghost." Kassim waved his hand at the crowd while using his other to light his cigar. Everyone got the message and did as their true leader told them to do. By only a few minutes, there was a good amount of room for Amani.

Cain tutted. "If you had went through the magoi controlling exercises as Master Sai instructed you to do, you would have had the ability to perform your djinn equip in a small closet."

Amani ignored him and brushed her fingers against Foras. "Spirits of Logic and Ethics, in the name of my Magoi and my will for a greater power, I order you and your members, come forth Foras!"

In truth, summoning your djinn was a quiet affair. Amani didn't know why it was necessary to chant fancy words when all you had to do was give your djinn a mental nudge. But, it looked and sounded cool, so Amani just rolled with it. Who knows? Perhaps some poor sod would fall for the deception and assume that summoning djinn required a battle cry. That would put metal vessel users at an advantage.

Sand trickled out of the gourd like water. Many who weren't aware of the gourd's supernatural abilities were shocked by the endless amount of sand that poured out and spilled onto the ground. In one fluid movement, the sand covered every inch of Amani's skin.

A moment later, most of the sand fell away, leaving behind a white two-piece outfit that was reminiscent to the style of the swimsuit back in her past life. A thin, see-through garment was wrapped around the lower half of her body as if in a poor attempt in covering what the thin patches of sand on her legs didn't. A small, almost imperceptible metal pin held it together, looking as if any movement would cause the cloth to fall away. A gold pattern that bore a strong resemblance to well-spaced _henna_ graced Amani's arms, accompanied by simple gold bracelets and anklets.

By her side, what originally had been a gourd was now a large yet lithe sword with an hourglass ornament swinging to and fro.

An unraveled scroll written in a language that none could read was thrown haphazardly around her shoulders, the ends just barely away from the ground.

Upon her head was a net of tiny gold chains that "cried" small beads of glass into her white hair. Upon her forehead was a teardrop shaped piece of amber.

Energy was still rampant in the air of the hideout after the transformation and Amani did her best to dispel as much as she could. She could feel Cain's subtle energy aiding her in her small chore. By the time she was finished, the whole hideout was silent in awe.

Eyes were on her form, some in admiration and some in fear. Hassan whistled appreciatively at Amani's exposed form, which resulted in a double attack from a scandalized Alibaba and an irate Zaynab. A newly lit cigar fell to the floor from a gaping mouth.

Cain, on the other hand was trying not to laugh.

This was one of the times when Amani remembered that her djinn form, though more modest than Kougyoku's, was _way too _revealing for the eyes of the average man.

"That's my _sister_ you're ogling at, you bastard!"

Or maybe it was just Alibaba.

Amani glanced at the other slum members who looked on the scene more calmly and normally after the shock of the transformation wore off. Then she looked back at Alibaba's red face.

It was just Alibaba.

"Brother…it's fine." Amani soothed. "Hassan was just trying to be funny. Weren't you Hassan? He already has a beautiful woman like Zaynab to 'ogle' at, so you should calm down."

Zaynab blushed at this and ceased beating up her boyfriend. The gratitude on Hassan's face could have lit up a thousand suns. "Right."

But Alibaba wasn't as soothed. "Cover yourself up, Amani! That- that- that is _no way_ a proper woman like you should look! Don't you have any shame? Isn't your body reserved for your husband?" Amani gave him a look. She wasn't married yet, so that reason was void.

"This is my body fused with the body of my djinn, brother. I hardly think that this is embarrassing since I've seen djinn equips _far_ less modest than this form is." Amani sighed as her brother threw his shirt at her face. She tugged it off of her head. "If you want to battle other metal vessel users properly, you need to becomes used to this."

Cain finally laughed.

"What's so funny?" Alibaba shouted at the laughing bodyguard.

Cain coughed in mirth. "Young master Alibaba, I understand your concern for your sister's chastity but that was already taken _years _ago so be at ease. She is no longer a child. As you are supposedly a man, she is a woman."

The air momentarily stilled at the not-so-subtle mention of the _incident _four years ago but Alibaba remained oblivious. "What? Amani, y-you are not a-?" _Virgin? Not anymore?_

Amani bit her lip and hung her head. After gathering her wits, she looked up with a hardened expression. "Alibaba. My affairs are my own."

"But-

"What _should_ be your concern is honing your abilities so you can come closer to _my_ level." She tossed Alibaba's shirt back to him. "Alibaba, _you _are the Fog Troupe's leader. _You _are the master of Amon. _You _are the one who, out of the three princes, understands the true meaning of pain and hunger. You want to help our people? _Then work for it._ You want to improve their lifestyles? _Then take the power to improve it. _You want to save our country?"

The sand around Amani began shifting and moving around her like wind or snakes. Many warily stepped back when it began to look as if it a mini-sandstorm was going to start. The sand suddenly snatched out, grabbed Alibaba, and tugged him right in front of his angered sister.

"_Then stop being such a prude and actually __**pay attention **__to what I'm going to teach you!"_

Alibaba gulped.

"Is that clear?"

The blonde nodded quickly.

Amani's stance relaxed and the sand loosened their grip. She patted his head as if in apology for her outburst. "Though this form may be revealing, it is a mimicry to my djinn's appearance." The sand now formed around Amani as if defensively. "Learn how to attain this form and you will hone _all _of your djinn's abilities.

_And maybe then he would save Kassim._

No, no, Kassim wouldn't need to be saved. She had his life secured. They were already changing fate, weren't they?

* * *

Kougyoku stared at Judal. Judal stared at Kougyoku.

She was half naked. He was blushing.

_Well, _she thought coolly as the dark magi continued to stare in part horror and part fascination, _at least I can confidently say that he can be embarrassed._

It was the typical 'boy accidentally running into the room while girl is indecent' situation and Kougyoku honestly couldn't find the energy to feel overly upset about it. So what if he caught her shirtless? It wasn't as if this was the first time something this embarrassing happened. She remembered the time in her last life when a friend's little brother accidentally walked in on her changing. Now _that _was embarrassing.

This was just Judal.

Judal continued his red-faced staring.

Kougyoku finally spoke.

"You pervert."

* * *

_Countdown: 5 days left_

"Amani! Amani!"

Amani paused her conversation with Kassim and Alibaba to turn to the owners of the small voices that called out for her. She automatically knelt down to her knee and scooped up as many children as her arms could carry. They attacked her with wide hugs and multiple kisses.

"Thank you, Princess! Because of you, your brother, and the Fog Troupe, we get to eat two whole meals every day!" They chirped happily.

Amani laughed along with them. "I hope you are all eating well. There is no good in having hungry children, is there?"

Cain walked into the hallway, gaining many of the children's attention. They squealed gleefully at the sight of their favorite playmate and abandoned Amani's side to go and bother him.

Amani smiled amusedly as Cain was toppled over by the unexpected barrage of hugs and tackles. Demands for an exciting game filled the whole hideout, giving it a little bit more cheer despite the slight darkness in it. "And the fool says he wouldn't be a good father."

"He said that?" Alibaba asked quizzically. "I can't imagine a better parent figure than Cain. What would make him say such a thing?"

Kassim shrugged. "Appearances can be deceiving."

_You can say that again_. Amani thought. It was a bit unnerving how close to the truth Kassim was with that statement. "Actually," she said aloud, "he believes that he'd be like his father."

When Alibaba and Kassim shared a confused look, she realized that Cain had not told them about his backstory at all. He probably did so because he wanted her to explain it herself. The lazy jerk.

"He didn't tell you?" She asked hesitantly, knowing what their answer was. The pair nodded and looked at her expectantly. She sighed. "Cain is a bastard son of a Lord of the Western Lands. His father visited Kou and enjoyed it enough to stay for years. Cain's mother was a Kou-born servant who served under him. Cain's father loved to gamble a lot so, when he lost all the fortune he brought over to Kou, he sold Cain's pregnant mother. His mother died after having him. Cain was born into the lowest position of the low on the social ladder of the Kou Empire, a street urchin." She recited.

Well, there were some parts of the story that held some truth to them, so Amani didn't feel guilty for lying.

Alibaba nodded slowly. "He did mention to me once that both of you met because of an apple. Did he try stealing it?"

"For survival." Amani defended. "Even I could relate to that situation. So I saved him before he faced any harsh punishment. It was because of his noticeable blonde hair, like yours, that the officials recognized who his sire was."

"That was why he was allowed to serve as your bodyguard."

Amani nodded. "Cain knew about his father long before meeting me. The servants who worked with his mother did their best in raising him before sending him off to the streets. He despises sharing the same blood with the man who threw away his mother and believes that he will turn out the same too."

Alibaba scoffed. "What a ridiculous idea. He's not his father."

"But he has his father's blood flowing through him." Kassim reminded his friend. A moody look overcame his face. Amani remembered how Kassim thought about himself and winced. "He could be right."

"But he's **not**." Alibaba insisted. "Just because he shares the same blood with someone despicable doesn't make _him _despicable! Cain is a good guy because of _his _own experiences and _his _own actions!" He told him passionately.

Amani shot her brother a relieved smile. It was good that her existence didn't change how Alibaba viewed other people. "I'm glad that you feel that way, Alibaba."

Kassim also looked relieved and a bit enlightened by Alibaba's proclamation.

Hope rose in Amani's chest. Maybe…?

Alibaba shot his sister a sneaky smile. "Ohoho! Sister, are you worried because you harbor _feelings _for Cain?"

Both Amani and Kassim's smile fell.

"Brother," Amani deadpanned, "he's my _bodyguard_."

Alibaba wiggled his brows childishly. "So?"

"_So."_ Amani stressed. "A romantic relationship between us would be highly inappropriate, not to mention disgusting. Do you see me as a potential love interest, Kassim?"

The person in question looked up in surprise at the sudden question aimed at him. "Ah, actually I-

"See?" Amani interrupted while pointing at her childhood friend. "Cain's position is like a family member. He protects me with his abilities while I protect him with my position and power. It's a mutualistic relationship that would be ruined beyond repair if we were to be in a romantic relationship, so it's out of the question. He's an equivalent to an unrelated brother, just like Kassim. Alibaba, would you even consider marrying me?"

"No!"

"Have I made my point?" Amani asked.

"Yes." Kassim said sourly from his side.

"Still," her brother insisted, "would you even _consider_ looking at a brother-figure romantically?" He asked in a tone that suggested that he wanted to hear something from her. Well, he'd be disappointed, then.

"Alibaba, I know that you have my best interests in heart. But even if I hold any of those feelings, I'll never act on them. It would be too cruel to indulge in my selfish wishes with another to only leave them for my fiancé." She shook her head at his downcast expression. It was so naïve of her brother.

"'My feelings go after my people'. " She quoted. "As the daughter of a king, it is my duty to form alliances for the sake of my nation and my people. This is the burden that the women of the royal family have to bear."

Alibaba shook his head somberly. "But you deserve to be happy."

"I am happy." Amani insisted. "I can't be any more happy than I am now. I have friends, family, power, and a place to call home. What more can I ask for? I have a fortunate enough fate that I would trade for no other since I have both of you." She placed her hand on each of the boys' shoulder and squeezed. "It may not be perfect, but it is fate."

Alibaba reluctantly nodded while Kassim avoided her eyes and remained silent.

_(Are you, really? Content, I mean.)_

* * *

"Oi, Yasmine!"

Yasmine didn't look up at the call of her name and continued sharpening her weapon. It thrummed in content at the pampering she was giving it. "Hmm? You're still here? I thought I told you to go."

Kouha pouted from his perch on her bed. He finally was able to lay claim over it, much to her chagrin.

"Come here and entertain me! I'm bored!"

Yasmine wondered what sort of 'entertainment' the prince had in mind. Hopefully, it was of a more innocent kind of game that didn't involve blood staining the sheets.

As if he read her mind, Kouha rolled his eyes. "Not like that. I only want to hear a story or play a word game. It's been a while since I had a suitable playmate. The ones back in the palace are _boring_."

"What about JunJun, ReiRei, and JinJin?" Yasmine had met them only briefly when she visited Kou and found their presence enjoyable. Unfortunately, they avoided her after their first meeting no matter how much she sought them out in the palace.

She had a feeling they didn't like her very much.

"They don't know how to play those games." Kouha said regretfully. "No matter how many times I try teaching them, they always forget! But they are the best subordinates that anyone could ever have." He added loyally.

Yasmine smiled.

"Then the next time you come, bring them over. I'll be more than happy to teach them how to play the game. The problem might be how you're explaining it."

Kouha perked up and grinned. "So I can come over again? Soon?"

Shit

"Not too soon." Yasmine amended. "You took too much of my time already."

"Next week then."

"…Only if you leave by tomorrow." She compromised since arguing with the third prince of Kou was both a waste of time and energy. He always seemed to win.

* * *

_Countdown: 4 days left_

"Oi, what are you thinking so hard about?"

Kougyoku looked up from the letter that Yasmine sent to see Judal perching at her window. The weather was nice tonight so she kept it open. If she knew what pest it would let in, she would've kept it closed.

Koubun finally had it when Judal painted her face blue two days ago so he forbade him from getting even _close _to her until she met and married her husband to be.

Of course, that didn't stop him from visiting her.

Kougyoku's eyes wandered back to the letter. "Just thinking about what to write back to Yasmine. It seems that Kouha is bothering her."

"Again?"

"Yes. And I don't think Yasmine understands that telling him to 'go away' only encourages him to stay longer."

Judal hummed. "Well, her bed _is _very comfortable. I can't blame Kouha for wanting to sleep in it. How the hell is it like that? I thought it was filled with hay."

That…was a really good question.

"I have absolutely no idea. But I can ask Yasmine for you, if you like."

* * *

_Dear Yasmine,_

_Just ignore Kouha until he leaves. Don't worry. It won't take long for him to lose interest. Or bribe him. That usually works. I'd know. He's my brother._

_Love,_

_Kougyoku_

_BTW, how the heck is your bed so comfy?_

* * *

Yasmine crumpled the piece of paper in irritation. Not only was the letter a whole week late, but the contents of this letter were also an equivalent to a simple, five-minute note. Just what was Kougyoku even doing in Balbadd?

And why was everyone so obsessed with her bed?

* * *

A couple hours into the evening, Kougyoku and Judal sat at the edge of the roof while munching on a handful of peaches that he had snatched from a fruit stand. Psh, bastard probably didn't pay. It sounded like him. But she was no saint either so she didn't call him out on it. It was also because the fruit was delicious.

"I've never seen so many stars." Kougyoku marveled with her mouth full.

Judal snickered at her lack of decorum. "Don't talk with your mouth full, Princess. It's not very polite, you know." He mocked.

"Psh, as if I need to be all polite with you." She snorted.

Judal chuckled again and spat a seed at the head of a noble walking into the hotel. It hit him square on the head. "Bulls eye!" The dark magi crowed. Kougyoku clapped.

"Bravo, bravo." She drawled with a yawn. "Wow. It's getting late. I can't believe that Koubun didn't find us yet. I thought that it would be obvious since I talked about the stars so much."

Judal shrugged. "Glasses _is _an idiot. I wouldn't be surprised if he doesn't find us until morning."

Kougyoku leaned against Judal's side and used his shoulder as a pillow. He began to protest but she silenced him with a firm glare. "I'm going to enjoy as much time as I can outside before stuffy Koubun puts me back inside. It's been a while since I've enjoyed the outside, stayed up this late, and ate snacks with a friend."

She was suddenly ripped away from her comfortable position on Judal's shoulder and was forced face-to-face with the irritated face of the Oracle of Kou. Both of his hands were at her shoulders, holding her directly parallel to him so that they could actually look each other in the eyes.

"_Just_ a friend?" He demanded.

Kougyoku sighed mentally. She forgot how touchy and childish Judal could be about their relationship. It was easy to forget about his infatuation with her during her time in Balbadd. Actually, it was easy to forget that every time he acted like a complete ass.

But she had to admit that he was behaving. (For you.)

"What do you expect? For me to say that we're more than that? Judal, I'm _engaged_ to the Balbadd King. Don't you remember the reason why we're here?" She wouldn't be surprised if he didn't. Judal tended to forget things that he selectively decided was useless information, like some people's names.

"No."

Of course

"Well, we're here because I'm getting married."

Judal childishly pulled her to him. "I can always carry you off somewhere far away where you don't have to marry any dumb pig." So he _did _remember her oh-so-pleasant fiancé's appearance. "I can take you to a place where you can eat, play, and act however and whenever you like. It's possible. I can do it."

"But aren't you a precious Oracle? Wouldn't people notice your disappearance?"

Judal ignored her sound logic and continued fantasizing aloud. "We'll go to a place where _they _can't find us. Somewhere where _they_'d never reach us. It'll be a place where no one could take you away so you'd be used as some sort of sick tool."

Kougyoku had a feeling that they weren't talking about her anymore. Her heart welled up in pity since she _knew _how Al Thamen could be. They were manipulative bastards who took advantage of an infant's mind. She briefly wondered how Judal would have turned out if Al Thamen hadn't intervened in his fate.

"It would be somewhere close to the sea." Kougyoku continued onto where he left off. "It would be somewhere where there is an endless bounty of various food and creatures. It would be somewhere separated from the world. It would be somewhere warm, very warm."

Judal gave her a funny look. "Why warm?"

"So the sea would have its use. I heard that swimming in the water during summertime is a fun activity." She hummed under her breath. "There would also be enough fruits to last a lifetime in our special place."

Judal smiled at that.

"I'm still getting married." She added reluctantly.

He scowled and leaned forward. "Then I'll just kidnap you and be done with it."

"Yeah…good luck with that." Kougyoku said without any real concern. Judal may say these things, but he was aware of Al Thamen's watchful gaze on his every move. They would never let him get away like that, not since he was their Magi. He wouldn't try, knowing that.

(But you want him to, don't you? You want him to take you away from this scary, scary fate, so you won't make any mistakes.)

"I'm serious." He insisted.

She nodded absentmindedly. "Tell me when."

(I'll go. If you're serious about this, I'll go.)

* * *

_Countdown: 3 days left_

"Bee, we need to talk."

Cain, no _Sai,_ walked into her room and closed the door. He still spoke in Cain's voice, but he was in his original form. "What is it? Did you get another message? We haven't heard from Shion recently so I was getting worried."

"No, it's not about that kid." Sai denied. He switched to English. "I want to talk to you about our mission. We're going to involve ourselves in the story. We already did that. But Bee, there's something that I want you to know about the other part of the mission."

Amani tilted her head. "What?"

Sai's expression hardened. "Well, I've put some thought into our plan and I found that there's one huge problem, one flaw."

"You said that your plan was foolproof."

"That was until a _fool _disabled everything I worked so hard for. Bee, you weren't completely honest with us." Sai's voice took on an accusatory tone. "I know who he is."

Amani's blood ran cold at the sentence. "What?"

"_Don't _play dumb. You're a smart girl, Bee. You know who I'm talking about." Sai rubbed his face. "Kassim." He said, confirming her fears.

Amani's horrified face said it all.

"I'm pissed." Sai admitted. "And I'm still tempted to strangle him right now. But I won't since you hid it from all of us to protect him. That means something, doesn't it? He's important to you."

"Yes."

"But that's not the issue right now." Sai said dismissively. "I would've left you alone about it if it weren't for the fact that it changed a _major_ part of the plan."

"So, what did I mess up?" Amani asked, dreading the answer.

"Well," Sai said slowly, "it's not exactly _you_. It's more like…_him_ and a little bit of Alibaba too. Kassim's personality and attitude might be the same, but his reasons are a bit different from canon now that you're in the picture."

"Me?" Amani asked. "What does this have to do with me? I thought my presence hardly changed anything in the canon. I avoided most of the major events. I kept my head down. I was _invisible_."

"Not to him." Sai muttered.

"What?"

"Never mind. I'll take care of the Kassim problem." He said hastily. "It's more Alibaba we need to be worried about. Your brother saves Kassim from depravity in canon but we can't be sure that this will happen this time. Alibaba may be friends with Kassim. He may feel as if they share a close, unbreakable bond. But there's one, huge factor that we didn't add in. Kassim messed up big time. You were hurt. _Alibaba doesn't know._"

Amani froze in horror.

"Bee, I know you've somehow convinced yourself that we can prevent Kassim from becoming a dark vessel, but that's looking like an inevitable fate for him, no matter how this plays out. I'm going to do my best to do something about this, but Kassim might face an even worse fate if it doesn't happen and you'll stunt your brother's emotional growth by a mile."

(Choose. Whose life will you destroy? Alibaba's or Kassim's?)

"He's not going to die."

(Alibaba?)

"Bee, he is." Sai insisted sadly. "It sucks but it's unavoidable. No matter what route we take, there's a huge possibility that he's going to die."

"No."

(Or Kassim?)

"_Yes_, Bee. It hurts and I know but you have to start accepting that he's going to die. And I'm not lying this time. This time, it's all the truth. I might hate his guts for what he did to you, but I'm still trying my best to give everyone a happy ending while we save the world. I want Kassim to be with you too. I really do. _But I'm not God. _I can't automatically decide an ending without any consequences."

(Who will you choose, Amani? Who?)

"He's going to die." Amani (finally, finally) realized. "He's going to die and I didn't tell him that I forgive him. I didn't tell him-

Sai took the young woman by the shoulders and gave her a firm shake. "Calm. Down. Clear your mind. I get that you're stressed but we need a clear mind from here on out for this to play out correctly. Yes, his death is absolute and unchangeable, but if we don't do something about Alibaba's confrontation with Kassim…"

Amani finished the thought for him.

"He won't save Kassim. Because of me."

Sai nodded soberly.

"There's a possibility that we won't be able to save Kassim."

(But you knew that all along, didn't you? You will choose Alibaba. No matter what happens to everyone else.)

* * *

_Countdown: 2 days left_

Alibaba was worried.

Lately, Amani was tense and jumpy about everything. Everyone could see that, but no one commented on it. Even Kassim turned a blind eye to Amani's plight, which was unusual for him to do.

Alibaba was not as oblivious as people thought he was.

He may have a hard time catching onto things, but once he understood a situation, he understood it completely. Djinn Equip may have been a foreign concept to him, but he never did forget his sister's lessons. He only feigned ignorance to see what his sister could do (which was a mistake since she revealed _way _too much in front of so many men, in his opinion).

But there was something…something that everyone was keeping him in the dark about.

When the members of the Fog Troupe thought he wasn't looking, they'd glance at each other meaningfully when he brought up 'Amani' and '_that _night' in the same sentence. Alibaba wasn't stupid. They were keeping something from him and he had a feeling that it had to do with his sister.

He asked, but anyone he'd question was tight-lipped about it. It was as if the subject was a taboo in Balbadd.

"You worried about your sister, young master?"

Alibaba almost sighed in relief. Cain! Of course! He should be able to give Alibaba all the answers. "Yes. And I want to know what's going on." And that came out more demanding than he intended. Judging by Cain's expression, he agreed.

"Ah…I mean…is there anything serious happening with my sister? She's worried, but she won't open up to me." Alibaba corrected himself.

Cain hummed. "She's going through a dilemma which involves you."

"Me?" Alibaba said in alarm.

"Yes. Don't worry. You didn't do anything on purpose. My lady is just a natural worrier when it involves you."

Alibaba nodded. "She was always like that. When Mom died, she practically raised me, outside and inside the palace." He hesitated. "Do you…possibly know what happened? On the night Kassim attacked the palace? I got the gist of it from the talk that went around the court, but not the details."

Cain glanced at Alibaba with (bitter?) amusement. "Why? Curious?"

He scowled. "More like frustrated. Everyone else knows about my sister except me." Alibaba complained.

Cain patted him on the shoulder. "It's for the best. And when I say this, I say this as a close confidant and friend of your sister. When she feels it is right, she will tell you. Many things happened when you left Balbadd, things change. But one thing about your sister that remains constant is her love for you. She loves you very much and is willing to do anything for you, young master. Even risk her own life." Cain told Alibaba seriously.

"I know that."

A dark, scornful look crossed Cain's face. It was such a un-Cain expression that Alibaba blinked to make sure that he was seeing clearly. But it was gone the second time he looked. It must have been his imagination. (But he _saw _it. He did.)

Cain's expression was more chiding and disappointed this time around. (Not scornful. Solomon knows what got into him to think that _Cain_, cheerful, friendly Cain, could be scornful.) It was the sort of look that mothers would give to their children when they did something wrong. Alibaba found himself feeling silly and ashamed.

"Do you, Prince Alibaba? Do you really?"

"Of course!" Alibaba insisted. "Since she's my sister. And I would do the same for her, since I'm her brother."

But Alibaba felt as if the true answer was: _No, he did not know and he probably wouldn't even come close to what Amani did for him no matter how much he tried._

* * *

_Countdown: 1 day left_

"Alibaba? Did you just say that your friend is named Alibaba?"

Shion knew he was laying it thick, but he was an eight-year-old. Kids his age usually did stuff like this, right? But he needed to make a connection, some sort of reason for him to stick with Aladdin and Morgiana. He originally planned to work in the hotel Kougyoku was in as a bellboy, but being imprisoned by slavers threw off this part of the plan immensely.

It was fate and luck that he had managed to meet these two main players of his version of fate and he wasn't going to lose it.

_Aladdin, the Fourth Magi from Alma Toran, mentor and friend, died fighting for this world_

"Why? Do you know him, Shion?" Aladdin asked hopefully. Shion sheepishly smiled and shrugged. "Sort of. I never actually met him, but one of the close friends I have to meet up with is his sister."

Aladdin's eyes shone brightly. "Sister? Alibaba has a sister?"

"Yeah," Shion grinned boyishly, "and they're twins. Her name is Amani and she's the nicest person in the world." _When she's not angry._ "I'm sure that she met up with Alibaba and that they're waiting for us right in Balbadd!"

"Yeah!"

Morgiana smiled at the boys' enthusiasm.

_Morgiana, Savior of Slaves, mentor and friend, died of magoi overuse from using her household vessel to protect her home_

"And I also can't wait to meet Sai and Kougyoku again. Well, more Kougyoku than Sai, since he's a bit of a bully." Shion reconsidered thoughtfully. "But they're all good, so it'll be nice to reunite with them." _Well, a month __**is**__ sort of a long time for us to be separated…_

"We will see our friends again! And Morgiana will take the earliest ship to the Dark Continent! Everyone will be happy once we reach Balbadd!" The blue-haired child exclaimed.

Shion smiled. It still surprised him how much this Aladdin was different from the Aladdin he grew up with. Though, he _was _supposed to be discovered by the magi six years later, so a lot could happen during that time period. Shion found that this Aladdin was more open, relatable, and _innocent._

It was as if he was meeting a stranger, not an old friend.

But he supposed that these things happen when one time travels. Shion could only be relieved that Morgiana's character wasn't so different. A bit more closed, but that was to be expected from a recently freed slave. Shion would give her a few weeks before she was smiling and dancing like the old "Mor" he knew.

"Can I call you 'Mor', Miss Morgiana? Or would that nickname be too informal?"

Shion asked the Finalis. Morgiana weighed the options in her mind before shaking her head. "No, you can call me that."

"Yay! Mor! I like that nickname!" Aladdin cheered. "This is so great. I have two good friends traveling with me. I can't wait until we get to Balbadd so we can meet Alibaba soon."

"We'll meet him soon if we follow this road." She assured him with a demure smile.

"Yep! That's right!"

With those words exchanged, the trio continued on the road with lifted hearts and determined eyes facing towards their dreams, their hopes, their future, and…

…A naked man.

"…"

"…"

"…"

"Hey guys! Nice weather today!" The man greeted cheerfully.

Shion gaped at the man's bold display of his privates while Aladdin shielded Morgiana with his staff. "Mor, Shion, this is bad! Stay back! It might be a monster!"

"No, leave this to me!" Morgiana insisted while stepping in front of the two young boys defensively. Shion had no complaints. He knew the strength of the Finalis and had full confidence that she could send the pervert flying with a single kick.

"Huh? No! You're wrong! Listen to me!" The man insisted. Despite the craziness of the situation, a long buried instinct inside Shion roared to life. It was the gut feeling that the young king had during his time in the future. It was the instinct that never failed to lead him on the right path during his years of ruling.

It was a nice feeling, to have it back. The last time Shion had awoken this ability was when he was fourteen, the age when he was discovered and chosen as a king's candidate by Aladdin.

But this time, it was different. Shion's sight was clearer and the correct choices laid in front of him were more obvious.

Shion saw the world with new eyes. It was as if the world was filled with ripples and waves. Every wave was different from the other. The waves coming off of this man were powerful and intimidating. But they were also amiable and noble.

This man was not bad.

"Aladdin. Mor." He called out calmly to the pair from behind. "I think we should hear Mister out. I have a feeling that he's not walking around like that on purpose." _Though he's doing a poor job in showing any shame. _"Trust me on this."

Reluctantly, the two lowered their defenses and allowed the naked man to explain himself. Turned out that the man was robbed in his sleep of everything that he owned. Taking pity on his situation, Aladdin lent him his clothes.

They looked ridiculous on him.

"Thanks for letting me borrow your clothes, Aladdin. My name is Sin. I'm a merchant and I'm also heading to Balbadd." The man introduced himself. A wave of familiarity washed over Shion. He tilted his head in confusion. It was the same feeling he had when he heard Aladdin's story during his time in the cell.

Was this man supposed to be important?

Shion felt as if he should know this man.

He remained immersed in thought even when the group began moving. Sin, being the kind man he was, lifted Shion up and placed him on his shoulder. "Tired, huh? Wouldn't be surprised. I heard you crossed an _entire_ desert by yourself. Is that true?"

Shion nodded. "Though it didn't go that well. I didn't pack enough food and water so I passed out mid-way. A couple of slavers found me and imprisoned me. I guess they sort of saved me in a way."

"That's fate."

Shion nodded in agreement.

The wind blew and Shion smelled the sea and Balbadd. The view of the whole city unraveled in front of Shion's eyes and filled every inch of his being with its essence. Amani had once described Balbadd 'sinking into her' when she first opened her eyes. Was this the same feeling?

There was a time when Shion was the same height as Sin. There was a time when he looked onto this same exact city, in this same exact position, as it burned to the ground. In his future, Balbadd was no more.

Shion's grip on Sin's shoulder tightened.

This time, things were going to be different. He was going to save many, many lives this time. Not take. _Save_. And he wasn't alone. He had Amani, Yasmine, Kougyoku, and Sai beside him.

"So this is Balbadd!"

* * *

_Yasmine,_

_Change of plans. It's time._

_\- Shion_

* * *

_Countdown: End_


	7. Chapter 6: Signal

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Blessed Children are all in position. Now all they wait for is the signal.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Onwards

"_Shion, never let them see your hair."_

"_Why, Uncle?"_

"_Because they will kill you once they do."_

"_Who, Uncle? Who are __**they**__?"_

* * *

Shion remained with Aladdin and Morgiana in the nice hotel that Sin promised to pay for. Kougyoku prepared herself to meet with her fiancé by Koubun's request. Amani and Sai geared up for the next evening's raid. Yasmine began her journey toward Balbadd.

All were in position.

None had the desire to risk falling into depravity.

None had the desire to rule great kingdoms.

None had the desire to change the world.

All of those things were a _necessity, _a _sacrifice_. Though all could choose to lead normal, comfortable lives, they had chosen the road that required them to act, to play the part of a character in a story that only they were aware of. They chose to do this for the future that would bring the most happiness, the most success.

From this moment forward, they were no longer themselves. They were fighters who strove to escape from the apocalypse that would eventually come.

The curtain rises. Their masks are placed. The great breath, they take.

_And they wait for the signal._

* * *

Shion stared up at the freckled man scolding Sin and the huge Finalis beside him.

_I miss having the Blessed Children at my side._ The Inner Child Shion wailed. These subordinates were scary and intimidating. The freckled man may not look like much compared to his bigger and bulkier companion, but the amount of restrained killing intent almost overwhelmed Shion's eight-year-old body.

He hated being a kid again.

But these two…again, he felt as if he should recognize them. _Why _did this body have such a short-term memory span?

The whole argument was interrupted by a loud growling sound coming out of Shion's stomach. He blushed at the sudden attention on him and began shuffling his feet. Another growling sound was heard, confirming the first.

The freckled man with the killer's aura knelt down in front of him and checked him over worriedly like a mother would to her child. "When was the last time you ate?"

"…Two days ago." Shion confessed.

Aladdin and Morgiana blanched. How did they not realize that their youngest companion wasn't eating? Shion caught their looks and began assuring them that it wasn't their fault.

"I noticed that the food rations that you packed for the journey was running low, so I skipped a few meals. I didn't want to be a burden to the two of you since both of you were kind enough to let me travel with you." Shion explained. "So don't blame yourselves."

"Still!" Aladdin insisted. "You're our friend!

Morgiana nodded in agreement "You should tell us when you decide things like that. We could have eaten lesser portions so all of us could eat."

Shion looked down ashamedly. "Sorry."

He hadn't been completely honest with them. The truth was, Shion had completely forgotten about eating. The thought of food had completely fallen from his mind when his mind went in circles about the events that would happen in Balbadd. It was frustrating that he's been forgetting details about his past life by the day. The stress and frustration that was caused by his memory loss drew his attention away from eating and sleeping.

The freckled man shook his head muttering something about 'the youth these days' before taking Shion by the hand. "We have some snacks back in our hotel room. After you eat up _properly_," he gave Shion a firm look, "we will bring you back to your friends."

"Yes sir." Shion followed the man obediently. He found that, despite his seemingly petite size, the freckled man's stride was wide reaching and hard to match with his short, stubby legs. It became hard for Shion after a while but the freckled man didn't seem to notice.

Again, Shion hated his body.

Seeing that he was struggling to keep up with the freckled man, the Finalis lifted him up and carried him. "Here." The man said shortly. Shion was surprised that the man's voice was smooth and a bit gentle, a major contrast to his appearance. Catching Shion's confused expression, the Finalis grunted in amusement.

"Masrur put him down! You're scaring the poor boy." The freckled man scolded. Shion's sharp eyes caught the slight slump in the giant man's shoulders at his superior's chastisement.

"No he isn't." Shion quickly defended the kind Finalis. "He's being nice."

Then, he realized how snappy and rude that statement sounded. When had he started talking like that? He knew better than to do that! He was an _adult _for Solomon's sake! Shion bashfully ducked down his head both in apology and embarrassment. "I mean," he corrected himself, "it's not his fault. So don't yell at him. Please." He added in the end to appease the freckled man.

Said freckled man looked Shion over before sighing in defeat. "No, it's my fault. I made the wrong assumption. Forgive me, Masrur."

Masrur shook his head. "It's fine, Ja'far."

Sin looked onto this interaction with a fond smile on his face.

Masrur patted Shion's turban-clad head as an act of affection and gratitude. Shion accepted the gesture, but winced when Masrur's bracelet clinked against something metal. It fell from the folds of his turban and hit the floor with a dulled 'clunk'.

The carpet may have prevented the metal object from making too much noise, but to Shion, the sound was deafening.

He wanted to hit himself. How careless!

Ja'far picked up the object curiously. "What is this?"

"A lamp." Shion informed him before licking his suddenly dried lips. "Can…can I have it back?" He asked meekly. "It's special to me."

Thankfully, Ja'far didn't seem suspicious of Shion's sudden change of character. Children were prone to various emotional changes, after all. He made a move to hand the common household object to the child but paused when something caught his eye.

Mentally, Shion cursed. On the outside, he was quizzical and a little impatient. "Mister Ja'far?"

"Where did you get this?" The freckled man questioned softly. Shion decided to feign ignorance.

"I think it was at a secondhand shop. I thought it looked funny so I wanted it. My uncle bought it for me as a gift."

Ja'far glared coldly at the child and pointed at the symbol on the lamp's side. "I won't ask you again. Where did you get this?"

Masrur angled Shion from Ja'far defensively but was forced to stop when the angered man barked an order.

"Oh," Shion faked realization, "you meant my djinn."

He was in trouble now.

"_Your _djinn?" The pale-haired man said skeptically. Shion felt a little offended by the blatant show of disbelief. He huffed. "Yes! Andromalius is _my _djinn. I conquered his dungeon fair and square so I think that qualifies him as 'mine'."

Ja'far was still dubious. "How can a _child _conquer a dungeon when countless adults had been slaughtered for their attempts?"

Well, he did have a point. But Shion wanted his djinn back. He felt uneasy and a bit naked without his djinn. It was the only defense he had in his weak, small body.

"Andromalius! Come back to me!" He called out desperately.

The symbol on the lamp began to glow faintly. It jumped from Ja'far's loose grip, much to the man's surprise, and returned to its rightful master. Shion clutched at the metal object possessively.

Sin, who had remained silent throughout the whole exchange, stepped forward. "He's not lying, Ja'far. That's his djinn. See how it responded to him?"

"But Sin! It's illogical for a child that young to conquer a dungeon on his own!"

"I'm eight, almost nine." Shion corrected the freckled man. "Not that young. Though, I conquered the dungeon a bit more than four years ago. _Accidentally._" He added hastily. "Even though I was pretty young, I knew better than to try to conquer a dungeon on my own. My Uncle was clumsy (still is) so he knocked me through the dungeon doorway when he tripped."

Funny thing was, that actually happened. In both of his lives. No lie.

"_What sort of Uncle would bring his nephew to a __**dungeon entrance!?**__" _Ja'far looked as if he was going to have a heart attack. It seemed that he believed Shion now and was back to being a concerned adult.

"Mine." Shion replied simply. "He wanted me to see what it looked like so I would know not to enter it." Ironically.

Sin laughed.

"That sounds like an interesting story! Would you like to tell me about it over lunch?"

Shion's stomach growled.

"Yes, please."

* * *

_Kouha,_

_If you're reading this, I will be far away by now. Amani and Sai got caught up in some nasty business so I'm going to Balbadd to help. Please forgive me for not being able to host you for your visit. When I come back, I'll be sure to entertain you properly as a person of my (supposed) status should._

_Kouha, I also have a favor to ask you. It is about Amani. As you should know, her wedding is coming up in three months. I implore you to treat her well and defend her when she needs it. Kougyoku will be remaining in Balbadd and Sai…I can't trust Sai with any responsibility, in all honesty. Since I will have limited abilities to contact my friend once she is wed, I have only you to depend on._

_Once again, forgive me for my sudden departure. I will be back once the issue is fixed._

_~Yasmine_

_P.S. Please feel free to use my bed if you are tired, since I won't be there to use it._

Kouha sighed in disappointment. And he had been looking forward to this too.

Beside him, JunJun, ReiRei, and JinJin sobbed over the extra note that she had left for them. "I never knew that she felt that way about us!" ReiRei wailed.

Curious, Kouha looked over their shoulders to see what Yasmine had written for them.

_JunJun, ReiRei, and JinJin,_

_If all of you came all the way here to visit me, I'd like to send you a thousand apologies for your troubles. I personally was very excited to hear that your master, Kouha, was bringing you over. It is not that common for people to visit me._

_I am especially glad that you three came, for I had wanted to speak with you personally. Unfortunately because of circumstances, I can only convey these words through ink and paper._

_It is rare for me to find other lonely spirits who are seen as outcasts in their own home. For years, I had thought that I was the only one and that people like me would forever bear this scorn alone. I am glad to have met such a wonderful person as Kouha, who accepted me at first sight. I am even happier to discover that he has taken many people like me under his wing._

_I had wanted to form bonds with you three (and the others) ever since our first meeting in the palace. I apologize if my abilities scared you. They tend to do that to everyone I meet. (Aside from your prince, apparently). I promise that I am fully capable of controlling them in the presence of others._

_I hope, when I return, that we can play many games together as I had promised and that my lack of presence here will not prevent any chances of a good friendship._

_~ Yasmine_

"Since she was the girl who caught Prince Kouha's interest, we didn't want to scare her away with our frightful appearances." JunJun sobbed, staining the papers decorating the bandages around her eyes. "We did not know those actions would cause her to feel as if _we _were afraid of _her_!"

JinJin nodded in agreement while she sniffed.

"We will clear this misunderstanding once she returns!" ReiRei vowed, mascara running. Her two companions agreed tearfully.

Kouha blinked and then pouted at the length of their letter and compared it to his note.

Why did Yasmine make theirs longer than _his_?

* * *

Yasmine sneezed.

"Are you alright there, young lady?" The caravan driver asked kindly. Yasmine offered him a small smile for his concern.

"I'm fine. Thank you."

The caravan driver turned his attention back to the long stretch of road in front of him. "So what business does a young lady like you have in Balbadd? I have to warn you, things aren't going smoothly in that country." The man warned her.

Yasmine sighed glumly. "I know."

"We can always turn around. Or I can drop you off at the closest dock. I heard that Sindria is a nicer place. More economically stable too, I heard. I won't even make you pay for the extra mile."

"That won't be necessary, sir. But thank you for your concern."

The caravan driver frowned. "Balbadd is a dangerous place, little lady. There are thieves running amuck throughout the whole city." He insisted for the last time.

But Yasmine remained resolute.

"That's _exactly_ why I need to go to Balbadd."

* * *

Alibaba gritted his teeth in frustration. Once again, he had failed to achieve djinn equip despite the patient teaching of his sister. She assured him that it took more than a couple of days to achieve a powerful form like that.

"Instead," she told him kindly, "I will show you how to evolve your first metal vessel form."

That made him feel a little better, but seeing how much his sister achieved compared to him…

Amani's touch broke Alibaba out of his reverie. "You still have hours until the next raid, you know that, right? Your concentration is improving. The only issue here is time and practice. At least your fire tornadoes are expanding in range." She joked lightly.

He was never going to get used to that.

It wasn't that he didn't like seeing his sister happy and lighthearted. Alibaba had wished all his life that Amani would get the life that she deserved. But there always seemed to be something preventing her from such a possibility. She was always stressed about something or worrying about someone.

Like him

That was why he had to get stronger. If he got stronger, he'd be able to support his sister who had been supporting him for his whole life.

"Alibaba, watch carefully." Amani's gourd glowed faintly and sand spilled out. His sister stood tall with her arms crossed. To the position of others, it seemed as if the sand had a mind of its own. It snaked around Amani's right arm. She brought her fist down upon a big rock and everyone watched in awe as it easily broke in half. "My sand's abilities are flexible. I can use it as a shield, a weapon, a trap, and even armor. Unfortunately, your fire can't be used for many purposes aside from burning your opponents while you attack."

Amani plucked her gourd from her side and focused her magoi to seep into the round object. Her sand wrapped around the metal vessel and fell away when the transformation was complete.

Alibaba sweatdropped when he recognized the hourglass ornament that had hung from his sister's weapon when she performed her djinn equip. Now, it was about the same size of the gourd.

"…Is that supposed to be a weapon?"

Amani rolled her eyes and turned the hourglass. "This amount of sand is the equivalent of forty minutes." She explained. "So, for forty minutes, Foras will retain her ability. After that, I'll be weakened and useless for four minutes after."

"What ability?" Alibaba asked warily, taking a step back from his sister.

Amani's lips quirked up and sand crawled up her hourglass once again. It morphed the ancient timer into a very familiar blade.

_His _blade.

His sister could mimic the forms of every metal vessel!

"Stern and Dignified Spirits of Etiquette, in the name of my Magoi and my will for a greater power, I order you and your members, come forth Amon!"

Alibaba watched in awe as his sister summoned the same wall of fire as he always had without any effort. Her eyes met his and he gulped.

"Well brother? What are you waiting for? Take out your djinn and fight yourself."

* * *

"I had to fight myself in that dungeon."

Ja'far, Masrur, and the fully clothed Sin, listened carefully to Shion's tale as he chewed on a banana. The three allowed Shion to wash himself before eating because of the dusty and slightly muddy state of his skin and clothes. After he came out of the bathroom, he saw Ja'far shaking Sin and yelling at him for 'being too passive' about…something about stolen objects?

"It wasn't like the other dungeons. That's what my uncle said. Instead of killing off every single unworthy human who set foot within the place, the dungeon tested the mind and will of the human. Only one person could enter the dungeon at a time. In a way, it was far more dangerous since some came out of the dungeon insane."

Ja'far winced in sympathy. "Your Uncle must have been worried."

"Time within the dungeon traveled faster than the outside world, so my uncle only had to wait for three minutes for me to come out." Shion explained quietly. "But to me…it was a bit longer than that."

Shion plopped a grape into his mouth a chewed thoughtfully.

"Andromalius tests the mind by placing the person in real-life situations. I saw a lot of things inside dungeon. I relieved the feelings of starvation, fear, war, hatred, betrayal, loss, and depravity. Yes," he affirmed the looks of disbelief, "Andromalius wanted to make sure that his master would be able to resist the temptation of falling to depravity. I passed." He informed them proudly.

Sin nodded. "That's a good thing. What else did you see there?"

"After undergoing emotional experiences, Andromalius placed me in seven realistic illusions to see how I would react or choose. Most of it is personal, so I can't tell you. But there was one situation where I was supposed to choose between the life of my mother and the life of my uncle." He told the three with a frown. "That one was a hard one."

"Who did you choose?" Ja'far asked the boy hesitantly.

"I couldn't choose."

Shion looked down shamefully and tangled his fingers into the tablecloth.

"I hesitated because both were important to me. No matter what sort of situation I could think of, the result would always end up the same: one would die. I almost…I almost drove myself _crazy _trying to think of a way to save them. In the end, I had to accept that _I couldn't choose_. I'm not all-powerful and there are situations I can't get out of alone. The trial tested my pride and in the end, I had to throw it away. It was a bit of a humbling experience. It was also my hardest."

(No, that was the first time. This time, he had to choose between his mother and _her_. His choice was the same but it was even more painful that he knew that he would never see _her _again. _She_ was one of his sacrifices.)

Masrur patted Shion on the head in comfort. "You did well."

"Yes, you chose well for a young child." Ja'far praised him. "Sin, what do you think?"

Sin was looking at Shion calculatingly. The look made Shion a little bit uneasy but he stood his ground and met Sin's eyes challengingly.

Then, Sin spoke up. "Shion, are you an orphan?"

Ja'far blanched at the bluntness of the question. "Sin! Be a little more sensitive."

"Ah, no. I don't think so." Shion informed the older man, not seeming to mind the question at all. "My mother is…not well but she is still alive. My uncle is doing his best to heal her. I don't really know where she is, but I know that Uncle took her to a safe place. I never really knew my father, so I'm assuming that he's dead."

"I see. But you have no guardian? No home?"

"I have friends." Shion said defensively, the younger part of him taking control of his actions. The part of Shion who was king was measuring up the 'merchant', seeing how much of a threat he was to him. "Why are you asking me all these questions?"

Sin held his hands up in a placating gesture.

"I don't mean any harm. I just wanted to see if you needed a place to stay. If you do, I can offer you a home in Sindria."

Something jolted painfully in Shion's chest. "Sindria?"

"Yes." Sin smiled kindly. "Sindria is a place were people without homes can go to. The country will accept you with open arms. What do you think? Would you like to become a citizen there?"

_Click._

"You're not a mere merchant." Shion realized and remembered. In the future, Aladdin had told him about meeting this man when coming over to Balbadd. "You're strong, powerful, and _important _enough to promise me these things. You're the _King_ of Sindria, aren't you?"

Sin looked impressed.

"…Um, this is a little awkward…but…can you tell me your real name?"

Sin's expression turned blank at Shion's shy question. "Eh?"

"I forgot what the Sindrian King's name is." Shion told him bluntly before adding. "Sorry. I'm not that good with names."

_This wasn't part of the plan. This wasn't part of the plan at all._

* * *

"Can I ask a favor from the amazing Aladdin and young Shion?"

"What is it?"

"I'll hear it out first before giving you my answer."

"All of my metal vessels were stolen so I can't help anyone at the moment. Would you be willing to lend us your power to capture the 'Fog Troupe'?"

* * *

Yasmine stared up at the setting sun.

"Wait for me, guys. I'm coming."

* * *

Amani wrapped the piece of cloth around her face and took a steady breath at her reflection. It was strange how she looked exactly like her brother when her hair was covered.

She felt a hand on her shoulder.

_Tobacco and booze._

She didn't need to look up to see who it was.

"You ready, Ghost?"

She tightened the sash that kept her gourd by her side.

She had been prepared for this for years.

"I'm ready."

* * *

Sai tied a piece of paper around a sparrow's leg and whispered a destination to it before letting it fly.

It was time.

He smirked and flickered his face to Cain's. This gig required all of them to act. For the most of them, it would be painful and lonely from this moment forward. They wouldn't be able to trust anyone with their true feelings, aside from each other. Well, it was a good thing that Sai had acted all his life, wasn't it?

"How fun!"

* * *

_Kougyoku,_

_Show time in two days! Prepare yourself!_

The piece of paper was crumpled into a small ball by a shaking hand.

"Not yet." A small voice begged. "Oh Solomon, please not yet."

* * *

Shion waited patiently on the rooftop. Even though he had agreed to help out, Ja'far would have none of it, so the freckled advisor placed him on the roof and sternly ordered him to _stay there_.

Who was he to argue?

It gave the boy-man the time to think by himself.

Lately, he's been discovering holes in his memory. Big holes. He wasn't sure if he should be worried about that fact or not. It _was _fine, right? Amani, Kougyoku, and Sai knew _most _of what would happen. Shion only had to focus on the crucial parts and the endgame.

But…he had forgotten the Sindrian King's name.

_Sinbad._

Shion felt a thrum of acknowledgement and recognition at the sound of the name. It was important to him for some reason. But he was _sure _that he had never met the man in his future.

Perhaps he died in Shion's future? That would be a pity. He was a good man. Even if he was a bit of a weirdo and a pervert.

_Sinbad._

Where? Where? Where?

Amani would tell him if she was here. She remembered things and she wasn't mean like Sai. She wouldn't keep things from him, she would explain why that king seemed so important. He was important to fate, right?

_Sinbad._

So if he was important...

_Sinbad._

Why did Shion forget him?

As the young child's mind wandered in circles, the soldiers and Aladdin went in circles too amidst the growing fog. All of this happened under the gentle light of the not-quite-full moon.

* * *

Amani went back to the base after the raid was over.

Everything had went exactly the way as she expected it to. Though, she didn't expect to see that Aladdin didn't look much older than Shion. (He's only _ten_. A baby.) It set her maternal instincts aflame.

The blank look he wore when Alibaba passed him without a second glance was painful. She was about _this close _to scooping up the child and comforting him.

_This close._

But Amani had a role to play. Now, she was one of _them_, the notorious Fog Troupe. She was a cadre alongside Kassim, Hassan, and Zaynab. She was ruthless, silent, and mysterious.

She was the Fog Troupe's 'Ghost'.

So, she played along. She snatched a couple of moneybags, minding to leave some behind as an act of goodwill to her more wealthy citizens. Just because they were rich didn't mean they deserved to be robbed clean.

Cain greeted her with open arms and a handkerchief at hand.

He always knew what would happen and how each of them would react. But Amani didn't mind. They were the Blessed Children. And the Blessed Children always looked out for each other.

She took the small piece of cloth and nodded in thanks. Cain responded with a kind, reverent smile that always, _always _held some sort of mockery in it. But that was Sai's influence. No matter what form he took, there would always be a little bit of Sai left over.

"Did everything go well, my lady?"

"Aside from the young boy and his headless djinn? Yes."

Cain nodded thoughtfully. "It seems that our wait is finally finished. Isn't it wonderful, Princess? After all of this blows over, we can take a little break. Does Sindria sound nice to you?"

"You know I can't do that." Amani said tersely. "I have a wedding to attend."

"_Your _wedding, if I'm right to believe." Cain corrected. "But you never know. Some things could change depending on how everything ends. Perhaps you will be wed to some other man who takes power over Balbadd?"

"If you're hinting at incest, Cain, then that's disgusting."

Cain's eyes landed on something else behind Amani's shoulder.

"I wasn't talking about young master, Princess."

Amani turned her head discreetly and caught sight of the ends of dreadlocks and the trailing of a cigar smoke. Her heart sank and she hoped _very much _that he didn't overhear the conversation.

(Don't get your hopes up either, Amani.)

* * *

Shion was exhausted.

Not only did Amani not go easy on him, but the other members of the Fog Troupe labeled him as 'weak' and attacked him too.

Because of his age and small body, Shion couldn't perform djinn equip with Andromalius and no one had expected him to. The best he could do with his djinn was what Yasmine had once described to him as 'telekinesis'. (That, and he could wish for anything. But he wasn't going to let anyone know about that ability yet.)

In all honesty, he was only good at flinging multiple rocks at people and hoping he would get a lucky shot.

Not only did it prove ineffective against a huge group of people, but they also had _Amani_, which was a huge advantage from Shion's point of view. Oh _why_ did he assign her to them again? Oh right, because he thought he was going to eventually join them too.

But he made mistakes and had miscalculated. Immensely.

Shion stumbled, and decided that it didn't matter if he would wake up with bruises in the morning. He was going to sleep and sleep _now_. Sinbad and his crew had already kept him up the night before. An almost-nine-year-old child could only take so much. This body needed sleep.

Large hands caught him.

_Masrur_, he first thought but the smell of the sea and wine told him otherwise.

Shion slurred, "T'anks, Mr. Sin." And was out like a light.

* * *

Yasmine couldn't have been more relieved to see Balbadd.

She thanked and properly paid the caravan driver and made her way toward the city. The beginnings of sunrise touched the tops of the buildings and outlined the palace far away.

It was a bit of a relief that the people weren't commenting on her style of clothing or her mask. It would be a bother if someone forced her to take off her mask, not to mention take away her scythe.

_You should have more faith in yourself. _Her inner voice scolded her. It sounded suspiciously like Amani's. Yasmine shook her head. She really needed to become more independent. It was just a month and she was already missing her best friend.

Yasmine heard a bit of scuffling around the corner of the street. She considered just ignoring it but her morals prevented her from just walking away. Besides, she had a huge scythe. The worst that could happen would be getting blood on her clothes.

Turned out, it wasn't children or women in trouble.

Just three shady-looking men being ganged up on by a bunch of jerks.

Yasmine helped them out anyways.

When she was done beating the crap out of the cowardly men who fought with absolutely no honor, she was swarmed by the uncanny trio and was showered with many thanks and praises.

It got annoying quickly.

(Who names their group SML Nando, anyways?)

Yasmine batted them off with her spear and got back to her original path. She had no time for this. Amani was probably somewhere fighting her own battles and Kougyoku was definitely having her own mental breakdown. She _was _in charge of dealing with the childish magi, after all.

And Sai…

Yasmine didn't need to worry about Sai. He could take care of himself just fine.

The princess of Sasan decided to start off by searching the whole city. It shouldn't take longer than a few hours for her to find at least _one _of her companions.

Unfortunately, the three men she saved followed her like lost puppies for the rest of the day and made her duty harder than it should be with their questions and their distractions. They scared off the people she tried to talk to and dragged her along on their thieving escapades. The three were very troublesome people and Yasmine wouldn't mind being rid of them.

"Hey, hey, big sister. Those apples look tasty, should we rob them?" L Nando asked hungrily. Seeing his huge size, it didn't really surprise her that he was the gluttonous type. She went over to the stand and payed the right amount of money for the apples with interest to the seller. With the state of this country, being stolen from would have ruined the apple seller. Yasmine couldn't stand letting that happen right in front of her. So, for once, she would treat these ruffians.

She walked over to them and handed L Nando three apples. She then proceeded to hand apples to the other brothers. "Here. If you're hungry, I'll pay. If you need a place to stay, I'll pay. But if you steal from the innocents, I'll destroy you." She warned them seriously. "These people struggle enough every day without you three going around stealing their things."

When she looked up, Yasmine was surprised to see that all three brothers were _crying_. Her respect did a funny thing at that sight. While she was a bit disappointed that the men had discarded their pride to the point where they freely shed their tears without any shame, she also appreciated the sheer honesty of their actions.

"T-Thank you, big sis." L Nando said with his mouth full.

"You have a beautiful heart!" M Nando praised.

"People like you are the ones I respect!" N Nando exclaimed loudly.

Yasmine noticed the stares they were attracting and blushed in embarrassment. She restrained herself from slapping her forehead at the ridiculousness of her new companions. "…I miss being bothered by Kouha."

At least _he _only embarrassed her quietly and away from all eyes.

* * *

Fate was a funny thing.

Amani found that out when she looked down from her perch on the pile of rocks beside Alibaba. She had expected the 'SML Nando Brothers' to join the Fog Troupe, but the person who came along with them was a surprise.

After Alibaba finished his threat and allowed the strangers to join, Amani jumped from her perch and landed in front of the new recruits. Three stumbled back in fear and surprise while one, as she had expected, held their ground.

"You." Amani's voice rang out throughout the hideout. "What are you thinking coming here on your own?"

"I wasn't." The person said dryly. "I was actually forced here by these three since I have become their unofficial babysitter. As you can see, I didn't want any trouble, so I ended up here. Sorry." The last part was said sarcastically.

Everyone went silent.

Amani snorted and drew her best friend into a hug. "Idiot," she said affectionately, "did you miss me so much that you came all the way to Balbadd to see me, Yasmine?"

Yasmine returned the embrace. "Actually, I came here because a little birdie told me that Balbadd was crime-infested this time of year. I thought that trouble might have found you but," she looked around the hideout, "I guess you found trouble instead."

Cain came over to the group with a joyful smile. "Lady Yasmine! A pleasure to see you in this dark, gloomy place!"

"Butt out." The masked teen told the shifter bluntly, already knowing who he was. "I am in no mood to deal with a nuisance like you."

Cain visibly deflated. "How cruel…"

"Yasmine!" Amani scolded her friend. "Don't speak to Cain like that! He already apologized for spilling tea on you" which he did on purpose "and inviting Kouha over." Which he also did on purpose and never actually apologized for. Scratch that, he probably felt no remorse for his actions and would never apologize for doing it, since he and Kouha were good friends.

"Amani?" Alibaba asked unsurely from his position. "Do you know this person?"

She nodded and brought Yasmine closer. "Brother, Kassim, Hassan, Zaynab, this is my close friend, Yasmine Leoxses from Sasan. She is known there as a formidable warrior and will provide much for the Fog Troupe's cause."

Yasmine dipped her head in respect. "I will do my best to serve your cause honorably, Sir Alibaba."

Alibaba blushed. "You don't need to-

"We're happy to have you, Yasmine." Kassim interrupted with a welcoming grin. "Any friend of Ghost is a friend of ours."

* * *

"Why are you here? I thought Shion told you to stay in Sasan."

"There has been a change of plans which requires my presence. Though, I can't seem to find our child leader anywhere."

"I can't find him, either."

"Bee! Jazzy-chan!"

"It's _Yasmine_."

"Yes, Sai?"

"Morgiana finally kidnapped our beloved Ali-dork. Just as planned. Who wants to follow her to get him back? I don't~!"

"I will."

* * *

Shion woke up in bed.

His first thought was: Was that all a dream?

But then he looked himself over and realized how silly that thought was since the dirt and bruises from the incident last night were still there. Shion was relieved to find Andromalius still in his arms.

His ears perked at the sound of voices. Without thinking, he hopped off of his bed and followed them to their source.

"-found out that the King of Balbadd, Ahbmad Saluja, is engaged to a Princess from the Kou Empire." Ja'far was saying.

"The eighth princess." Shion corrected with a yawn as he came into the room and the conversation. "And her name is Kougyoku."

All eyes were on him.

"Shion!" Ja'far began to fret. "You shouldn't be out of bed!"

The child blinked slowly. "I shouldn't?"

"You used up too much of your magoi last night." Sinbad explained patiently. "You were out for a whole day."

So that was why Shion felt so relaxed.

"I see." He yawned again. "But I'm up now and I still have a promise to fulfill. It's been about three days since my entrance to Balbadd and I still haven't met up with my friends yet like I promised." He looked out of the window to see the almost-full moon shining upon his face.

Ja'far was immediately at his side, probably making sure he wouldn't fall out of the window. Knowing himself, he probably would. "I'm sure they wouldn't mind if you rested for _one _more day. You're spent."

Shion whined childishly. "But my friends…"

It was then when he heard a loud 'thump' sound made from above. The rest of the residents inside the room probably heard it too.

_They're here._ A voice whispered into his ear. _They're here. Go up._

So Shion did.

What he found in his friends' room was an angry Morgiana, a saddened Aladdin, and a stiff Alibaba. He cleared his throat awkwardly to gain their attention.

"Shion! You're awake!" Aladdin proclaimed happily.

Shion offered the blue-haired magi a smile. "Yeah. And I wanted to see you guys. But," his eyes landed on Alibaba, "I didn't expect an extra to be in this room. Should I go and get somebody?"

"No, no!" Aladdin shook his head fiercely. "He's a friend!"

Alibaba tried to look as innocent as possible.

_Alibaba, representative of the Republic of Balbadd, mentor and friend, burned to death with his country._

"Really?" Shion asked 'suspiciously'. "He didn't look it last night when he pointed his metal vessel at you. That looks more like an enemy to me."

"Alibaba has his reasons. Right, Alibaba?" Aladdin looked hopefully at his friend.

Shion watched Alibaba's conflicted expression. Finally, he made up his mind and turned to Aladdin, ignoring both Morgiana and Shion.

"Aladdin, can you listen to me about a friend of mine? His name is Kassim."

* * *

When Amani finally reached the hotel where Alibaba was taken to, it was already terribly destroyed by the recent battle. Sai had told her to enter around the end so she wouldn't have to use her powers to defend the Fog Troupe. That would have placed Sinbad at a disadvantage since he had no metal vessels.

Their plan required Sinbad's victory so he could offer his strength to the Fog Troupe. Amani had to time her entrance to happen _after _most of those events. Aside from that, Amani's entrance to the scene would have to be completely random.

She came just when Kassim opened his big, fat mouth.

"All you royalty and superior people are just bastards that trample on inferior people to survive! You're actually just eager for us filthy, poor, inferior people to die from starvation and rot, right? You just want to live your lives in luxury!"

There was a sound of a sharp object hitting concrete. "Shut up." She heard another voice say darkly. "You have _no idea_ what Sin had to go through all this time. How much he had to sacrifice for others…"

Amani acted quickly.

Before Ja'far could even come close to Kassim, Amani launched a handful of her kunai knives and threw them at the advisor's feet to stop him from his tracks. Using the wire strings attached to her weapons, she pulled herself right in front of the advisor and deflected his knife from hitting her.

"_Oh, and Bee, remember…"_

Then, she dropped all weapons and bowed lowly in front of him, shocking everyone on the roof. "Please! Forgive Kassim, I beg of you!"

"…_Don't make Sinbad or his Generals your enemy. We need them to be friendly with us for the future part of our plan to work."_

"Because of the hardships he and the others went through, he has become wary of all nobles and royals. Please understand this! I will accept any punishment in his stead for his offensive words and I am willing to take the brunt of the remaining anger you have towards him. As his friend and sister, this is my responsibility!"

It was a bit embarrassing to do this in public with so many people knowing who she really was. It was worse when she knew that Cain (_Sai_) and Yasmine were watching this. Her years in the palace instilled a sort of pride that shook in indignation at her position. But she crushed it and endured all the stares.

"G-Ghost! Stop it!" She heard Kassim demand desperately.

Thankfully, Ja'far made no move to kick or stab her. "Please, miss. That will not be necessary!" Amani felt herself being helped up by lithe hands. She finally sneaked a look at the advisor's expression and almost flinched in surprise.

Ja'far looked flustered and embarrassed. "I apologize for my impulsive actions!"

But that wasn't what caused her shock.

_Fatima?_

Amani bowed again while standing so she could hide her expression. _No, Fatima is dead and he's a man. Sinbad's advisor, remember?_

"Miss!" Ja'far cried out, scandalized. "I told you that there's no need for that, miss! He's forgiven!"

Amani looked up and smiled. "Thank you for understanding."

She then rounded on the restrained Kassim and knelt down in front of him, checking him over for any serious wounds. "He didn't cut you anywhere aside from your cheek, did he?"

"…No." He grunted angrily. "Stupid royals-

Amani slapped him.

Everyone, including Kassim, was shocked by her abrupt actions.

"There you go again. Don't you ever learn? Talking like that in front of the 'royals' themselves will get you _killed_. Didn't you see his face? His speed? He skill? Didn't you feel his _killing intent_?" Amani's voice rose. "I will not accept an important person of mine being so _careless _with his own life! Just because some idiots say that your life is worth nothing, does not mean it is true! Your life is a priceless thing!"

By now, everyone was listening to her words.

"If you put yourself in any life-risking situation again, I will beat you senseless, Kassim. Don't think I won't. _Is that clear?_"

(If you continue thinking like that, you'll surely die.)

Kassim stared at her with a strange look in his eyes. "…Yes."

"Good." She placed a soothing hand on the cheek she just slapped. "Don't scare me like that again."

Amani stood and came over to Alibaba's side. She tugged the cloth wrappings off of her face since there was no point in hiding it anymore. There was a loud squeal and Amani felt her side being tackled by a small body mass. " 'Mani!"

"Shion?" She looked down at the child who had been missing the whole time. "Was this where you were?"

"Shion, who is she?" Amani heard Aladdin ask from the sidelines.

Shion looked at her proudly before presenting her to everyone on the roof. "Isn't it obvious by just looking at her face? She is Alibaba's twin sister and Imperial Princess of Balbadd. She is Amani!"

* * *

Kougyoku glanced at the mirror for the thousandth time.

She schooled her features to appear cold and disinterested, as the manga had portrayed her as when she first entered the storyline. The makeup that she had added intensified her features.

"How scary. Planning to scare your fiancé away, Princess?"

She smirked. Instead of the soft uplifting curve of her lips, Kougyoku managed to make it seem coldly terrifying. She thought that she made it look natural. Judal seemed to agree by the pleased expression on his face. He strutted over to her and lifted her chin so her eyes would meet his. "My, my, what a warrior. Are you trying to scare me? How cute. You're going to have to try harder than that, Princess." He tutted.

"Nothing scares you." Kougyoku stated as if it were a fact. (It probably was, knowing him.)

Unlike her. She was scared. She was _always _scared. She may bark and bite all she wanted but she was always placed in situations where something was stronger than her. At least now she had the power to deflect the hits that her enemies dealt her and give it back tenfold.

With that comforting thought, she turned her eyes toward the window where the sun was setting and prepared her mind for the words she had rehearsed for years. The reason why she made herself look like this, like a warrior, like a strong woman, wasn't for her fiancé (_of course_ it wasn't for that pig). It was for Judal.

No, not like that. He may be a good friend to her (sometimes), but Kougyoku had no plans of seducing the childish prat. She had no interest in having _that _sort of relationship at the moment.

(At the moment. That doesn't mean never.)

It was for this crucial moment. Though the plan wasn't _entirely _dependent on Judal's choices, it would make saving the world so much easier if it worked. If Sai was correct in his assumption, this would work and things would go smoothly. If Kougyoku was correct in her assumption, this could completely backfire, putting them back to square one where lives would be risked and taken.

"So Princess, what do you want to do today? Feeling like bothering the hotel staff?"

Kougyoku took a breath. Sai better be right.

_(It's show time!)_

"Judal," she said tersely, "in two days time, I will meet my fiancé."

"I know that." Judal muttered sourly. He glared daggers at an imaginative opponent on the floor in front of him. Kougyoku liked to think that it was her _darling _husband to be he was killing with his eyes. "_Everyone _knows that."

"He might not allow me to return to Kou."

There. She said it. She had planted the seed.

Now how will he react?

"…What are you talking about, Princess?" Kougyoku blinked in genuine surprise at the subdued voice that he used. No, not subdued. Restrained. Angry, but restrained. From the corner of her eye, she noticed that his knuckles were turning white from the grip he had on his wand. "The pig king will let you visit whenever you want to." No hesitation there. "He _will_ let you visit me."

…Doubt? Was that _doubt_ that Kougyoku saw flicker across Judal's eyes?

No. Judal was unshakable. He was narrow-minded and stubborn. Doubt shouldn't even be possible for this person.

Yet here he was, doubting. (Doubting what? Doubting who?)

Kougyoku hid her shaking hands in her sleeves. She risked cultivating his doubt while it was still there. "He won't." She said confidently before meeting Judal's crimson stare. "Because no husband would want his wife visiting other men." She looked at Judal pointedly. Inside, she was wondering if he would actually believe her reason. Most of the men in the household were her brothers, so Ahbmad wouldn't care too much if she left the palace to visit.

But did Judal know that?

And like that, the dark magi's face was tense and agitated. He began pacing back and forth across her room. From time to time, he would freeze something random like a vase or a pillow. All the while, Kougyoku forced herself not to gape.

He…he reacted the way Sai had hoped he would. Sai was _right_.

"He can't." Judal muttered under his breath. "He can't. He can't. He can't he can't he _can't_ _hecan'thecan'the__**can't**_!" With a bellow he shot a large piece of ice at her drawer. She winced at the sickening sound of cracking wood and the shredding of her clothes. "_I _am the Oracle of Kou! _I _am a Magi! That brat king can't do _shit _about your comings and goings when _I _say you can!"

Kougyoku watched with horrified interest as Judal came up to her with a dangerous glint in his eyes. He gripped her cheekbones with his lithe fingers with bruising strength and _looked at her_ with a possessive glint in his eyes. "She's _mine_." He said darkly to no one in particular.

Before Kougyoku could retort to that claim, Judal left the room as quickly and silently as he first came.

He didn't leave to kill her fiancé, did he?

"Ah, crap."

Kougyoku _really _hoped that Ahbmad wouldn't die because of her actions, no matter how much she wished for that pig's demise.

(Or was that what Sai's original intentions were?)

* * *

Amani found that Sinbad was a likeable man.

Immediately after Shion's proclamation, he took interest in her along with her twin. She was sure that he knew about her metal vessel but took no initiative to reveal it to the man. If he wanted to know, he had to ask her properly.

She might have found him likeable, but she thought that he wasn't a man without ulterior motives. No king ever was.

When King Sinbad offered to allow the twins an audience with their eldest sibling, Amani accepted without hesitation. This was something that she knew would be advantageous for the whole of Balbadd. That, and she didn't want to waste her time with Alibaba's hesitation.

By morning, Amani was accompanying Alibaba and Sinbad to the palace as the visiting Imperial Princess. She hoped that Ahbmad would at least _listen _to her words when she spoke to him.

* * *

_Of course_, Ahbmad wouldn't listen to her!

"I never recognized both of you, orphans from the slums, as my siblings! Do not forget, if it weren't for the protection of the King of Sindria, both of you would have lost your heads!" Ahbmad sneered.

Amani twitched and forced a smile on her face.

"Oh? Brother Ahbmad, since we're on the subject of beheading, should I remind you of the assassins the servants found _right in front of your room_?" Amani asked sweetly. Alibaba sent her a confused expression while Sinbad looked at her warily. She ignored both of them. "Remember how _cleanly _their necks were snapped? How _close _they were to reaching your door? Their deaths must have been _swift_, don't you think, my king?"

Ahbmad shifted uneasily on his throne. "I don't know what you're talking about."

Amani pressed her neck closer to the blade that the soldiers were using to bar her away from the king. To the alarm of the soldiers, a thin line of blood appeared on her neck. "The only reason you are sitting on that throne is because of Alibaba. The only reason why your little heart beats is because of Alibaba. The only reason why you are allowed to do these atrocious things to this country _is because of Alibaba. _If you think that you can ignore this kind act from your _younger brother_, then maybe you should give back everything he gave you."

(Starting with that little, shriveled up heart of his_._)

Ahbmad had the nerve to look _tired._ "Fall back for now, slum rat. I don't feel well…It's all because of those maggots from outside the palace."

"DON'T SCREW AROUND!" Alibaba finally shouted. "As someone who describes his own citizen like that, you have no right to be King! Absolutely NONE!"

Amani's eyes remained fixated at that fat, _breakable _neck. (Snap, snap, then it'll be all over. Such a quick, easy thing to do.) "I second that." She stated serenely. From the corner of her eye, the guard at her right nodded discreetly in agreement.

Before she could make a move, she felt a large hand clamp over her shoulder. She turned to see Sinbad shake his head. Amani paused to consider follow the Sindrian King's silent order, before standing down. The older man relaxed, but kept his hand on her shoulder. (Just in case, just in case.)

Then, with a start, Amani realized just what she was considering doing.

Did wanting to kill Ahbmad make her a bad person?

Amani ran it though her head and concluded that _yes, it was a very bad thing to consider and almost act upon._ But did she regret it? Did she feel guilty?

No. Not at all.

Ahbmad had rejected them as his kin. To an assassin, killing their own kin was their first step in becoming the _best_. It meant no connections, no limits. To Amani, she needed those connections and limits. She depended on them to keep her from becoming a killer without qualms. Her surviving family was a solid proof that she had morals.

By rejecting her and Alibaba, Ahbmad had just removed himself from Amani's circle of morals and became an annoying _thing _in the way of her brother attaining the throne.

"Ah, out of the way! You're blocking my entrance!"

Amani's head jerked up at the familiar voice. So he was here?

Judal, in all his dark glory, strode into the throne room as if he owned the goddamn place. And knowing him, he probably believed it too.

Sinbad's eyes widened in recognition at the sight of Kou's Magi. "Judal?"

Judal brushed the Sindrian King off this time around. It went completely against what Amani had expected him to do so she made a sound of surprise. At the sound of her voice, the dark magi acknowledged her with a disdainful sniff. "Old hag." He greeted her rudely. "What are you doing here? I thought you told the Pig King that you were going to Sindria."

Oh right. _That _excuse.

At least she had an alibi right beside her.

"Well, King Sinbad was kind enough to bring me back to my birthplace when the opportunity arose." She lied smoothly. "I am helping him with the negotiations concerning the trade between Sindria and Balbadd." The lie was Sai-worthy so she gave herself a mental pat in the back.

Judal believed her. Or just didn't care. "I see."

"How is Kougyoku? Is she well?" Amani dared to ask.

Judal's frown became a snarl when he seemed to remember something. He whirled around to Ahbmad and looked as if he wanted to freeze the king to death. "That reminds me. Oi! King! Cancel your engagement with the Princess of Kou! The Magi of Kou demands it!"

…_What?_

It seemed that the same thought ran through everyone's minds.

"Judal…let's not be too hasty now…" The Banker, who had entered the throne room not long after Judal did, warned. "Whatever misunderstanding crossed that mind of yours can be fixed."

Judal's rage seemed to waver at the Banker's suggestion before coming back in full fire. "That _pig _can't prevent me from seeing or taking what is _mine_! He either cancels the wedding or I-"

Amani pushed the guards restraining her away and walked up to the tantrum-throwing magi. For once in her whole existence in this world, she finally, _finally_ found hope in changing _something_. The fact that Judal wasn't acting as the script intended him to gave her hope in changing Kassim's fate. _He didn't have to die_.

So this was why Sai had told her he'd 'pass a certain message to a friend'. He planned this somehow. Amani sent a mental thanks to her trickster friend as she stepped beside him. He sent her a cursory glance as if _daring _her to stop him.

She didn't. Instead, she leaned over to his ear and whispered something.

Judal abruptly stopped and stepped back. Everyone in the room appeared relieved at Amani's intervention. The Banker, despite his allegiance to Al Thamen, thanked her with a small nod. As if Judal just noticed that there was another important inhabitant in the room, he grinned at the sight of the Sindrian King.

"Well, isn't it the Stupid King! Long time no see!"

Amani didn't care that the rest of the events that followed went to the script. She didn't care that Alibaba failed to speak to Ahbmad. She didn't even care that Judal was laughing as they were forced out.

They had a _chance_.

That was all that mattered.

* * *

"What is your connection with Judal?"

Amani knew Sinbad was going to question her alliances the moment Judal came into the picture. It was a good thing that she was truly on the 'good side'. "If you're wondering if I'm in league with Al Thamen, the answer is no." She informed him bluntly. "I'm surprised that you are unaware of my engagement."

"Engagement?" Sinbad questioned.

Amani nodded. "I am engaged to a prince in the Kou Empire. Because of that, I spent four years living with my future family as preparation for the wedding. I met Judal there. Since you seem to know his character, you should know that he doesn't really like me. He just…tolerates me. Sometimes."

Sinbad accepted the explanation. "What did you tell him to calm him down?"

Amani tapped her lips and smiled.

"Secret."

* * *

The Four Blessed Children remained away from each other, yet very close like chess pieces surrounding the enemies' king on the board.

Under the full moon, they reunited within the nest of the Fog Troupe with only the gentle, pale beams as their witness. It was almost time for Alibaba to come down with Sinbad to share the news with the rest of the Fog Troupe. It was almost time for Judal to come to the hideout and wreak havoc (or maybe not). All of them waited for that time to come.

Amani, who would rejoin her brother's side.

Yasmine, who would remain vigilant for Kassim's return, since he had disappeared.

Kougyoku, who would go fetch Koubun so she could save Judal at the right time.

Sai, who would be himself, planning and fixing as he went.

They were the Blessed Children.

They were the ones who dared to defy fate.

Shion stood with them. In the center of their circle. It was only right if their leader stood with them. _Amongst_ them. With his slightly tanned skin and blue, blue eyes and a smile that was aimed at both everyone and no one, he stood at the center.

"Let's change fate."

He took off his turban and finally, _finally, _allowed his braided hair to fall out for the first time in a long time. And with it, revealed a secret that even _he _had forgotten.

"Never let them see your hair," his uncle had told him. "Or they'll kill you."

Now he knew why.

_Off goes the signal._


	8. Chapter 7: His Name is Shion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shion and co. find out why his hair is such a big deal. Sinbad, explain yourself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Onwards

Who was Shion exactly?

It was a question that had never crossed the minds of the Blessed Children. Even Amani had simply accepted that he was just a 'King from the Dying Future' and 'Ranya's Child'. There wasn't a moment where any of them wondered or questioned what part he played in _Magi_. Not once was he mentioned in the pages of the story or seen in the sidelines.

Who was Shion?

A remnant of the dark future?

A King?

He was neither now. The future that was did not exist. Not anymore. Now, he was simply reduced to what he was in the beginning: a child. Yet Yunan had hidden him away from the world both the last time and this time around too.

Why? What didn't change? He was just a kid, wasn't he?

"_Never let them see your hair. Or they will kill you."_

"That fate, I will change it. So this time around, I will disobey your wish, Uncle!"

* * *

Amani sat by Alibaba's side and he sat by hers.

Sun. Moon.

It was exactly how it was supposed to be. Amani wondered if her brother still remembered their mother's voice and her soft caresses. He might have not known it, but he was the favorite child out of the two.

Amani supposed that was her own fault. She had acted like an adult way too soon. Anise (mother), as much as she loved both of her children, was the sort who loved taking care of people. Amani accepted that it was a trait that she had inherited.

"How am I supposed to tell them, Amani? They're waiting outside for my answer. How can I tell them that I failed?" Alibaba groaned into his hands. Amani rubbed her brother's back soothingly. "Hey…I'm here. I'll always be here. I was with you when we faced Ahbmad. I will be with you when we break the news."

"What happened that night?"

Amani's rubbing stopped. Then, it started again.

"What night?" She asked, sounding genuinely curious and confused. Alibaba frowned at her lie. He looked up and caught her eyes, the eyes that they shared. Amani hoped that he didn't see the truth in them.

"…Amani. I'm talking about the night I messed up and ran away. I was a coward, leaving you behind like that. The least I could have done was bring you with me so I could look after you, but I was too scared to." He told her with a small shake in his voice. "I know I have no right to be concerned now after all these years running away, but I want to be a better brother. Cain made me realize that."

Sai did?

"So please," Amani found her hands (shaking, shaking) in Alibaba's. "please explain! Please tell me! I don't want to have these secrets between us anymore! I want to be close to you again!"

At every sentence, Amani's heart thudded painfully. She chest clenched.

_Alibaba doesn't know._

"Alibaba…it's not easy to talk about. You don't know how…how relieved I was that you didn't hear. Please…" She begged him weakly, "don't force me to tell you. It's not something I want to even _think _about. I want to forget it. So much. Telling you would ruin everything. Leave it be."

"Sis-

The door opened to reveal Ja'far and Masrur with Shion between them. "Please come with me." Ja'far requested calmly. "Sin said that we're going to announce the outcome of today's negotiation to the members of the Fog Troupe."

Their timing couldn't have been more perfect.

As they exited the room, Shion bounded into Amani's arms and wrapped his own around her. "You alright?" He whispered in concern. The white-haired teen found it quite ironic that she had to be comforted by a child. "No. But I'm not the only one in this world with problems. What about you?"

It had been agreed by the group that Shion's signal would be the removal of his turban. But what they saw underneath the cloth was something that they all didn't expect. After that, all of them agreed that Shion should keep his hair hidden a while longer. Amani knew that the discovery was quite disconcerting for the child.

He had confided to her months ago about his memory lapses. He had forgotten small details like his favorite food and his hair color. It didn't help much that Yunan had forced him to wear the turban since he was able to crawl close to a mirror.

"_They'll kill you_." Yunan had told him and Amani had found out how true the statement was just hours ago.

Shion squeezed Amani's hand comfortingly, looking wise beyond his years (though that wasn't saying much seeing how old he really was). "I'll be fine. I knew this. I just forgot." He said the last part bitterly.

"Tell me." Amani said. "And I will remember it for you."

Shion kissed Amani on the cheek affectionately. "I knew you were my favorite Blessed Child for a reason. But please take care of your own problems before taking on others. The stress will kill you."

With that, Shion jumped out of her arms and took her hand, leading her to where the next phase of their little plan would take place.

Shion may not know it, but Amani was willing to follow him anywhere.

Where he led her to didn't matter.

* * *

Yasmine offered her friend a small smile as Amani climbed next to her brother and Sinbad. Ja'far kindly helped the Princess of Balbadd up the steps. Poor man was probably still guilty for making her prostrate herself in front of him, more so now that he knew she was royalty.

Yasmine's far-seeing eyes flitted throughout the whole room. She ignored the events happening around her since Sai had already filled her in. Kassim was nowhere to be found.

She frowned.

Kassim, how to explain that man's character? He wasn't too bad if you were useful enough. He had a sort of roughish charisma that attracted many of the slum people to him. Yasmine found herself in admiration of his leadership abilities.

Yet…

There was something wrong with Kassim, something dark and twisted underneath his glamor and charm. It usually raised its ugly head when he was around Alibaba.

It did that when Amani was around too, but different. Very different.

After a while observing the true leader of the Fog Troupe, Yasmine realized that _Kassim hated himself_. For some reason, Amani served as an everyday reminder of something that he had done. She didn't need Kougyoku's eyes to see this.

When she was absolutely sure that Kassim would not be attending this meeting, Yasmine's eyes slid back to the front and focused on Sinbad's confident form.

Many times, she had heard her grandfather praise this king.

She could see why.

Confident, just, kind, Sinbad was the perfect king. Even Yasmine was tempted to follow him. He had the ultimate aura that could draw in any soul to his dreams and cause. Yasmine kept her distance. Sai had warned her that Sinbad, though a good man, wasn't the best ruler to be tangled with. He mentioned that it involved his irresistible charm and 'brightness'. "He'll suck you into his ideals," Sai had warned her, "and you will lose yourself."

Her eyes flitted over to Alibaba, who was standing beside Sai, watching and listening to Sinbad's speech, hanging onto every word with eyes filled with admiration.

Yasmine filed that image into her mind. She may not have as great a memory as Amani's, but she could still memorize things if she wished to. She kept it as a reminder of what she never wanted to become: a follower. She would never look upon this Sinbad like Alibaba did. She promised herself that.

Unlike her male clone, Amani watched Sinbad's speech with a detachment that could have been considered rude if it wasn't for the obvious conflict within her eyes. Though Yasmine had been put in charge of looking for Kassim, Amani had taken the liberty to scan the whole room for the unofficial leader.

Shion also looked disenchanted. But he was a king from the future he came from, so he probably used some of these inspirational speeches himself, which was understandable.

"Isn't he amazing?" A Fog Troupe member beside her asked in awe.

Yasmine grimaced. "Very." She commented dryly. "I wouldn't be surprised if he dominated the whole world by just talking."

Sinbad may be an amazing person, but the only "King" she would ever accept would be Shion and Shion only.

She owed him at least that much, after all, since he simultaneously brought Amani into her life while driving Phoebe's ghost away from her mind.

* * *

"Ah-ha! So _that's _where the stupid king ran off to!"

Sai watched with anticipation as Judal came into the scene. Though he still wore Cain's face, he didn't hold back on the maniacal smile that spread across his lips as the scene that he had memorized by heart played out in front of him.

He watched as Judal taunted Sinbad, threatened the whole country with war, and flaunted his position of Magi in front of the Sindrian King. He watched as he caught sight of Aladdin and the rukh that were acting strangely around him.

(He watched, he watched, waiting, waiting, but enjoying, enjoying.)

Sai whistled as Judal threw a fit when Sinbad informed him of Aladdin's identity. "Wait until he finds out about Shion." He muttered in amusement. He was a little disappointed that the dark magi hadn't noticed his presence yet. Either he was too immersed with the Sindrian King and the 'chibi' in front of him, or Kougyoku's performance that morning went a little _too _well. Usually, Judal would recognize him immediately, no matter what form he was in.

Though this weren't because Judal and he were close. Oh _no_. Judal despised Sai to the core because of his familiarity with Kougyoku and frequently hunted him down for a chance to maim or kill him.

Too bad Sai was just too good at hiding. And fighting.

"Hello Chibi! I'm Judal and you are?"

Sai saw Amani wince at the sentence. She knew what was coming because of her experience reading _Magi_, but Yasmine was up for a big surprise…

"I…I'm Aladdin."

"So you're Aladdin. As fellow Magi, let's get along from now on!"

Lies.

Even if Sai hadn't known Judal's folly all along, he would have _smelled_ the lie miles away. He was the master of all lies, after all.

Everyone winced when Judal punched Aladdin, a nasty move on his part. Even Sai, who found amusement in almost all serious situations, looked upon Judal's childish actions with a thin sheen of disgust. Alibaba and Morgiana rushed over to the young magi's side in worry while Judal appeared unrepentant.

"JUDAL!"

Everyone turned to see a pissed off Shion storming over to the black magi. Judal looked _very _amused that a little kid less than _half _his size was trying to pick a fight with him. Compared to his power, a little kid like Shion wouldn't even stand a chance. Judging by Ja'far and Sinbad's horrified faces, they thought the same too.

(How unexpected.)

Shion stopped in front of Judal and pointed an accusing finger at him. "You did a very mean thing to my friend, Aladdin. I want you to apologize."

Judal smirked and opened his mouth.

"Apologize or I'll tell Kougyoku on you." Shion finished his threat with a cheeky smile. "And I'll tell her all the other mean things you did behind her back!"

Silence descended upon the whole stadium at his threat.

"Holy shit, this is even better than the anime." Sai gasped in English. Though he was looking forward to seeing the match between the two magi, seeing his small, bossy leader face off with the biggest prick ever known in the universe was by far the most amusing thing he ever witnessed.

"Shut up." He heard Yasmine hiss from his side but he ignored her.

By now, the smirk on the dark magi's face was wiped right off and was now replaced by a scowl. He sneered at the child in front of him. "What makes you think that she'd believe you, a brat, over _my _word?"

"'Cause you lie a lot." Shion told him bluntly. "And I know her personally. She likes me since I'm little and cute. You're un-cute and a jerk. It's not that much of a competition."

Sai snickered. Oh, as much as Shion annoyed him with his orders, he couldn't deny that the kid had guts. This was one of the many moments when Sai acknowledged that this child was _his_ king.

"Apologize to Aladdin, Judal." Shion repeated to the magi with a more forceful tone.

Judal pointed his wand at Shion's forehead. "Annoying kid. I'll just kill-"

"Enough."

Amani appeared out of nowhere and grasped Judal's arm tightly. Knowing her, she was probably there ever since Shion came up to Judal. The Oracle shot her a scathing look. _"Old Hag._ Figures that you'd know this brat._"_

"If you weren't so forgetful, you'd remember seeing him with Sai or Yasmine." Amani informed him dryly. "Shion isn't a stranger, Judal. He even introduced himself to you a couple of times. Did you forget him?"

_Again?_

It went unsaid, but the implication was obvious.

"Shion is a treasured friend to all of us. It would do ill for you if Kougyoku hears about your misdeeds through his mouth." Amani continued while holding Judal's hateful gaze. "It would be wise to apologize to the little magi. It's only mature to do so, no?"

"As if." Judal snorted while shaking her grip off of his arm. "I refuse to accept that a slow and weak chibi like him is a magi. Oi Sinbad, don't tell me that you've decided to abandon me to work with this guy."

Sinbad denied this. Though, Sai had to wonder if that King had really intended to recruit Aladdin in the future. He probably was, knowing the true manipulative nature of the King.

Judal turned back to the recovering Aladdin. "Hey Chibi, if you really are a Magi, you should have a candidate to be king by your side, right? There should be at least one or two. Come on Chibi, call out your candidates!"

Aladdin remained silent, much to Sai's amusement. What a cute little main character Aladdin was! It was almost ridiculous that an ignorant child was supposed to be an important individual in this world.

"Whatever~ I'll just find him myself!"

Judal's eyes dilated and then refocused into the direction of the crowd. They scoured the people before landing on a certain Saluja. "I found you!" He crowed gleefully as his gaze centered on the blonde. Sai saw Amani's form stiffen at the Black Magi's interest in her brother.

Sai's stance became offensive as he readied himself to attack at any sudden movement from the sadistic bad guy.

Personally, Sai wouldn't care if the Magi ripped the pathetic prince apart and spread his remains around the whole world. But he had no choice _but_ to care. The loss of Alibaba's life would not only impact the storyline negatively, but it would also make Amani sad.

And that would be _unforgivable_.

"Hey, I remember you! Weren't you that poor sod that Ahbmad bullied? Really, you're such a useless guy!"

Not that Sai disagreed with _that _statement. He swallowed his own taunting smirk and froze his features into a disapproving glare, which mirrored the expressions on his companions' faces.

Shion, despite Ja'far's harsh whispers to 'stay back and away from Judal', boldly ran up to the barefoot magi and stomped on his foot with the courage and strength of a man who had experienced way too many life-risking situations. "_That _was for Alibaba." Shion informed him calmly. "He may seem like nothing much at first glance. Not many people do. But during the duration of time I've known him, he has shown me loyalty for his friends, a sense of responsibility for his mistakes, willingness to take the first chance to fix his mistakes, and bravery in his continuous attempts to face his fears for the sake of others!"

For a moment, Sai could _see_ the wise, powerful king Shion used to be. He whistled lowly under his breath and dipped his head as an act of acknowledgement to his 'leader'. Who knew Shion was so good at public speaking?

"I believe that Alibaba is more than worthy to be Aladdin's King Candidate." Shion proclaimed in a louder voice. "I also believe that Aladdin is a far better Magi than _you_. I firmly believe this!"

Judal, for what it was worth, did not cry out in pain from the surprise attack. The Magi was too prideful to openly express such a vulnerable sound. But, his face did twist a little for a moment, which was a lot coming from Judal.

He glared daggers at the turbaned child for his barrage of physical and verbal attacks, but paused his retaliation when his eyes caught sight of something.

"Oi…Chibi, don't tell me that this _brat _is your other King Candidate!"

* * *

Shion was flabbergasted.

_Him?_ Aladdin already chose…even though he was just a kid…

The child who was really a man couldn't help but smile at the warm feeling in his chest. Aladdin had chosen _him_, Shion, the boy who he just recently met, as his King's Candidate. He had regarded the younger (yet older, much older) boy as an equal to his precious friend, Alibaba.

"Me?" Shion couldn't help but say. "How?"

(You know why. You know how. Stop lying! Stop acting so modest! When are you actually going to act like the king you really are?)

"That's _my_ question!" Judal said rudely. "_You're _just a commoner's brat! No Royal Blood! No Kingdom! No Talent! No Experience! What's so important about you, kid? What makes you qualified to be _considered _a King's Candidate?"

"…I have a Metal Vessel?" Shion suggested sheepishly while lifting his lamp.

Silence greeted him. Shion could literally hear the crickets chirping in the background. (Or was it the cicadas since they were in Balbadd?)

"I mean, it's a start, right? I have a lot of time to train and improve so I'm not really in that much of a hurry. Who knows? I might become really strong if I try hard enough. I can't really do much about my parents and my blood. And about the Kingdom…um, I'll make one myself when I'm old enough? I'm still brainstorming about that, since I was just told I had the potential to be king about five minutes ago."

When he heard a sound of someone snickering in the background, Shion made a mental note to put Sai on dishwashing duty after all of this was over.

Judal's eyes narrowed and he came forward.

"You…are pretty interesting." He said unexpectedly, much to Shion's surprise. "You're still annoying, chibi-er chibi, but you have a point. You do have some potential. How old are you? Six? Seven?"

"Eight." Shion corrected with a deadpan expression.

"Right! And you managed to capture a whole dungeon at such a young age! Did you have help?"

Shion looked at Judal skeptically. "…No."

"Even more interesting." Judal stated with a nod. "And you're still young enough to be impressionable. Tell me, brat. What is your goal in life?"

_To not die?_ Shion thought sarcastically but he refused to answer the foul-mouthed Magi. Instead, he opted to give Judal his 'are-you-seriously-asking-a-kid-my-age-something-as-deep-as-that' look.

"Ha! See? A blank slate filled with possibilities!" The dark magi said gleefully. Shion looked at him warily but resisted the temptation to take a step away from the teenager. Looking weak in front of Judal was not a wise move to take. "Hey, chibi-er chibi… What about ditching that Chibi and becoming _my _king candidate instead?"

* * *

Shion had his mother's smile.

Amani would never tell him, but it was the part of him that she liked the least.

Ranya was an amazing woman. Amani found that she respected a person like the free-spirited dungeon captor. But…there was something about her that was off. Amani didn't realize it then, but it was her smile.

Her _fake _smile

Amani knew that Ranya's reasons for hiding her feelings were her own, but Shion was important. Shion was close. Why would he use such a smile? And why would he wear it so naturally as if he had worn it for many years?

_Had _he worn that smile for many years?

But those were questions best left alone. Amani was well aware that the subject of the conversation was just as sensitive to him as the subject about _that night _was to her. She respected and understood Shion's hesitance. She would patiently wait until Shion felt ready to open up. She would overlook his fake smiles, since he would smile real ones too from time to time.

Instead, she focused on his eyes. They were the windows to his soul, weren't they? They were the best truth-tellers, in Amani's opinion. And what she saw in them did not disappoint her. They were so open with possibilities and so far-seeing that they reminded her of the sky itself.

Amani was thankful that he had Ranya's beautiful, blue eyes.

* * *

"No, thank you."

Of course, Shion said no. He wasn't willing to throw away the trust Aladdin placed in him and he liked the younger Magi better. Besides, he knew Judal too well to trust the dark magi.

"Brat!"

Which was why he took many steps away from the immature teen before giving him his answer. He may be reckless, but he was by no means suicidal.

Glancing at the ice spear imbedded inches away from his left side, Shion gave Judal a dry look. "That was very immature of you. And dangerous. What if I didn't dodge?"

There was a sound of someone slapping their forehead.

"You idiot! You're just as reckless as Sin!"

Oh. So it was Ja'far.

Shion sent an apologetic shrug at the freckled advisor's direction. It wasn't as if he _wanted_ to anger the Magi on purpose. He wasn't _that _immature. It would be like stooping to Judal's level!

"Sit still, chibi-er chibi. I want you covered with holes by the time I'm done with you!" Judal shouted from Shion's far right. As promised, a hundred or so ice shards were shot towards the boy, followed by a ball of lightning. Shion just barely managed to dodge of the harmful projectiles.

When he finished his dodging, Shion prepared himself for the next barrage but it never came. For some unknown reason, Judal was staring at him with shock in his eyes, accompanied by some form of gleeful excitement suitable for a child who was just told that he would receive gifts every day. Christmas? That was the celebration in the other world, correct? Or was that Halloween?

Shion found his staring a bit perturbing. Even more disturbing, the Magi seemed to have completely abandoned his small 'boy hunt' to give creepy stares at the said hunted boy. "Ah…so did you calm down?"

"Brat…Shion." Judal corrected himself much to the child's surprise. "Do you have parents?"

"Funny, someone asked me that a couple days ago." Shion muttered. "Why is that question so popular? You're not planning to whisk me away to some far away country to raise me in a secluded place if I say no, are you?" He asked suspiciously.

Judal actually looked thoughtful. "Maybe…"

"Then yes, I do have parents." Shion informed the dark magi wearily. "They're not here if you're planning to murder them. My mom is somewhere _far _away getting special medical treatment for some weird disease and my father is currently unavailable."

"Unavailable, you say? Do you even know him?" Judal asked with a malicious glint in his eyes.

Shion's expression soured. "I was an 'oops' baby, if that's what you're insinuating. Since Mother was ill ever since I was young, I didn't get to see her that much. Uncle was the one to tell me about my father. He told me that my father was some sort of merchant. Or was it a traveler? Wait…I think he's a bum. Uncle did say that he drank too much." Shion scratched his head. "Honestly, I have no idea what that guy does. _But_ he's alive…I think."

Well…that didn't come out as eloquently as it had sounded in his head. But from experience, Judal wasn't one to appreciate a good speech anyways. Actually, the magi seemed to be laughing his head off at his answer.

"Shion!" He heard Yasmine hiss from the crowd. "Your head!"

His…head? Shion reached over to pat his head to find whatever was on it. Nothing. There was noth-

Oh.

_Oh._

"He knocked my turban off my head, didn't he?"

"Yes, he did." Shion stumbled back at Amani's sudden appearance at his side. She calmly handed his metal vessel back to him before beginning to tie his turban back onto his head.

Judal came to Amani's side and roughly smacked her hands away. "What's the point?" He snarled at her. "_Everyone _saw. It's useless to cover him up."

"Children need to keep their heads warm to keep healthy." The white-haired teen argued. "Balbadd gets cold during the evening."

"Stop babying him, Old Hag! He's more than strong enough to deal with the cold." Judal scoffed while snatching the cloth from her hands and sticking out his tongue. "And you'll only make him weaker if you let him keep this thing on."

Amani sent him a quizzical look.

"Can't you see the magoi _seals_ in this thing or are you losing your eyesight from age, Old Hag? They were practically sucking the magoi out of his system at every given moment and he was walking around like it was nothing this whole time!" The excited edge in his voice bordered near maniacal. "This kid is powerful!"

"No, these are _memory seals_. Completely different from what you're talking about." Yasmine spoke up from her spot. Judal barely acknowledged her presence.

"Shion's uncle probably placed them on him so he wouldn't remember the times he accidentally saw his own hair for his own safety." Amani chipped in, though there was a flicker of doubt in her tone.

"Huh, so _that's_ why." Shion muttered to himself in wonder. It was a relief to know what was causing his memory lapses. At least the cause wasn't irreversible. Shion could already feel some of his old memories trickling back to his mind, much to his relief.

"Say, brat. What happened to your arm?" Judal asked in interest as he stared at the bandages around both of Shion's wrists.

"They've been hurt ever since I was a baby. Uncle told me to never take them-hey!"

Suddenly, Shion felt his small body being flung back to a wall. Just when he regained his breath, he felt a sharp, burning pain in his right arm. In the haze of his pain, Shion saw that the end of Judal's wand was piercing his wrist like a blade. As sharp as the red jewel looked, Shion could _feel _how blunt it actually was and wished it could at least be a little bit sharper. It would have spared more of his nerves.

Judal yanked his bloody wand out of his wrist. "Wrong one." Shion heard him mutter under his breath.

Shion hissed. "That…that hurt, you know. Mind letting me down now?"

"No. It's for your own good."

"So this is…supposed to be…some sort of lesson…for being…smart with…you?"

"Sit still, brat." The dark haired male ordered with a smirk. "It'll be over in just a second."

_Was that supposed to make me sit still?_ Shion thought incredulously before another wave of pain shot through his other arm as Judal twisted his weapon, digging whatever was in his wrist (Skin? Bone? Muscle?) **out**.

He screamed.

As something cold, hard, and shiny dropped onto the ground, Shion distantly heard the sounds of his Blessed Children roaring in rage. He barely felt any discomfort as he was dropped onto the ground. He didn't even struggle against the darkness that was pulling him out of consciousness.

_All this_, he thought bemusedly as he watched his blood mix with the cursed strands of his hair, _because of the color of my hair._

"Shion!" Someone was calling for him. Who? "Shion! Stay awake!"

Ja'far? No, not Ja'far. This voice was different. Deeper. Stronger. Except, it didn't sound so strong now.

"Stay awake!"

But he couldn't…if he was in his older body, if he was stronger…perhaps…

"Resist, Shion! Keep yourself awake! You can't die!"

"_They'll kill you."_ Shion could hear his Uncle's whisper into his ear. _"I told you they would."_

The sound of a flute being played lulled Shion to sleep.

* * *

"Shion!"

Sinbad continued to shake the bleeding child in a vain attempt to awaken the unconscious child. Ja'far was by his side, desperately trying to stop the bleeding from Shion's wrists.

"There's too much." Ja'far panicked, "I can't stop all of this bleeding! This child needs a medic!"

There was no medic here. And even if there was, Shion would need an expert or a magician to save him. His wrists were torn up almost beyond repair and a large amount of his blood was streaming to the ground. Saving the child seemed to be impossible.

No, Sinbad couldn't allow it. He _wouldn't _allow such a thing to happen to Shion. He was still young, too young to die. He was too precious to be killed. The child was…

"Excuse me."

Sinbad and Ja'far looked up to see Amani standing over them with her metal vessel brought out. "Can you both please step away from Shion? I can help stop the bleeding and close up his wounds."

The two men obeyed but Sinbad hovered worriedly. "Is he going to…?"

"I can save him." Amani assured the king confidently. Her metal vessel changed into an hourglass. She turned it swiftly. The hourglass began to run while shrinking and turning into something else. A hairpin. Water began gathering around the metal ornament. "Spirits of Sorrow and Isolation, in the name of my Magoi-

Shion's wrists began to glow a golden color. The holes on his wrists stopped bleeding and began to close themselves.

"-What?" Amani's face twisted in confusion. A beautiful young man with blonde hair accompanied by a masked young woman rushed over to Shion's still body.

"Amani, what's happening?"

The white-haired princess glanced at the completely healed form of Shion, sharing the looks of shock and disbelief with the two men across from her.

"I don't know."

* * *

Within his mindscape, Shion remembered.

He remembered that his Uncle failed to save his mother because of…because of Al Thamen's interference. He was eleven when he held her still body.

He remembered that his meeting with Aladdin and Alibaba during his fourteenth birthday was _not _coincidental.

He remembered training with Alibaba to achieve his djinn equip.

He remembered being protected by Morgiana during a battle.

He remembered Aladdin choosing him as his King Candidate.

He remembered meeting his Blessed Children and slowly proving himself to them as the rightful king they should support.

He remembered every single adventure he went with them, gaining comrades and alliances one by one at every place he stopped.

He remembered making timeless bonds.

He remembered falling in love.

He remembered visiting a majestic tomb on a nice evening and being told the truth about this birthright and his mother after all those years of being lied to.

He remembered betrayal.

He remembered blood.

He remembered pain.

Then, Shion remembered nothing.

* * *

Shion woke up in Yasmine's arms.

There was rubble everywhere. His nose was filled with the familiar stench of blood and screams scratched against his sensitive ears. He could make out the forms of Judal, Aladdin, and Ugo 'fighting it out'. And what a mess they made. There was ice and scorch marks everywhere from Judal's attacks while the holes in the ground and the rubble were courtesy of Aladdin's djinn.

Despite all of this chaos, Shion couldn't help but think – _Solomon, I'm so __**small**__._

This thought was not uncommon. Many times he would find himself comparing his smaller size to the others. It wasn't a habit that he was proud of. He had to constantly remind himself that he was just eight years old at the moment (almost _nine_) and he had years ahead of him to grow tall and strong. When he reached his age of maturity, Shion was sure that he would outgrow all of his Blessed Children.

But it still didn't help his poor pride.

"Yasmine?" He asked groggily. "What 'appened?"

Yasmine looked down at him in surprise. "Shion?"

"No, I'm the great god Solomon using this child's body to bring world peace." Shion snapped sarcastically, getting back some of his bearings. Yasmine sent him a sharp look through her mask, immediately making him feel guilty. "Sorry. I'm just not having a good day."

"An understatement." Sai added in his two cents as he strolled over to the recently awakened child with a carefree expression. He was still wearing Cain's face. "Well, well, look who came back to the world of the living! Shion, buddy, we thought we wouldn't be seeing your pretty eyes until tomorrow afternoon!"

"How long was I out?"

"Fifteen minutes." Amani informed him, appearing out of nowhere. Her sudden appearance surprised everyone, including Sai.

"_Solomon,_ Amani. We should really put a bell on you." The shape-shifter complained.

Amani stared at him blankly. "I wasn't using my abilities this time so it's not my fault. You need to pay more attention to your surroundings, Sai. You're representing the Kou Empire, _Cain_. They'd be embarrassed by your incompetence."

"…Ouch. Did I do something to you?" Sai asked his normally friendly companion warily. "If you got tangled in any of my pranks, I swear it was for Yasmine, not you."

"Since we're in the middle of a battle, I will ignore what you just said for now." Yasmine stated darkly. "For now."

Amani ignored Sai and walked up to Shion. She held up his wrists and inspected them gently. "Your wounds seem to have closed up for now but don't pick at the bandages too much or you'll reopen them."

"Did you use Foras' special ability to heal me?" Shion asked. Guilt surged in his heart. Foras' mimicking ability gave Amani the capability to "mimic" any metal vessel ability that her metal vessel came into contact with. The ability seemed ridiculously powerful, even to Shion, until he heard about the consequences.

The hourglass that Amani's metal vessel turns into held the sand that measures how long she could keep the form. The more powerful the metal vessel is, the less time the form can hold.

Even worse, Amani's body would be forced into a temporarily weakened state afterwards. The time that she would be in that state would depend on the strength of the metal vessel user she would be imitating and the amount of time she would take on the form for.

The ability, in the end, would always put a strain on Amani's body and health.

To Shion's surprise, Amani shook her head. "No. I was about to, but you somehow managed to heal yourself."

"That jerk Judal didn't seem surprised." Yasmine noted with a scowl. "Someone should put a leash on that kid. Who knows what sort of destruction he could bring into this world by just existing."

Shion held a hand up to silence her. "I know he's immature and cruel, but Judal did me a favor by doing what he did, believe it or not. It seems that Uncle hid a lot of things from me. Look." From his outstretched hand, a concentrated ball of magoi appeared and remained there, strong and steady. "I feel as if an ocean of magoi was unlocked from inside of me. I even got my magoi control from my past life back!"

All three of the Blessed Children smiled at Shion's enthusiasm.

"…So is anybody going to tell me why we're on a roof?"

Amani frowned. "It's getting close to the scene where Aladdin loses control of Ugo. I 'suggested' to Sinbad to clear everyone out of the perimeter of the battle so no one would get hurt and so no risks could be taken."

"Good move." Shion complimented with an encouraging smile.

"Yes, but it all would have gone a bit faster if Sinbad didn't fuss over you for an extra minute." Yasmine grouched. "And that evil vizier! He's like an unbearable mother hen! So fussy!"

Sai snorted in amusement. "You do know that he's good in this universe, right?"

Yasmine waved him away. "His name is _Ja'far_. If Aladdin is the main character in this universe, how can we be sure that Ja'far won't play the same role in this version of the story? I'm just saying that we should keep an eye on that one."

"Disney fanatic." He teased.

"Two-faced son of a jackal." She snapped back.

Shion ignored the bickering pair and stared as Ugo tossed Judal around like a rag doll. Though he didn't really appreciate the torture that the magi put him through, he owed it to the rude magi that he had his abilities back. Shion had secretly despised the fact that his weak body was a liability in many of his adventures with his Blessed Children. Not only that, Shion could also walk around with his hair free from his turban without fearing death constantly.

He knew the truth now. There was nothing to be afraid of.

Without warning the others, Shion jumped from his perch on the roof and made his way over to the djinn and the two magi. "OI! UGO! STOP!"

And surprisingly, the headless djinn obeyed.

Judal was crumped up onto the ground, twitching and groaning. Shion unfortunately came too late to save Judal from having all of his bones completely shattered. "Look, I take full responsibility for this guy over here. I know he seems to be quite a bit of a nuisance to fate, but I can fix that. Trust me Ugo, as a friend of Aladdin's, to deal with this."

Ugo's stance was beginning to falter, encouraging Shion with his speech. "He was chosen by the rukh for a reason. His existence in this world serves for a purpose. His fall into depravity is not completely his fault. Removing Judal right now will not change much. Besides, _would you really do such a thing in front of Aladdin?_"

Aladdin was shaking in fear and confusion behind an upturned rock and Alibaba was beside him as always. Both looked upon the scene in horror.

Ugo stiffened.

"See?" Shion told the djinn in a more gentle voice. "Stop this madness. You have confused Aladdin enough with your rash actions. Besides," He added in a sadder tone. "you are already running out of _his _magoi, aren't you? You won't be able to return to solid form after this. Don't let your last moments in this world be spent taking a life. Instead, spend it with Aladdin."

When he was thoroughly convinced that Ugo wouldn't be doing anything more to Judal, Shion whistled Amani over and gestured over to Judal's severely beaten body. "Amani, would you mind-?"

"Of course I wouldn't." She assured him. Her metal vessel mimicked Vinea and began slowly healing the magi.

Shion turned to Ugo and dipped his head. "Thank you. I will not make you regret your choice."

"JUDAL!" A voice suddenly shrieked in horror.

Shion gulped.

It seemed that Kougyoku had finally made her appearance.

* * *

There was a difference between knowing and experiencing.

Kougyoku would know.

There was once a time when Sydney despised Kougyoku's character. She had thought of the eighth princess as a hopelessly desperate romantic and an airhead to boot. Every choice she made was made judging by her emotions, not her logic. To Sydney's eyes, Kougyoku was weak.

_What was the statement again? 'You never know a person unless you walk in their shoes for two moons?'_

Unfortunately for Sydney, she was in Kougyoku's shoes. By some twisted form of a coincidence, she had ended up being reborn as the person she hated the most. She _was _Ren Kougyoku now, whether she liked it or not.

Ironically, she ended up liking it. She appreciated it. She learned so much by being in Kougyoku's position. She learned about all that political shit that the eighth princess had to go through because she was _expendable._ She learned that the only reason why she was even _alive _was because of her abilities, which were hazy at best. Anything that she saw with her 'truth eyes' could have two sides, a hidden message, anything. To sum it up, her abilities were too ambiguous to be completely useful. Sydney learned that the Kou Princess wasn't weak after all. It was _Sydney__._ _She _was the weak one. _She _was the hopeless one. She learned that Kougyoku and herself, in an essence, were not so different after all and that the girl that Sidney hated was simply her own reflection. _Her_. No one else.

Sydney would never be able to take these shoes off.

They were hers now.

Kougyoku stared down on the crumpled up form of her friend in horror.

The manga pictures always made the wounds seem so…superficial. Yes, the plots were deep and the characters were well rounded, but they were just _pictures_, 2D images that were black and white.

In those pictures, Judal wasn't black and blue _all over_. In those pictures, his body wasn't as twisted and contorted and _oh my Solomon is that __**bone **__sticking out of his leg?_ His body looked like one of those deflated, discolored balloons that couldn't be blown up again because it was damaged. But he was alive. Severely damaged, but alive.

_What if she hadn't come in time?_ It was a scary thought.

"My lady." Koubun murmured in concern. "Should we…?"

What to do? What to do?

Ugo was a good guy in the manga. Sydney even cheered for him when he had beaten up Judal, since Judal was the bad guy. That was back when everything was simple, so simple.

But that bad Judal wasn't _her _Judal. This was _her _Judal. He was the friend who had kept her company during the usually lonely dinners, the friend who showered her with ridiculous gifts in attempts of expressing his 'feelings' (whatever the heck they were), the friend who raised a dungeon for her to capture upon her request.

This Judal was important to her.

And this Ugo had **hurt **him.

"Koubun, take Judal and leave. I will take care of things here." Kougyoku ordered in a cold, flat tone that offered no room for argument. Koubun nodded and ordered the other guards that accompanied them to retrieve Judal. Amani didn't make that much of a fuss and stopped her healing when Koubun took over. He bowed to her in thanks and acknowledgement. Amani was an important person in Kou, after all.

"I will take my leave, princess. Are you sure that you wouldn't-?"

"-That will be all, Koubun. Leave me."

Koubun obeyed. In moments, the carpet and magi were departing towards the Balbadd Palace. Only the princess of Kou remained.

"Kou-chan…" A blonde pretty boy said warningly. Kougyoku almost didn't recognize him. Not that she cared. Sai's opinion didn't matter in this situation. The plan be damned, she was going to _destroy _the djinn for what he did.

"You hurt a very important person of mine, Giant." Kougyoku took out her hairpin and pointed it at the headless djinn. "Prepare to pay the price of messing with the allies of this Kou Princess."

"Kougyoku, NO!" She distantly heard Yasmine shout. But no, no, no, she was going to finish this. She was going do what the original Kougyoku did in the first place. She was going to allow her bloodlust to take over and she would _crush _this djinn from existence.

Water began gathering around Kougyoku's form and hairclip. Ugo, sensing her animosity, readied himself for battle. Her eyes narrowed at the _audacity _of him to even consider trying to defend himself.

"Spirits of Sorrow and Isolation, in the name of my Magoi and my will to grant me a greater power, I order you to gather around me to attach yourselves to me and impose yourself the great djinn upon my body Vin-

A hand clamped down her arm and cut off the flow of her magoi, effectively cutting off her transformation. "Stop this, Miss!"

Kougyoku was snapped back to reality and dropped her metal vessel as if it burned her. "What…?"

"Miss, you seem to be the Kou Empire's Princess." The deep voice said soothingly. "Please, calm yourself. These sort of disputes should only be settled between royals."

"Yes…I'm sorry." She whimpered, her rash actions finally processing through her mind. She ripped her hand off of the man's grasp and covered her face in mortification while bursting into tears. "I can't believe I allowed myself to lose control like that! I'm so sorry!"

The man who stopped her was probably slowly backing away from her because of her sudden emotional outburst. It was probably the last thing he had expected her to do.

Ugo, behind her, relaxed his stance when he realized that she would no longer attack him and lumbered over to Aladdin who was most likely relieved that he hadn't fought her. For her sake, since he wasn't aware of what Kougyoku was fully capable of.

"Kougyoku!"

The sound of Shion's voice brought relief to the Kou Princess. She was more than prepared to catch the young boy-King. "Shion!"

Shion's small hands cupped Kougyoku's tearstained face and wiped them away carefully so her make-up wouldn't smudge. "It's okay. It's okay. Mr. Sinbad stopped you before you did anything crazy, right? It's okay. You didn't ruin anything. Ugo is still there. It's okay."

Most would feel embarrassment when comforted by a child. She didn't.

Shion was her anchor. He was the sole reason why she was here. Without him, she wouldn't have been able to be who she was at the moment: A Blessed Child, someone important.

Shion was her King.

Other arms wrapped around her in comfort.

"Sister Kougyoku, we're here. We don't blame you for being upset." Amani soothed. "You were stopped before you did anything rash, so there's nothing to be sorry for.

"Yeah Kougyoku, you had all the right to get angry. Even if that bratty kid _did _deserve that beating…" Yasmine muttered the last part to herself.

"Please don't fret, Kou-chan…um I mean, _my lady_." Sai corrected himself while clearing his throat uncomfortably. Clearly, the persona he took on as a front made it hard for him to comfort her properly. Not that she minded, since it was the thought that counted.

Kougyoku sniffled. "Shion, where did your turban go?" Didn't they agree to hide his hair? She didn't understand why, but Sai and Amani had seemed to agree upon something when they saw his hair.

"Yeah, I sort of gave up on hiding it after a certain someone ripped my turban off my head in front of everyone." The young boy said sheepishly while ruffling his hair self-consciously. "Does the color clash with my eyes?"

"I think it compliments them nicely."

Kougyoku looked up and froze.

Sinbad.

It was _Sinbad._

The man who the original Kougyoku fell in love with.

The man who was the ruler of all Seven Seas.

The man who would eventually use her.

Sinbad caught her gaze and smiled charmingly at her. His smile could have melted the hearts of a thousand maidens, but for Kougyoku, it only made hers jerk, splutter, and die like a broken engine. What her eyes saw was the most vague of images that could be translated in a thousand different ways. But, in her inner fear and panic, she saw him as an impenetrable, undefeatable tsunami that would undoubtedly swallow her up and drown her and everything else without a care.

Then, her eyes wandered from Sinbad to Shion and then to Sinbad again.

"Shion."

Shion noticed her gaze and flushed in embarrassment.

"Ah, yeah. I almost forgot. This is Kougyoku, the eighth princess of Kou and the fiancée of King Ahbmad of Balbadd. Kougyoku, this is…" Shion trailed off uncertainly when he looked at Sinbad but at the encouraging smile from the older man, he found the confidence to continue the introduction. "This is King Sinbad of Sindria, Ruler of the Seven Seas, Capturer of Seven Dungeons, and…well, to put it simply, my f-f-f-f-f-f-father." Shion struggled saying the last part.

Kougyoku gaped at the new information, though the more rational part of her mind chided her for being so dense.

After all, the purple color of Shion's hair should have been an obvious indicator.

Shion slowly turned to Sinbad and avoided making eye contact, obviously very guilty about something. The princess of Kou, now less afraid of the Sindrian King, looked on the scene with curiosity. Shion opened his mouth.

"Sorry for calling you a bum."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To make things clear:
> 
> 1\. Shion honestly did not know that his father was Sinbad during his time in Balbadd.
> 
> 2\. Yunan is one of the three magi (sans Aladdin) and Shion's Uncle. He is also Ranya's older brother.
> 
> 3\. Since he is the child of both a First Class Anomaly and a blood relative of a magi, Shion's birth would have caused so many natural disasters that it wouldn't have been funny. He placed a rukh suppressor on Shion from birth to prevent this. The memory suppressor that was added onto the turban to (a) Ensure that Shion would not remember his hair color (since Shion didn't always wear that thing. He needs to bathe from time to time.) and (b) to act as a memory wiper to the people around him if they ever catch sight of his hair. The seals activate when Shion puts his turban on. That's why no one forgot about his hair color yet.
> 
> 4\. No, Judal wasn't being nice. He just sensed the magoi suppressor and wanted to see how strong Shion is. He could have cared less if Shion died of blood loss.


	9. Chapter 8: Change

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Time to change fate.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Onwards

Amani stared at the long expanse of empty ground spread out in front of her.

This was what was left of her old home.

After Sinbad settled the dispute peacefully, Sai escorted Kougyoku back to the palace where Koubun and the other bodyguards were most likely waiting. He dropped his "Cain" form, since they would be more accepting of his presence if they recognized him as a friend. It seemed that Judal was still alive, though heavily injured.

Ugo disappeared back into his flute after a few last moments with Aladdin and never came out again. This time, Kougyoku wasn't the cause. According to Shion's theory, Ugo had used up most of his 'extra Solomon rukh', that had allowed him to come into this world, in his attempt to kill Judal. Though Aladdin didn't blame Kougyoku (it seems that Judal was going to be used as the scapegoat this time), he was still desperate to bring Ugo back. He had almost used up all of his rukh in his attempt, putting him in a state of unconsciousness.

Shion could have stopped him, but he didn't.

As much as it made him feel guilty, Aladdin _had _to receive Solomon's Wisdom. It was one of the events that _could not _be changed because of its importance.

_Was Kassim's death something that was unchangeable?_

It was a question that had haunted her ever since Sai had confronted her about _that night_ and his insistence that her brother-friend's death was necessary for everything to move along.

_But Sai lies. It wouldn't be the first time he did._ A voice in her mind chanted desperately.

Amani hoped that it was true.

The conflict in her mind forced her to find a quieter and more open space to mull over her problems.

Which lead her to this place.

Amani didn't know why, but the thought that this used to be where her home was managed to calm her nerves and mind. But, just as her thoughts of worry disappeared, a pang in her heart replaced it.

The slums had never left Amani.

It was as if the place imprinted itself into her soul and breath. No matter how many hours she spent with Fatima practicing her body language and steps, there would always be a piece of the slums there. In her fighting style, her speech patterns, and her way of eating, the slums were there. It would _always _be there with her.

Sometimes, Amani wondered if she made the right choice by following Alibaba to the palace.

Sometimes, she imagined a life where she remained with Kassim and Mariam.

Life would have been simpler there. She would have been happier there. She could have changed so many things without altering the storyline too much. She could have avoided the messiness of politics and corruption. She could have led a life where she could be Ghost and just Ghost.

But things never really do go the way people want. That was fate and Amani wouldn't argue. She could only move forward and wish for the best.

So, the Balbadd Princess walked away from what once was Junkyard Street, leaving behind memories, laughter, and regrets.

* * *

When Amani returned to the Fog Troupe Hideout, she found Sahbmad speaking with Alibaba, the General beside him acting as support. A fleeting smile flickered across her lips at the rare show of bravery from her normally cowardly older brother.

The remnants of the Fog Troupe and Sinbad were overlooking the conversation with expressions mixed with horror and disgust. Amani already knew Ahbmad's plan of making Balbadd into a slave country so the reactions were completely understandable.

"Brother Sahbmad." She called out warmly, interrupting their conversation. "What a wonderful surprise to see you here."

Sahbmad's solemn expression brightened at the sight of his pale sister. "Sister Amani!"

Amani nodded in greeting to her brother's old sword instructor before coming over to her half-brother's side. She took his hand, which had noticeably stopped shaking. "It must have been hard coming over here. What news do you bring?"

"I'll tell you about it later, Amani." Alibaba cut in quickly. "Sahbmad should be going back to the palace. It's getting late and we don't want him to be caught."

"I see." She turned to her half-brother and embraced him. "Be safe, brother. Alibaba and I are going to fix things so rest your worries."

Alibaba and Amani said their farewells to their half-brother as he departed back into the palace. When the carriage seemed to be out of sight, Alibaba abruptly grabbed his sister's sleeve and dragged her back into the building and led her to his room. Knowing that her brother had something troubling on his mind, Amani allowed this and followed him without a struggle.

"Amani," he started when he closed the door, "I can't do this. I can't be a leader like Kassim and Sinbad. I can't…I can't be as strong as all of you. Did you see how weak I was when we battled against Judal? I was so-"

The white-haired girl watched her brother as he paced around the room. She allowed him to express his anxieties and doubts to her without any comments or judgment. Those were reserved for the end.

"-And I think that I should just leave. It would be better for everyone." Alibaba finished lamely while looking at his sister for some sort of response. Amani took a seat on her brother's bed and looked out of the window.

"Alibaba, remember the day I told you about my engagement?"

"Yeah?"

"You freaked out and hid inside your room before I could say anything else." Amani recounted, much to her brother's embarrassment. "You didn't let me into your room for the rest of the day."

"Are you going somewhere with this?"

Amani frowned. "You ran away, Alibaba. You always run away when I need you the most. I understand that it's a natural reaction for you to just leave when you feel helpless about the situation. But this isn't something as silly and small as an engagement. Believe it or not, people depend on you Alibaba. Kassim may have the charisma and Sinbad may have the experience, but _you_ are their prince. _You,_ the one who carries ties with both our father and the people, are the one they look to at the end."

Alibaba looked terrified at Amani's words. He was already too well aware of that weight, but hearing his sister tell him this made it even more real. "What do you expect me to do?" He asked hopelessly.

"Stay." Amani told him firmly. "Stay here in Balbadd. You came here to fix your mistakes, right? Finish what you have started, Alibaba Saluja."

At the end, Alibaba asked to be left alone to think a little bit more on the subject.

Amani knew that he was going to try running away.

She left him alone anyways.

* * *

Shion awkwardly sat in his seat as Ja'far fussed over his wounds and scolded him for being so reckless. It wasn't that the advisor was making him feel uncomfortable. Well, that would be a lie. Shion wasn't used to being cared for by an adult so this was an alien experience. (Amani didn't count!)

No, the source of his discomfort sat across from him.

Sinbad.

His _father._

The time traveler shifted uncomfortably under the man's concerned gaze. "I'm fine." He assured both the advisor and the king. "Really. See? It's not bleeding anymore. All fixed up."

"But your wrists were all cut up." Ja'far said stubbornly. "You were dying."

"Not anymore." Shion soothed. "My wrists look as good as new. Look. No cuts. No infections. No discoloration. I am _fine_."

When Ja'far was finally convinced that Shion wasn't going to fall apart, he conceded in stopping his fussing and backed off, which left Shion alone with his father at the dinner table.

Sinbad smiled brightly to calm Shion's nerves. Kind smiles from an adult usually calmed anxious children down. Unfortunately, Shion wasn't a normal child so the charming smile only made him more nervous and apprehensive. Sinbad, as a king, appeared as a potential threat to Shion's experienced mind and he was automatically wary. At the same time, the childish part of him was shy. In both of his lives, Shion never knew his father, so he didn't know how to act. Yes, he had father figures here and there but this was different. This man was actually his flesh and blood.

"Shion," Sinbad said. "is there anything you need? Are you hungry? Cold? Tired?"

_He's a threat!_ The War Veteran in him cried out. _Don't trust him! He'll use our weakness against us!_

_But he's family!_ The Child in him insisted. _He just wants to take care of us!_

_Sinbad is a powerful person so we should keep an eye on him. _The King in him agreed with the War Veteran. _But that doesn't mean he will be a threat to __**us**__. We are his flesh and blood. An honorable man like him would not harm us. He has no ill intentions, just concern, nervousness, and excitement. I feel that this situation is new to him too. Let's give him a chance to be our father._

Shion spoke.

"Can I-" he began cautiously. "Can I call you 'Father'?"

Sinbad appeared shocked at the child's request. It was as if Shion had asked him for permission to breathe air. He took it as a good sign that the man had already acknowledged him as his own. Shion's body relaxed.

"Father." Shion tested the word. "Fa-ther. I never thought I would have one, honestly. I thought that I would always just have Mother and Uncle."

"Is that a bad thing?" Sinbad ventured with a curious look.

Shion shook his head. "No. It's actually very nice. I'd like to continue having a father, if you don't mind. Is that a bad thing?" He mimicked his father with a joking grin.

"No." Sinbad shared Shion's grin. "And I will be your father as long as you like, Shion. The offer to come to Sindria with me is still open. Will you come with me to my country?"

He was offering, not just taking him. Shion liked that. And Sinbad was truly, honestly willing to take him under his wing, which was not a bad thing. Besides, he needed to go to Sindria to follow the main events of the timeline anyways.

That and he really, really, _really_, wanted to spend more time with this father of his.

"I promised Sai that I wouldn't slack off in my training. Will you help me achieve my djinn equip?" Shion asked anyways to make sure.

"I will train you myself." Sinbad vowed.

"Amani and Yasmine are a bit protective of me. Will I be safe from any assassins there?"

"They won't even dare when Ja'far is there."

"Kougyoku is a Princess of Kou. Will I still be allowed to be friends with her?"

"She will be an honored guest if she ever comes over to Sindria, as will your other friends if they ever decide to visit."

"I'll come." Shion announced with a confident nod after his barrage of questions. "After Balbadd, I'll go with you to Sindria."

Sinbad beamed. "I'm glad."

Masrur, who had been standing behind Shion for a while, patted him on the head without the turban obstructing him from the child's purple hair.

Shion thought he heard Ja'far sniffling in the background.

* * *

"Your brother is a wuss."

Surprisingly, it wasn't Sai who said this.

Amani shot Yasmine a look before giving up, since there was a good amount of truth in her comment. "Please keep your thoughts to yourself. He's my brother."

"And I have a brain and a mouth. I repeat: Your brother is a wuss. He cries too easily and he runs the moment the shit hits the fan. I think you spoiled him too much."

"Yes, it's my fault." Amani said dryly while making her way to her room.

Yasmine followed her casually. "Yes. I mean you practically raised the kid. Face it, Amani. You pampered and protected him too much. I think the kid needs a major wake-up call if he wants to set his head straight."

"He had one." Amani said abruptly when she stopped by her door. "Kassim died."

"In the manga." Yasmine reminded her friend. "In the timeline that didn't have us in it. Our _existence _is changing everything. If we play this right, your friend won't have to die and your wimp brother will set his head straight on his own. Look, I know that Sai and Kougyoku obsess over the 'main characters' and their 'character development' but this is _real _life. This isn't some storybook. The only 'characters' in this weird story that should matter to us are ourselves."

"So…?"

"Be selfish! Be greedy! Screw the consequences and the carefully made plans. If Kassim making it out of this whole fiasco alive makes you happy, then do your goddamned best to save him. Worry about your brother's stupid 'character development' later. People change all the time, but death is irreversible."

Amani blinked.

"Are you trying to tell me to throw away the fate of the word for the sake of my childhood friend?" She said in disbelief.

Her friend scowled and rolled her eyes. "_No_, I'm telling you to stop following the stupid script and start using that brain of yours. If Sai says he can't see a happy ending, then you _create_ that happy ending yourself. He wasn't the top student in high school. You were, which gives you genius rights."

"Genius rights?"

"Means that you rank higher than him in smart things. So use your head and think up something better than that joker's plan, _genius_." Yasmine mocked playfully.

Amani smiled at the jab. Yasmine always had a straightforward view when of the world. Though the overlooking of the details could be a setback in some situations, it definitely helped Amani in this one. Just create your own ending, huh? Her smile turned into a teasing smirk. "Don't you outrank Sai too, then? Don't be so lazy and try chipping in too, Miss Second Place."

Yasmine huffed.

"Shut up. It's supposed to be my vacation so I deserve a break from using this beautiful brain. I overworked it on the last mission so I let the slacker do the work this time. And stop spoiling that brother of yours."

* * *

"So…how's our favorite antagonist, Kou-chan?"

Sai stayed with Kougyoku despite Koubun's protests. He claimed that he did it because he was 'bored'. Kougyoku knew better. The truth didn't escape her eyes, after all. Sai, for all his pranks and quips, actually cared for his friends.

Which pretty much only consisted of the other Blessed Children plus Shion.

(According to him, everyone else "could just burn in hell". No joke.)

"_Judal _will live." She informed him, stressing _Judal _to make it very clear that she didn't appreciate the nickname. "And he _won't _be an antagonist."

"Denial is a scary thing, Kou-chan. You can only go so far before the truth comes out." Sai warned her with a lazy smile. "Our little 'Judal-chan' may listen to your shallow requests but he's a loose canon. At the first whiff of blood, he'll be off to join the slaughter and leave you in the dust. It's in his nature."

"I _know _that." Kougyoku snarled, losing her composure. "What do you take me for? An idiot?" When Sai opened his mouth, she cut him off. "Don't you _dare _answer that, Sai!"

He snapped his mouth shut audibly.

Rolling her eyes, Kougyoku made her way over to a chair. "I hate you."

"No, you love me." Sai interjected easily. "I know you're lying. You suck at lying, which is fitting for a truth-seer like you. Though your acting is impressive! Judal acted just as I planned and it's all thanks to you! Honestly, I didn't expect it to work, since it depended on your acting skills but my lessons sure paid off, didn't they? I'll be giving you five stars for that, Kou-chan. Bravo!"

Bile rose in her throat at the mention of her little performance. She turned away from her companion stubbornly. "Shut up." Her lip trembled a little. "_Shut up_, Sai. This…this isn't a game. It's hard doing this to a friend. He might be a character to you, but he's my _friend_!"

Kougyoku always found it troublesome that her culture required her to cover her face with her sleeves or a fan all the time. But now, she used it to her full advantage when tears began rolling down her face. It was embarrassing enough that she broke down in front of a crowd. Breaking down in front of Sai when they were alone together was worse!

She heard Sai sigh and make his way over to her chair. He patted her head. "Sorry. I guess I went a little too far this time."

Kougyoku dared to peek at Sai. She ignored his apologetic expression and focused on his aura instead. Even with her eyes, it was difficult for her to read the true sneaky ones. The images around them were as shifty and fickle as the people they represented. His aura seemed sincere enough, but there were a few moments when Kougyoku swore she saw flashes of shadows and rot.

(No, there **were **shadows and rot. It was a fact. They were always there.)

"Sai, are you not telling us something?" Kougyoku asked suddenly, making the teen beside her freeze. "I'm right, aren't I?"

Sai resumed his patting, though there was a certain stiffness and animosity in the action this time. "Oh? And what makes you so confident that what I'm hiding from you is relevant? I always keep things to myself, you know. Stop being so nosey." There was warning in his tone and his aura now resembled a cornered wolf.

"Sai…whatever you are planning on doing, don't do it." She warned him, careful of not inquiring any further into what he was hiding. "I don't know what you're trying to cook up this time, but if it hurts Amani…"

"Don't worry. What I'm doing right now is for her happiness. No matter what my opinions on the subject are, Amani's feelings go first." Sai promised softly. "I owe it to her, after all. She forgave me after all I did. I am in no place to condemn others for making the same mistake. So, for her sake, what I am planning won't do anything that would intentionally hurt her. If it does, stop me but don't tell the others. You can do that, right?"

Sai was completely sincere in his confession but…

There was regret. She could feel, taste, and even _hear _it in his voice. And that made her a little apprehensive. What could he be planning that could elicit such a strong emotional response from her normally well-controlled friend? What had made him crack?

Should she help him?

"_Please_, Kou-chan."

Kougyoku glanced sadly at the saltwater that was pooling around Sai's feet. She knew that it had nothing to do with the sea. Sai hated raw seafood of all kinds and avoided traveling on ships as much as he could.

No, the water represented the tears that he was undoubtedly holding back.

_What are you planning to do?_

"Don't worry, Sai. I will."

* * *

"What should I do?"

It was simple enough for Yasmine to convince her to go on and save Kassim, but now Amani was facing a different dilemma.

_ **How** _ _ could she save him?_

She worried so much on whether or not she should save her childhood friend that she had completely disregarded on _what _to do in order to save the said childhood friend. _Some genius you are, Amani Saluja. S_he thought to herself bitterly.

"Is there something the matter?"

Amani jumped into a defensive position at the sound of a stranger's voice. She faced a calm-faced Ja'far holding his hands up in a peaceful gesture. "I apologize for startling you, Princess Amani."

"Mr. Ja'far!" Embarrassed, she relaxed her body. "I'm sorry for reacting in such a way…I was caught off guard. It won't happen again."

"No, no. Your reflexes are impressive and it is always good to be prepared at all times. You also showed impressive restraint. An amateur would have attacked senselessly." Ja'far complimented with a soft smile. "Fatima taught you well."

Amani jerked at the mention of her beloved teacher. "You knew Teacher?"

"Yes, she was my sister." Ja'far told Amani with a bittersweet tone. "She was more talented in the arts of assassination then I will ever be. It's not surprising that she managed to instill her fighting style so flawlessly into her student."

"Thank you." Amani didn't know what else to say. 'I'm sorry for your loss?' 'I'm sorry that she died?' 'I knew and loved her very well too?'

Instead, she asked him, "Were you two close?"

"No." Ja'far stated bluntly. "We didn't get along. That is why I decided to serve in Sindria while she remained in Balbadd. Being far away from each other was the best course for us."

Amani couldn't imagine that. Even though Ja'far's confessed to being related to Fatima, the information honestly didn't surprise her. Amani found it fitting that the pair were siblings. Both were calm, wry, practical, and so much alike in character. For them to not get along was very hard for her to envision. But saying this, Amani felt, seemed a little rude. Who was she to judge someone else's family affairs?

"I see." She said instead.

"But she was important to you, wasn't she?" Ja'far asked sympathetically. The pained expression that crossed her face confirmed his assumption. Amani felt his hand touch her shoulder comfortingly. "You must have loved her very much. Please, do not blame yourself for something that was unavoidable."

(But it _was _avoidable. It _was_. But because she was such a **coward** she just sat back and watched. Fatima's death…_that _incident…they were her punishments for not saving Mariam and for not preventing Alibaba from escaping the palace. She deserved it.)

"It's…my fault that she died." Amani told Ja'far suddenly. "Fatima…Fatima was doing fine. She could hold thousands of men on her own. But…but then I…screamed and then she…if I had just kept _quiet_ she would have…"

(Hate me. Hate me. Hate me. Hate me.)

"Oh dear." Amani felt hands touch her face gently. They ghosted over her cheeks to wipe away the tears that weren't there. "Shhh, don't think like that. Despite our differences, I knew my sister well. She would not have blamed you for your actions. _Especially_ not for screaming." She heard the frown in Ja'far's voice.

"But-

"You were being violated in the most personal way. I think that was reason enough to call for help. My sister's death was only a result of timing and circumstance." Ja'far said firmly. He looked at her sadly. "I am sorry that such a thing happened to you at such a young age."

Amani wanted to stop talking about it. She wanted to stop thinking about it. She wanted to continue pretending that everything on that night never happened and that she was still whole.

_Kassim_, she decided to focus on. _He's the one you want to save. Forget about what happened and focus on your friend._

"How is Shion?" She asked, changing the subject. If Ja'far noticed, he didn't comment on it. A joyful expression crossed his face at the mention of the boy. "He's talking with Sin." He informed Amani excitedly. "They are getting along very well!"

Amani smiled warmly. "I'm glad. Shion had always wanted to meet his father, no matter how much he denied it verbally. It's good that he's allowing Sinbad into his life."

Ja'far and Amani shared warm smiles for their respective kings.

Amani found that Ja'far was, just as she suspected, very loyal to his king despite the trouble that the man brought with him. It was a good trait for a vassal to have and she hoped that one day she would be just as good of an advisor to Shion when he became king.

_Perhaps I'll ask Koubun for pointers. _Amani considered thoughtfully as she spoke with Ja'far about Shion. _Though he may be a bit ambitious for a servant, that man knows what he's doing. He's very smart too. Not only that, he's-_

Amani froze in mid-sentence as her thoughts came to a complete halt.

_Koubun._

Ja'far.

_ **Of course.** _

It was so easy. It was so simple.

_Why _she didn't think of this in the first place was beyond her comprehension.

"Princess Amani?" Ja'far asked in concern.

"Amani." She insisted suddenly. "Just…call me Amani."

Ja'far, surprised but not entirely against this request, nodded. "Then please call me Ja'far in return."

"Thank you for the conversation, Ja'far." Amani thanked him hurriedly. "But I remembered that I have something to do. Please take care of Shion and my brother until I return!"

Before the freckled advisor could add any last words to their conversation, Amani was already out the door and into the streets of Balbadd.

She knew what to do now.

* * *

Alibaba was stressed.

He had just recently come back from a meeting with Sinbad. Instead of being assured by the powerful man's suggestions and advice, Alibaba found himself stressing even more.

"_You need to become King." Telling me something like that…_

"Aladdin, what do you think I should do?" He wondered hopelessly to his comatose friend. "He's expecting so much from me but I can't take that much responsibility. Not when I messed up so much already."

Of course, no response came from the blue-haired child.

_I need to go outside to clear my mind about this._ Alibaba decided to himself as he stood up. _I need some time. This is all just so sudden. And Ahbmad's plan to make the whole country a slave country…_

"Alibaba."

Alibaba jerked from his deep thoughts to face Shion. The boy gave him a sheepish smile. "Ah, sorry. Did I interrupt you with something? I can come another time if you like."

"No, it's fine." Alibaba assured the child with a small smile. "You didn't interrupt me with anything important. What is it that you want to talk about?"

Shion looked down at his feet. "Well, I heard about Aladdin and wanted to offer some moral support. You were friends with him longer than I was, right? How is he?"

Alibaba's expression sobered. "He's not awake yet."

Shion came over to the magi's bedside. "He'll wake up." He told Alibaba with confidence shining in his eyes. "There is no way that a wonderful friend like Aladdin would leave his friends behind. He's probably saying his last goodbyes to Ugo."

There was a note of certainty in the child's voice that struck to Alibaba as amazing and wonderful. He was a little envious that a child of that age held that sort of optimism even in this terrible situation. "How are you so sure about that?"

"How are you so sure that he _won't_ wake up?" Shion shot back curiously. "How are you so sure that things won't go the way they should? It's natural for mistakes to happen from time to time, but that shouldn't be an excuse to give up halfway. I prefer having faith in my comrades. My important people deserve at least that much, right?"

"Right…"

Shion reached up and patted Alibaba's hand. "Don't stress too much. You over think things, like Amani. I swear that it's the cause of her premature white hair. She worries too much about the details when all she has to do is…well, do it. Take action. Honestly, leave the consequences for your friends to help you deal with. That's what friends do, right? Help?"

Alibaba envied the simplicity of a child's mind. Shion made it sound so easy. But it wasn't. Not in reality. He swallowed the skepticism he was feeling and patted the eight-year-old on the head. "Thanks, Shion. What you said helped."

"You were thinking that I am being naïve, weren't you?" Shion accused the blonde with a pout. Alibaba felt a stab of panic and immediately denied the child's complaint. "No! I wasn't! Seriously!"

Shion's face did a funny thing then. Alibaba saw Amani make that face from time to time when they were children. It was an expression that Alibaba usually saw in the face of adults when they knew a child did something wrong no matter how sure the child was of being in right. It was an expression that made Alibaba feel guilty and embarrassed at the same time.

"Liar."

Alibaba gave Shion a blank look. "Huh?"

"You're a terrible liar, Alibaba. Frankly, you suck at it." The purple-haired child informed the blonde prince bluntly. "I've seen Kougyoku do better than you, and that's saying something. Stick to being honest."

"Wait, what?"

"You. Are. Terrible. At. Lying." Shion enunciated slowly. Alibaba bristled at the patronizing tone that the child's voice took on. Who did the kid think he was? He scowled at the younger male.

"But that's not a bad thing." Shion continued, wiping the angry look off of the blonde's face. "You're honest. That's a good trait in a king. Without honesty, there is no trust or love between the king and his people."

Alibaba didn't hide his grimace. "But I'm weak. I couldn't do anything to protect anyone. Ahbmad wouldn't even listen to me."

"That's just his poor judgment, not a fault of yours." Shion brushed off flippantly. "Another reason why he isn't suitable for the throne. _You_, on the other hand, would listen to anyone's opinions before acting." He praised the blonde.

"But I was a coward." Alibaba insisted shamefully. "I almost ran away."

_Again_ went unsaid but he had a feeling that Shion knew what he meant.

Shion looked to the still form of his blue-haired friend as if he held all of the answers. Alibaba couldn't blame him. Aladdin had that sort of effect on people, young and old.

"I think," he said contemplatively, "you are brave, Alibaba. I learned to believe that true bravery is not lacking fear when facing an opponent but having a great amount of fear in your heart and fighting for what you believe in anyways."

Alibaba stared at Shion in awe as the child seemed to glow with the sort of brilliance that he saw in Sinbad when he spoke, in Kassim when he took charge, in Amani when she smiled her rare, joyful smiles. "You think I'm brave?"

"Yeah. You just lack power." The child informed Alibaba truthfully. "But power can always be achieved through effort and will, which you definitely have. You have the important things that many people don't have. Don't sell yourself short."

"I guess…"

Shion placed a hand on Alibaba's arm. "It's not hard to see why Aladdin chose you."

_Not surprised that Aladdin chose me?_ Alibaba thought in disbelief.

Shion laughed. "Do you really not believe that, Alibaba? You know, I meant what I said to Judal back there."

"Really?" Alibaba asked the child hopefully.

Shion nodded. "Every word." He promised solemnly. "You are the sort of person that I respect and look up to. Even if you're a bit flawed in some areas."

Shion didn't have the expression of a hero-worshipper. His eyes didn't sparkle and his cheeks weren't flushed. Shion didn't kiss the ground that Alibaba walked on, nor did he beg for lessons to be more like him. But the silent respect that glowed in his blue eyes was far more moving than what Alibaba had imagined being 'respected' to be. And it filled him with a sense of calmness that he never thought he had.

"Thanks." Alibaba told Shion genuinely. "No, really. I'm telling the truth this time. What you said…it helped me. A lot. I needed to hear that."

Shion returned his smile with a toothy grin. "That's good to hear! Now let's go and get something to eat! I'm starving!"

Alibaba grinned and followed his young friend, completely forgetting about his intended outing.

* * *

"Hey! Isn't that Amani? Princess Amani!"

"Yes, yes it is!"

"Princess Amani! How did the discussion go?"

Unintentionally, Amani had replaced Alibaba in his meeting with Kassim.

It was supposed to be the scene when Kassim showed his true colors to Alibaba. It was supposed to be the scene when Alibaba finally got his act together after seeing what his best friend had become. It was supposed to be the scene when Alibaba made his resolve to stop Kassim.

And Amani was ruining it.

"Find a way to save this country already!"

Surprisingly, she didn't give a damn.

As she ran from the outstretching arms of the malnourished, desperate citizens of Balbadd, _her _Balbadd, Amani felt the strong grip of her savior whisking her away from being torn apart by the crowd of the hungry. "Hurry up and get over here, Ghost!"

Amani didn't hesitate.

She took Kassim's hand and ran.

* * *

"Father? It's Shion."

At the sound of his son's voice, Sinbad turned from his discussion with his generals to give him his fullest attention with a wide smile. If someone were to guess that the Sindrian King was happy about the discovery of having a son, they would discover their assumption to be an understatement. Sinbad was _ecstatic._ In his life, many people had told him that he would become many great things. Not for a moment had he considered fatherhood to be one of them. He had been firm in his decision to never marry. He had believed that he would be content with the people of Sindria as his children.

But then there was Shion.

Without knowing it, Sinbad had taken a shine to the child, with his genius and talent. He had felt, the moment the child had defended him in his potentially disastrous meeting with Aladdin and Morgiana, a connection with the child. Shion had reminded Sinbad of himself in his younger years.

Was it that much of a surprise that he turned out to be his son?

_Yes, yes it was._

But not in a bad way.

Instead of feeling fear and panic at the discovery, Sinbad had simply accepted that _yes, the boy was his own_. He had already unconsciously acknowledged Shion as his kin days ago. The experience of having a son was more exciting than he thought it would be. Sinbad discovered the thrills of picking out habits and quirks that his son shared with him. He caught himself musing about the things he would give Shion, (best clothes, best tutor, best food, best _everything_). He also found himself outrageously happy every time someone referred to Shion as his "son".

But was Shion happy to have him as a father?

The shy smile that the boy wore told him otherwise, but the small, wiggling feeling of insecurity remained despite the assurance. Sinbad retained his smile and beckoned his son over.

Shion came in and, to Sinbad's surprise, dragged Alibaba over with him.

"Alibaba has something to request from you." The child announced with a hint of restrained excitement in his voice. He gave Alibaba an encouraging pat as the blonde stepped forward.

To the Sindrian King's surprise, the insecurity in the Balbadd Prince's brown eyes was no longer there. Now, only determination was set in his eyes and brow. The sudden change in the teen was…unexpected.

"Sinbad, please teach me how to use a djinn! I need power to protect this country!"

* * *

"What are you planning to do?"

The accusation was harsh in Yasmine's mouth. But she was never one to simply hold her tongue in front of her comrades. She waited patiently for the person in front of her to answer.

Shion flicked his blue eyes over her stiff and trembling form before flicking them back to the game board he had found in a trash pile.

"Not something dangerous, I assure you. I was simply giving Amani the time to settle things on her own terms. Besides, wouldn't it be better for Alibaba to find his courage on his own? In the original timeline, he had to face his friend's betrayal to finally snap out of his reluctance. I think this way is better for both of them."

"So it has nothing to do with using Amani at all?" Yasmine's tone became less hard at Shion's honest explanation.

The boy-king chuckled and began setting up random pieces on the board. Those, too, he had found on the streets near a gambling house. "Of course not. I may have been a bit sly in my time as king, but that was only because I was tangled in a great, political battle that I was losing. I was desperate. Now, I am a child, free of most worries and responsibilities. I can focus on the people important to me. So no, I will not betray or use any of you without your consent."

Yasmine frowned.

"_Without_ our consent?"

"Well yes." Shion mused with a cheeky smile. "How can I turn down a willing participant in this game?"

The masked teen slammed her fist into the wall next to her. Eyes narrowed behind the bone-mask. "This is not a game, Shion!" She snarled. "I may respect you, but if you are going to treat this whole thing like it's not real then-

"Yasmine." Shion interrupted sharply. "I spent nineteen years fighting a war that I was born in. _This is all a game._ Your far-seeing eyes might never see it, but it's the truth. People who fall, people who fight, people who rule, and even me are all pawns that Fate created for a greater purpose."

Shion gestured over to his game board to show a variety of game pieces set up against each other. There were round pieces, there were flat pieces, and, to Yasmine's surprise, there were even some that resembled chess pieces. All were scattered over the board.

"This game has no rules. The pieces have their own mind. A pawn can become a king within a heartbeat. Sides are changed or blurred through time and circumstance. Nothing is absolute." Shion played with a pebble that he had added to his game board. "Life created this event to be a game. We need to be ready to think the way life thinks or else we will never succeed." He raised his eyes to meet the area of the mask where he was sure her eyes were. "Do you understand, Yasmine? I am not being ignorant or arrogant. This is just a way of viewing things. This is _my _way of viewing things."

Yasmine paused to consider Shion's words before nodding wearily. "If you say it like that…"

"But that wasn't the point of your anger, was it? You're thinking that I will consider you four as pawns to my game. Right? Remember this, Yasmine. I will _never_ hurt any of you." Shion vowed with ferocity. "_Never_. Do you understand this, Yasmine? You four are the only friends I can depend on in this world. When I make choices, when I make a move towards 'checkmate', I always consider your safety and wishes."

Yasmine bowed her head in shame for being found out in doubting him. "Yes."

Shion's eyes softened. "You can doubt me however much you want, Yasmine." He assured her teasingly. "I value your straightforward and simple opinions. And don't worry about your suspicions. They will just motivate me in proving myself to you. All of you."

* * *

When Amani reached the abandoned building where Kassim was supposed to drag Alibaba to in the original timeline, she began to walk alongside Kassim. She offered smiles to Hassan and Zaynab and was returned the same treatment by her comrades.

"So," she spoke, "this is where you were hiding. Why did you leave?"

Amani knew what his answer would be. But Kassim's response was necessary for her next and most critical move. She waited patiently as he ranted about his hatred towards Sinbad and all the rest of the royalty. She responded at the right moments and wore the expressions that elicited the right reactions from the man across from her. Amani made sure to adjust some of Alibaba's original reactions to fit her personality to prevent any suspicion.

It wasn't until Kassim brought up his plan about using the citizens to start a revolution when Amani began changing her responses.

"You do know that you're being manipulated by the Kou Empire, right?"

Her comment was not a lie. Kou truly was manipulating his hatred for their gain. It was very much like them to set up the right elements within a weak country before sitting back and watching it destroy itself. It wasn't as if Amani had learned nothing during her time in Kou.

"No, in fact, you are being manipulated by the Kou _royalty_."

Baiting him with his hatred seemed to be the safest way for now. Amani knew that even the mention of royals would send Kassim recoiling away from whatever they were involved in. His prejudice went that deep. From the corner of her eyes, she saw the 'weapon dealer' shift uncomfortably. Amani felt her heart leap in joy at the small movement. It meant that she was doing this _right._

Kassim's eyes narrowed at Amani's statement. "Ghost…what are you trying to say?"

"I'm saying that this plan of yours, no matter how successful it will be on your part, will fail once Kou makes whatever move it was planning on making from the beginning. A different action should be taken, something that won't leave this country weak enough for the stronger ones to take over. You don't want to be played by them, do you?"

Kassim appeared convinced. Amani _swore _that she saw the response coming off the tip of his tongue. Then, the goddamned weapons dealer had to interrupt.

_Of course._

"How should we trust you, Miss? Are you not engaged to a Kou Prince, yourself? How do we know that _you_ are not manipulating us into doing what Kou wants?"

And just like that, all the suspicion was on her.

"Ghost? Is that true?"

"Of course it is!" The weapons dealer insisted before she could defend herself. "Look at her! Royalty to the blood! How are we sure that she isn't loyal to her own kind? Isn't that right, _Princess?_"

Amani had no time for this.

Without answering him, sand shot out of Amani's gourd and wrapped around the Al Thamen member in a tight cocoon. She turned back to Kassim with an angry glimmer in her eyes.

"Before you start pointing fingers at me, remember that I grew up with every one of you. I would _never _betray my family and friends. Believe me when I say this: Your weapons dealer is a servant of Kou. I would recognize that garb from anywhere." She explained to him calmly as she slowly made a fist with her right hand. The sand cocoon began to shrink, gradually squeezing the person within to death. "You were careless, Kassim."

With a final squeeze, Amani finally allowed her sand to fall away. A tiny doll dropped onto the ground instead of the blood, bones, and skin that everyone had expected to see. "Couldn't even trust you enough to give you weapons in person. That Al Thamen rat." She muttered in disdain while picking the doll up. She crushed it into tiny pieces to ensure its demise.

Amani turned back to Kassim. "Don't trust those dark weapons."

Kassim couldn't answer. He was too shocked to. He, along with everyone else, gaped at the remains of their dealer.

Zaynab was the first to break the silence.

"But how are we supposed to fight without those weapons? They might have been provided by a shady character, but they're still useful."

Amani felt a sting of annoyance at the woman's comment but forced herself to calm down. She knew the woman was one of the most passionate in Kassim's group. It wasn't surprising. Her younger brother was one of the victims of the plague.

"No. It's best not to use them."

Kassim finally snapped out of his reverie and scowled at her. "What then? Do you expect us just to give up with this small setback? We'll still use the weapons to start the rebellion _and _crush those Kou bastards!"

_(No, no, no, this was not how you were supposed to react.)_

"Even if those weapons were provided for the sake of manipulating you?"

"We won't allow them to manipulate us!"

"Even if those weapons would cause senseless bloodshed within the country?"

"It would not be senseless if it was for a good cause."

"Even if those weapons would require you to take your own life to be even remotely useful?

"Yes!"

"Kassim…"

Amani strode over and _punched him_ without holding back. The strength behind her punch sent him sprawling onto the ground. She grabbed the front of his clothes and hefted him up. "You _fool_. If you throw away your life like that, what would be the point? Glory? Praise? Fame? Don't kid around, you bastard. All you're doing is sending this country to its downfall while adding your own sorry life to the millions that you are dragging into your rebellion!"

It was more of an Alibaba thing to do, but it seemed like the best option to beat some sense into Kassim's hard head.

Zaynab and Hassan attempted to intervene but stopped at Amani's cold glare.

She turned back to Kassim and gave him another shake. "There are other ways to receive power, you idiot!"

Kassim snarled at her while ripping himself out of her grasp. But he didn't touch her aggressively. She knew with utmost confidence that, even when he was angry with her, he would _never _handle her in a rough manner. (Never again.)

"Then what can we do? Cower? Wait?" He challenged harshly. The animosity from him and the Fog Troupe tainted the air that Amani breathed. It did its best to hold her down and intimidate her. It was very effective and powerful. A whole trained army would have been weary of it.

But it was nothing compared to Fatima's killing intent.

(She died because you screamed. Never again show that you can fear.)

With that thought in mind, Amani stepped forward.

"There _will_ be a rebellion." She began, holding eye contact with her friend. "But no citizen will be involved. No innocent blood will be shed. It will only be you, Alibaba, Zaynab, Hassan, and me."

Kassim looked at Amani as if she were crazy. She didn't blame him. She would have thought of herself as crazy too if she was in his position. Amani took a shaky breath before saying what she had planned to say all along.

"Kassim, Hassan, Zaynab, join me and become my Household Members!"

* * *

_Things change._

_People change._

_Only time remains constant, yet even that moves without thought of what it leaves behind._

_If it were any different, the Blessed Children would have fallen into depravity a long, long time ago for their unwavering wish to change fate._

_But…_

_What they were doing is changing the flow that Al Thamen had pointed this world to. What they were preventing was the world's imminent end and endless darkness. That was not this world's fate. It was their own, created within the darkness that poured from their hearts and souls._

_So, whatever fates Al Thamen touched were open for them to change. Depravity free._

_It was their choice. It was all up to them._

_Why, you ask?_

_Because the truth was; t_ _his world wanted to live just as much as they did._

_Simple as that._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Watch out, Fate, Amani has a plan.


	10. Chapter 9: Concerning Love

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Love comes in all shapes and sizes. Sometimes, it heals. Sometimes, it empowers.
> 
> Sometimes, it's sacrifice.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Onwards

_At times, it seems far, far away:_

Yasmine was a romantic.

Stories about the struggles, joys, and comedy of love were her favorites even in her past life. Why else would she have continued watching those Disney movies as Harley?

Unfortunately, she knew how impossible love would be for her. Her position as a Princess of Sasan prevented her from being 'available' to the majority of the world's population and her position as Sasan's front line (practically the whole military itself) scared any other suitors away.

Who in their right mind would consider a monster as a wife?

No one. No one in this world.

It was a grim fact that Yasmine had to learn to accept. Her grandfather would never allow her to simply _leave _the family now that she was useful, so any chance of settling down and having children was out of the question. From the moment she was born until the day she died, she would always fight for the country that hated her.

But her friends…her friends had a chance.

Already, Kougyoku had a handsome, yet terribly mannered, magi trailing after her like a lost puppy. It was cute when his attention was focused on her. Unfortunately, Judal was prone to bouts of jealousy and would not hesitate to act upon it. Yasmine was lucky. Her friendship with Kouha seemed to give her a free pass from his wrath. Amani and Sai, unfortunately, were the main victims.

Well, just Amani. Sai could escape and hide whenever he wanted. (That coward.)

Secretly, Yasmine was rooting for the dark magi. He may be set up to be the main antagonist in this story, but she could tell that he was the most compatible with her short-tempered friend. If Judal could make Kougyoku happy, Yasmine had no complaints.

Yasmine didn't have to worry about her male friend. Sai seemed to do just fine attracting young women and men alike with the handsome faces he wore for missions. She knew that he'd successfully woo whomever he wanted within a heartbeat.

And Amani…

Amani was already engaged to a Kou Prince.

But that didn't count as love, did it? Yasmine wanted the best for her comrades, especially Amani. She wanted her friend to enjoy the joys of romance and family with a man that she chose for a selfish reason. Unfortunately, Amani was not the sort to do anything selfish. Everything she did was for someone else.

(For her friends, for her country, for her _brother._)

It seemed that Amani would be in the same boat as Yasmine. She would never be loved and she would never be free to love. She would forever be subservient to a prince of a different country. Yasmine herself hadn't met the man but the age difference threw her off. That, and she heard many stories from Kouha about his older brother. What he said might have sounded like compliments in Kouha's mind, but Yasmine translated the whole thing as 'bad news'.

Surely, a man like that would never make Amani happy.

(But then again, she never really asked Amani about him. Yasmine made note to do so later on. Or sooner. Whichever.)

_We're tied to our fates no matter how we struggle, aren't we?_

And it was at that thought when it fully hit Yasmine that _happily ever after _wasn't possible. Not for them.

Not when Love was but a dream in this world.

* * *

_But is closer than one thinks:_

The messenger bird that Sai usually used flew in with a message. Thinking that it was urgent, Yasmine quickly read it.

_Come back home soon ~ _ _Kouha_

"Idiot."

Her tone was hard and annoyed, but it was obvious to all who saw that Yasmine was smiling at the short reply.

* * *

_At times, it's an unwanted pest:_

For what it was worth, Sai actually tried.

He wouldn't usually put this much effort in restraining his hatred toward others but he ended up doing so anyways. And what did he get for his efforts? A migraine and a bigger grudge, that's what.

But he knew he would try again if any of his 'sisters' asked him to, no matter how scary or annoying they were.

(Sai lied. He knew that he would not hesitate to take the chance of eliminating Judal if he had the power to turn back time.)

But he wouldn't do that to Amani. He loved her too much to do so.

Amani was his sister through life. Phoebe was his God through death.

(Or was it the other way around? Was it that Amani was his God now and Phoebe regarded as his sister? Or were both of them his Gods?)

Slitting Kassim's throat and spurning Alibaba would take him out of Amani's good graces and would probably expel him from the little rag-tag group. Yasmine and Kougyoku were already near the end of their patience with him. He even suspected that the only reason they even tolerated him was because of his connections with them in their past lives.

It made Sai a little sad, but it was to be expected. Who would believe a liar?

An idiot, of course.

But none of his companions were idiots.

Being honest was hard for a dishonest person like him. But he still tried his best to act the part of the broken soul looking for salvation. It wasn't that he wanted salvation. Oh no. Quite the opposite. He knew that he belonged down in hell along with all the other demons in the endless pit. He knew that his rukh was probably as black as a new moon night.

_ **Then why bother being good?** _

* * *

_But it stays and influences nevertheless:_

_Ah, _Sai thought when he saw Amani walk back into the Fog Troupe Base with Zaynab, Hassan and…_Kassim_ trailing after her, _how annoying._

It seemed that Amani had found her own solution without his help.

"Congratulations." Sai murmured to Amani as he passed her. "You succeeded in changing fate."

"Oi, Cain." Kassim called out with a (definitely fake) smile, which forced the shape shifter to stop, "Now that we are fellow Household Members, I hope that we'll get along in the future."

Sai hated him.

"Right?"

Sai _really _hated him.

But Amani was standing right there with that expectant smile lingering on her lips and he still had a role to play. Breaking his character would have disappointed Marius. He had to keep character. He had to act as the kind, handsome, loyal Cain the vassal who was a Household Member of Foras who was happy to finally have others join him in serving his master.

_ **Then why bother doing all of this?** _

Sai as Cain smiled warmly at his 'fellow Household Member'.

"Right. I'm looking forward to it."

_Because he loved her._

_He loved them._

_All of them._

* * *

_At times, it tries to hide itself:_

"Princess Kougyoku, I implore you to rest your eyes! I assure you that the Oracle will not die under my watch!"

Koubun scanned the rings under the Eighth Princess' eyes and the messy state of her hair with a critical eye. It would not do for her to present herself in this state tomorrow. It was the day that she would be first introduced to her fiancé after all.

For two days the Princess had not rested for even a moment, preferring to spend her time sitting at the bedside of her friend.

Koubun sighed.

"Princess, please rest. The Oracle is in stable condition due to your quick actions. He will be awake by your wedding ceremony." He attempted to assure her, but the Kou Princess was adamant on remaining at the magi's side.

Of course. How foolish of him to think that she would relent to his pleas.

The Princess had always been too stubborn and short-tempered to be the perfect wife, but Koubun had managed to convince her to _pretend _for his sake and the sake of the Kou Family during his time as her vassal.

(Honestly, how he was the only one who noticed her habit of ripping heads off of her paper dolls _on purpose_ was beyond him. And she did it so violently!)

But the Princess was still pure and innocent. Thanks to the palace life, Kougyoku was protected by every male figure in her life. Her older brothers, who had warmed up to her spitfire personality and lapses of childishness, barred her away from the political conflicts. Her real mother had denied all blood connections with her to lessen the whispers and harsh words directed to her daughter. Koubun had heard that even her deceased mentor, Ping, kept the princess by her side at all times.

Koubun was determined to keep it that way as long as he could.

For the next few hours, Koubun allowed his princess to remain by the comatose magi but returned when the beginnings of moonlight appeared in the sky.

When he came into the room, Koubun was met with the sight of a sleeping princess and very awake magi. Uncharacteristically, Koubun remained silent and simply watched.

_What will he do?_

The infatuation that the magi had for his princess was obvious to the whole empire. Judal had all but announced to the world his affections for her, which resulted in Koubun's wariness of him whenever the youth came close to Kougyoku.

But now, he watched as Judal blinked slowly at the slumbering girl beside him as if he was dreaming. Koubun wouldn't be surprised. The princess, though not the most beautiful out of her many sisters, was charming by her own right, especially when she wasn't scowling, frowning, or annoyed. Her relaxed face underneath the moonlight must have been a sight to behold up close. Judal's lips flickered between a small smile to a straight face. If someone didn't know any better, they would have mistook his expression as a grimace. But Koubun knew better than to make such an assumption. (No matter how annoying and destructive he knew the magi could be.)

It was strange seeing the magi so still and enraptured by such a simple thing. Koubun had seen more amazing sights that the magi had regarded as 'boring' after a fleeting moment. Yet here he was, watching the sleeping princess as if she were some rare phenomenon. This was one of the few moments when Koubun believed that the magi's feelings were genuine.

Koubun tensed when he saw the magi shift. He watched wearily as the magi slowly lifted his hand towards the princess' face and-

-Poked her.

Koubun scowled at the blatant disrespect and made his presence known. "Don't wake her up!" He hissed under his breath. Kougyoku moved a little at the disturbance but did not wake.

Koubun sighed in relief.

He turned to the magi with a dark look. "Let her sleep. Her wedding with the King of Balbadd will be tomorrow and she hasn't slept for days because of _you_." He accused the Oracle.

If he had expected Judal to look chastised, his expectation would have been in vain.

"Hah. So she chose me over the pig."

A smug smirk seemed to swallow the magi's face at the information. Judal then devoted the rest of his attention to the girl beside him. He gave her sleeping form an indulgent smile before petting her head in an almost brotherly manner. Koubun bristled when the action messed up her hair. "Take your hands off of her this instant!"

But his anger was completely ignored. Whether it was because Judal wanted to rile him up or he simply didn't think listening to him was worth his time, Koubun would never know and would never care to know.

"Just don't wake her up!" Koubun huffed. He then promptly strode away from the young pair in silent irritation.

But, Koubun chanced a final glance and was satisfied to see the rare softness in the Oracle's eyes that usually showed around the princess when he thought everyone wasn't looking.

"Just tonight, troublesome brat." Koubun muttered to Judal, though he doubted that the teen could hear him.

Just tonight he would allow the Princess to remain by her friend's side. It was the most he could ever grant her for her troubles. She would be married by tomorrow after all.

* * *

_But fails:_

Kougyoku's eyes snapped open when she felt something soft on her forehead. Her head jerked up and collided into something very hard. She cried simultaneously with another voice in pain. "Ow! What the heck, Princess?"

Kougyoku froze at the snarky voice. She blankly looked up to see an irritated and very awake magi. She spared no moment and threw herself at her friend in a moment of unbridled joy.

"Judal! You're awake!"

* * *

_It's complicated, twisted, and at times inhumane:_

Kassim watched as Cain animatedly offered possible metal vessels to Hassan.

"But this armor would make you look so macho!" Cain was insisting while holding out a ridiculously gaudy-looking breastplate. Hassan appeared to agree with Kassim's assessment and scowled at the suddenly cheerful bodyguard. The metal object would not do.

The personality change was not too obvious, but the three new additions to Ghost's Household caught onto it immediately and became cautious. No one could change like that within a day without any dramatic circumstances.

A faint smell of jasmine flowers filled the room as the namesake-bearer of the same flower padded into the room with graceful movements that could only be called _feline_.

Yet there was a savage edge to it. It was the savage edge that Kassim could only admire. It was the savageness that broke bone and tore out throats. It was the savageness that only lay in the hearts of the castoffs and tools. Figures that Ghost would be the one to find a powerful friend like her. Kassim knew that Alibaba would only cower at the woman's power and overlook her usefulness for awed fear. He would never see the potential in Yasmine.

_But he would be kind to her._ A voice, his conscience, informed him distastefully. _Unlike __**you**_.

Yes. He would use her. Just as he had used anyone else.

"Do you need help picking a metal vessel out?"

Raw, blunt, sharp.

_Distrustful._

"Yasmine." Kassim smiled gratefully at the masked woman who was almost his age. "I would like that, thank you."

Gingerly, the warrior began shifting through the pile of precious metals that _Sinbad_ (Kassim shuddered in disgust at the name) had _oh-so-graciously _provided them from the goodness of his bottomless heart.

_Bullshit._

"I'm glad that I'm not the only one who noticed." Kassim heard from his left. He blinked at the short woman's sudden appearance at his side. He tilted his head slightly to express his confusion at her words. A wry smile flickered on her lips.

"Sinbad." She explained patiently, making him stiffen in disgust. "You make it obvious, you know. I would try hiding it better in Mister Ja'far's presence if I were you. You pissed him off already. I'd hate to see Amani's favorite friend be killed off just like that."

Kassim frowned. "I won't be killed off that easily."

"I know." She assured him shortly while critically inspecting a trident though Kassim had a feeling that she was lying. "Hmm, not this one. Not your style. It would hinder you more than aid you."

Kassim stared at her for a long moment as she criticized the shape of the other potential metal vessels. "Do you?" He spoke slowly, making sure that he had her attention. "Do you hide and lie too?"

Yasmine smiled and continued her search.

_Yes._ Was her unspoken answer. _Always._

"Why?" He retaliated aloud. "Is it because you're _royalty _too? Obviously that big-shot king feeds lies to us _peasants _like scraps to a dog. So what about you? Is it the same for you? Is it some sort of quality that all you bastards share?"

If Amani was there, she would have hit him for running his mouth again.

But she wasn't here, was she?

Yasmine didn't seem affronted by his boldness. She smiled instead. She smiled and showed her teeth to the bitter man, which surprised him since females normally didn't smile like that. They would keep their lips closed like little purses to appear harmless and attractive.

Yasmine didn't. She smiled and showed every tooth while doing it.

(Like a tiger bearing its teeth before attacking its prey.)

"Careful now." She warned him. "Your emotions are showing, Kassim. Amani wouldn't like it if you get gutted before you earn your place as her household member."

"Earn?"

Yasmine's lips quirked downwards in a way that expressed surprise and confusion. "You don't know? Household Members of a metal vessel user don't just automatically get their abilities just like that." At 'that' Yasmine snapped her fingers. "They need to prove their loyalty and conviction in their alliance to the metal vessel user. That, and it takes some time for the djinn to conjure its offspring."

Kassim made a face. "Those things procreate?"

"They're living beings too. Gamigin is like any other human being aside from his color and abilities." Yasmine chided him with a scowl. Her scythe thrummed dangerously, tempting Kassim to step away from the weapon. He had heard tales of what it could do to its enemies. "See? You hurt his feelings. Feel lucky that you didn't say those things in front of Foras. She's even more temperamental."

These things…were like him? Kassim couldn't wrap his mind around it.

Yasmine tossed something at him. "Catch. It's nothing fancy but…I think it suits you well. Nothing like that gaudy thing Cain is suggesting." She pulled a face at her companion's antics before softening her appearance. "But, he is loyal. He proved himself to us too many times to count so I trust him to not hurt Amani."

She lifted her mask to his direction, making him stiffen under her intense gaze. For some reason, Kassim couldn't move. It was as if fear gripped his muscles and held him there under her gaze.

"You…I am not so sure about. Will you show the same amount of loyalty to her as we have or betray her trust?"

And in that moment, Kassim was sorely tempted to confess his sins right then and there so he could spare her the disappointment since _he had already hurt her in the worst way possible and deserved death_.

Instead, he looked down at the weapon he was given.

He laughed.

It was a knife. A small, measly-looking knife that used to look huge in his small hands. A small, measly-looking knife that was used to spill blood.

His blood.

"Where did you get this?" He heard himself ask, tracing the rust and almost imperceptible bloodstains on the weapon. "I thought that I lost this a long time ago."

Blood that convinced him of his filth.

"_Kassim…you have the same dirty blood as me…"_

Blood that convinced him of his worth

"_The only one with dirty blood here is you. See? It's making such a mess."_

Yasmine shrugged. "It was in the pile. I think it was metal gathered from the junk piles since Sinbad could only have so much. You'd be surprised what you find in the slums."

Kassim nodded absentmindedly.

"Right."

_So what will it be? The throne or her trust?_

* * *

_Yet so very simple:_

"You found them! And they suit you so well!"

The pleased tone in Amani's voice made Zaynab beam and Hassan puff up his chest in pride. At the end, Sai's poor choice was forcefully denied and Hassan had picked out a fierce and heavy-looking battle-axe while Zaynab fittingly chose a whip.

Long and short distant fighters were the most fitting partners. Amani considered herself fortunate to have such a compatible pair in her household.

When she told them this, she could tell that they were more than pleased to hear this from her. When she felt Foras pulsing at her side she knew the djinn approved of them.

Unbeknownst to her, a pair of rukh flew from the gourd and fused to their respective metal vessel, officially making Zaynab and Hassan Household Members.

"Wear them well and remember that you always stand beside me as comrades, never behind me as anything less."

"Yes!"

The couple hastily left the room, leaving Amani alone with the other person in the room.

Amani turned to Kassim.

She knew what the blade in his hands represented but chose not to comment on it. It was a secret she swore to keep. Speaking such things aloud could fall on strange and unwanted ears. Amani was known as being many things, but never as an Oath-breaker.

Instead, she clasped her hand on his shoulder as she had seen many men do to their comrades. Kassim stared at her hand strangely before looking back up in dumb shock. Amani dryly noted too late that this action was too masculine for a woman. In a long ago memory, Amani remembered Phoebe doing something like this to Harley. It was supposed to express…comfort or praise.

Amani wanted to show both to Kassim.

(No longer alone, you know? No longer alone. You have me now. You don't have to face everything by yourself. Can't you see that?)

"I'm filthy." Kassim stated suddenly, drawing out a frown from the white-haired woman.

Amani shook her head and gestured over to the blade. "We share that filth, then. Remember who struck the final blow. The sin is heavier on me then it is on you." Amani bit her lip before speaking again. "Kassim…I forgive you. For everything."

"…Ghost." Kassim choked and Amani knew that her words had moved him. She didn't need to see tears on his face to know that. In a way, his reaction in that moment was stronger than the one he had when they had begun fixing their burned down bridges.

"_Why?"_ he had asked that night, just as she had asked him years before that in a darker moment.

It was simple.

Amani couldn't hate her brother-friend. She just couldn't. And she considered herself very lucky for that. Many characters had followed the path of hatred and revenge only to have a tragic ending or the like.

She would never do something that would selfishly hurt others.

And if the price was her forgiveness, Amani could only comply.

* * *

_It weakens:_

Judal paced back and forth in front of the grand doors of the Royal Room. Kougyoku was most likely meeting her fiancé for the first time and speaking with him in fancy tongues.

A bitter snort came from the brooding magi. Pig King probably didn't even understand half of what his Princess said, the idiot. Judal purposefully ignored the fact that he himself didn't understand what Kougyoku said when she spoke politics and sciences. He was 'the shoot first and never ask later' sort of person. Who cared what complex mathematics was involved with every ice spear he made? He just made and shot them at anything with a heartbeat.

Something twisted in Judal's stomach when he remembered how light and faint her heartbeat had thrummed when she embraced him in relief upon his awakening. It reminded him how _fragile _she could be. Of course, her bite was worse than her lethal bark. Judal would never dare to downplay the princess' strength even in thought.

But she was human, normal. Kougyoku wasn't _special _like he was. She could break and be discarded like all the rest of the bugs in the world.

(Judal would never allow that. Kougyoku was no bug. More like a dragon or a lion-dog and ten times as deadly.)

And she was being used, wasn't she? She, despite her efforts and hardships, was still being used as a bargaining chip like her other sisters.

_Bastards._

Judal paused when he heard a giggle from the other side of the door and his expression darkened exponentially.

_What _in the world did that Pig King say to make her laugh?

Judal's knuckles turned white as he unconsciously strangled his wand. Ice spears sprung forth from the carpet and stabbed at the thick doors, splintering the wood and bending the metal.

Accomplishment sang in his blood when the conversation on the other end of the door stopped abruptly. The Magi of Kou turned and marched away, ignoring the fact that his ice spears were smaller than they usually were and that his black rukh were slowly falling to his feet like dead butterflies.

* * *

_And strengthens:_

Kougyoku forced herself to smile and talk as she felt Ahbmad's eyes rake down her body and rest upon her breasts. She mentally shivered in disgust at the blatant show of lust and pretended to appear flattered.

She coated her words with honey and milk, just as Koubun had instructed her to do, but added in double-meanings and subtle insults that only _Sai _could have picked up on. She could already hear the praises that her friend would sing if he ever heard what she said.

It helped that he was related to Amani. Half-brother, quarter-brother, whatever-brother, him having her blood helped her tolerate his idiocy immensely.

No, that wouldn't be fair. Kougyoku found that Ahbmad wasn't as stupid as she had anticipated him to be. He, at least, had a good grasp of the Kou language. She supposed that she should have been a bit more appreciative of the king's attempts to make her comfortable.

Even if she was simply a piece that gave him more money.

(Greedy thing.)

Kougyoku giggled sweetly at an ill-conceived joke while mentally rolling her eyes.

"My, how clever you are, King Ahbmad." She praised half-heartedly while hiding her grimace behind her sleeves. If there was one thing that her good-for-nothing sisters had taught her, it would be the art of hiding ugliness, even grimaces.

CRACK.

Both royals turned to the double doors at the loud sound but neither dared to comment on it. Ahbmad, already familiar with Judal's temper tantrums, paled at the dent that formed in the door while Kougyoku simply sighed in half-hearted annoyance.

She turned back to the king and slapped the sweet smile back onto her face.

"Please excuse him, King Ahbmad. The Oracle is irritable of late."

"Che. Trash should keep their emotions to themselves when they should. He ruined my doors with his tantrum." Ahbmad complained boldly when it was clear that the magi was no where near them anymore. "It would please me if he returns to Kou immediately after the wedding. He's a sore sight. Don't you agree, darling?"

Kougyoku bristled in anger at the insults pelted at her friend. Koubun also frowned behind his fan. _If I could, I would have killed you for that comment._ She thought darkly as she adjusted her hairpin. Back in Kou, the movement would have sent the maids into hysterics and the government officials trembling in fear.

Unfortunately, the King of Balbadd was unaware of her strength and overlooked her movement, preferring to rake his piggy little eyes over her body again.

"Yes." She forced herself to say through gritted teeth. "Whatever my future husband wishes, is the best way."

"Good." Ahbmad looked pleased. "A woman who obeys without question. I am happy that my future wife knows her place."

Kougyoku wanted to kill him.

The phrase 'sexist pig' couldn't have fitted a person more than he.

Kougyoku wanted to wreak havoc upon the foolish king for his shallow remarks and his arrogant assumptions. She wanted to rip his tiny limbs into tiny pieces and scatter them throughout the whole slums so they could provide a feast to the dogs. She yearned to drop the act all together to defend Judal, for he was her dearest friend, second only to the rest of the Blessed Children.

Amani, Yasmine, Sai.

Shion.

_The Plan._

Kougyoku mentally shook herself from her angry haze. Now was _not _the time to be overcome by her emotions. There was a script laid out for her to act and she would perform her part perfectly.

Who cared if the pig insulted Judal?

He would get what he deserved in the future. For now, she would allow the quip to slide and act like the obedient princess the pig king thought her to be.

She would be strong for the others.

Kougyoku hardened her heart and her will as she nodded along with the greedy pig king with a pretty, pretty smile. "Of course, King Ahbmad. I am happy to hear that you are pleased with me."

* * *

_It's loyalty:_

"Bee-chan, Jazzy-chan, how are things going?" Sai asked cheerfully while playing with his metal vessel. "I hear that Ali-dork's training with Sinbad is moving along well."

Yasmine scowled at him.

"Shouldn't you be watching over Shion instead of spying on Amani's brother?"

Sai nodded sagely. "Yes, yes, but a greater responsibility called. The Princeling gave me his permission to leave my post to concoct evil master plans behind my bedroom door."

"What changed?" Amani asked bluntly while ridding herself of her dirty cloak. "My decision to take Alibaba's place and recruit Kassim must have changed major elements in the plotline. Please don't lie about the results."

Sai's smile wavered at the mention of Amani's last-minute decision. "…You sort of screwed the whole plan over and left Kou-chan hanging high and dry at the wedding altar with your half-brother…yeah."

Amani cursed.

"You forgot about Kou-chan, didn't you? I don't think she will appreciate that."

Yasmine glared at Sai. "Stop pointing out the obvious. It's not her fault that she forgot that the chain of events that was _supposed _to happen would be connected to Kougyoku's escape from her marriage with Ahbmad."

Sai held his hands up in a placating manner. "Chill, chill, I'm not saying that the whole thing is completely screwed. Actually, Bee-chan's plan just gave me more room for creativity. I'm just pointing out that we need to change things if we want to keep this ball rolling."

"What do you suggest, then?" Yasmine grumped. "We can't just leave Kougyoku at Ahbmad's mercy. She doesn't deserve to be tied to that greedy pig. No offense, Amani."

"None taken. I completely agree that we have to save Kougyoku and Balbadd as fast as possible before the Kou Fleet reaches shore. We're changing fate but we don't want to change it to the point where we can't recognize the future."

Sai rubbed his hands together. "Okay then! It seems that everyone understands the situation! All in favor of crashing a royal wedding say 'aye'!"

"Aye."

"Aye."

"Aye! So let's start planning on-"

"Aye!"

"Aye."

All three heads turned at the two new voices in the doorway. Shion waved at the small group cheerfully while Alibaba had a resolute expression on his face. "Hi guys! Just dropping by. Couldn't help but overhear your conversation. Think you can add two more members to the plan?"

"Sure." Amani agreed before Sai could object.

The young man pouted momentarily before shrugging. "Meh. More people would help. We need a strong force to break into the castle and fight off the Kou goons. At least they're trained a bit on using their djinns. Good thing Sinbad gave you a few pointers, eh Alibaba?"

Alibaba looked at Sai blankly.

"Do I know you?"

Sai bopped himself on the head. "I completely forgot! You have no idea! Bee-chan, should I be the one to tell him or you?"

"Go ahead. It's your secret."

To Alibaba's shock and Shion's amusement, Sai changed his face into Cain's. "Yo, Alibaba!"

"C-Cain?"

Cain snickered and changed back into Sai. "Actually, it's _Sai_. Cain is just my codename for this mission. It's nice to finally meet you, Alibaba."

"Y-You? Wait, Amani mentioned you. Aren't you the jokester in Kou?" Alibaba asked while eying Sai warily. The change of face and personality completely threw the Balbadd Prince off.

Sai, very much aware of this, smirked at the blonde. "Yes, and if it helps, you can consider 'Cain' as a different person. I am Sai, jokester and friend of Amani's."

"…Hello." Alibaba greeted faintly. "So…you were able to do…that-"

"Ever since birth? Yes." Sai finished Alibaba's sentence with a condescending sneer. "Haven't you paid _any_ attention to Bee-chan's lectures? People with these fancy-spancy abilities are called the Blessed Children."

"Blessed…Children?"

Sai gave Amani a long-suffering look.

"You are _so _lucky that he's your brother." He informed her while shaking his head in disappointment. "I hope he remembers his lesson with Sinbad or he'll just be dead weight on our rescue mission. Better bring Morgiana and your Household Members just in case he messes up."

"O-Oi! I'm standing right here, you know!"

* * *

_It's friendship:_

The palace was in an uproar the next morning.

Kougyoku had almost lost hope in her friends when she was fitted in her wedding robes and prettied up with makeup that made her skin itch. She knew that Judal would be far away, following the orders of Al Thamen and avoiding her. So being saved by him was completely out of the question.

For a moment, Kougyoku had thought that her friends had abandoned her for a grander scheme.

But they didn't.

"_Steal, _Barbas."

There were shrieks and howls of pain outside of her room. Kougyoku rushed to the window just in time to see Sai 'stealing' hearts and throats of some of the monkey minions that she was forced to bring over. The Balbadd Soldiers were not wise enough to keep out of his way, not that he would attack them so violently. Sai knew that they were innocent of most of the crimes. The monkeys…not so much.

Some feet away from him, Morgiana was taking care of the Boss Monkey just as Kougyoku remembered in her memories as Sydney. If she hadn't already known the strength of the Fanalis girl, she would have been flabbergasted at her power.

"_Rot, _Gamigin!"

Kougyoku smiled in excitement as Yasmine's metal vessel cleared the gates and the obstacles in front of it in a single swing. Behind her, Alibaba was gaping at the space where the leering gates used to stand while standing protectively in front of Shion. The scene was so comical that she had to giggle.

"GAH!"

Kougyoku looked down in interest as a wave of guards were thrown in every direction as Amani walked towards the palace at a steady pace. Surprisingly it wasn't her sand that was doing this, but the trio who were flanking her sides protectively. Kougyoku recognized them as the main members of the Fog Troupe.

"Sit tight, Princess~!" She heard Sai shout above the screams and cries. "We'll be there to whisk you away shortly in an epic fashion!"

Kougyoku began to laugh in relief.

Apparently Koubun didn't share her amusement when he walked into her room. He glared daggers down at the battlefield before informing her that the King of Balbadd requested her presence, to which she reluctantly complied.

Ahbmad had positioned his best guards in front of the throne room and hurried the wedding preparations. Kougyoku was in front of her husband-to-be in mere seconds as he hastily attempted to finish all of the vows and steps to make Balbadd's ties with Kou permanent.

It was a sad thing that it only took the Blessed Children five seconds to dispatch 'the best' soldiers of Balbadd and that was _without_ the help of their metal vessels.

(Sai: "Take that losers!")

Honestly, the whole battle to the palace was very anticlimactic compared to cannon, not to mention a whole day late. Kougyoku wondered if Alibaba was ready to make Balbadd into a republic after all despite the significant changes to the events.

Kougyoku felt a hand on her leg and looked down. Shion winked at her and pointed in her ex-fiancé's direction just in time for her to see Alibaba give his older brother a well-deserved slap to the face, unknowingly snapping fate back into motion.

Well.

That fixed things.

* * *

_It's family:_

Amani stood proudly by her brother's side as he declared Balbadd a kingdom ruled by the people, not by a single king. Alibaba passionately proclaimed his confidence in the new government's ability to make Balbadd great.

Alibaba took her hand and squeezed it in relief and comfort. "We did it, Amani! We saved our country!"

Amani squeezed back. "Yes."

The Blessed Children had wisely remained away from the crowd's view. Having all of them in the same place beside a potential 'king' would have sent the wrong signals. Their true king was Shion. There was no need to place Alibaba, who obviously had no thought of becoming a king, in that sort of position. Yasmine was stage-shy anyways.

Shion congratulated Alibaba and stood beside his father and Ja'far with a proud smile on his face as he looked upon the twins.

Kassim stood a good distance away from Sinbad but Amani had seen the small twitch of his lips as he took a drag from his cigar. It seemed that he approved of Alibaba's choice too.

(Yet it was so strange. Hassan and Zaynab's household objects had activated perfectly during their grand break-in. Kassim's had not.)

It was almost a dream come true.

Balbadd was free.

Kassim was alive.

The World was one step closer to being saved.

But…

Amani glanced back to see the bright yet thoughtful (_too _thoughtful) eyes of Sinbad staring back at her. For a moment, she was very glad that Shion didn't have his father's eyes. They weren't ones that she would blindly trust…_ever_. Amani had an inkling why Fatima had decided to serve another king. Though he acted callous towards his children, her father was a king of his word and straightforward too. Most of his motives were clear. Most of them, since no king lacked an ulterior motive.

_Damned politics._ Amani thought darkly as she turned her eyes back to the people of Balbadd.

_This _was what her brother was able to do on his own in a world without her. In the throne room, he had spoken with such strength and confidence that she almost couldn't recognize him. For a moment, she could see the king that their now-dead father had seen when he had looked at Alibaba. Amani was confident that Alibaba could do amazing things.

Yasmine was right. Amani had to stop coddling him so he could grow strong on his own. Alibaba was strong. She just had to trust him to stand on his own feet and rise from his own mistakes.

"You have grown." Amani murmured. Alibaba shot her an exasperated look, misinterpreting her statement. "Amani! I told you that I couldn't control that!"

Amani did not correct him.

Instead, she squeezed her brother's hand again.

This time, it was in acknowledgement.

* * *

_It's sacrifice:_

There is something about the power of foreknowledge that gives both an advantage and a weakness to the user. Though it is very, very helpful in deciding the next move, the ability is not omnipotent. It fools the enlightened ones into thinking of themselves as unstoppable gods who can control every event to their desire. But fate does not work so simply. When a small part of a carpet is cut, the rest unravels into a chaotic, tangled heap of string. Any action made has its consequences.

They had been careless.

It was foolish of them to assume that Al Thamen would just slink away in defeat once they no longer had a candidate for their dark metal vessel. It was even more foolish for them to allow their guards to go down when one of the members of the dark association was in their midst.

Overlooking Banker was their greatest mistake.

They never considered the extent of the desperation that would take over the man after he was cornered.

Alibaba.

Banker had been aiming to kill Alibaba when he attacked. It was perfect. The blonde prince had his back wide open and had the whole country watching him. His death, with no doubt, would cause the chaos that was required. But the overlooked are very good at noticing others of their kind. Amani had noticed just in time to shift herself in front of her brother.

An eye for an eye.

A tooth for a tooth.

A life for a life.

A twin for a twin.

Amani's eyes slid closed as the Banker lunged. She sent a prayer for her friends, her family, and her people. She sent a prayer to whatever being, whatever spirit was out there, to watch over her precious people.

Blade met with skin.

Blood splattered onto pale skin and white hair.

A sacrifice was made.

* * *

"_**A-Amani?"**_

* * *

_It's love._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Jazz hands* Cliffhanger


	11. Chapter 10: Ghost

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Amani through Kassim's eyes from the beginning to the final, bloody moments.
> 
> Fate needed to be changed, but at what cost?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING: Major Character Death
> 
> We are at the end of the beginning.
> 
> Onwards

"_**A-Amani?"**_

* * *

She was a strange girl.

She didn't smile. She didn't laugh. She didn't cry. She didn't play with anyone aside from her brother. She didn't pretend that small, stuffed rucksacks were babies. She didn't act like a normal girl should.

She was different.

And that made her strange.

Kassim would have gone through his life without bothering with the strange girl. He had games to play and friends to play with. Who would think about someone who looked half-dead? Not him. That would've been a complete waste of his time.

Kassim was completely set on ignoring the strange girl for the rest of his life.

Then, he had to look at her _goddamn _eyes.

Contrary to common belief, when a male takes a particular interest in a female's eyes, it doesn't mean that he will fall completely and utterly in love with her. No, in fact, it made him hate her.

(Her eyes were like dirt.)

What gave her the right to have such dead and bored eyes? She never faced hell as he had. _He _should be the one with the dead eyes. It would have complimented his bruises and the snarl he wore whenever his father came home. Kassim knew that she was the daughter of Anise. She was a kind woman. That strange girl had no reason to look so miserable.

Kassim decided from that day forward that he would_ give_ that strange girl a reason to be miserable.

"_Hey you! Ghost!"_

Kassim had no qualms picking on the almost non-existent girl.

But that name had come from nowhere. It flew from his mouth like an instinct and it stuck to the pale girl like glue. It fit her. It suited her. Now if only she were dead like her newly given name.

He was ready to hurl insults at her and her wimpy brother. He was ready to humiliate her. He was ready to make her hate him as he hated her.

But then…

"_It fits me. I think I'll keep it. You don't mind if I use it, do you?"_

She told him that she liked it.

She didn't cry. She didn't glare. She didn't run away.

She just…accepted his hatred and calmly placed it upon herself like a new hat. She regarded him, though indifferently, with politeness. It was as if she were some sort of rich noblewoman.

(But she was dirty, a slum rat, just like him, thought Kassim)

She was a strange girl.

Her name was Amani.

But he called her 'Ghost'.

He no longer hated her. The 'dead' and 'bored' were no longer in her eyes. Now they were wide and thoughtful. He liked to think that it was because she met him. _He _was the one who put that 'life' into her eyes. He saved her. So, in his young mind, that translated as Ghost belonging to him.

She was his living Ghost.

* * *

Kassim still thought she was strange.

* * *

Kassim learned at a young age that, no matter how loud he screamed when his father hit him, no one would come to help him and his sister. That was why, Kassim stopped crying for help whenever his no good father came back home. It had only spurred his father on.

Instead, he fought back.

"_I told you that you spent everything on your stupid booze, old man! We don't have any money! Leave us alone, already! GO AWAY AND DON'T COME BACK!"_

"_Brother, don't!"_

"_You BRATS!"_

_SLAP._

Another thing Kassim learned:

The world that he lived in was selfish. It was willing to overlook everything terrible and horrifying to live comfortably. While the unfortunate suffered, the fortunate would ignore their cries and continue on living happily.

"_Is your arm okay, man? It looks really bad."_

"_It's fine! I just tripped."_

Kassim lied. His friends, though great and kind in their own ways, would never understand his pain. It was better that they didn't know. And even if they found out, what could they do? Nothing.

He couldn't bear to see the looks of pity on their faces. The adults did it enough.

Kassim was content with hiding it from everyone.

(No he wasn't. That was a lie. Inside the thick walls of his well-guarded mind, he was screaming, _crying_ for someone to notice. _Anyone_. So he could be saved from his hell. In a way, he still didn't learn that lesson that life taught him. He still hoped.)

But then, Ghost had to ruin it all with her wide, thoughtful eyes and notice his half-hearted lie for what it actually was: a lie.

"_That must have been quite a fall."_

Kassim had defensively retaliated, pushing her away from the truth while fruitlessly hoping that it wouldn't actually convince her that she wasn't right. The irony of his mind.

Ghost had looked at him.

_Really_ looked at him.

As if she had known he was lying, which he hoped she didn't.

(And he hoped she did.)

Then, she just accepted it and moved on. Just like the rest of the world.

When she left, Kassim lost that hope.

That was, until Anise came to his home the next day with Ghost trailing after her to push his no-good father away from Mariam and his life. In a blink of an eye, Kassim and Mariam were in the care of a far gentler and more caring parent. It was almost like a dream to them.

And it was all because of Ghost.

From that day on, Kassim looked at Ghost with a newfound respect in his eyes. Ghost saved him, just as he had saved her. So that made them even. Equal.

She had noticed.

She had helped.

Which was more than anyone had ever done for him.

* * *

'Sister' was what Kassim tried to think of her as at first. They all lived under the same roof now that Anise had brought Mariam and him under her wing. It was easy to consider Alibaba as a younger sibling since they squabbled like brothers practically every day but Ghost was a different matter.

Ghost…well Ghost was strange.

It made it hard for him to think of her as a younger sibling when she seemed to act just as mature as him.

(Never _more than_ him since he was older.)

It had surprised him when he heard that Ghost provided for half of the daily income. He had feared the worst when he discovered this. Did she do what Anise did every day? She was already of age, so it wouldn't have been surprising but Kassim had assumed that Anise was too kindhearted to allow her daughter to endure such a terrible career (if one could call it that).

It turned out in the end that no, Ghost had _not _been selling herself to support the family and yes, she was actually laboring to put food on the table.

Kassim had been both relieved and frustrated.

Frustrated because _he _was the man of the house and it was _his _job to support his family.

Ghost was his family. He needed to support her.

From then on, Kassim worked harder to top the amount Ghost was bringing back home in hopes of making her work less. Maybe, when she saw how much he was providing for the family, she would stay back home and play with dolls like the other girls did.

Maybe, she would see that she could depend on him.

That was what brothers want their sisters to do, right? Depend on them?

Right.

(_Wrong._)

* * *

"_I hate you!"_

Sometimes, Kassim wondered how Alibaba could be so _blind_ to the world. The light and innocence that always surrounded him was precious, but it also shielded him from the truth.

Kassim supposed that it was ignorance and grief that made Alibaba say those words to Ghost that day. And she had taken all of that hatred without a word or look against her twin.

Anise had died the night before, so hearts were bound to be broken.

"_Why aren't you crying? Our mother just died!"_

(Kassim stared blankly at the medicine pot at Ghost's feet.)

"_You never loved mother!"_

Alibaba didn't understand the world. He was too blind, too weak to handle the truth.

"_Mother was dying while you were outside fooling around with Mariam!"_

Did he notice how late Ghost came back home? Did he notice the blisters on her feet from the long distances she walked? The bruises on her hands from the heavy lifting jobs she did? The weariness in her eyes? The dizzy sway in her walk?

"_I wish you'd just __**disappear**__!"_

No.

Of course he didn't.

Alibaba was too weak to understand. It was possible that Alibaba would never be strong enough to understand her.

(Kassim picked up the pot and stared out after Ghost's back.)

That was fine.

Even if Alibaba didn't, Kassim understood her. So…

It was fine.

"_Kassim, are you going to-?"_

"_No. I won't tell him. This is between us."_

Ghost was strange.

Even though Alibaba had said those awful things to her, she was still insistent on hiding everything from her brother. Kassim supposed that it was because of her that Alibaba managed to keep his innocence for so long.

He didn't pry. This was Ghost. She was strange.

But that didn't make her any less brilliant.

Kassim had acknowledged her a long while ago. Ever since she (yes, _she._ Not Anise. Not Alibaba.) saved him from his hell, Kassim was willing to think of her as the center of his world (not that he would ever tell anyone this).

It suddenly hit Kassim as he sat beside Ghost underneath the starry sky that he wanted to take care of her, provide for her, and prove himself to her.

Not as a brother.

But as a husband.

* * *

Kassim spent the next year taking care of the family.

Everyone did their share of work. Now that Anise was no longer there with them, the children had to fend for themselves in the harsh world. Ghost and Mariam took themselves to sewing and embroidering to create attractive purse bags to sell to tourists. Alibaba did whatever work was offered to a child of his age, like guiding tourists around the city or shoe shining.

Kassim stole.

Since Mariam knew him so well, it wasn't a surprise when she sent him chiding looks his way when he returned home with the stolen goods.

He just ignored her and continued to do what he did best.

_It's to support my family. _He told himself constantly every night he came back home. _Those bastards have more than enough anyways. We need the food more than they do._

But that didn't make him any less guilty under the judging eyes of Mariam and Alibaba. Kassim never felt guilt when he stole. He did it far too many times for it to have any affect on him. It was how his family thought of him that made him most vulnerable, because they were all he had.

_It's to support my family. I only take enough, never more._

Kassim had to remind himself again and again so he wouldn't be discouraged from his task.

_It's to support my family._

Day by day.

_My family._

Second by second.

_My-_

"You're working hard."

Ghost broke him out of his reverie with an encouraging smile and a bowl-full of dinner. No judgment. No disappointment.

Just gratitude and understanding.

_You are doing this for us, Kassim. So I'm glad. I understand. I know that it's hard, but don't give up._ She seemed to tell him.

And that was more than enough to spur Kassim on.

"Dinner tastes good. Did you put chicken in here?"

_Thank you._

* * *

Two weeks later, Kassim's father made a visit.

Ghost was there.

She saw.

And she acted.

Kassim stabbed the man first.

But Ghost made the final blow.

* * *

Kassim didn't feel any sadness for his father. In a sense, he was relieved that the man was no longer living in the world to torment him and Mariam.

And that relief made him scared.

Did this make him heartless? Terrible? Evil?

But the smooth expression on Ghost's face soothed his fears. She was pure, moral. If she felt no remorse for the man, it was normal for Kassim to feel that way. He was not evil.

He was not evil.

Kassim's red hands shook as he scrubbed.

Ghost's hands remained steady and red even as she washed them.

"_Ghost?"_

"_Yes?"_

"_Did you-?"_

"_No. I didn't tell Alibaba. I didn't tell Mariam either."_

"_Will you-?"_

"_I won't. This is just between us, remember?"_

"…_Heh, right."_

Was it that surprising that Ghost understood him so well?

Ghost was the only thing supporting his world now.

* * *

Kassim's world was crumbling.

A princess.

_His _Ghost.

A princess.

* * *

"_Don't go. Please stay."_

Was what Kassim wanted to tell her as she got ready to leave the slums and him forever. But his pride wouldn't allow that.

So, he watched her leave.

* * *

One year.

Two years.

Three years.

Four.

Five.

Six.

…Seven.

Was it really that long?

Kassim had grown tall and strong. His voice no longer rang with a high and youthful timbre but rather, it now drawled, slurred, and seduced. His eyes had grown weary and hard from experience. He was a strong and charismatic figure to his fellow people of the slums.

(But was it good enough of a position to reach Ghost? No. Nothing would, now that she was a princess.)

Imagine the surprise he felt when he ran into Alibaba again. Didn't he know how careless it was to wander into the slums with those clothes? Did Alibaba _want _to get mugged? The guy was still a naïve little punk. Seven years had not changed him at all.

Kassim took advantage of that.

Slowly, he wheedled out information about the palace, the guards, and the security. Kassim praised Alibaba at the right moments and comforted him when he appeared down with a pat on the back or encouraging words.

Then, Kassim found out why Alibaba had left the palace so suddenly.

"_She's getting married."_

Once again, Kassim's world crumbled upon hearing those words.

Who else could it have been?

Ghost, _his _Ghost, was going to be shipped off to some foreign land in the East to become a breeding mare for some barbaric prince.

Kassim shouldn't have been as upset as he was after hearing the news.

Ghost was the Imperial Princess, Dungeon Capturer, and Blessed Child.

And he…

He was just a common slum rat, bastard in both birth and personality.

Kassim never had a chance and she was bound to be married off someday. It was expected. Even he knew that.

(Was it foolish of him that he still thought of Ghost as his?)

The only comfort that Kassim had was that perhaps the years in the palace had changed Ghost beyond recognition. A large part of him prayed that she had grown into a fat, ugly-faced, royal brat. Kassim wished with his whole being that Ghost had became a person who deserved such a fate.

* * *

There was a saying that fate mocked the wicked and the sinful.

Kassim never thought much of that belief until that night. If he had known how true it was, he would have never stolen, cheated, or lied. Everything he did was not worth _this_.

He had fervently wished that Ghost was fat, ugly-faced, and _different_.

And just like that, as if the whole universe was taunting him, Ghost appeared right in front of him.

_It's nice to see that you're well, Kassim. You've grown handsomely."_

She was still strange,

She looked fit,

And _**goddammit,**_

She was beautiful.

"_So Ghost…want a drink?"_

What was he to do but pour her a drink and drown himself in sorrow beside her?

* * *

_That _night.

How many times did Kassim regret _that _night?

No, tricking Alibaba did not even _tickle_ his conscience. The people of the slums needed that money. It was his fault for not being careful enough with such fragile information.

But Ghost…

Kassim had hurt her.

(You hurt her, damn you, you hurt her when you _promised _to never ever do that to her. You _swore _to protect her, you son of a bitch, and you _broke _that promise by breaking her, you broke her to tiny little pieces, _you broke her_.)

There was no excuse for his actions. He would never dare to even consider making excuses for what he did. He knew (he _knew_) that what he did made him into the filth that his no-good father had said he would be.

He had taken something…_very _precious from her. Something that he could _never_ give back. Never.

But he hadn't been thinking about her when he did it, had he?

No.

Kassim had snuck away from the others. Greedy bastards were too busy breaking into the royal vault anyways. The guards were all too busy to stand by Ghost's room and it was unlocked. The whole thing was almost child's play. A joke. A set up.

It was as if fate _wanted _him to do this.

(No excuses now. You don't deserve them.)

Kassim had convinced himself over her cries and screams that it was the right thing to do. (Yes, the _right _thing to do. He had actually thought that. Stupid.)

Rip.

Tear.

Break.

Scream.

Cry.

"_Kassim, please stop! Don't!"_

Helping her?

What he did to her was a nightmare.

He was being a _goddamned _idiot, thinking that he was _saving_ her by doing what he did. He thought that it would have _stopped_ her from leaving Balbadd. If she was ruined, the prince she was engaged to wouldn't take her, was what Kassim thought. Maybe, just _maybe_, it would make the king throw her away and she would return to the slums. Then everything would almost be the way it was supposed to be, the way he had wanted it to be from the beginning.

(You selfish bastard.)

But that really was what it came to, wasn't it? His selfishness.

From the beginning, Ghost had _deserved _better, much better, than him and the slums.

He hadn't accepted it.

Because of that, Ghost had suffered.

"_**I'm sorry."**_

* * *

"_I already decided a long time ago that I wouldn't hate you."_

"_I am happy."_

"_If you put yourself in any life-risking situation again, I will beat you senseless, Kassim. Don't think I won't. _Is that clear_?"_

"_Kassim, Hassan, Zaynab, join me and become my Household Members!"_

"_**I forgive you."**_

* * *

Did anyone ever wonder what happens to the djinn after their king candidates dies?

* * *

Humans were strange creatures.

They were weak. They were easily swayed by temptation and sin. Their lives were short. They fell from grace the moment they lost faith. They grasped any string of hope in their despair.

Yet that was why even the strongest depended on the powers of the greater.

That was why djinn were able to exist in this world.

Foras was thankful to have such a powerful and clever mistress to call her own. Her mistress was independent and supportive. She had the potential to rule the world yet had thrown it away for the sake of her own brother. She was so simple, yet attracted so many complexities.

Foras was thankful…and afraid.

For her brave, brave mistress was daring to go against the flow of fate. No other had succeeded in doing such a thing without falling from grace.

Yet was that what she was really doing?

The flow of fate hadn't _really _been disrupted, had it? Things were going almost the way they were supposed to, with only small changes. It was almost as if they were weaving different patterns for the same carpet, the same plan.

This world wanted to be saved. It would make sense for it to spare the five soul travelers.

_Amani's eyes slid closed as the Banker lunged._

Yet why was her mistress in such a situation? Why was her mistress about to die?

**Foras would not allow this to happen.**

Her mistress _would not _die. Not now when it was too early in this fickle game. She was a Blessed Child, a being fated to aid the true king. Foras would not allow Amani Saluja to die.

* * *

In a way, when a person clears a dungeon, they save a djinn from eternal imprisonment in their celestial domain.

When the djinn's dungeon capturer dies…

* * *

Foras had to think.

Time was only a sense of perception and she had about a small window of time to act before her mistress would be slain.

Oh _why _did her mistress not have the gourd by her side? If Foras were by her side, the Al Thamen lackey would have been dispatched in seconds. It was almost _that night_ all over again.

_That _night…

Foras' attention was brought to the human scum her mistress was so set on saving. He, like anyone else, was wearing a look of utmost horror at the sight of her mistress being attacked by Banker. It was a given that Foras felt distaste towards the man. For what he did, forgiveness was not an option.

Her mistress may have forgiven the man, but Foras remembered and resented.

She had never planted a household spirit into the human scum's blade. It was childish, yes, but Foras had felt that the man was undeserving of the power.

A small rukh spirit fluttered desperately at Foras' side, making the Djinn of Logic and Ethics sigh.

"I know, I know. I suppose it is time for you to go to your rightful place, young one."

She turned to the image of the man and narrowed her eyes.

"Pay a debt when it is due, human."

_Blade met with skin._

"Save her."

_Blood splattered onto pale skin and white hair._

* * *

The djinn is once again sealed in its prison.

For eternity.

* * *

"_**A-Amani?"**_

Someone had called her name.

(_Thump Thump Thump _– Can't you hear your own heart beating?)

Her breathing was labored and heavy. Her eyes were still closed. Her ears were blocked because of shock.

But her sense of smell was as sharp as ever and what she smelled sent a sense of relief throughout her whole body in place of the absent pain.

_Tobacco, Booze, and Blood._

The blood on her face was warm.

_She was still alive._

"A-Are you okay?" She heard the same voice asking, _begging_. Amani finally dared to open her eyes. And that was when she realized that Kassim was standing right in front of her and the tiny doll next to his feet was Banker.

Dead but not gone.

_She was still alive._

It didn't even cross her mind that Kassim had been a good distance from Alibaba and her. It didn't even come to her attention that the blade at his side was glowing and dimming.

(_Amani Amani Amani _– Hadn't he called you by your name, Ghost?)

"Yes." She heard herself say. Amani mentally shook herself from all of the shock to look at her childhood friend properly and smile. "Thank you, Kassim."

"No problem, Ghost." He huffed with a grin he hadn't used since his boyhood.

(_Drip Drip Drip _– Didn't notice the blood on his robes, did you?)

And collapsed.

* * *

Kassim was no bright, shining knight in armor. He didn't even have the morals to qualify for the part. He was a thief. He was a liar. He was a cheater. He had ambitions fueled by dreams of power and gold. He had intentions so selfish that even the worst would shy away from him.

Kassim was no hero.

Even as he used his djinn-given ability to send himself in front of Ghost to take and give a deathblow, he had only been doing it because of two reasons alone.

_Guilt._

And his inability to forgive himself

Kassim had torn himself down, fixed himself, and tore himself down again ever since the events of _that _night. It was a ruthless cycle that had placed dark rings under his dead eyes and scratchy undertones in his voice. Everyone knew that he occasionally screamed at night though the reason was unknown to all, aside from him. At the brink of moments where he would think he had fixed himself, Kassim would once again be tormented by his sins and _her _cries.

(Oh brother, brother, what have you _done_?)

Ghost may have forgiven him but the voices still cried out for his blood, for vengeance of his most deplorable actions.

He had thought Ghost's forgiveness would bring him salvation. It had not. It only erased all thoughts of betraying her once again. It only prevented him from thinking thoughts of bringing Balbadd under his power. It only blew away his envy for Alibaba.

It did not stop the voices.

Kassim could not forgive himself.

But, as red flowers bloomed on his white robes of the slums, Kassim felt as if he had redeemed himself, even if it was only by a tiny fraction.

Ghost and Alibaba were still alive and safe, weren't they? Even though they were towering over him with mirroring expressions of horror and desperation, Kassim felt satisfied to see them _breathe_.

Kassim wondered:

Does this finally make him an older brother?

(Of course he was. Always.)

Does this absolve him of his sins?

(Just about.)

Does this give him the right to…?

(Ask her and find out.)

"G-Ghost…can I-?"

* * *

Amani stared at Kassim in shock as the chaos went on around them. Alibaba was shouting frantically and slapping Kassim's face to keep him awake. Sinbad was shouting out orders to Ja'far and Masrur to search for other Al Thamen members. Sai and Yasmine were screaming for Kougyoku to – _come and save him, save him before it's too late!_ But all her attention was drawn to his moving lips ripping his nickname for her – _Ghost! I need to see her! Ghost!_ \- from his heaving chest.

She responded to him.

Amani knelt beside Kassim and gently brought his body into her arms. She cradled him as a mother would to a child and comforted him.

Kassim spoke. It was almost too quiet to hear, but her trained ears had heard it.

"G-Ghost…can I-?"

He choked mid-sentence, stuttered, and sagged.

That was it.

It was almost unreal how a light could fade from a still-warm body but Amani had seen it too many times before when she did the deed herself. Kassim's hand was still warm. His shoulders, his back, his arms, they were all still warm. The only elements that were absent were his breathing and heartbeat but Amani could still pretend that her own were his.

No, those breaths and heartbeats _were _his. They had to be. He was alive.

Kassim was just sleeping. He was tired from protecting her from all of this mess so he just decided to take a nap in her arms.

Kassim was sleeping.

He was sleeping.

(But was he really?)

Amani didn't know how long she sat there with him in her arms. She didn't know when people realized he was dead. She didn't know how long they tried drawing her out of her shock. She just knew that it took them a while to pry him out of her arms. He was cold by then.

Amani asked them why they were handling her brother-friend in such a way. Kassim never liked being carried in his sleep. He preferred moving when he was awake. Amani warned them that he would beat the crap out of them when he woke and that he was a light sleeper. They didn't listen. Kassim didn't wake.

"Amani." Alibaba had said when she stared after the people carrying off Kassim's body (why were they doing that, why?) in confusion. He looked tired and his eyes were all red as if he had cried for a very, very long time. He held her hands and looked at her in the eye with a sad but serious expression. "Kassim is dead."

Amani's first and foremost reaction was _denial_. No, Kassim was _not _dead. Alibaba was playing a very mean trick on her and the joke wasn't even funny.

("Stop joking, Alibaba." "I-I'm not, Amani. Really, I'm _not_.")

Kassim wasn't.

He couldn't.

He _wouldn't_.

But then, Shion came to Amani with a somber expression on his face. His long purple braid trailed behind him as he came over to her side. Alarm bells rang in her head the moment his small hand rested on her cheek while the other held up small objects in its palm.

"Amani."

Shion's voice did not shake like Alibaba's did. He slowly told her what Alibaba had relayed just moments before. Then, he said it again. And again. And again.

All the while, Amani could only focus on the pair of red earrings in her king's hand. Slowly, she took them. And stared at them. And processed the words.

Then it hit her.

Amani was careless.

Kassim had protected her.

Kassim was dead.

_Kassim was dead._

"Ah…"

Amani did not have to delude herself into thinking that the wet trail coming down her face was rain. She only cried four times in this lifetime.

Her birth.

With Kassim when he comforted her.

With Kassim when he betrayed her.

And now, without Kassim.

_Forever._

"Ah…ah, ah, _ah_…Augh…No, K-

Amani wailed. She screamed more loudly than she did when she was brought into this fate-set world. She cried more than she had ever cried in both lives, for she had lost someone very, very precious.

"KASSIM!"

She had failed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here ends the BALBADD ARC
> 
> ...
> 
> ...
> 
> Was it all hopeless after all?


	12. Chapter 11: The Rubber Band Theory

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kassim still dies. Balbadd still falls. Before everything becomes hopeless, Shion finds a solution. It won't be easy, but there is still hope.
> 
> Meanwhile, a much needed flashback on Amani's time at Kou in the form of storytelling. Her husband-to-be's identity is revealed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Onwards to a New Arc!

Kassim's funeral was held a day after his death.

It was unfair, in a twisted sense, that he never turned into a dark djinn as he had originally had done in canon. If he had, Amani would have at least had some sense of closure with the help of Solomon's Wisdom. There was just so much that she didn't tell him, so much that Kassim didn't understand about her.

Amani wanted him to _understand_ why she left him with Alibaba. She wanted him to know about Phoebe, about the future, about what she knew, and about her mission.

But Kassim's death had been natural. Yes, he had been stabbed by a dark vessel. But he had simply…died afterwards. No horrific transformation. No Judal sweeping out of nowhere. No chance for last words.

Stab. Gasp. Dead.

That's it.

She may be in a fictional Japanese comic book but there was never a moment in Phoebe's life that was as real as this. It was ironic that she had to be reborn in some fantasy dimension to experience reality.

Amani only had the night to properly mourn Kassim. On the next morning, Amani forced herself from her grief to visit the slums. Upon her return to the palace an hour later, her upper left ear had a new piercing. Alibaba was given the other half, as it should have been.

Sinbad had offered to pay for the funeral. He was politely but bluntly denied.

Kassim would have _hated _it if a royal had a hand in his funeral. Especially Sinbad. Kassim hadn't liked Sinbad much, even after he joined Amani's Household.

Instead of burying him, everyone who knew Kassim agreed to put him to rest the traditional slum way. Price and priest-free.

There were no funerals held in the slums. When someone died there, his or her body would be carried away where it would be thrown into some ditch to rot. There were occasions when the departed would be cremated. This was one of those rare occasions.

As Amani watched what was left of Kassim go up in smoke, she couldn't help but think that it was fitting for him.

(Didn't Sai tell her that, for a split second before Banker almost got to her, Kassim had turned into smoke to get in front of her? To protect her?)

Alibaba, Zaynab, and Hassan expressed their sorrow through their tears and wails.

This time, Amani was silent in her sorrow.

* * *

"_Good Night, Kassim."_

* * *

"Alibaba, I need to speak with you."

Alibaba had came into her room, sniffling and hiccupping. His red-rimmed eyes met her dry ones. Both shared brown and dull characteristics.

Two halves of the same whole

He had stayed in her room that night. It was a good thing that he did. It was four years since she had slept in this room and she was more than certain that she wouldn't have been able to sleep without Alibaba beside her. The room had terrible memories that she forced herself not to remember. Not on this day.

Not on Kassim's funeral day.

"Amani? What is it?"

Amani swallowed thickly. If she didn't speak now, she would never be able to speak again and these words needed to be said before someone else spilled the beans. It was her truth to tell and her brother would hear it from her lips. No one else's.

Amani didn't want any secrets between them anymore, not when he was the only family she had now. Alibaba was her twin, her brother, and her blood. This rift between them needed to be filled.

"Remember when you asked me about _that _night?"

Starting now.

* * *

"Who was it?"

Kassim was a friend, a brother, and a hero.

"I didn't see his face."

_Alibaba doesn't know_.

And Amani intended to keep it that way.

* * *

At the end, Amani couldn't sleep.

As Alibaba slept his pain and worries away, his sister remained awake to ponder over them on the balcony with Foras by her side. For sentiments sake, Amani lit a cigar and let it burn by her side. The smell that had once reminded her of her nightmares now only provided her with comfort.

When daylight broke, Kou would strike.

It was only her position as a Blessed Child that convinced Kou to postpone their attack for about two days. When daylight broke, the country was theirs for the taking.

Amani closed her eyes.

Failed.

She had failed _everyone_.

Who was she to assume that she could change the flow of fate as she pleased? Who was she to wander around this world she didn't even belong in, trying to make things better? Who was she to assume that she was powerful enough to overpower the inevitable without consequences?

Who was she to be so arrogant?

"Who am I but a simple human?" Amani wondered to herself as the cigar by her hand simmered.

"Amani?"

It was almost as if Shion appeared out of thin air just for the sake of calming her unstable state of mind. Automatically, Amani's tense form relaxed in his presence. Shion's bare feet made soft slapping sounds against the stone floor of the balcony as he approached his Blessed Child.

"Amani?" He called out again softly.

This time, she answered.

"I am here, Shion."

Shion nodded absentmindedly while making his way in front of her. Like a spoiled child, he held his arms up in the universal childs 'hug me' gesture. Amani took his offer/demand and embraced the child king. As she held onto him, he patted her back consolingly and treated her like she was on the edge of bursting into tears.

Which she was not, but it was the thought that counted.

When Shion was finished with his comforting and Amani was feeling much better, he drew himself back and looked her in the eye with a guilty expression that did not suit his face at all.

"I have failed you again, Amani. Forgive me."

Amani couldn't help but feel as if Shion was misunderstanding the whole situation. _His _fault? How could he be held responsible for something so unpredictable? It was something that even Shion's years worth of experience as a battle tactician and general could not have calculated for.

"It's not your fault."

Amani had stated it as if it were a fact. Flatly, bluntly, and to the point. To her, it _was _a fact. She did not even give her king the time to retort. "It wasn't something that any of us could have foreseen. We were all careless but that doesn't mean that Kassim's actions were our fault. Saving my life was his choice. His. Please do not belittle his sacrifice by blaming yourself, my king." Amani's voice cracked at the word 'sacrifice'.

"Please Shion…"

Shion looked completely chastised. "As always Amani, you are right."

"How are the others?" Amani asked, eager to change the subject. By now, the cigar was completely burned out.

"They're worried about you." Shion informed her. The news didn't come as a surprise to Amani. During their four years together, the Blessed had bonded to a very deep level. Shared past lives and supernatural quirks aside, the group had learned to love and care for each other.

It sure took some time, effort, and bickering, though. Four years of traveling all around the world to be exact.

"Trying to save Kassim was a useless cause." Amani suddenly stated, shocking Shion.

"Amani! How could you say such a thing? He was your friend!"

Shion's tone did not deter Amani from her opinion. Her normally confident eyes were now downcast and…hopeless. Shion did not like this look at all. "Shion, what right do we have to change fate? Kassim…Kassim died in the end anyways, so why should we have bothered?"

"Don't start doubting, Amani. You know it's what starts a soul's descent to depravity."

Amani sighed and rubbed her forehead. Shion was right. She knew that everything that he said was true. But she also knew that she couldn't deny what was happening right in front of her. Doubt, in her opinion, was a necessary thing to discover the truth. "How much of the storyline did we mess up because of my selfishness, Shion? _Why_," she croaked, "do I have to be so selfish? Because of me, Alibaba will never have the protection he needs against Al Thamen. Because of me, Aladdin may never achieve Solomon's Wisdom. Because of me, Sinbad's djinn vessels could be sold off to Solomon-knows-_where._"

"And for what? A different scenario for Kassim's death?" Again, Amani looked helplessly at her king. "A postponed Kou invasion? _Just what did we achieve from all of this, Shion?_"

Shion seemed, for the first time in his second life, to be at a loss for words as his most faithful Blessed looked only one step away from giving up.

A drawling voice broke the tight silence.

"Well, I don't know about you, my king, but I feel like I just read a whole days worth of well-written angst fanfiction on a funeral day, after hearing all that."

Sai strutted from his hiding place with a teasing smile, though the flicker of concern in his eyes was apparent to Amani. "Peach?" He offered her to which she declined. He shrugged and began eating it himself. "So, do you two want to hear the good news or the bad news first?"

"Good, please." Shion answered. "I have a feeling that the bad has to do with the good so there is no use in hearing it first."

Sai nodded agreeably.

"Well," he began, "Kou-chan had to leave Balbadd yesterday but she saw something _very _interesting on her way out. She sent me a detailed message recounting the event." A slow smile curved on Sai's lips. "Aladdin woke up and he went out to battle Judal. Seems like he's pinning the blame of his djinn's departure from this world on the dark magi instead of Kou-chan this time around. Three good things came out of this."

Sai held up one finger.

"One: During the battle, Aladdin activated Solomon's Wisdom and used it on Judal. This puts the major part of things back on track without the whole 'Kassim turns into a big, ugly baddie' incident."

Sai added another.

"Two: _Sinbad did not see this_. Aladdin and Alibaba can still seek sanctuary and mentoring in Sindria but they are less likely to be used by that manipulative, conniving, stupid bas-

"He's my father." Shion cut in shortly.

"-Moving on." Sai wisely stopped his line of thought while adding his third finger.

"Three: Judal got his ass kicked by a kid."

Amani lifted her brow. "And the importance of the third is?"

"Judal got his ass kicked by a kid?" Sai supplied with a 'no duh' tone. "Do you know how much I'm going to milk out of this when we get back to Kou? Not only that, he's going to be pretty sore about Kou-chan witnessing his humiliating defeat, which is a bonus. Come on, it's something to be happy about, right?"

"For you."

"And that's the important part."

Shion cleared his throat. "And what else happened?"

"Yasmine forced her three minions to return your father's metal vessels so he wouldn't be completely useless. He has a reputation to uphold for his son, after all." Sai smiled devilishly. "Worried for your old man?"

"A little." The boy admitted.

Sai huffed. "Well, don't. We have bigger things to be worried about."

"I suppose this is going to be the bad news you mentioned before." Amani said warily while flicking the burnt-out cigar away from the balcony. It had gone out a long while ago.

"Sorry." Sai didn't really sound sorry at all. "But Kassim's death amongst many other things just proved a theory of mine that just can't be ignored."

"Theory?" Amani asked.

Sai nodded. "Yes. I call it the 'Rubber Band' theory. Modern, right? Well, I thought that we needed modern considering the situation we are in. Remember the saying 'when a butterfly flaps it wings in one part of the world it causes a tornado in the other' or the one that said 'one drop of water could cause a tsunami'? The saying was wrong. If that were true, the storyline would have flown completely out of control. That gave me the idea that the workings of this world are more flexible than we thought." Out of nowhere, Sai produced a nicely woven piece of cloth. "Fate is sometimes compared to a carpet. Lives and bonds are woven together in complex patterns to make up the tapestry of fate. One tangle or snip unravels it all. But…what if the strings aren't so easily broken by change? What if those strings simply…snap back onto their original course like a rubber band?"

Both Amani and Shion's eyes lit up in comprehension.

"Wait…are you saying-?"

"Yeah. We don't have to worry about changing the storyline too much. No matter what extreme actions we take, everything will simply snap back into place as it should be." Sai said with a grimace. Amani shared his glum look after realizing what this meant. "Everything that we were striving to do was for nothing."

In contrast to the pair's defeated looks, Shion's eyes were glittering.

"Sai," he said breathlessly, "you are a _genius._"

"I am a who-what now? Didn't I just bring news of utter failure? Not that I mind hearing you say that again, my king."

Shion ignored Sai's quip. He seemed to far away in his euphoria to process any insults. "_Rubber Bands_. Why didn't I think of that before? Everything seems so simple now that I don't have to worry about changing too many things. It's as if the world _wants _us to win."

Sai looked at the child as if he were crazy. Which wasn't such a bad thing since he had given him that look far to many times to count in the past. Though, Shion's giddiness brought hope back into Amani.

"What is it, Shion?"

"If our line of fate is like a rubber band, don't you think the stretches we make are held down by something? The past is absolute so that part can't be, as Sai put it, 'snapped back' to its original form. That part is now _nailed_ in place." Shion recounted with glee. "So…if we can just stretch the rubber band away from the events that causes the end of the world at just the right time…"

Sai caught onto Shion's thought process. "We can nail it in place and avoid the world's end all together."

"We can prevent this." Amani realized. "We can prevent the world from ending without changing fate completely."

Shion nodded. "It all depends on timing and chance. We never know when the string snaps back into place. We would need to look into this theory a little further before doing anything extreme. But now, we know the risks. We won't be as careless as we were before."

Shion's eyes met with Amani's firmly in promise.

"We won't make the same mistake again."

* * *

The next day, Balbadd fell.

Well, a battle and a life were lost.

But…

That didn't mean the Blessed lost the war, did it?

Not by a long shot.

* * *

_One week later…_

Yasmine paced around the floor in agitation. The image was not unlike one of a tiger stuck in a cage. The sailors on the ship had learned long ago that it was best to leave the young woman alone when she was in this state. They did their best to avoid her as she vented her frustration across the deck and back.

Of all modes of transportation, _why_ did it have to be a ship?

As cheesy as it sounded, Yasmine hated the water. She could bear a bath or two, but a whole sea with no land in sight? A nightmare.

Yes, cat-like qualities and all that because of the whole tiger mask thing. Sai had already picked on her for that small quirk. Though, he wasn't doing that well either, with his unnatural hatred toward seafood.

(Sai: "They stare at me, Jazzy-chan. It's not natural for dead things to have such wide eyes. They always seem to blame me for their misfortune. Their soulless eyes promise me every time that they will curse me to the depths of hell if I take one bite.)

Yasmine made her thousandth round around the ship before deciding to go back below deck. It wasn't as if land was going to be in sight soon. They still had another week and two days left.

A grimace appeared on Yasmine's face when she reached Aladdin and Alibaba's room.

They were still moping about the Balbadd invasion.

Yasmine understood Alibaba's depression on the first four days. During the surprise invasion, Amani was dragged back to Kou by the orders of the emperor. And Alibaba couldn't do squat about it.

Well, Amani wasn't dragged away against her will. But Alibaba didn't know that.

Aladdin, Yasmine guessed, was there with Alibaba for moral support.

But honestly now, shouldn't Alibaba be over this by now? What in the world did he think he would succeed in by doing this? Amani really babied this one too much.

Yasmine cleared her throat to make her presence known. Alibaba shifted a little but showed no other acknowledgement while Aladdin offered her a shy smile. "Hi Yasmine. Sorry, Alibaba doesn't want to eat, so it's fine."

Yasmine's eye twitched behind her mask.

Really now? 'Not hungry' he says?

According to Sai, that wouldn't be the case when they reached Sindria. He told her that Alibaba would, as he put it, 'eat his feelings' and become something like a doughboy.

Yeah. So not happening.

"I'm not here for that." Yasmine gritted out while making her way towards the depressed pair. "Honestly, I don't care if wonder-boy here starves himself to death. It would just ensure that I would be making an early trip to Kou with ill news for Amani of her cowardly brother's death by self-starvation. Wonder how she'd react to that before her wedding."

Alibaba's head lifted itself from its usual position on the desk to shoot Yasmine a tired glare. Aladdin watched silently by his friend's side.

"Why are you even here? Just leave me alone."

Yasmine bared her teeth a little at the blonde's statement. "I am _here_ because _your sister_ wanted me to make sure that _you_ are _healthy_." Her eyes flashed. "Amani went and is still going through high hell for you. Almost everything she sacrifices is for or because of you. She came all the way to Balbadd to make sure you were safe. She loves you more than everything in this world and what do you do? You throw it all back into her face with your immature moping and whining."

Alibaba's eyes sprung with fire and he leaped onto his feet.

"You know nothing!"

Yasmine chuckled. "Boy," she said patronizingly, "you have _no _idea what you're talking about."

Alibaba grabbed her by the front of her clothes and shook her roughly. Though it didn't do much since she was _much _stronger than he was, Yasmine was irked by the extreme size difference. She was almost a head shorter than him.

Aladdin jumped to his feet and tried to calm his angered friend down. "Alibaba! You shouldn't!"

But his cries were ignored.

"Do you think you know more than me?" Alibaba asked darkly. "My friend died! My country is gone! I just found out that my sister was…by a complete stranger… You don't understand my suffering, so stop acting like you do! Women shouldn't concern themselves with the business of men. Even a mask-wearing barbarian like you should know that!" He shouted at the masked Blessed Child.

After the words left his mouth, Alibaba suddenly had the feeling that his chest and throat was being constricted. When he tried to move his hands to claw at his throat, he found that they were frozen. Every inch of his body was frozen. He couldn't control his own body!

Aladdin was looking at the suddenly stiff Yasmine apprehensively.

"Miss…Alibaba didn't mean it like that. He's just angry and confused. Please understand. Please…don't hurt Alibaba. I know that you don't mean it."

In an instant, Alibaba felt his muscles loosen and his hands fly up to his throat as he let out a loud gasp. He stumbled away from Yasmine as she did the same.

"Alibaba, are you all right?" Aladdin was at his friend's side at an instant.

"What…is she?" Alibaba gasped, making Yasmine bristle yet again in anger but she stopped herself before she lost her temper again. "Not a _what _wonder-boy. A who. I am a Blessed Child, just like your sister. Not that you would remember that. You always seem to forget the things Amani tells you." She added with a sneer.

Aladdin stood in front of Alibaba defensively. "Please, didn't you do enough?"

"Can it, kid. You're nice, but you're being a little _too _nice. It's about time someone forces your king candidate to man up for once. You might think I'm being too harsh with Alibaba but this is _exactly _what he needs." Yasmine stepped around Aladdin and grabbed Alibaba by the front of his shirt, not unlike what he had done to her a little while ago.

"Hey! Let me go!"

"I don't like you. You don't like me. Fine. But that doesn't mean I won't make you stronger."

Alibaba paused in his struggling.

"Stronger?"

"You don't expect Amani to bring Balbadd back by herself, do you?" Yasmine asked rhetorically. "You need to start pulling your own weight from now on. And Solomon help me, I will beat everything I know into your hard head by the time she visits Sindria so you'll be ready to protect her. But I'm warning you…"

Alibaba gulped nervously as a feral smile took over the masked woman's face.

"It's going to be hell."

* * *

"That woman is _crazy_."

Yasmine was true to her word. She worked Alibaba to his bone and no one did a thing about it. All Shion had to do was blink adorably and insist that Yasmine was the 'best trainer he ever had' for Sinbad to order the deck to be cleared for three hours every day for the sake of Alibaba's training.

Yasmine made him do countless laps, push-ups, and sit-ups as a huge warm-up before drilling him on his control over Amon. She refused to touch upon magoi manipulation, since that was something he had to learn in Reim in the future, but she wrung him dry in everything else.

Breaks?

Psh. Breaks were for the dead.

When Alibaba was too tired to activate Amon, Yasmine would focus on improving his physical stamina. It went the other way around when he was too tired to run another lap or lift another weight.

On his third day of training, Alibaba collapsed beside Aladdin and exclaimed that his teacher was the devil incarnate himself.

Not that he was that far from the truth. Yasmine was truly a beast when it came to training. Sai could attest to that completely.

But it couldn't be denied that Alibaba was showing great improvement under Yasmine's tutelage.

"Well, you should be thankful that she's being soft on you. When she had to train me on hand-to-hand combat, she was a complete Spartan. Believe me, Yasmine likes you better than me." Sai stated offhandedly from his position. He had taken to watching the training sessions with Aladdin for entertainment.

Alibaba looked at Sai in disbelief. "She can be _worse_?"

Sai chortled at the blonde's expression. "Considering how she was raised, it isn't that surprising."

"You mean her barbaric upbringing?" Alibaba grumbled.

Sai's eyes narrowed at the insult. "You better not have said something like that to her, Ali-dork. Jazzy-chan may be many things, but a barbarian…_never_. Got that? Call her that again and I'll steal one of those pretty eyes of yours."

At the mention of 'steal', Alibaba cringed from the shape-shifter. He still hadn't come to terms with the fact that the understanding Cain was this Sai person who could gouge out hearts, eyes, and other body parts without touching the body itself. They were completely different people!

"I won't!" He swore nervously. "I promise!"

Sai dark look disappeared within a blink of an eye and he grinned cheerfully at the Balbadd Prince as if he hadn't just threatened him a second ago. "Good~!"

Sai didn't see the sandal coming until it hit him in the face.

"Don't scare my apprentice. He doesn't know any better." Yasmine deadpanned as she came over to the trio. She stiffly patted Alibaba on the head. "You did well today." She praised him genuinely. "I can see that you are improving quickly."

Alibaba looked at the side guiltily while Sai pouted. "But Jazzy-chan! I was defending your honor!"

"I'm fine with defending my own honor, thank you very much."

"But he was being rude!"

"Better than whatever you dish out daily, Sai."

"That hurts, Jazzy-chan. That hurts right here."

While Sai and Yasmine bickered, Alibaba excused himself and forced his sore body to walk back to his room. Aladdin was by his side helping him the whole way, of course.

"Ow…I hurt everywhere." Alibaba whined as he limped to his bed. "I don't think I'll be able to sit down without help for a while."

"But you're getting stronger, aren't you Alibaba?" Aladdin stated optimistically. "At first, I thought that Miss Yasmine was a little mean to you but I guess I was completely wrong! She was just trying to cheer Alibaba up!"

"How? By killing me?"

Taking Alibaba's dry statement seriously, Aladdin shook his head. "No! I don't mean that at all! It's just…in the first week you hardly left your room and I thought you would _never _eat without me telling you to. You never smiled. You only spent your time crying. You scared me a little, Alibaba. I thought you were going to die from being too sad."

Again, Alibaba felt guilt gnaw at his stomach. Did he really make Aladdin feel this way? Everyone else? No wonder Yasmine had come barging into his room with those seemingly unnecessary words.

"But," Aladdin seemed to brighten up, "you seem more lively, Alibaba! You're out more and you eat a lot! I'm glad that you're better!"

"Really? Ah…thanks, Aladdin. And sorry for worrying you."

"We're friends! Of course I'd worry!"

* * *

In the evening, Yasmine found it a bit more tolerable on the ship. The view of the sky was magnificent and the moon was beautiful, as always.

Tonight, the moon was wonderfully full and the stars were brighter than usual.

Yasmine flinched when she heard a creak but relaxed when she caught sight of the wisp of blonde hair. Nothing escaped her all-seeing eyes. Even in the dark.

"I know you're out there, Alibaba." She called. "If I didn't know better, I'd think that you were stalking me."

To her amusement, she heard a _very _girlish squeak from behind the barrels before the blonde male version of her best friend stumbled out, looking embarrassingly sheepish.

Who knew Amani's twin could be such a _dork_? Sai had mentioned something like this in the past but Yasmine had refused to believe him, thinking that Sai was exaggerating.

Well, it didn't seem so unbelievable with Alibaba standing in front of her in the flesh.

"Ah…"

Alibaba's eyes resembled a cornered bunny before it was snatched from the ground by a hungry hawk. Yasmine would know. It wasn't such an uncommon sight in the borderlands of Sasan. Poor bunnies. Yasmine's heart seriously went out for them the first couple of times she saw this. But she got used to it eventually.

So that was why she showed no mercy with Alibaba.

"Yes?" She asked impatiently. "What is it?"

"I'm sorry!" Alibaba blurted out suddenly, surprising Yasmine with his loudness. He blushed in embarrassment but continued to speak. "I-I didn't realize it at first but I've been a huge pain to all of you ever since Balbadd, haven't I? I've been so terrible to you lately even though you took the time and effort to train me. I guess I was frustrated, so frustrated that I took it out on all of you." Alibaba bowed his head in shame. "I'm sorry for calling you a barbarian and causing trouble."

"I accept your apology." Yasmine said immediately. "And I am sorry too, for almost killing you."

Alibaba blinked blankly. "Ah…killing me?"

"Yes. You didn't know? My eye ability can freeze anyone upon eye contact. That is why I wear this mask. It serves as a warning and safety precaution for others so I won't accidentally kill them. It's also why my father disowned me practically after birth." Yasmine touched her mask. "But my ability leaks out when I lose my temper so I apologize for hurting you."

Alibaba looked a little queasy.

"Right…no problem. Really. It was my fault." He squeaked.

Yasmine could tell that he was scared, so she decided to move onto a different topic. "I can understand how you can assume that I'm barbaric since I come from a completely different country, but I would think that you would know that Sasan is far from being 'barbaric'. In fact, it is well known for its strict rules and religion."

"You're from Sasan?"

"You didn't remember?" Yasmine asked sardonically, making Alibaba blush. "Amani told you when she introduced us. I'm beginning to think that this 'forgetting everything Amani says' is an issue. Ignorance may be bliss, but it inadvertently hurts others. Try to make an effort in remembering what others tell you. I know you're smart enough to do that, Alibaba."

Alibaba nodded. "But why would you be disowned? I remember Father began doting on Amani when he found out that she was like Fatima."

"That's not how it is in Sasan." Yasmine told Alibaba glumly. "There, I'm a monster and so is Amani. Everything the Blessed Children stand for and represents goes against Sasan's religion. Raja, my predecessor, had to raise me on his own. He had absolutely no idea what he was doing. But he was a good father, better than the one who sired me."

Yasmine pinned Alibaba with a stare. "Raja was no barbarian." And Alibaba finally understood. "What he taught me was for _survival_. He wanted me to live when my own blood wanted me to die. He is dead, but his teachings will live on with me and the people I will pass them onto and so forth."

"Yasmine…"

She turned her head. Her eyes didn't quite meet Alibaba's but the action was enough to fool him into thinking that their eyes had met. That's the difference between Amani and him. She notices.

But he wasn't Amani, was he? He was Alibaba, the brighter half.

"I understand. Thank you."

* * *

"_Hey Shion, who__** is**__ my sister's fiancé anyways?"_

* * *

"Prince Shion! Please pay attention to your studies! I understand that this is hard for you, but as your father's son, you need to know these subjects!"

Shion wanted to slam his face into the desk. Ever since his escape from Balbadd, Ja'far had insisted that he should catch up with his studies. Studying wasn't much of a problem for Shion. He was actually well informed in the area, thanks to his Uncle Yunan and Amani.

But pretending to know _nothing_ and sitting in a small room for hours learning something he already knew was absolutely, mind-numbingly _boring_.

"Sorry." Shion said miserably while scribbling his notes. Then, he brightened up a little "Can I…can I spend some time with Father now? I promised him and my friends that I'd tell them something cool today and I paid attention really, _really _hard today for it."

Ja'far looked a little conflicted. "Well…I suppose that we can stop early for today…"

Shion jumped out of his seat. "YES! I'm free! I'm free! I'm free! _I'm free!_"

Without acknowledging a now irritated Ja'far, Shion ran out of the study room at a ridiculous speed.

Ja'far sighed and picked up the notes that Shion had dropped in his quick escape.

"Like father, like son."

* * *

"_That's an interesting story to tell! Why not have everyone gather to hear it? I don't think anyone told Yasmine and Sai about this incident. Amani was embarrassed about it for __**weeks**__!"_

* * *

Shion settled himself in front of a lantern that a kind sailor provided them in replacement of a campfire. Around it, Sinbad, Yasmine, Sai, Alibaba, Morgiana, and Aladdin sat in a circle to listen.

"Well," Shion began with his special smile, "I met Amani in Balbadd serving as Kou's official messenger. I was given that duty accidentally when a Dessert Hyacinth ate the actual messenger. It was a bit sad since he was a really nice guy who let me ride in his caravan for free. It was such a pity that he was an alcoholic."

"Wait. How did _that_ happen? Weren't you just a four-year-old brat?" Alibaba interrupted incredulously.

"Five." Shion interrupted childishly. "I'm turning nine soon."

"_You were saying?_" Yasmine stressed in annoyance.

"Oh yeah! So I was the only one in the whole caravan group who could read the message so they let me do it."

"That easy?!"

Shion shrugged. "It was fate."

"So you and Amani became friends when she came over to Kou?" Sinbad guessed.

Shion nodded. "Yes. She was…lonely. She was being shipped off to a completely different land, a different culture, and a different society. Everything she'd ever known wasn't going to be with her anymore. Since I was young and technically not of Kou birth, we pretty much hit it off. For the duration of the trip, I kept her company."

"_And then, when we reached Kou, Amani and I were separated…"_

* * *

Amani stepped out of the Royal Caravan and onto Kou soil. Surprisingly, the weather was warmer than she had expected it to be, so she was forced to take off her outer garments and jewelry before she suffered a stroke. Her maidservants were suffering the same pain beside her, just not as silently.

"I'm dying here!"

"I can't believe there's a place hotter than Balbadd!"

"Is this where we will be staying for the rest of our lives?"

Amani paid the others no mind. Instead, she admired the view of the _Magi_ universe_'s_ equivalent to China's Forbidden City. Gates, rooftops with shingles, the color red stretched for miles only to be framed with a wide expanse of mountaintops. Everything was exactly how Amani imagined it to be. But it didn't make the place any less magnificent.

_Whoa…_

So this was Kou.

* * *

"_But being separated from me wasn't a problem. Amani was completely fine on her own. Actually, she told me later that she liked the sights that Kou gave."_

"_Unfortunately, the real problem came in the form of her ability."_

* * *

Amani held back a grimace when her handmaidens walked in front of her _again._ It was a habit that they couldn't quite help because of her ability. Oh well. It wasn't as if the Kou Royalty would be able to notice her even if her position was in the front anyways.

As she entered the inner walls of the palace, Amani couldn't help but admire the intricacy of the decorations on the structures. Unlike the Balbadd Palace, which was pretty much a pile of rocks with fancy rooms inside, every detail of the Kou Palace were carved and painted perfectly.

"The Imperial Palace is beautiful, isn't it Leah?" Amani asked her handmaiden in wonder.

Leah didn't answer and walked on in wary silence, eyes flicking left and right.

Amani sighed and followed her handmaidens into the throne room.

The Blessed Child was blown away by the magnificence of the throne room. Admittedly, the one back in Balbadd was bigger in height. But the details! The length of the walkway was longer than the one back home, giving Amani more time to admire the majesty of the room.

Meanwhile, her handmaidens walked ahead, not noticing that they had left their princess behind with Leah leading the front.

Amani didn't mind. Not really. She was used to it by now.

The white-haired girl watched silently as a booming voice announced her entry and all eyes fell on…Leah. She didn't bother to correct anyone since it would have been too troublesome. Amani had to stifle a giggle when Leah silently snarled at the pock marked faces of the Kou nobles who, in return, looked scandalized.

Oh dear, there went her reputation.

* * *

"_Instead of being annoyed, she was amused with the situation. I think she enjoyed the fact that she was regarded as someone normal for once. _

_Then, she was approached by a Kou boy."_

* * *

As Amani amused herself with the spectacle, a Kou boy approached her with a wicked glint in his eyes that suggested mischief. He casually stopped by her side and sent her a beaming smile that could have fooled millions into thinking that he was an angel sent from the high heavens.

Not Amani.

"Hi there!" He greeted her in her language.

It was a bit silly that the manga hadn't mentioned the different tongues of this world. It _was _a world filled with different races and cultures after all. A difference in tongues was a given. The manga (and anime) had simply showed everyone speaking in the same language: Japanese, with the exception of the Toran speakers.

It was Latin, Ancient Greek, Egyptian, and Chinese classes all over again when Fatima drilled Amani in the many tongues. It was only diplomatic to know the language of the lands that she would visit.

It was an enormous relief that most of the western lands shared a 'common language' for everyone to understand along with their respective homeland languages. (Surprise, surprise it was _Japanese. _Ironically.) Kou was…prideful of their language so only a select few would go through the lengths of learning the common language.

"…Hello." She answered in return in the common Kou language (an equivalent to Chinese). The boy's eyes brightened at her answer. "Oh! You know how to speak our language?"

"Not as much as I'd like." Amani answered modestly, still speaking in the Kou language. "I learned as much as I could during the trip here. Forgive me if I mispronounce anything."

Which she wouldn't, thanks to Fatima's training

The admiration in the boy's eyes confirmed that she had, in fact, spoken the language fluently.

"No! You speak very well for a foreigner!" He gushed enthusiastically.

Amani smiled politely in return. "Thank you for the compliment, sir."

* * *

"_He started asking questions. They were innocent and mundane but they came in many."_

* * *

"Hey, are you good at doing housework? Chores?" The boy asked suddenly.

Amani tilted her head. "Yes, I suppose I am. I got the experience when I had to look after my brothers and sister. Why?"

"Just wondering. Hey, do you like reading?"

"…Would I be in trouble if I said yes?"

"No."

"Then yes, I do enjoy reading about anything and everything. Why are you asking me all of-?

Amani was interrupted once again.

"Do you like handsome men?"

Amusement was sparked in Amani. Was this boy hitting on her? Well, she would have to let him down easy then. He seemed friendly. She didn't want to make him into an enemy simply for rejecting him harshly.

"I prefer intelligent men over handsome men, thank you very much. I do not care for appearances." She answered honestly. "As long as he can carry a witty conversation, I wouldn't mind if the man looked like a beast."

Instead of disappointment, the boy seemed to brighten up even more.

"Does this intelligent man have to be skilled in fighting?"

Why was this boy asking her these questions? Didn't he already get the hint that she wasn't interested? Amani allowed a little bit of her irritation to leak into her eyes and voice as she answered.

"If you are asking me if I want a man of war as a companion, then no I do not." She answered firmly, mind flashing to a memory of a certain man who smelled of blood. "I prefer a man of wisdom and tact."

* * *

"_And just when Amani had enough, he did something that completely stole her breath away."_

* * *

The boy laughed in victory. "You're PERFECT!" Then, he proceeded to sweep Amani off her feet, displaying strength despite being shorter than her, and carried her toward the table he walked from. Amani was too shocked to even struggle from her captor's grasp. Everyone else seemed to be in the same state of shock as she was.

"There you go!" The boy crowed cheerfully to someone over Amani's shoulder. "I got something for you, brother! Happy Birthday!"

* * *

"_What Amani didn't know was that her arrival was on the same day as the birthday of a Kou Prince. His celebration was canceled for the sake of Amani's arrival. The youngest Prince, who loved his brother very much, decided to take things into his own hands and bring the celebration to the birthday boy."_

"_It just…came in the form of Amani."_

* * *

And just like that, she was deposited onto the lap of a complete stranger.

* * *

"_The Prince's name was-_

* * *

Amani blinked dazedly while meeting another pair of shocked eyes.

They were golden, which was a strange color to see on an Asian (on _anyone_, really), but pretty nonetheless. He also had red hair. The closest to red that Phoebe had ever encountered were gingers or dyed hair. Natural red hair was…different. But that was to be expected in a world based on a manga. Other than those strange characteristics, the man had a moderately handsome face. Though one would say that it was plain if it were compared to the Kou boy who placed her in this situation.

A maid, possibly one of hers, let out a loud gasp that silenced whatever noise that was going on in the throne room. Then, all stares were on her and the poor stranger who she was dropped on.

With a mental jolt, Amani suddenly realized her situation.

She was sitting on a stranger's lap. Possibly her fiancé was seeing this.

It may have not been such a big deal in Phoebe's world, but in this world, _especially _Kou, a woman sitting on a man's lap was a very intimate action reserved for the bedroom.

Amani tried distracting herself from her situation by counting the freckles sprinkled across his nose and guessing what shade of red his face was.

Solomon, she hoped her face wasn't as red as his.

Judging by the smug expression on the annoying Kou boy's face, her face probably was. Amani wished, not for the first time, that she had dark skin like the natives of Heliohapt did.

_Say something!_ Her mind screamed. _Explain the situation to him!_

"Um…" was Amani's intelligent introduction.

* * *

"_-Ren Koumei, Second Son of the Emperor."_

* * *

"Ah, h-hello." Amani finally managed to stutter out. She cursed at herself for showing how flustered she was. Fatima would have berated her for the blatant show of weakness. But she justified that anyone would react this way in her situation.

"Hello." The stranger echoed almost sheepishly. "I am Koumei."

"Oh. That's a nice name." Amani told the man in an encouraging tone, trying to ignore the fact that she was sitting on his lap and everyone else was staring. "My name is-

* * *

"_That was when the chaos started."_

* * *

"PRINCESS AMANI!" Leah yelled before turning her enraged eyes at poor Koumei. "_You! _Royal or not, I will _not _have you handling Balbadd's princess and Blessed Child in such an uncouth manner! Release her from your perverted hands this instant!"

_Oh Leah,_ Amani mentally bemoaned.

_Oh shit,_ Koumei's and practically every Kou Noble's faces read.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh Leah.


	13. Chapter 12: Meet the Ren Family

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Amani meets the Ren Family

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Onwards!

"_So what happened? Did they throw themselves at her feet and beg for mercy? Was the Kou boy punished for dumping my sister onto his brother's lap?"_

"_Well, not quite…"_

* * *

Balbadd and Kou were about to go to war. Amani just knew it. The tension between her maids and the Kou court was high and she was _still _on Koumei's lap. This did not go unnoticed by Leah, who had somehow found a way to glare at him and the Kou nobles simultaneously. By the looks of it, Koumei should be seventeen feet under and still sinking.

Poor guy.

Amani's sharp mind picked up on the fact that the Kou Nobles weren't pouncing on Koumei for being the unlucky 'pervert' as Leah had so eloquently put it. Her position as a Blessed Child was obviously valued highly in Kou. Why else would they still accept her as their prince's wife? But that would only mean their hesitance in defending her honor was because Koumei was an important figure.

A _very _important figure.

"Shut your mouth, woman! Do not speak to our Prince Koumei in such a crass manner! We should have your head for your blatant show of disrespect!"

Amani hated it when she was right.

Now what to do to prevent Balbadd from being taken over four years too early? Amani was not ashamed in thinking so little of her country. It was unstable enough already with her father dead. With Ahbmad in power, Balbadd was completely 'out-gunned against Kou's dungeon capturers, since they had already given away their only one.

At that thought, Amani giggled.

* * *

"_Wait, she __**giggled**__? Did she think that it was __**funny**__ to be dumped onto a random guy's lap? And what are you saying about Amani's fiancé? I thought it was Kouen!"_

"_Yasmine, calm down. I wasn't there when it happened. I overheard a couple of servants talking about it after the whole issue was over. I understand. It wasn't like Amani to do that. But she did. I…guess the stress got to her or something."_

"_That makes sense~"_

"_Shut up, Sai."_

"_But Jazzy-chan! You shouldn't make assumptions on the spot! Even I knew that the engagement between Bee-chan and Kouen would fall through."_

"_Shut __**up**__, Sai."_

"_So what happened next, Shion? What did my sister do after she laughed?"_

"_Amani said-_

* * *

"If the prince had wanted me to wish him a 'Happy Birthday', he could have just said so!"

Amani smiled charmingly at the court before turning to face Koumei.

"Happy Birthday Koumei-sama, may this coming year be filled with luck and health." She said in the traditional Kou way of well wishing. Her lack of accent when saying this seemed to calm down the court and even gain looks of approval. Koumei, on the other hand, looked as if he wanted to disappear on the spot. "I also apologize for coming to Kou at such an inopportune time. It must have been disappointing for your own birthday to be overlooked because of a stranger from another country."

Mentally, Amani winced after the last sentence left her mouth. That sounded a little more snarky than she had intended it to be.

Koumei seemed to take it that way, judging by the almost unnoticeable slump in his shoulders. Amani immediately felt a pang of guilt at the movement. The only prince who deserved a proper tongue-lashing was his younger brother, who had the decency to at least look a little guilty at the moment.

Amani discreetly tugged at Koumei's sleeve, gaining his attention.

'Sorry'. She mouthed silently.

Koumei's brows rose in something very similar to disbelief. Other than that, he made no other indication that he had seen her silent apology.

"Thank you for your kindness and understanding." He told her instead. "I am sure that such a generous heart could forgive Kouha for what he did. My brother is very…impulsive at times when he allows his emotions to take rein of his actions."

Amani smiled demurely. "Since this was just a silly misunderstanding and done because of strong familial love, this incident can be overlooked."

Leah, ever the boldest of her maids, spoke up. "But princess!"

"Leah." Amani stated, _ordered_.

Leah looked as if she had swallowed a lemon but said no more.

Crisis averted.

"Now, could someone be kind enough to help me down? I am afraid that my height and dress makes it a bit too hard to do it on my own."

* * *

"_My sister is amazing! Did she really say all of that on the spot?"_

"_Well, she __**did **__train under Fatima."_

"_Ja'far! Finally joining us for story time? Shion was telling us a riveting story about Princess Amani Saluja."_

"_So I heard. Sin, you forgot to do your paperwork."_

"…"

"_Sin?"_

"_SHION! SO! What happened next to our princess? I am very curious!"_

"_SIN!"_

"_Now, now, Ja'far. It's rude to interrupt others when they are speaking! Shion worked very hard today for this! Shame on you!"_

"…_My apologies, Prince Shion."_

"_Right…so the whole "lap" incident blew over after that and Amani settled into her new home without too much trouble."_

"_That's a lie, Princeling~"_

"_Okay, fine. So it __**wasn't **__without trouble. Leah threw a fit again because Amani's quarters were smaller than the ones in Balbadd. Personally, I think that she was suffering culture shock. Other than that, I think Amani was fine."_

"_But?"_

"_Yasmine!"_

"_What? There's always a 'but' when people mention 'fine' in a story with Kouha in it."_

"_And I'm assuming you know this from experience?"_

"_Shut up and get on with the story."_

"_As you wish. As I said, Amani was fine. Until the next day. You see, the youngest Kou prince decided to give her a visit."_

"_Told you."_

"_Hush! Kouha went to apologize to her! It's what happened __**after **__that resulted with trouble."_

* * *

Amani stared at the Kou boy.

The Kou boy stared at Amani.

Amani slowly began to close to door. But alas! It was made of thin wood and paper, the weak stuff that could easily be chopped up by a sword. Amani knew that it was for tradition's sake but she sincerely hoped that they would be open to her suggestion for sturdier doors.

Not that the boy destroyed her door. He just blocked it with his foot the classic way.

"Wait! I came to apologize!"

Amani paused.

"You won't pick me up again?" She asked cautiously.

"Not unless you want me to." The boy promised.

Amani opened the paper door completely and faced the Kou boy expectantly. "Well?" She asked him as she would when Alibaba did something wrong. Amani felt a small pang at the thought of her twin. She immediately tackled down the feeling and brutally incinerated it with the mental assurance that she would definitely see him again.

She _would_.

(At least, that was what she was telling herself.)

"I'm sorry for mistaking you for a maid! And for being nosey! And for dropping you on Mei! And for laughing at you!"

The Kou boy really did look sorry for all those things listed above. Well, not the 'dropping you on Mei' one but Amani understood that one. It was Koumei's birthday. His little brother wanted to give him a nice gift. Even if it was misdirected, the Kou boy loved his brother enough to think up a creative birthday gift. He had meant well.

Amani nodded. "I forgive you…er…"

(Would "Kou boy" suffice? Or would it be offensive?)

"Kouha!" The Kou boy supplied eagerly. "Call me Kouha!"

"Kouha." Amani repeated agreeably. Then, she turned back to her room where Shion was sitting. He gave her a thumbs up and continued munching on the treats that a motherly Kou maid baked for him for being "absolutely adorable!" Kouha's eyes followed hers. "Oh? Who is he?"

"He was a replacement for the messenger you sent. Apparently, he was the only one in the group that accompanied your messenger who could read." Amani stated with a shrug. "Since Shion has no parents, I decided to bring him in. He is my ward."

Kouha looked dubious. "Are you sure that you couldn't just place him in the nearest orphanage? Kou has a lot of those."

"Shion? No. He is too smart to be left in such inept hands. I have full confidence that I will be able to take care of him."

And she did. Amani had practically raised Alibaba, after all. Not that Shion needed to be raised.

Kouha dropped the subject. "Oh, okay. Hey! So I was wondering if you would like a tour around the palace since it's…well, _humongous_."

Amani nodded. "I would like that. Shion, will you be fine if I left you alone for a bit?"

"I'll be fine on my own, Amani. You should take that tour. It'll be useful to know your way around this place since you'll be living here. Promise I won't leave the room until you come back!" Shion assured her with a boyish grin.

Amani turned back to Kouha. "So? Where do we begin?"

And so began the long, journey around Amani's new home. Just as she had assumed, the palace was structured similarly to the Forbidden City. Every Kou official had a _home _here. Their _families _resided in this heaven-like place simply because of their lineage and, very rarely, genuine skill.

It truly was a personal city for the rich.

Thankfully, Kouha only skimmed through those houses. Apparently, he thought of them as insignificant, a belief that Amani's sentimental side shared.

Unfortunately, her more shrewd side encouraged her to memorize every name and every house of the Kou officials. Who knew when the information would be useful?

(Decisions, decisions, secrets, secrets, blackmails, blackmails, oh what to do first?)

Powerful giants never think of looking down. No, it takes an overlooked person like her to do that.

There were also personal homes for the concubines. They were bigger and more intricate than the homes of the officials. But that was to be expected for the extra wives of the king. Only the prettiest cages are made for the prettiest birds. They were supposed to bear royal sons, after all.

A haunting thought crossed Amani's mind.

_Will this be where I would live after I get married?_

It wouldn't be surprising if she did. Amani had heard that the eldest of the princes was already wedded to a respected Kou woman. That meant Amani would become Kou's Blessed Child and baby-maker. Maybe they would make her general, though she probably shouldn't keep her hopes up.

"-So this is one of the fourteen Royal Libraries we have here! It's filled with boring stuff like records, though. And it's the smallest. No one really comes here. It's the same with the other ten. But you have to check out our main library! You mentioned that you liked reading interesting things, right? I'm sure that En wouldn't mind sharing with you."

"En?"

"Yeah! Big Brother En! He's my big brother. Didn't you see him? He was sitting on the Emperor's right."

Amani was very tempted to snap at Kouha for carelessly forgetting about the whole…incident that _he _had caused just the day before. She had been so caught off guard when it happened that she hadn't gotten the chance to see _any_ of the faces of the royal family!

Aside from Kouha and Koumei, but they were directly involved so they didn't count.

Amani immediately calmed herself when her temper flared. Fatima had always told her to be mindful of her emotions, especially in front of important figures.

"I forgot." She told Kouha flatly. "His face completely slipped from my mind."

Kouha looked scandalized.

"No one forgets En's face! His face is unforgettable! You probably didn't see him, that's all!" At his own words, the pink-haired boy looked even _more_ scandalized, if that was even possible. "That won't do! Then you _have _to meet him!"

Kouha then grabbed her hand and proceeded to drag her to his eldest brother.

* * *

"_Ren Kouen, right? I heard he is a pretty violent guy."_

"_W-W-What?! And Amani was supposed to marry that scary guy?"_

"_Calm down, Alibaba. And stop scaring Alibaba, Father! Yes, Prince Kouen has a violent reputation, but he is gentle with his family members. Since Amani will marry into his family, Prince Kouen did not harm her in any way."_

"_But you said that there was trouble, Princeling~"_

"_Will you quit calling me that?"_

"_Prince-ling~"_

"_Shut up, Sai. What else happened when she met Kouen, Shion? I want to know."_

"_Kouha dragged Amani everywhere. Since it was a big place, it took him a while to find Kouen specifically. Maids would tell him that he was in 'this place' or making his way to 'that place'. None of the locations were correct but Kouha was determined."_

"_So where was Kouen?"_

"_In the middle of a war meeting."_

"_Oh no, don't tell me-_

"_Yeah. Kouha interrupted a __**war meeting**__ so Amani could see his precious older brother's face."_

* * *

When Kouha had _finally _finished dragging her around the whole godforsaken palace, Amani found herself under the accusing stares of buff old men in armor. It was scars and eye-patches galore. For a moment, Amani allowed herself the luxury of wondering whether or not she was brought to an alternate dimension since she was _positive _men that age shouldn't be able to remain in military service. (They were _ancient._ Great-grandfather ancient.)

_Oh wait_, Amani's Phoebe side thought wryly, _the alternate dimension thing already happened a __**long**__ time ago. Fourteen years, to be exact._

"Big Brother En! I brought Amani over to meet you!" Kouha crowed while towing the shell-shocked Amani over to the tallest man she had ever met. Men in the slums did not grow that tall. The bearded man, who looked to be in his early twenties, seemed to _leer _down at her.

Amani was caught between feeling uncomfortable and offended.

"So this is the brat who caused the ruckus yesterday."

Rough. This man's speech pattern was rough. Amani likened it to a way a war soldier would speak. But different. _Very _different. His voice _demanded _respect, yet gave none to the recipient. Why would it? He was the Crown Prince, soon to be king. He did not have to listen to anyone and could kill anyone with a single order. He could use the casual way of speaking the language however he wanted.

Amani knew this. She really did.

That still did not discourage her from wanting _very much _to wipe the arrogant look off his face.

Kouha gave his brother a look that bordered on hero-worship. "Yup! That's her!"

"What is a _girl _doing in the war chambers? How could Kouen-sama even permit this?" Amani heard the harsh whisper and quietly winced. Kouha had dragged her into a _war meeting_. Didn't he understand how terrible it looked for her? "What an ugly thing."

Amani was not vain. Not in the very least. But to hear someone so _below _her insult her so blatantly stung her pride.

"Too young and scrawny to be a concubine, don't you think? I doubt she would be able to bear any children, not even mentioning _sons_, with that sort of body." One of the old men grunted to his companions.

Another nodded in agreement. "And she was _defiled_. A child so broken does not deserve our Prince Kouen."

_Then __**keep him**_. Amani thought venomously. _**Keep him **__and __**leave me be**__. I don't like this arrangement as much as all of you do since I was recently 'defiled'. But you __**need **__me so __**shut up**__ before I smite you all with Foras._

Amani felt that her anger was righteous. Fatima would have supported her decision if she were alive. Though her teacher had taught her to control her emotions, Fatima had also taught her _pride_. And Amani's pride, at the moment, was being spat on.

Insensitive old bastards.

A cold rush of killing intent filled the room. For a moment, Amani thought she had unintentionally let her anger get the better of her. But after a little while of being exposed to it, Amani realized that this killing intent wasn't hers.

If there was a description to Amani's killing intent, the closest would be the feeling of being hunted by something _very dangerous _in the pitch-black darkness. Fatima had praised it, knowing very well how humans feared the great unknown. Personally, Amani thought it fitting since that was what she technically _was_. She was the monster that her prey couldn't see.

This was not her killing intent.

It was raw, barbaric, and completely unhinged.

And it was coming from the androgynous, pink-haired prince beside her.

_Kouha was defending her_.

It came as a pleasant surprise that the young prince already showed some loyalty to her despite them hardly knowing each other.

"Stop flapping your tongues or I will cut them out for you. Saying such filthy things about my new sister." He snarled with such anger that Amani almost didn't hear the last bit. _Sister?_

It seemed that Kouen also caught onto Kouha's term for Amani by the look on his face. "Oh? You acknowledged her as a sister, Kouha?"

Almost immediately at the sound of his brother's voice, Kouha's face relaxed and the killing intent's hold was released. Around her, Amani heard loud gasps for air. Some even collapsed into their own seats.

Amani remained standing tall and unaffected.

She was sure Kouen noticed.

"Yes!" Kouha confirmed with such confidence that Amani finally allowed the surprise she felt pour onto her face. Letting down her emotional wall, even if it was only a little bit, was the least that she could do for this…this _loyalty_ she didn't remember working to gain.

Not even Alibaba had done something like this unconditionally.

(A bitter thought, but true.)

Kouen then abruptly dismissed the old men. They grumbled a little but obeyed, giving her dirty looks as they filed out. Amani didn't care. Her focus was on the Ren brothers and the Ren brothers only.

"What do you think of her, Kouha?"

Kouha blinked. "I like her!"

"Really now?"

Amani forced herself still as Kouen's eyes raked over her face, body, and soul. Usually she would assume that he was 'checking her out' or treating her 'like livestock', but Amani knew better with this man. After a moment of staring, Kouen drew himself back and nodded in what Amani guessed was approval. "I see."

Kouha grinned madly and squeezed Amani's hand, which she had forgotten he still had. "So, what do you think of him, Amani? Isn't he amazing?"

Amani's brown eyes slid from Kouha's excited ones to scrutinize the famed Prince General of Kou, dungeon capturer of three dungeons. Though it wasn't as much as Sinbad's seven (Amani could recite his stories word-by-word with her eyes _closed_ thanks to Alibaba's fanboying), three wasn't a number to laugh at.

She started with his face.

_Pretty boy,_ was her first thought. Then: _Gold eyes like Koumei._

But that was to be expected. Amani heard that they were brothers who shared the same mother. Kouha's eyes were _pink_. Amani had no idea how that worked out but it surprisingly fit him well. As did his equally pink hair.

Kouen had good shoulders. _Strong _and _dependable _were the first words that came to mind after seeing them. Everything else was also well built. He was a man of war and bloodshed, after all. Countless callouses covered his hands. His touch must be rough and painful to feel. But they held a good amount of control so they wouldn't break unless they had to. His stance, even when sitting down, was military. Amani wondered if the man ever relaxed.

Kouen could have been a woman's dream man. Strong, confident, and practically a freaking _king_, judging how everyone looked at him. Amani had to admit that even Phoebe would swooned a little at the sight of him.

(Okay, not _swoon,_ but she definitely would have been interested.)

But Amani found one, simple detail that ruined the whole picture.

Kouen's hair.

It was _red._

Yes, the Kou Family had a little red and pink theme going on with every child they spawned. This wasn't the first time Amani encountered red. Koumei was a wonderful example. But Koumei's hair wasn't _that _sort of red, was it? No. Koumei's hair reminded Amani of roses and of dawn.

Kouen's red reminded her of _blood_.

(_Booze, Tobacco, and __**Blood**_)

"I don't like his hair." Amani blurted out. But it was the truth. She _did not _like it. At all. The comment was so unexpectedly frank that even Kouen looked surprised. He probably was never straight-out told by a stranger that some part of him was disliked. Amani decided to finish her sentence, since she had already said so much. "It's red. Like blood. I don't like color of blood. Or the smell of it."

Kouha was the first to recover. Instead of the righteous fury she had expected from a loving brother, he appeared a little confused and disappointed. "So you don't like Koumei's hair, either?"

"Kouha, there are millions of shades for all colors, including red. Your brother simply has the unfortunate luck of sharing the same shade as blood. Not that it makes him any less of an admirable person. But to answer your question, I rather like Koumei's red."

Kouha brightened and Kouen did not look the least offended. Really, he seemed amused.

"Oh! That's good! I was afraid that you wouldn't like Koumei anymore because you didn't like his hair. You are the first girl who didn't comment on his ugly face!" The pink haired prince proclaimed brightly. "I mean, he never takes care of himself. His hair is always messy and it looks like a furry monster when it's not tied up! He always needs help with putting clothes on. He forgets to eat. He's hopeless when it comes to physical activities because he stays inside too much. He sometimes falls asleep on his desk and ends up waking up with ink imprints all over his face. He has embarrassing acne scars. He-

"Acne scars? I thought they were freckles."

Kouen looked at Kouha as if he had said something terrible. Kouha looked like he speared a puppy and regretted the action completely.

"Not that they make any difference," Amani continued while ignoring their expressions, "Your brother manages to make them look cute. And I'm used to seeing them. Some of my studious acquaintances had them too because they worked too hard. I find it admirable to find that there is still a prince who puts his duties before himself."

Of course, when she said "studious acquaintances", she had meant Phoebe's classmates. Acne scars, freckles, and any other marks on the skin were common in the halls of her high school. It was natural to have an imperfect face. Even Phoebe's had been imperfect.

But to hear that a character in this world having the same flaws as teens in her old world did was nostalgic and refreshing. Manga normally didn't apply flaws to their main characters.

(Actually, they made the antagonists _more _attractive than the heroes for a strange reason.)

"Wait, what did you just say?"

"I find it admirable to find that there is still a prince who puts his duties before himself?"

"No, the one before the 'studious' part."

"Your brother makes the scars look cute?" Amani asked before widening her eyes in realization to the weight in her words. "_Oh_."

That…had sounded more romantic than she had intended it to sound. 'Cute' may have been a friendly way of complimenting a person in the modern world. But in Kou? It had a more intimate meaning. She had slipped back into being Phoebe without realizing it. Amani snapped her mouth shut with an audible _clack_ and wondered if her ability could make memories disappear too.

Oh look. Now they were snickering and giving her those_ looks_ as if they knew something priceless. Now they had _ideas _of how she felt towards-No, she was overreacting. Even if they took it that way, she didn't…she didn't _mean _it like that. As long as she knew it, the truth would remain the truth. That was all that mattered.

Just when she gathered her wits together, Amani's sharp ears heard the soft but sharp inhale.

Amani was afraid to turn to see who it was but she did it anyways.

It was a shocked, blushing Koumei. One look told her that he had heard the whole thing. Or, at least, the important part that she would have died more happily with him not knowing at all.

For the first time in this life, Amani was _mortified._ Feeling embarrassment over something so mundane simply did not happen to her.

_But it's happening now, isn't it?_ The snarky part of her head reminded her while pointing out her blush. (She was _blushing_!)

Amani wanted the ground to swallow her up.

She disappeared instead.

* * *

"_Amani didn't really have much control over her abilities since her training with Fatima was incomplete. She would be unnoticed for __**days**__ without anyone realizing it. But what she did in the war room was a completely different level. She actually __**disappeared. **__Poof! Invisible."_

"_Wait, my sister can do that?"_

"_Turn invisible? Of course. I heard from Sai that she made an impressive presentation for you and Kassim on her first day back."_

"_She actually turned invisible?!"_

"_Well, __**duh**__. If she used misdirection, you wouldn't have even __**noticed **__her disappear. Would have made the presentation duller and unimpressive. Ali-dork, your sense of perception is as lackluster as usual~"_

"_Sh-shut up!"_

"_Sai. Stop bothering Alibaba."_

"_If the Princeling wishes~"_

"_Good. Now, back to the main point! Amani disappeared, throwing all the princes, minus a laughing Kouen, into panic. When they finally found where she was, she was still invisible and embarrassed mind you, they tried many different ways to soothe her back into visibility. They failed epically in comforting Amani. Really, I don't think they can comfort a rock, knowing how Kou raises their male children."_

"_How do they-?"_

"_Don't ask."_

"…_Okay."_

"_When it proved that nothing worked, they sent for the princesses: Ren Hakuei, first imperial princess of Kou and child of the late emperor, and her sister-in-law, Seishin. They came and were more successful in bringing Amani out of invisibility."_

* * *

Invisibility, unlike misdirection, was true nonexistence. Unlike how the princes had assumed, Amani did not disappear on purpose. Usually she never did, but this was the first time it had _actually _happened to her and it had scared her. How could she stop this? How could she control this? Would she ever be able to control this? What if Shion didn't know how it worked?

Usually, mistakes like these would be fixed and guided by Fatima.

But Fatima was gone now, wasn't she?

It suddenly hit the Blessed Child that _she missed her teacher_. Fatima was gone and Amani was trying to move on while ignoring the coping process. It explained the erratic bursts of emotion that she was normally _very good _at controlling and her inability to control her abilities despite how controlled she was before the incident.

The realization, though banishing all her confusion in her recent actions, made her incredibly sad.

The two princesses, who had been trying to coax her from her invisible shell, found themselves with the sight of a very emotional Balbadd princess who looked seconds away from bursting into tears.

Being fellow women, the pair immediately understood that right now was not the time to interrogate or question the Blessed Child and her most recent action. They took no time in embracing her and comforted the foriegn bride.

"Oh there, there, was Kouha that nasty to you? He is sorry for what he did, you know. I bet that he is standing outside that door right at this moment to make sure you're okay. I think he is very fond of you. Kouha tends to be a little…too much to the people he likes." A gentle voice said. Amani raised her head to look at the speaker better and recognized her instantly.

Ren Hakuei, Amani remembered her from Aladdin's little adventure in the Koga Tribe. Dark blue hair, pale skin that almost rivaled her own, she was truly the prime example of Kou beauty. Though younger, Hakuei still appeared beautiful and kind. Phoebe had thought of her as naïve. Amani thought she was a complete saint in this corrupted palace and a potential ally for the good.

"N-not Kouha." Amani stammered. "I'm sorry for being in this sort of state on our first meeting. I'm just…just…"

Well, she couldn't very well tell them that she was crying over her dead teacher a couple months too late. Fortunately, the other woman finished the sentence for her.

"Homesick?"

Amani spared herself from the embarrassment of stammering by nodding. It wasn't the main reason that she broke down but it had helped.

"Hm. Thought so." The other woman murmured with understanding shining in her green eyes. "I felt that way too when I was taken from my family so I could be wed to my husband. It's a common feeling to experience for all women who are preparing to be married."

"I didn't expect everything to be so different when I left Balbadd." Amani confessed genuinely. Really, there was nothing in this confession that this woman could use to hurt her. Amani's reputation in Kou was already tarnished with her status as a bastard and a foreigner.

"It never really hits until you realize that you're in a place without your usual support, right? Don't worry. I felt it too. Every bride in Kou has felt it. You are Amani, correct? I am Ren Seishin, Kouen's wife." Seishin gave Amani a comforting smile that calmed her nerves an instant after hearing the news. This woman was not threatening. Either Amani didn't pose enough of a threat against her or Seishin wasn't the nasty competitive sort. If it was the latter, Amani considered herself lucky. "Whatever you are going through, I have already experienced. If you need any help, I will always be free to give advice. You have my support!"

Amani blinked. "Thank you. But…why are you helping me? I can give you nothing as a newcomer into the Kou Palace. I left everything in Balbadd behind, aside from my titles, my lineage, and my djinn. Judging by the symbols on your impressive sword and pretty ring, you are a dungeon capturer. That makes you a king candidate. If you want to gain my support to make you 'King', I'm afraid that my emotions and personal interests don't influence my instincts as a Blessed Child, despite common belief. I truly can give you nothing."

If Seishin wanted to use her, she would drop the act. Amani knew this. But it was better to nip the bud before it bloomed.

To the Blessed Child's surprise, Seishin did not 'drop the act' and act cold to her. Instead, she gave Amani an almost endearing look. "Ah, bold one, aren't you? It seems that you have a brain inside that pretty head. Good. It will do you well in Kou. But please, do not think that I have any ulterior motive, other than to make you the sister I never had. I grew up with only brothers, you see. Hakuei is the same. Let's be sisters!"

"But aren't there eight more women in the Royal Family?" Amani asked, understandably a bit thrown off by the abrupt change in the woman's personality. She was very casual for the wife of the crown prince.

Seishin made a look of pure disgust at the mention of her sister-in-laws. It was actually the look Amani had expected to be aimed at her. "Ugh. Those lazy cows? They only know how to titter and gossip. Most of them are married off anyways so don't bother getting to know them. Pretend they don't exist. Except Kougyoku. She's actually making an effort in life, despite being the youngest of the eight. Now that I think about it, she is about your age. I think the four of us should team up."

"Team up?"

Seishin nodded seriously while Hakuei shook her head at her sister-in-law's antics in the background. "Yes, there is a serious abnormality happening in this world. Don't you see it? People aren't having enough girls because they have a silly idea in their head that a boy is better than a girl! I bet my father secretly sold off my sister or something, leaving me with only brothers. It's a conspiracy I tell you!"

"Seishin!" Hakuei giggled. "This is too much even if it's too cheer Amani up!"

"But you only had brothers too, Hakuei! What about you, Amani? Do you have a blood sister?"

Amani answered cautiously. "No…I only have a brother."

"See? What did I tell you? It's as if fate is telling us to get together. Kougyoku can join us too!"

Hakuei continued to giggle.

"But I thought Kougyoku has six other sisters." Amani deadpanned, remembering that little tidbit. Seishin shook her head with such a serious expression that Amani almost thought that the older woman wasn't joking. "They don't exist, remember? She only has three brothers. That is all."

"Right."

Seishin smiled. It was an honest, down-to-earth smile that seemed to nail Amani's shifting feet to the ground to give her more stability in her instable life. It told her that she could trust the older woman's words since liars could never copy a smile like hers. Though her facial features were not as gentle as Hakuei's, the sharpness in her cheeks and the elegant arc of her nose showed a woman who carried the blood of only the finest. She was royalty to the bones. Yet, her personality and her smile reminded Amani of a soul who recognized and experienced the hardship of the common and poor people. That was when Amani knew. This was a woman who was wise. This was a woman who knew her pain. This was a woman who Amani could trust.

"So? Amani? Can Hakuei and I be your Kou sisters?"

_Will you give us a chance and place your trust in us?_

This woman was not what Amani expected.

"I would be honored."

And that wasn't a bad thing.

* * *

"_That's nice. Amani made wonderful friends in Kou."_

"_Jealous, Jazzy-chan?"_

"_Not in the least. I didn't know Amani at the time, remember? Besides, I live in Sasan. Visits to Kou don't take seconds and I seldom am allowed to leave my post in the borderlands. It is a good thing that she has people she can rely on in Kou."_

"_You must be a very hard worker, Miss Yasmine! Who are your friends in Sasan?"_

"_Raja used to be my friend, mentor, and parent. But he died a long time ago. I now have none in my homeland, Aladdin."_

"_I'm sorry, Miss Yasmine! I didn't know you were an orphan!"_

"_Hmm? Oh! You thought that Raja was my actual father! No, he was my predecessor who raised me. My sire and mother are still alive. They threw me away at birth, though, so I do not interact with them willingly."_

"…_Oh."_

"_Depressing as usual, Jazzy-chan."_

"_At least I'm honest."_

"_Err, right. Can you continue, Shion? I'm very interested in the other bonds that my sister made. Did she approach Kougyoku afterwards?"_

"_Yes. Though it was only by passing at first. It wasn't until after Amani's joint trip with Kouha to Sasan that they really became close."_

* * *

It was only by chance that they passed in the corridors.

Three days after the whole disappearing fiasco, Amani tried settling into Kou life while avoiding Koumei and Kouen. A guilty Kouha had already apologized profusely. Since he had overheard Amani voicing her sadness, he was convinced that the whole incident was his fault. Amani did not hold anything against the youngest prince however and had instantly forgiven him once again. He did not try dragging her off to random places anymore so Amani took it upon herself to explore the palace.

Amani recognized Kougyoku instantly but couldn't really find the right words to introduce herself.

"Are you Princess Kougyoku?"

The princess stopped and regarded her curiously. "Yes?"

"I am Princess Amani. I heard from Princess Seishin that you are about my age. I hope that we can get along and be friends."

Kougyoku looked at her closely before nodding. "Yes. I would like that Princess Amani. Please, have a nice day."

When the princess was out of sight, Amani sighed in relief.

It was a short conversation. But it was a beginning, right?

* * *

"_That was boring."_

"_Well, hear about her meeting with Prince Hakuryuu on the same day. It was practically five sentences maximum."_

* * *

"Lady Amani, my name is Ren Hakuryuu. I am sure that you are well acquainted with my older sister?"

This was a face that she didn't know. Amani would have remembered him because of his impressive scar. But he was important.

"Yes. Hakuei is a wonderful person and she talked a lot about you!"

"A-Ah! Sister! You told her embarrassing things, didn't you?" Hakuryuu panicked.

Amani tried to calm him down. "No! It was all good things!"

But he was already walking away to complain to his sister for "embarrassing" him before he even met the pretty newcomer.

* * *

"_Yeah. You're right. That was even more boring."_

"_Right? But don't worry, something more interesting happened the day after that when Amani finally stumbled upon the main library when she walked about during the evening. No one really noticed since she was easy to overlook. Amani described to me how the room was like a treasure trove to her. But Amani realized a little too late that she was not alone. Ren Koumei, who was prone to overworking himself, had fallen asleep in the library. Since Kouha was bothering him more than usual, Koumei took refuge in the library and worked himself to sleep."_

* * *

Amani had spent five days avoiding Ren Koumei only to accidentally stumble upon him in the middle of a nap.

Embarrassment was an unfamiliar emotion, so Amani found herself dealing with the situation in the most childish way. She knew that it was unfair to the second prince, but she knew no other way how to deal with the awkward misunderstanding. Unlike Phoebe's world, misunderstandings don't clear after a simple exchange of words. Here, the weight of words was heavy.

All thoughts of borrowing some of the texts fled from her mind when Amani found herself face to face with Koumei's sleeping one.

She was ready to flee. It was the truth. But, Amani's mind found that it was the right moment to remind her of a comment that Kouha had made days ago.

"_He sometimes falls asleep on his desk and ends up waking up with ink imprints all over his face."_

Amani bit her lip and glanced at her shawl. It was one of the few things she had brought from Balbadd. It was made of a material very similar to cotton. It had been woven lovingly by one of the older maids, who couldn't follow Amani to Kou.

Though she was reluctant to part with it…

A few minutes later, Amani left the library and returned to her room.

Though she returned very cold, she felt satisfied. In a way, she had made up for her childish cowardice by doing a small good deed. Her conscience was cleared.

Koumei woke the next morning to find that his face, instead of being sore from lying on the desk, was being cushioned by a folded shawl that smelled distantly of spices and desert wind.


	14. Chapter 13: Meddling

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shippers gotta ship

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Onwards

"_The shawl wasn't the end of it."_

* * *

No, it had been the beginning.

She just didn't know it at first.

Amani was not surprised when her shawl was returned to her by the next morning. Only a stupid or ignorant man would be clueless in the owner's identity and Amani knew him to be neither. Who else in Kou would wear such a strange piece of clothing? Instead of small blankets to cover the shoulders, the women in Kou used another layer of clothing. Kou dresses were just as cumbersome as they sounded, so Amani was grateful that her shawl was returned safely.

The exchanges between Koumei and her continued to be more or less awkward, but Amani personally preferred that from trying to hide from him every day. To her, this was a great improvement. Amani was confident that they would eventually put the embarrassing events behind them.

…

Eventually

Kouen was another matter completely. Amani found it surprisingly hard to like the eldest prince. Amani didn't know what it was, but she couldn't see the man that Kouha respected so much. He was powerful, yes. Charismatic, definitely. Handsome, if the beard and the god-awful smirk was overlooked. Very smart too, she had heard. He had all of the qualifications for a good ruler.

But there was something about him that made her wary and jumpy whenever she was near his presence. (It's because he reminds you of _him_, right? Has too many similar traits. Cocky, independent, charismatic, strong. _Strong_, that was how he held you down, right? Because you were weaker than him.) And he noticed it too. It was a relief that Kouen never questioned it but Amani knew that people would begin to notice if she didn't get her act together. It was strange. Usually, she wouldn't be as easily shaken as she was.

It seemed _that night _had done more damage than she had thought it did.

"It's normal." Shion had assured her one night when she confided to him of her current concern. "For you to recover after four days of that…night…to set off to Kou was amazing of itself. You have more than the right to be this way. Others who are far weaker would have crumbled if they were in your position. You are amazing, Amani. Please do not doubt that."

They were nice words of kind wisdom…but they didn't really help much with the main issue.

Amani had lost the control she had cultivated ever since her rebirth and she felt completely and utterly bare without it. Insecurity and doubt were feelings that she seldom felt in this life. Knowing Balbadd's future and her brother's fate helped her cope through her second life. But now, that sort of security was gone in Kou, wasn't it?

Despite her knowledge of Ancient China, that was merely a parallel to Phoebe's world. This was a country in a manga universe that Phoebe hadn't even completely read. In the few chapters that she had read through, Phoebe only saw Kou as the mysterious opponent that the hero had to eventually defeat. Kou was an untraveled area. It was an enemy that took over any country close to it. It was a sea of shadowed faces under a fearsome flag. It was the homeland of evil.

But…

It wasn't really like that, was it?

Kou had a culture of its own. It had an economy, a history, and many people. It had the good and the bad. It blazed away everything in its path, but it also supported those it defeated. The people here weren't faceless nor were they all evil. They had personalities that Amani both loved and hated.

And that scared her.

_These are my enemies._ Amani realized. _These are the people I will eventually betray for the sake of this dying world._

Amani would have preferred them to be the undefeatable monsters she had thought them to be because these flawed, good intentioned _humans_ scared her more than any horrifying monstrosity ever would.

She could slay any deformed monster at any time of day.

But these people? Who had names, families, hopes, and dreams?

It was almost unthinkable.

Amani found herself a victim to _sentiment_. Feelings, she knew, were worthless when playing the game of politics. The late Balbadd King had known this. Fatima had known this. Even Shion, the boy with the soft smile and the understanding gaze, removed most of his personal feelings when it came to politics.

Amani was back to square one mentality wise. Physically, she was retaining her stamina with her secret roof hopping around Kou during the evening and spars with Seishin and Hakuei during the day. Of course, she had to hold back to keep pretenses. But Amani was still impressed with Hakuei's skill with Paimon and found a new mentor in Seishin.

But her mental state…it was cracked and blurred in so many corners that Amani had no choice but to go to the shelter that the library provided. That was how it all started, wasn't it? The library? All her additional knowledge and training had begun there.

(Of course, the slums came before even that. They had taught her everything she needed to know to survive. Everything that made the slums the slums sank into her blood and bone the moment she came sobbing into this world. But Amani didn't want to think about that. It wasn't…It didn't bring up the best memories.)

Thankfully, Koumei wasn't there when she visited the library. Apparently, he only went there during the evenings or when Kouha bothered him too much.

Other than that, the library was all for Amani to use and take. It baffled her how Kouha had described the place as 'small'. It was bigger than the royal library back at Balbadd. It was, with a lack of better words, a _treasure trove_ compared to the tiny, so-called libraries back in Phoebe's world. Without much struggle or effort, Amani accepted the library as a place that offered comfort.

From then on, when she wasn't spending time with Kouha or training with Seishin, Amani spent her time immersing herself with philosophy and battle strategies. From time to time, she would skim official records of concubines, officials, and generals.

Familiar names like _Confucius_,_ Sun Tzu, and Laozi _came up many times in Amani's mission to reading every single text inside the library. Though Phoebe had not been so keen on reading works of ancient dead men, Amani welcomed them into the folds of her mind. Unlike Phoebe, these names meant something to the pale girl. They were parallels, proof that Phoebe's world existed.

They were proof that Amani wasn't crazy.

Of course, Amani seldom doubted the state of her mind. How could she when she had two lifetimes worth of having and knowing it? Above everything else in this world, she trusted her memory and, by connection, she trusted Phoebe. It was simply helpful that she had something concrete to back up the validity of it.

Amani diligently cleared the first three rows of the whole library within a week.

(Fatima's daily homework made this amount look like child's play, honestly.)

Though it was done at an impressive speed, Amani found herself disappointed in the lack of challenge. Kou was known for their intricate artworks but their creativity on the literature side of the spectrum left plenty to be desired. The messages that were sent were dull. The stories were dramatic at best. The words scattered across the page were painfully straightforward and tasteless.

The only comfort that Amani had in this experience was the battle strategy section.

When it came to battle, creativity is forced from the mind. Without a unique thought process, the strategy would be rendered useless because it is too predictable. Amani knew as a fact that Kou would never allow some half-assed thinker into their military ranks, not to mention have their works in a royal library. It was a given that every scroll would hold unique and valuable information.

Amani memorized every word.

And, little by little, she rebuilt her armor.

This time, it would be forged with something stronger than the iron she wore.

* * *

"Good morning, Princess Amani."

"Good morning, Prince Koumei."

"How are you today?"

"I am fine, thank you. And you?"

"I…er…the same! The same, thank you."

* * *

"So? What are you doing all by your lonesome during the other half of the day? Your little ward told me that you were busy when I tried to visit you last week." Kouha said one morning during their daily walks.

Amani blinked. "I was not aware that leaving my room was forbidden."

"Well, of course it is!" Kouha grouched. "If you don't stay where you are meant to be like the other girls, how else am I supposed to find you? Who knows if you're associating yourself with suspicious people when I'm not around? You're not allowed to spend your free time with anyone else except me!"

"I'll tell that to Hakuei and Seishin during our next sparring session, then." Amani informed him dryly while fiddling with her ridiculously long sleeves. Today, Kouen had given her their first engagement gift: a Kou-styled dress. Seishin assured Amani that she had helped picking the gift and that the dress was chosen to compliment the Blessed Child's complexion.

Not that Amani cared about how she looked. But she was thankful to the woman nevertheless for her efforts and kindness.

Kouha seemed taken aback by her statement.

"You fight?"

Amani raised her brow.

"I am a _dungeon capturer_, Kouha. Of course I am able to fight. My predecessor was fond of the martial arts, so I was forced to undergo intense training under her wing." She was honestly surprised that Kouha seemed to be unaware of this. It was not a secret that Balbadd's only princess captured a dungeon all on her own. It was actually the talk of the whole seven seas for a while, according to Alibaba. "If I slacked off, Foras would be upset."

"Huh." Kouha leaned in curiously, inspecting Amani from head to toe. "You don't look like a fighter."

"I'm not." _I'm an assassin._ "I'm just paranoid."

Guilt flashed across Kouha's eyes as he translated the statement just as Amani had wanted him to. _That night _was a tender subject that everyone, even the officials, were wary of bringing up. Kouha knew better than anyone in the palace that the event had shaken Amani up. Her reactions whenever it was mentioned were enough to clue him in. It would be natural for her to build up her defenses after being in such a vulnerable position.

It wasn't completely a lie. But Amani had been building up her defenses a long time before that.

"Oh."

"Yes, oh."

"Are you-?"

"Please do not ask about it. I would rather we speak of happier things."

Kouha scratched the back of his neck nervously as his eyes darted around for a new subject to speak about. "…Can I spar with you sometime?" He blurted out.

It was Kouha's most honest form of apology that he rarely gave to those outside his family. And it was for an offense that he thought he had committed.

Amani felt sick.

"Of course."

The relief on Kouha's face was enough to make Amani crumble. Back in Balbadd, small manipulations and half-lies hadn't affected her as this one did and it was beyond frustrating.

_But this is __**Kouha**_. Her mind seemed to insist. _He is your friend and ally, something that you didn't have aside from Fatima and your brother back in Balbadd. You took advantage of his trust and kindness. Of course you would feel terrible._

Amani squashed that sentiment.

"And if you are so curious about my business, I was at the library you showed me earlier. The smaller one."

"Eh? The library? But that's so boring!"

"Do you have any other fun things in mind that women are able to do around here?"

"Ah…um…"

"I thought as much."

(This isn't a game. This isn't a game. They're human. They're human.)

(_**You're human too.**_)

* * *

"Good morning, Princess Amani."

"Good morning, Prince Koumei."

"Has Kouha been treating you roughly? Your arms are covered in scratches."

"Oh? These small things? They are simply scrapes attained from my carelessness during my spar with Kouha. Your brother was patient and gentle with me. Thank you for your concern, Prince Koumei."

"Are you sure that I shouldn't call over a physician to check those over?"

"Yes. But thank you."

* * *

Fatima was very generous in giving Amani books during their 'hellish training'. Out of everything else, the ex-assassin remembered her student's love of books and took advantage of that when it came in the language and culture lessons she dished out every other day. Amani liked to think that Fatima handed over the large pile of books as a reward for succeeding in another lesson, not as 'extra homework'.

After all, Fatima had personally gathered those books from royal libraries around the world for the sake of teaching Amani.

Since Kou was a bit edgy in handing out information to another country, Fatima would only gather amateurish writings that weren't widely read and followed by the eastern country as a whole.

How foolish they were.

Amateurs would be amateurs, but there would always be potential in their ideas. Amani herself was an amateur in martial arts at that time but that didn't mean that she wasn't improving by the day.

Not only that, Amani found a certain scroll filled with poor handwriting and messy notes. The quality was very poor, but Amani was filled with excitement at the author's name.

_Zhuge Liang_

He wasn't as well known as _Confucius _or _Hua Mulan_ amongst general consensus of the American readers back in Phoebe's world, but he was a respected strategist during China's Three Kingdoms period.

Phoebe remembered his name.

That meant that Phoebe's parents had approved of her reading about him. That meant that his work was knowledgeable. That meant that he was _good _at what he did.

Amani treasured the scroll and made sure to glean whatever she could from it. Though the ideas were either partly blotted out or incomplete, she easily drew her ideas from there. It was a bit uplifting to read that such a renowned strategist struggled at the beginning.

Undoubtedly, he would become someone amazing enough to be added to the royal library.

"Now, where is it?" Amani muttered to herself as she scanned the upper shelves. It would have been easier if the scrolls were ordered alphabetically. Amani could only be thankful that the shelves were labeled by subject.

By the time Amani found the section she wanted, it was near evening. The soft shine of the moon alerted her that she had to hurry up in her search before Leah and the others got worried.

"Zhu, Zhu, Zhu, aha! There you are."

Amani's eyes landed on a pile of scrolls on the fifth row. With a determined gleam in her eyes, she reached out for a scroll, only to find that she was _too short_ to reach properly. Amani allowed an irritated huff to escape her lips before going on her toes to give herself a little more leverage.

It still wasn't enough.

_Thirteen years old and still not tall enough to reach something so short. What a child you are. _Amani bitterly mocked herself before launching herself up again. It really had no effect on the distance between her hand and the lowest scroll but her stubborn mind convinced her that she managed to get a _little _closer.

Closer.

Closer.

_Closer._

And she was almost-

A hand suddenly landed on the scroll she was reaching for.

Amani jumped at the abrupt intrusion and lost her balance. She stumbled back and hit the body behind her. With a low "oomph", the person behind her held no resistance to her fall and acted as her domino. They fell together, brining a shower of scrolls along with them.

The only comfort that Amani had was that the stranger had pillowed her fall.

After the last scroll landed by her left foot, Amani shifted her head upwards and opened her mouth to apologize only to choke on her words.

It was Prince Koumei.

_Dammit._

"Are you hurt?"

Koumei didn't seem to be too concerned about their suggestive position at the moment, a blessing that Amani would definitely take advantage of. She shuffled out of his lap (_why _did it have to be his lap _again_?) while disguising it as an act to see his face better.

As always, Koumei's appearance was sloppy. It seemed that the maids where halfhearted in their efforts to put his clothes on properly. It was either that or the fall had loosened the front of his robes. Amani made sure to avoid looking at his exposed chest since it was…well…_wrong _and downright perverted to even consider staring at. Her eyes finally trailed up to his face so she could properly make eye contact. The state of his face wasn't that good either. There were bags underneath his eyes and his hair was all over the place. Amani had to restrain a giggle when she saw an unraveled scroll framing his head like some wig or a unique hat.

"No?" She managed to say with a straight face. "Ah…I mean, you caught me. I'm fine…are you? I am not the lightest person to cushion."

Koumei grimaced. "No, you are not." He stated bluntly. "The fall was very painful."

Amani's lips twitched upwards.

"You do know that normal women would hit you for that comment."

Koumei seemed to realize that too, judging by the look of panic on his face. "I-I-I mean, you aren't…too…heavy…compared to my brothers." He tried to amend. Amani looked on amused as the second prince dug himself deeper into his grave. "And my sisters hardly eat anything so it's a given that they would be lighter than you."

The last sentence sounded like an insult.

It was very fortunate that Phoebe's memories were _filled _with people like him or Amani would have been genuinely offended. Amani had seen enough to understand that what Koumei was saying were unintentional insults that were said with the best of intentions.

Koumei, mistaking Amani's silence as anger, tried to amend his comment even _more_. Undoubtedly, he was making the situation worse, but she didn't bother to pay attention to the rest of what the prince said since they were just the useless ramblings of a nervous wreck.

Amani decided to take mercy on him when he attempted to spell out what appeared to be a compliment for her Balbadd dress. She was confident that he would somehow make her sound like a whore with where it was going.

"It's fine. If it makes you feel better, I'll just say that men your age should be strong enough to catch a woman of my weight. See? Now, we are both insulted." She compromised calmly, effectively shutting him up. "And thank you for catching me. I would have gotten hurt if you weren't there."

"I… it was not a problem, princess."

Amani glanced at Koumei's face again before reaching out to pluck the scroll from his head. The prince seemed baffled that the scroll was there the whole time and slightly bemused for some reason.

"Are you a fan of _Sun Tzu_?" He asked curiously. Amani frowned at the scroll. It seemed that she had misread the label. Koumei appeared even more amused by her reaction, though her sharp senses caught some disappointment. "Ah, no? Were you perhaps trying to find works written by _Zhu Ten_? His works are at the library ten stone throws to the left."

Amani made no effort in disguising her disgusted look. "The romance writer? He can't write a realistic piece for his _life_. My teacher forced me to read his works when I was a child. I still remembered how sappy and cliché his stories were."

Koumei blinked in confusion. "Are you speaking of someone else? Zhu Ten is well known for his…erm…_suggestive _works. They are very popular in the royal court."

Amani forgot. She had been reading his amateur works. She should have known that the man would move his garish ideas to another level. _Of course _he would become popular for writing something like that. Oh the horror. He was writing _porn_ for the people of Kou.

"Your poor country." Amani muttered in her sleeves. "I pity you all."

"Not him, then?"

"No. Never him. Please do not mention him again." Amani stated flatly. "I would rather re-read _Sun Tzu's Art of War _than to hear about that man's…works_._"

Koumei chuckled.

"If it makes you feel better, I am not a fan of his, either." The second prince confessed. "Romance has never been my favorite of genres."

"Really?" Amani asked teasingly while reaching for a fallen scroll. "I would have thought of you to be the type." She scanned its contents before sighing and rolling it up. "Though, I understand your reasoning. Romance involves people who make choices based on their emotions. That results in brash actions. A person like you who values intellect must think of them as stupid."

"Foolish." Koumei corrected as he began following Amani's example of picking up the mess of scrolls. "They never _think_ anything through when they go headfirst into romance and their relationship is mostly based on superficial feelings that will most likely disappear under the pressure of a hardship."

Amani nodded in agreement. "Infatuation. Usually, Kou writes about infatuation when they produce 'love stories'. It is a bit disappointing that not one of those writers are aware about the other forms of love."

"Other forms of love?" Koumei echoed back uncertainly.

Amani smiled. "Well, yes. There are many forms, like the relationship within your family. I have never seen a stronger bond than the one your family shares. Family Love."

"Family…Love. Yes, we do love each other very much. But that shouldn't be the only form of love you are speaking of."

Amani blinked.

"Well, there is Friendship." She informed him with a quizzical look. "And Playful Love or, its more common name, flirtation. There is also Self-Love."

Koumei nodded as Amani listed the different forms of love.

"But is there any alternative form of romantic love? Will the love between a man and a woman always remain as a primal form of love?" He asked quietly. Amani shook her head.

Really, for a man who claims to hold no interest in romance, Koumei had many questions.

"Well, there are Longstanding Love and Unconditional Love to consider." Amani commented thoughtfully. "I think that Prince Kouen and Seishin are a perfect example of a Longstanding Love. I heard that they have known each other for a very long span of time. For them to know their partner so well, it seems very likely that they would have a very long and prosperous relationship. Though that sort of love is usually achieved by elderly couples."

"Are you saying that En-nii-sama is an old man?"

"No. I'm saying that his devotion to his wife is rare. I think that devotion stems from his deep love for his family."

And it did. Though it was subtle at first, Amani could see that the intimidating man was actually a very doting husband when it came to his wife. Kouen frequently made time during his day to drop by the training grounds to see his wife and drop in a praise or two for Amani's performance, but mostly to see his wife. They would squabble for a bit but Kouen always ended up wrapping a small towel around his wife's shoulders so she could wipe the sweat from her face. Even Amani had to admit that the action was quite cute.

(Kouen was still scary. Seishin was doing her best in helping her with the fear since Amani would have to _marry_ the man one day.)

"Though, I would think that the Unconditional Love is more deeply tied between family members than Longstanding Love. More believable than the soul mate idea, anyways." Amani added as an after thought.

"Soul mates?" Koumei asked in confusion. "What are those?"

Amani furrowed her brow in confusion. Didn't China have a legend about soul mates? "Kou does not have soul mates?"

"No."

Well.

Balbadd didn't either, so Amani supposed she shouldn't have been surprised. The idea of soul mates must have been something only Phoebe's world believed in just as the idea of rukh was exclusive to this one.

"Balbadd didn't either." Amani confessed. "But I read about it somewhere when Fatima dumped scrolls from around the world on me to study with. The text was in the Kou pile so I thought…but I guess it was from somewhere else."

"Can you tell me about it?"

Amani glanced at the prince. He seemed genuinely interested in what she had to say about the whole 'soul mate' idea. She was tempted, but the window behind him alerted her of how late it was getting.

"Oh dear. It's getting quite late." Amani murmured. "Leah will throw a fit if I don't return soon. I'm sorry, Prince Koumei. Can I tell you some other time tomorrow if you aren't busy?"

Koumei, as a prince, was a master at masking his emotions.

His sheepish smile, his sloppy appearance, and his boyish habit of scratching his head whenever he got nervous was all part of his 'cloak' to make people underestimate him. They weren't quite lies but…

Ren Koumei was skillful at using the truth as a lie.

But Amani was shrewd and was trained to pick out the true feelings of a person in their subtle body language. It was easy to catch the slight slump in his shoulders and the lower tilt of his head.

Koumei was disappointed.

Koumei was disappointed because of Amani's abrupt decision to leave, which she could completely understand. Even to herself it sounded like some excuse to leave the conversation. To her relief, he brightened at her offer to meet the next day.

"A…are you free tomorrow afternoon? You can stop by and have some tea with me after your time with Kouha-if you're fine with tea, Princess Amani."

Kou made their tea bland and bitter.

"I would like that."

* * *

"_Wait."_

"_Huh? Yasmine? What's wrong?"_

"_Yeah Jazzy-chan~ it was getting good."_

"_Isn't it fishy that this Koumei guy was __**there **__when Amani needed help? I mean, coincidences like that don't happen easily, especially in the Kou Empire."_

"_Ahahaha! You're thinking too much into it, Yasmine. Ahahaha!"_

"…"

"_Mou, I think Princeling is hiding something."_

"_Yeah. For once, I agree with you, Sai."_

"_H-Hey! Wait a second!"_

"_Wait, it has something to do with Amani, doesn't it? Tell me, Shion!"_

"_Alibaba! Let go!"_

"_Oi, oi, hands off my son! If he doesn't want to tell you, then don't force it out of him!"_

"_S-Sorry."_

"_Thank you, Father."_

"_Wow. Sin, you're actually growing up. Taking in Shion must have had a positive influence on you. I'm impressed."_

"_Thank you, Ja'far. Now…Shion? What is it that you aren't telling us? You know that you can always tell Father, right?"_

"_Uh…"_

"_Never mind. I retract my previous statement. For shame, Sin."_

"_I'm still interested in what Princeling has to say. Tell us how Pimples conveniently showed up where Bee-chan was."_

"_But-!"_

"_Shion."_

"_**Fine. **__I...sort of….mmdasuppurtamniankomefnnclb with Kouha."_

"_What was that? I only heard I, sort of, and Kouha. The rest was gibberish."_

"_Now this has __**got **__to be good."_

"_I made a…support Amani and…Koumei fanclub…with Kouha."_

"…"

"…_Seriously?"_

"_More or less."_

"_Princeling, I never took you for a shipper."_

"_Shipper?"_

"_It's when a person supports a relation__**ship**__ between two people romantically. In this case, Shion is technically supporting Amani's relationship with Koumei. Koumei and Amani are a 'ship' and the supporters of the said relationship are 'on board' of the 'ship'. Alibaba, you have to know these things."_

"_Y-Yes Yasmine-sensei!"_

"_But, as Sai was saying, you're a shipper, Shion?"_

"_W-Well the maids were in on it too! And the cooks! And Kouen!"_

"_Wait, __**Kouen**__?!"_

"_Calm yourself, Ali-dork."_

"_B-B-B-But __**Kouen**__?!"_

"_Well, shippers gotta ship."_

"_So you're saying that the whole thing in the library was __**planned**__? That's…a bit fake of Koumei, don't you think? That's more of what __**Kouha **__would do. Are you sure we shouldn't be worried that he might have ulterior motives?"_

"_Yasmine, Koumei wasn't aware. Kouha just had the sudden urge to annoy him on that certain day after learning that Amani spends her free time at the smallest library. Koumei usually hides in the library Amani frequents in so they just…bumped into each other. Naturally."_

"…_You sneaky brat."_

"_Holy Solomon, the Princeling is a closet evil manipulator. Who would have thought of it?"_

"_Must be his father's side. Ja'far?"_

"_Regretfully, Lady Yasmine…yes."_

"_Hey, Hey, __**Hey**__! I'm __**right here**__, you know?"_

"_Shut up, Sin. You are, at the moment, disgraceful. Don't even bother defending yourself."_

"_What else did you plan with Kouha, Shion? The little meeting in the library was planned, so what else did you two do?"_

"_Ah, well the whole tea meeting thing was unexpected and all Koumei's idea, but Kouha had insisted on, erm, 'giving them another push'? I don't know. He just __**really **__wanted them together as soon as possible."_

"…_Why do I have the feeling it didn't work?"_

"_Because it didn't."_

* * *

"That prince had some gall to spike my tea with aphrodisiac."

Amani was upset.

No, she was more than upset. She was _furious_.

Who wouldn't be in her position? Doing something like that to a princess who had spent years under the tutelage of a master ex-assassin was an insult, if not a spit to the face. (Not that anyone knew of the extra bit in her training.) Assassination attempts Amani could stand. She knew that not everyone in Kou was fond of her so one or two should have been expected. But personal attempts at poisoning by a royal member of the family? It all but said that they thought of her as _weak _and _easy _to take down.

Not that they poisoned her.

Technically.

"And he thought that I wouldn't _taste _the sweetness in the tea? Kou tea is infamous for being bitter. _Of course _I noticed the difference. Even _Alibaba _would have noticed that there was something wrong. And to put a substance like that in my drink even after knowing my circumstances, is he an idiot?"

Poor Shion was in a corner, quivering and edging away from the irate princess.

When Amani got upset, she didn't rage, yell, or throw things around. No. She may rant a bit, but there was no heat behind her words. No. Her words were cold. It was the sort of anger that could either be overlooked or noticed. And when it was noticed, the look would never quite leave the mind until the anger was sated and the universe was right again, because you knew and she knew it too that she would go as far as _slitting your throat in your sleep _if proper retribution wasn't paid. That was what made it so scary. Shion remembered her rage _very clearly _from his past life.

Ugh. And now she had _two _lives and _assassin training _under her belt.

"Does Kouha ever learn?"

Worse yet, Amani caught both Kouha and him in the act.

(What? Did you actually think that she was angry at Koumei this whole time?)

"And _you_." Amani turned her cold, _cold _brown eyes on Shion. "For a future king, that was-

"-Stupid?" Shion finished for her sheepishly. "I know. And I'm really, really, _really _sorry, Amani. I didn't think that he would go _that _far. It's-it's just that I was so **bored **and Kouha told me that this would be **fun **and I-

Amani cut him off with a sharp wave of her hand. "Quit the innocent kid act and tell me what you were _really _thinking, oh great and powerful ruler. Or have you gone senile from the stress of time traveling?"

Shion winced at her sharp words and held up his hands in submission. "Fine. Kouha offered me a 'bonding activity' in return of my services." _Which he took since it was an opportunity to get closer to the Kou Royal Family. Pairing Amani up with the second prince was only a bonus. _"He didn't specify what it was, so I just went along with it since he looked like he would bully me into it anyways." _Not that he needed convincing later to stay when he found out what it was._ "And I didn't know that he was planning to spike your drink with aphrodisiac." _Seriously, he didn't. No lie._

Amani held the turbaned boy down with a final glare before turning away with a sigh. "Don't do it again."

Shion's shoulders slumped in relief. "Don't worry. I won't."

And he meant it.

* * *

"Good morning, Prince Koumei."

"Princess Amani! Please forgive me for yesterday's events! Kouha has been properly punished for what he did. Though you have every right not to do so, I beg of you once again to forgive my younger brother for his idea of a joke and me for being a poor host."

"Kouha is already forgiven and, on the contrary, I thought you were a wonderful host. May I visit again? We haven't finished our debate on your favorite scholar and the abrupt end has left me feeling a bit empty."

"Wha-? You…?"

"Or is it that you are too busy for another visit? Which is understandable since you are a busy and important man."

"I-no. No. I am not. Busy, I mean."

"Really? That's wonderful! May I come over tomorrow?"

"You-? Oh, ah…yes. _Yes. _Please do. I would be honored."

* * *

Visiting Koumei became a daily ritual for Amani, next to her spars with Seishin and her walks with Kouha. Bumping into him in the library also became a habit since Amani still searched for Zhuge Liang and Kouha hadn't stopped bothering Koumei. It came as a relief to her that her relationship with her other brother-in-law-to-be ceased being as strained as it was. Though Amani felt as if she was reaching a little, she thought that they were nearly what could be considered friends.

Well, at least, she _hoped_ that they were.

"Why don't you ask him?" Seishin had suggested kindly when Amani confided to her after their spar. "I'm sure it wouldn't hurt to have him be aware of how you view him. Communication between people is always important in a relationship. If you are so worried of his reaction, don't be. Knowing my brother-in-law, he would be tripping over his feet if he ever heard of your positive opinion of him. Not many think highly of him, you see."

Amani couldn't see how.

Yes, he may have a bedraggled appearance more often than not and be more careless than a man of the court should be, but Amani understood that this was all because he was overworking himself.

And for who?

Not himself. No.

For Kouen.

Selfless, clever, and hardworking, these were qualities that Amani had seldom seen in Balbadd's court.

And yet, here was a fine example here in Kou.

Not have a high opinion?

Well.

Those Buffoons knew nothing then.

When Seishin's eyes glowed with a familiar but unnamed emotion, Amani suspected that the woman had read her mind. That, or her thoughts were written all over her face. If it was the latter, it would mean that Amani was losing her touch

(People seemed to have that same look in their eyes whenever she said something positive about the second prince. Kouha especially.)

But, Amani took heed of her 'sister's' advice, more or less.

She was very happy to hear from Koumei that-'yes, he did consider them friends'-and-'yes, he was not saying it because she was to be his brother's wife'.

* * *

"May I call you by your name?" Amani asked quietly during one of her daily visits. By that time, he had become comfortable enough to do his work in front of her while holding a decent conversation. Amani didn't mind, since he was taking time out of his busy schedule to speak with her. For a moment, Koumei didn't respond to her question. Then, his head suddenly jerked up with an exaggerated 'snap' before he blinked at her owlishly as if he had just heard her suggest a coup d'état against the Emperor himself.

"You…already do." He said slowly. But she knew that he was aware of what she was asking. Amani wanted to call him by name without title but was too polite to do so without his permission.

Amani looked away. "Yes. You are correct. Please ignore my previous question."

The rest of the visit continued on in silence.

When Amani made her way to leave, Koumei stopped her with a call of her name.

"Yes, Prince Koumei?"

"Koumei."

"Pardon?"

"While we are alone, please…call me by my informal name. Just as you do with Kouha."

When Amani was halfway back to her chambers, she suddenly snapped out of her daze when she realized that, when Koumei had called out to her to wait, he had not called her "Princess".

"_Wait! Amani…"_

* * *

"_Hey Shion, why didn't Miss Amani just call the prince by his name in the first place?"_

"_Kou is a strict country, Aladdin. To refer to a member of the royal family by name is a blatant act of disrespect. Even amongst royals, it is more polite if permission is granted. Kouha never really followed these traditions so he was a unique exception."_

"_So, do we have to call you 'Prince Shion', Shion?"_

"_Gah! No! I always thought that the titles were too stuffy! Just call me Shion! Shi-on! We've been friends for too long to worry about stupid things like that!"_

"_As if, Princeling."_

"_Don't worry about small things, Shion. Instead, focus on what you're telling us. I want to know what happened next."_

"_Remember the fanclub I told you about?"_

* * *

Amani didn't know why she always got into these types of situations.

"Put this and this and this into the soup! Don't put too much garlic into that, he doesn't like his food too spicy. And don't fry the squid too much! He has a weak stomach so don't go messing the food up. Got it, newbie?" A stout-looking cook shouted, waving her spoon around like some weapon. The other cooks in the room ignored the spectacle and the noise so it was safe to assume that it was a normal occurrence for the stout woman to be shouting at _someone_.

Amani stiffly obeyed the woman, wondering if it was a good idea to tell her that she was ordering around a member of royalty.

_No, judging by how fanatically obsessed this woman is with making sure Koumei's dinner is perfect, she would flip a table and commit seppuku. The blood would make a mess out of the soup I spent hours making._

_That would be a waste of good soup._

So, Amani kept her mouth shut and carefully toasted the squid while mixing the soup with her other hand.

A few hours or so ago, Kouha had sent her to fetch some snacks for them since he was too lazy to do so himself. Since she had so much time on her hands, Amani complied and was thrown into this insane situation. In what way did she look like a 'newbie cook'? She looked _nothing _like a citizen of Kou! Was her misdirection ability _that_ powerful that it twisted all senses this ridiculously?

The pale girl was so immersed in her thoughts that the stout woman managed to swipe a small taste of her soup without her noticing.

"…You're actually pretty good at this." The woman hummed while adding some unknown spice to the broth. Amani took a subtle sniff at the bubbling soup as she diligently mixed. Not poison. Just peppercorn. "Have you cooked before?"

Amani's eyes narrowed slightly at the woman's words.

What a strange question to ask a "newbie" cook.

"Yes." She answered smoothly while adding in a handful of salt and sliced carrots. "I used to cook for my family when my mother passed away. It was just my two brothers, my sister, and I."

"And your father? Did he ever help?"

"Not there." Amani answered shortly. "Never there." _When it mattered._

Like now, with Ahbmad on the throne, her alone in Kou, and Alibaba halfway across the dessert.

Or maybe even years back, when Anise became sick and when there wasn't enough food on the table to feed an _ant._

The stout woman didn't look ashamed at prying but there was a hint of pity in her eyes at hearing Amani's misfortune. Along with that, there was something near the line of resignation and weary approval in the woman's eyes.

Amani chose to ignore her for the state of the squid. Was this fried enough to be considered sanitary? The cook had said that Koumei had a weak stomach so making him sick wouldn't help his health. How many more seconds could she risk keeping the squid over the fire before it was 'too much'? Burning Koumei's favorite dish would just add more problems to his already busy life, right? And shouldn't she-

Wait.

Why was she even worrying about this?

Koumei was a properly grown, twenty-three year old adult who could take care of himself.

….

Most of the time.

….

Sometimes.

….

To her chagrin, Amani remembered of all the times she had found the Kou prince half dead and half asleep under the mountains of paperwork he was supposed to work on. She changed her mind.

It was a miracle that Koumei had made it this far in life.

And Amani was concerned about this. Why was she so concerned? Over _squid_?!

Amani forced her mind to calm and turned herself back to the squid.

So…

To keep or not to keep over the fire?

The stout woman ended up saving Amani from her turbulent thoughts by plucking the squid from its perch over the fire and dropping it onto a dish.

"Thank you."

"For what?" The woman seemed confused. "The squid was ready and you were busy with the soup."

* * *

Amani wiped the sweat from her brow as she looked at the meal in front of her. Perfectly done and all done by her hard work and help. She felt a small swell of pride bubble up in her chest. It had been a while since she made a meal on her own. In the Balbadd palace, the kitchen staff rarely allowed her to make her own meals since she was _royalty_. It was thanks to Fatima that she was allowed the liberty to cook food once per week while smuggling in poison lessons.

"Good job." The stout woman praised while giving Amani a pat on the back. "You're a natural in the kitchen. Feel free to cook for Prince Koumei in my place."

"In your place?" Amani parroted suspiciously.

The stout woman nodded grimly. "Yes. I am going to retire this coming week. I was a bit worried when I heard that a newbie was going to take my place." Then, her expression brightened. "But now I can rest in peace knowing that it will be you replacing this old woman! My daughters and their friends were right in recommending you!"

"Recommend? Wait! I think you've got the wrong-

"Take this." The soon to be ex-cook interrupted while shoving the tray filled with Koumei's meal into her hands. "It would only be polite if you introduce yourself to the Prince since you will be making his food from now on."

And with that, Amani and her protests were shooed away.

* * *

"_Amani?!"_

Amani shifted uncomfortably while Koumei openly gaped at her as she set the dinner tray aside on the table for the sake of her tired arms.

Which was understandable since it was ludicrous for a royal to perform simple household chores when a mere maid could do the job herself.

After she straightened herself, Koumei began to speak but Amani, expecting this, cut him off with a curt: "Before you start apologizing for Kouha, I want to make it clear that it was my mistake this time. Apparently, your cook took me for a recent addition to the staff and took me under her wing."

Koumei snapped his mouth shut and scratched his head. "I should talk to them about that." He muttered to himself. Amani knew this would change nothing until she got her ability under control. She placed her hand on his shoulder and shook her head. "Don't bother, Koumei. They would only forget my face again. Besides," Amani's lips curved upwards, "I enjoy cooking."

"I see."

Koumei appeared thoughtful at the new piece of information while Amani carefully put the scrolls away to make room for the dinner tray. Koumei looked as if he wanted to protest but was silenced by a sharp look sent from Amani's way. "I had to work on this soup for _hours_ so I am sure that you can spare a few _minutes _to eat it. Besides, I've heard from some of the cooks saying that you hardly eat. So it would be a healthier choice if you take a break from your work and eat. Right? _Koumei_?"

"Y-Yes."

Amani nodded in approval at his answer and firmly set the dinner tray in front of the nervous prince and said a sentence that sent him into cold sweat.

"Sorry in advance if you don't like it. It's my first try."

* * *

He actually ended up liking it, much to Amani's relief and the excitement of Kouha, Shion, and the whole kitchen staff.

Actually, he liked it so much that he didn't bother clarifying the whole 'cook retiring and replaced with princess' situation. Partly because it would be too much of a bother and partly because he genuinely liked the taste of Amani's homemade cooking.

* * *

"_-And that is how Amani accidentally caused the whole kitchen staff to jump aboard the Amani/Koumei ship and how she ended up cooking dinner for Koumei."_

"_With your help, of course, Princeling."_

"_Actually, it was all Kouha this time. The cook who Amani had to work under had been making Koumei's meals ever since he was a child. Kouha personally knew her daughters since they were maids working under Seishin."_

"_Did Prince Koumei __**actually **__like Amani's cooking? Or did he just…"_

"_Act like it? No, he didn't have to pretend for her. There was a reason why that cook praised her, you know. Amani's cooking was just __**that good**__."_

"_That prince _better_ have liked my sister's cooking! Amani took her time to make him the best food in the world!"_

"_Aren't you just biased, Alibaba?"_

"_No, Father. Amani's cooking is as good as he says. Maybe she will cook for you when she visits Sindria after her wedding."_

"_Shion! Don't remind me!"_

* * *

"Good morning, Amani."

"Good morning, Koumei."

"Thank you for dinner. It was delicious."

"You already said that. Don't worry. I don't need to be flattered to do favors. I will be making dinner tonight also. Would you like something sweet along with your meal?"

"I would appreciate that. Are you going to the training grounds again?"

"Yes. It seems that Kouha wants to join in today, so I am planning to warm myself up before he demands a spar."

"Will you be free this afternoon to stop by?"

"Always."

"I am glad to hear that."


	15. Chapter 14: Zhuge Liang

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Koumei is motivated enough to make a decision for once. Unfortunately, because of lack of communication, Amani misunderstands.
> 
> Politics. You know how it goes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Onwards

"_Shion-san, I do not understand."_

"_Mor?"_

"_Though I do not know much about politics, I know that Amani-san should have been wed by now, from how quickly Alibaba-san's brother intended to marry Princess Kougyoku. Or do these things function differently in Kou?"_

"_Oh! No, that's a really good question, Morgiana. Sorry for not clearing that up sooner. Yes, you are correct that Amani should have been married sooner. But…there were some…issues…about her being married to Kouen."_

"_Shion…does it have anything to do with...well…"_

"_Yes."_

"_Oh."_

"_It's stupid. I know. But Kou is filled with traditionalists and prejudiced fools. They had wanted her because of her power and metal vessel but they also value their eldest and most military-talented prince. That one issue made Amani imperfect in their eyes. Some thought that the engagement should be cut off and Amani should be cast aside. Some thought that she should be tied down to Kouen anyways since her ability outweighed her…condition. According to them."_

"_So there was an internal dispute that lasted for four years."_

"_**Actually**__ Father, it was only one year."_

"…_Only one?"_

"_Yeah."_

"…_Princeling. You better not be pulling our legs."_

"_I'm not. Seriously. It took only one year for the whole 'argument' to blow over. Which is pretty quick for them, I heard. Though, I guess it took a whole year for those old coots to even start the said debate since they were too scared to bring it up to Kouen in the first place since it was obvious that his first wife favored Amani."_

"_So tell us again __**how **__Amani isn't married yet?"_

"_Ah, well…"_

* * *

It was going to rain.

That was what Amani noticed as she poured herself a cup of tea. She found that green tea, for her, was an acquired taste. Her frequent visits to Koumei required her to drink and eat whatever he offered, since it would be rude to decline his generosity.

"What would you like me to make you for dinner?"

By now, it was a casual question to ask him. She would join the kitchen staff every night to cook something nice for Koumei. Of course, she would occasionally make small snacks for the rest of her family.

Huh. Family.

When had she started thinking of these people as 'family'?

"Can I have squid?" Koumei asked without ripping his attention from the paper in front of him. "And some ginseng tea on the side, please. I don't mind you surprising me with anything else as long as it isn't too spicy."

Amani clicked her tongue good-naturedly. "Squid again? You should be more creative with your choices, Koumei. It makes things more exciting if you try."

"That's more of Kouha's forte. I prefer focusing all my creativity and energy into my work, thank you very much." He informed her in a wry tone before yawning widely. If there was one thing eccentric about Koumei, it was his tendency to come across as a rude person despite his normally polite personality.

But, then again, it was because he worked so late that he was this way.

Amani frowned.

"Did you stay up again?" She asked with a little annoyance trailing into her voice since she already knew his answer.

Koumei grimaced.

"Yes. The recent war meeting went longer than usual." He made a mark on the scroll with a quick flick of his wrist. "But you already knew that."

Amani nodded with a smile. "Yes I did."

Koumei made a final note on a scroll before pushing the whole pile away from him, being careful not to smudge the recently written one. He placed down the brush and cracked his fingers with a wince. "The work was more than usual."

Amani was about to drink her tea but the sound that Koumei's overworked fingers made caused to her wince and lower her cup.

"Did you work your fingers sore again? Really, Koumei, you should know when to take a break." Amani scolded gently while getting off of her seat. She quietly but quickly made her way to her friend's side and took his left hand. Despite his protests and attempts in pulling his hand away from hers, Amani calmly began massaging it.

"Sit still. I won't be able to do this properly if you move around so much. Now, don't be such a baby! It's natural for it to hurt at first. I'm loosening those hand muscles you've tightened up from all that work. Maybe now you'll listen to me about taking a proper break from work. It's not like Kou would fall if you rested for a second!"

Eventually, Koumei ceased his protesting. But that was only when he realized that it really was hopeless to convince her otherwise.

"Amani. You _are _aware that it is…inappropriate for a man to touch a woman's hand here in our country." Koumei had tried to keep his blood from flowing to his face but it was all for naught. His cheeks were turning redder by the second and, judging by his expression, he knew it too.

Amani suppressed her smile for the sake of her friend's pride and answered his question. "Yes, I am aware of that boundary. It is almost the same back in Balbadd. But, I did this all the time with my brother when he finished his studies. His hands would get just as sore as yours and he would complain until I soothe them for him. Koumei, you are going to be my brother, right? So it shouldn't be that bad if I do this for you."

Koumei scratched the back of his head with his free hand and looked away.

Amani had learned from her time interacting with this man that the small action was a habit that would show whenever he felt embarrassed or frustrated.

So which was it? Embarrassed or frustrated?

Amani decided that it wasn't really that important which one it was. Both showed at he was uncomfortable with the situation. Though she felt a little guilty for making him feel that way, Amani was steadfast in her decision to lessen his discomfort. Didn't he work even more after dinner? Working with sore hands should be a no-no. Even Phoebe had known that, and she was a workaholic. (Or was that what her parents convinced her to think?)

"Take better care of your hands, Koumei. They're important to you, aren't they?"

Koumei sighed. "Yes. I wouldn't be able to support Brother En if I lost them."

Mentally, Amani grimaced. That was not the answer she wanted to hear from him.

"No," She chided not unkindly, "I meant that these hands are important because they belong to _you_. _You _are the most important person here, Koumei. I know that you think of your brother as the world, but you should be more concerned about your own wellbeing too. It would help no one if you worked yourself to the point that you are crippled. Besides, wouldn't it hurt your precious people to see you wounded?"

Koumei frowned.

"I…haven't thought of it that way."

"Then start thinking it this way. I, for one, do not want to see you keeling over at the young age of twenty-three."

Amani continued to knead the soreness away, finger by finger, as Koumei mulled over her words. Meanwhile, she mused that if Koumei was born in Phoebe's world, he might have been a pianist with these lithe, long fingers.

It was easier to picture Koumei as a manipulator of musical keys than human lives.

"Is that a new hairpin?" He asked suddenly while eyeing Amani's pulled up hair. Since it was so light and normally plain, any additional decorations added onto it were noticeable. Amani smiled softly and fingered the trinket for a moment before getting back to work. "Your brother was kind enough to gift me with one when he noticed that I owned none."

In reality, Seishin had nagged him into buying Amani a 'proper' hairpiece when she realized that her 'little sister' spent most of her time with her pale, blonde hair down and free. Apparently, that sort of hairstyle was only for unmarried peasant girls.

("And you are not unmarried. Technically." Seishin had said with a resolute expression that was better suited for the battlefield.)

Thankfully, the gift was simple and not at all fancy. Just a butterfly hairpin made from silver that complimented her hair and skin. Amani had heard that Princess Kougyoku had suggested this one for her.

"I see."

An unknown emotion flitted across Koumei's eyes.

"I forgot to ask," he suddenly said, abruptly changing the subject, "did you find the author you were searching for? It's already been three months. Do you need help finding him?"

Amani flushed in embarrassment. Usually, it wouldn't take her this long but he had been so elusive! Maybe she wasn't as well versed in the written language as she thought? If that was so, it would be foolish of her not to accept Koumei's offer. He probably knew the library better than she did. Amani swallowed her pride and nodded.

"Yes." She forced herself to say. And it bruised her pride to ask for help. But at the same time, she was relieved that someone could finally help her. "Your help will very much be appreciated. It's harder than I thought it would be."

Koumei smiled understandingly. "It's fine. The archives in the library are very complicated and, at times, unorganized. So it is possible that your author may have been misplaced. What is his name?"

"Zhuge Liang." Amani informed him.

Koumei jerked at the name, making Amani smile in joy. So he _did _recognize the name! That meant- "Can you help me find him? I wasn't completely sure that he became good enough to have his works filed into the royal library, so I was a bit dubious. It's a relief that isn't the case."

"Zhuge Liang." Koumei repeated to himself quietly. "It's been a while since I've heard that name being mentioned. Where have you read his works?"

Amani winced. "The work really wasn't that famous. It was an amateur work that Fatima had managed to get for my studies in Kou's written language. She knew a professor here who was kind enough to give up some scrolls. Any rough drafts or thrown away notes made by his students were given to me. That's how I knew Zhu Ten's older works. When I read Zhuge Liang's notes, I found myself inspired by his thoughts! Yes, they were rough ideas, but those rough ideas helped me along with my lessons in historical wars. Since I too was new to the art of war, I found him to be a wonderful guide."

Koumei hummed. "But how were you so sure that he would be a notable figure? He could have been overshadowed by someone far greater than him and become a forgotten figure."

"It was a possibility." Amani admitted. "But, how can I say this? There was something in his ideas that had this brilliance I was sure would be too bright to not make a difference. I think what I'm trying to say, is that I have my bet on him."

Koumei looked at Amani pensively before sighing in what strangely sounded like defeat. "I see. So you really admire his work. I will do my best in finding a copy for you. There aren't many of his works in the library so it is a given that you couldn't find it." He yawned impulsively. "How troublesome."

Though she did feel a little bad for making Koumei labor even more, Amani couldn't help but feel a childish thrill at the prospect of finally reading the fruit of the many years of her idol's work. Her lips burst into a wide smile. "Thank you, Koumei!"

Koumei looked away and remained in a pensive state until Amani was finished.

"There. It feels better, right?" She asked as she moved away. The movement caused her hairpin to fall out and land haphazardly in the cup of tea that Amani had brought. Since the pin had been the only object that had been holding her hair up, the whole length of it tumbled down into her face. "Ah!"

Without her sight, everything seemed to be timeless and white to Amani. She wasn't aware that she stumbled until she felt those hands holding her onto shoulders. They had thin, fragile fingers that dug onto her shoulders for a better grip to keep her up. They were not strong. They shook under the weight of her body. But they remained there to support her nonetheless.

Amani blinked under the curtain of her hair. But, by now, they had slowly began falling to the sides of her face, granting her the sight of the ceiling. Realization came slowly to her.

She had lost her balance.

(Fatima would have been disappointed.)

Amani quickly shifted her weight away from those hands. To her chagrin and amusement, she heard a loud, gasp of relief being let out from behind her.

"No need to show just how heavy I am, Koumei. I already know." She informed him wryly.

Koumei somehow managed to regain his breath within the next few seconds to give her a steady reply. "Well," he said sheepishly while scratching the back of his head, "I managed to catch you this time without falling, didn't I?"

Amani remembered their meeting at the library and laughed.

"Yes, Koumei, yes you did."

* * *

"Mei! How was your time with Amani? Huh? Huh?"

"Why do you always ask me that whenever she visits me, Kouha? It's very unlike you to have so much interest in my affairs."

"Tell me~! I want to know~!"

"Fine. We discussed politics and philosophy while drinking tea."

"Bo-ring."

"See? I fail to see why you were so interested in the first place."

"It's boring because you're too shy! Nothing happens since you're too lazy to take action! Be more assertive with Amani, Mei! I know you can do it!"

"…I'm not even going to ask."

_Clink._

"Oh? It seems that Amani has forgotten her hairpin."

"What's it doing in the cup?"

"It fell from her hair when she stood up from-

"…From what?"

"Never mind. I should be returning this to her before she misses it. Ah, it's wet from the tea. Never mind, I'll just dry it with my robes."

"Yeah, Mei! Bring it to her personally so it will be more meaningful. See? That's what I meant when I said-Mei? Hey, Mei? What's wrong?"

"…"

"Mei?"

"I need to meet with Brother En. Immediately."

* * *

"_Amani was passing by the throne room the next day when she overheard someone petitioning to the Emperor to reconsider allowing her to marry Prince Kouen."_

"_Why was that surprising? Weren't there already many people who weren't content with Amani's role as Kouen's fiancé?"_

"_Yes. But for the officials the petition this would be foolish. It takes about half a year or even more for a petition to reach the Emperor. By then, Amani would have been married to Kouen and they would be at her mercy. Not that she would even bother to punish them but…you know, right?"_

"_But then who had the guts to try and off Amani?"_

"_Well, it wasn't an official. It was-_

* * *

"THOSE BASTARDS!"

"Calm down, Leah."

"Calm down? Calm down, my lady? These Kou bastards are _disrespecting _our princess and Blessed Child when they should be _on their feet __**groveling **_for even being _in your presence_." Leah snarled, though not at Amani. The other maids wisely watched from the sidelines, knowing that Balbadd's only princess could handle their most stubborn maid on her own. She had been handling her ever since she set foot in the palace, after all.

Amani allowed Leah to vent. It wasn't good to suppress her already high frustration. Doing that would be like adding more baking powder to a plugged 'volcano' filled with vinegar. The result would be exactly the same: 'messy' and 'hard to clean up'.

So, she allowed the woman to vent.

"Done yet?" Amani asked coolly as Leah paused in her tantrum to take a breath.

"…Yes, my lady. Thank you."

Amani smiled at her long-time friend and servant indulgently. "Leah, I know that you hold me in high regards, but I am but a game piece in the whole of this political game. Kouen, on the other hand, is a well loved ruler-to-be. Giving him anything less than perfect would be an insult to him and the country. I may have conquered a dungeon and hold a great power to support kings, but those things are mere shadows compared to what I really am. Remember, at the end, I am nothing but a girl, a child."

Leah bristled at the pale girl's self-demeaning words. Even Shion, who was sitting at the corner of the room, abruptly snapped his head up to express his disagreement through a frown.

Amani ignored him.

"How could any of you blame them?" She mused thoughtfully as her mind wandered to darker thoughts. "I am a bastard child. I have more mud than royal blood in my veins. I am a broken, useless tool, no better than a prostitute." A wry smile appeared on her lips when she said this. "Well, there is some truth to the saying 'an apple doesn't fall too far from the tree'."

Leah looked scandalized.

"NO! My lady, you are **no **prostitute and we do not think any less of you because of your mother's profession. You have proven to _everyone _that you are more than worthy of your position, even more so than your honorable brothers." At this bold claim, some of the maids gasped. Leah rounded on them defensively. "What? It wasn't like all of you weren't thinking it too!"

Though there was some truth in Leah's words, the other maids couldn't help but sweatdrop at her hypocrisy. Wasn't it she who had badmouthed the princess in the beginning?

Time really did change people.

Amani's eyes softened at Leah's genuine defense, nonetheless. "Thank you, Leah. It makes me happy that you feel this way. But please don't make a huge deal over it. I'm sure that everything will be taken care of. I have faith in my new family." She turned to the window with a confident smile that seemed to wipe away the issue. "May I be left alone now? I'm a bit tired."

"Yes, Princess."

Leah and the other maids obeyed, finally assured that everything _would _be all right as their lady had said. But, once the paper doors were shut and Amani was left alone with Shion, her confident expression crumbled and her body sagged in defeat.

It had an eerie resemblance to how she appeared when Shion first visited her as a messenger boy. Weariness and overbearing sadness, both were emotions that Shion himself had felt when he was betrayed in his last life by a close friend.

Yes. Amani was wearing a face of a person who was just betrayed.

Shion cautiously padded over to her. "Amani?"

She did not respond.

"Amani, I think it was all a misunderstanding."

She still did not answer him.

"No," Shion corrected himself hastily, "I _know _that this is a huge misunderstanding. It happens all the time when there is a lack of communication. Kou men aren't good with communication, so there _must _have been a reason...you know that he isn't the sort to do this to you, don't you? I'm sure that he didn't mean those things. It was the politician in him talking, not _him_. It was stupid of him to say such a thing but he must have had a reason to all of this madness. Some deep, political reason that you would probably understand since you're clever. He didn't mean it. Really. Amani? Are you listening to me?"

Silence.

And then.

"I understand."

But she didn't. Not really.

* * *

"_I, Prince Koumei, do not acknowledge Amani Saluja as a worthy candidate as a wife for my brother, Prince Kouen."_

Koumei…

"_I declare this claim for these reasons."_

Kind, understanding, smart Koumei.

"_She is not a Kou citizen. For many years, tradition has prevented the royal line of Kou to be tainted with any blood from any of the foreign countries. We royals have been and should always be a clean line of Kou blood."_

Betraying her? No. He didn't. He wouldn't.

He _wouldn't_.

He wouldn't because they were friends. _Friends_. And friends…didn't do things like this. Not without reason. Not without _good _reason. Since they were friends.

They were friends, right?

"_She is also the result of an impure union between her country's king and a prostitute."_

Right?

"_Not only that,-_

Right?

"_-she is un-whole. Not at all worthy of Prince Kouen."_

…Right?

("_Et tu, Brute?"_)

* * *

The next day, Amani did not come out to spar with Seishin and Hakuei. She did not walk with Kouha around the endless corridors of the palace. She did not visit Koumei.

This out-of-character action caused the Kou Family to be concerned for their not-yet family member.

Was she sick? Unwell? Dying?

But Amani would not answer their calls. Her paper doors remained shut and her voice was silent. Eventually, they all gave up in their inquiries for her.

Surprisingly (or was it unsurprisingly?), it was Koumei who had been the last to leave. He was the most stubborn out of all the visitors and the most insistent in seeing her.

But in the end, he had to leave too. Since Amani wouldn't let anyone in. Since Amani wouldn't let _him_ in.

(Yes. He knew what he did.)

That day, Amani remained in her room.

* * *

"…"

"_Shion."_

"_Yes, Alibaba?"_

"_Did that Prince really call my sister-?"_

"_More or less."_

"_Shion-san, I do not think this man is a good man for Amani-san at all."_

"_I agree, Morgiana. I do not like this Koumei at all. Kouha may be his brother, but that won't stop me from beheading him with Gamigin for what he said about her."_

"_So Pimples was a shitty person after all? What a let down."_

"_Oi! Oi! All of you! Stop coming to your own conclusions when I'm not done! Koumei really isn't such a bad guy despite what he did. What he said was stupid and hurtful, but he had his reasons. I still view Koumei in a good light, so that should mean something, right?"_

"_Princeling. What Pimples said was unforgivable."_

"_I thought that way too at that time."_

"_Then what convinced you otherwise, Shion?"_

* * *

_(What happened on that day…)_

"Amani? People are asking for you."

When Shion opened the door, he did not dare walk in. His instincts screamed at him to _stay behind the doorframe. _So he did.

It was a good thing he did.

Shion stared blankly at the floor. It was…messy. Amani liked to keep everything organized so it was a rare sight to see it so unclean. His eyes wandered up to Amani, who seemed to have not left her position from her window since that was where she had stood the day before. But there was a difference, a very _significant _difference. "Shion. Tell Leah and the others not to come in for the whole day. If anyone asks for me, tell them that I am not well."

Shion nodded slowly. "Anything else?"

"Stay with the maids for today. They will feed you and give you a place to sleep for tonight. I wish to be alone for the next twenty-four hours."

"Is that all the time you need?"

Amani nodded. "Yes."

"Are you sure you don't want me to bring you something to eat or drink before you completely isolate yourself from all of Kou?" Shion asked dubiously. "Is that really all?"

"Don't worry about that, Shion. Just please…leave me."

Shion looked at Amani for a moment before letting out a heavy sigh.

"If that is what you wish…"

And then he turned away from the room and walked away from it as calmly as he could. Behind him, he heard the paper door closing and locking away the scene he had just witnessed. Shion suppressed a shiver and walked on, determined to prevent anyone from entering that room and seeing what he had just seen.

He didn't think that anyone would be as understanding as he was if they saw the unidentifiable bodies, dropped weapons, sand, and blood littered around the Blessed Child like some grotesque halo.

Almost every part of Amani had seemed untouched, pure, at a first glance.

Just not the ink brushes in her hands

Shion shivered again.

(Didn't they use black ink in Kou?)

Kou had made a poor choice in sending assassins to assassinate a girl who was taught by a master assassin.

"Princess Amani wanted me to tell all of you that she doesn't want anyone in the room for the day." He had told the maids when he knocked at their door. By now, it was common for him to carry Amani's personal messages to her maids. Both she and they trusted him enough to do this. When his message was delivered, all maids shared this knowing _look _that made Shion realize with a jolt that all of them _knew_.

_This wasn't the first time this had happened._

_This wasn't the first time she was targeted._

_This wasn't the first time she killed._

_This happened before._

Kou had made a bad move indeed.

* * *

"Princess Amani?"

"…Who is it?"

"Prince Koumei."

"Hah. So it's "Prince" and "Princess" again?"

"No! No, I didn't mean…you didn't come to visit me today."

"And?"

"I was concerned. It was unlike you to not come by the library."

"I didn't feel well. That was all."

"Unwell? Should I send for the doctor?"

"No. I just wish to be alone."

"Amani…"

"What?"

"Be careful. Our doors are strong against wind, but they cannot hold against the poisonous stingers of our insects or the sharp beaks of our birds. I did what I could to drive them away, but they are relentless."

"Then I will be sure to enforce a stronger door in the future. As well as arming myself with bug spray."

"Bug spray?"

"Never mind. Leave me be, Koumei. I want to be alone."

"…You misplaced your hairpin in my study the other day."

"Really? So that's where it went."

"You dropped it into your tea. It's a bit ruined now, so I hope you forgive me for not being able to clean it properly. Forgive me. Lately, I am having a hard time trying to clean up messes that I find myself creating rather than fixing."

"Just leave it and leave me alone, Koumei. I just want to be alone."

"Forgive me."

"Leave me."

* * *

"_In the end, it turned out that Amani was targeted by many of the palace officials who were not content with her being wed to Prince Kouen. They got desperate when the Emperor refused their petitions, so they decided to just eliminate her. Even though she was a Blessed Child. There was no way to gather evidence of this, but Koumei discovered that she was being targeted."_

"_Targeted by assassins? Well, that's not new. Good old grandfather does the same thing every other month if the daily attacks from the barbarians in the plains don't count."_

"_Wait, what? Why is this the first time I'm hearing about this?"_

"_King Sinbad, I think my grandfather simply did not want to burden you with Sasan's culture and tradition. Personally, I think it's a load of bull, but you can take it the way you will."_

"_Y-Yasmine-sensei? Does that mean that my sister is still being targeted? Will people try to kill her when she gets back to Kou?"_

"_Oh Solomon, no! Assassinations are usually one or two-time things. People rarely attempt it again after failure. Besides, none will be able to touch Amani, since she will be married soon. My situation is just unique because of my eyes. They sent assassins over to Raja too when he was still alive. Don't look so pale, Alibaba. It's just the way of life for a Blessed Child in Sasan."_

"_That's terrible."_

"_That's life. Just deal with it."_

"_Harsh, Jazzy-chan. That was just harsh."_

"_What? If Amani isn't going to make him see reality then I will. Besides, we're going completely off track. Shion, how did Koumei know Amani was being targeted? Did Amani know what was going on?"_

"_Remember the hairpin?"_

* * *

"Amani? It's been hours. I'm coming in with dinner."

Shion found Amani on the ground with something in her hands. The floor, by then, was cleaned up without a speck of blood, thanks to Foras' sand. It was exactly how Amani used to clean the blood up back in the Balbadd Palace when the servants were too slow. He set down the dinner tray on a table and walked over to Amani.

"Amani? What is that?"

"Kouen's gift. I left it at Koumei's the other day. Dropped it into my cup of green tea accidentally and left it there." She stroked the sharp end. Shion noticed that it was completely black and it no longer shone. She chuckled lowly under her breath. "How lucky I was."

Yes. She had been.

After all.

Not all metal reacts to poison as quickly as silver does.

"So he didn't betray me."

"It doesn't seem so, Amani."

(I'm glad.)

* * *

"Oh honorable Emperor! This second son begs of you a private hearing!"

* * *

"_Koumei's true intention this whole time was not to shame Amani."_

"_Well that's a relief."_

"_I still don't like Pimples. Try harder, Princeling."_

"_Okay then. What about this?"_

* * *

"_**So."**_

With all the jewelry, clothes, and throne, the Emperor of Kou was indeed an imposing figure in a throne room. To all servants, officials, and soldiers alike, he was like a god whose wrath should not be incited.

In a way, he really was a god. He had all lives in his hands and he could kill off whoever whenever.

But to Ren Koumei, Emperor Ren Koutoku was simply his no-good father and a placeholder for Kouen, the true Emperor of Kou.

"What are you aiming for, _gaki_? Finally making a move against Kouen? Hah! What a joke! And you acted so loyal to him too only to backstab him with this move!"

Foolish, so foolish.

And stupid.

Koumei really wondered how this man was his father. Unfortunately, his hair and skin complexion proved that it was true. Koumei just hoped that he wouldn't turn out to look exactly like his father when he grew old and grey.

"But then again, I guess that it's one thing we have in common as father and son."

Koumei hated his father.

He had done his best to avoid the man (yes, _the man_. Not Emperor. Not God. Not Father.) and remained by his brother's side, doing what he thought was best for his family. He would have contently gone on with his life without even saying a word to that man until he dropped dead.

But this was a special circumstance.

Only this once…

"You have misunderstood my intentions, Emperor." Koumei said humbly after tilting his head downwards in submission. "It is not Brother Kouen who is the main subject, but-

"Yes. The Blessed Brat from Balbadd. I am aware." The Emperor leaned forward in interest. "So. Did you want your brother to fall out of favor once you removed the whore from his side because of her useless power? Come now. It would take far more than that. From what I hear, she isn't well liked amongst the nobles, eh? Even the generals look down on her. As expected from a bastard child of a prostitute."

Koumei's finger twitched, making the feathers of his fan tremble. "Emperor, if it isn't too bold to say, Princess Amani," he began with an undertone of a blade, "is no whore."

"Oh? Is that so? You were playing a different tune during the meeting the week before, Koumei. It's unlike you to be inconsistent."

An unpleasant feeling lurched in his stomach, but Koumei made no outer reaction to the Emperor's statement. He straightened himself to meet the man's claims. "It was to appease the council and a good means of catching your attention."

"There was no need to make a public spectacle of it." Koutoku said smoothly. "There was more civilized ways to catch my attention, ones that don't require humiliating the Blessed Brat. She might be a whore, but she's a damn useful whore to me as an Emperor. I don't see a reason why you would want her off the game board. Unless…" His eyes glowed with the sort of glee that spelled nothing but trouble for Koumei. "You wanted to send a particular message?"

"One that only you could send." Koumei confessed reluctantly.

Koutoku sneered. "And why should I waste my time sending this message?"

"Poison." Koumei stated flatly. "In the Blessed Child's afternoon cup of tea. It was an underhanded tactic by _your own people_ against _your_ symbol of power simply because they love Kouen too much. Maybe even more than you, Emperor. How does this look for you?"

"Do you want me to publically defend this girl, this _tool,_ only to gain hatred from the people of Kou?" Koutoku asked loudly. "Though you make a good point, I fail to see how placing protection over the brat would do me any good. I'm better off allowing them to kill her off like the dog she is!"

"One year!" Koumei raised his voice over his father's. "One year." He repeated in a quieter voice, but not with any less strength. "I will take part of the debate against you with the officials and turn their hearts within one year. I will _make them see _how important Princess Amani's existence is to Kou and to you."

"So you will act as a supporter to your enemy and rip them up from the inside. Good." Koutoku murmured in approval. "But," the Emperor said angrily, "I still don't see how you will be able to prove that this brat is worthy of my well-loved, firstborn son within this one year? If that part isn't fixed, this whole scheme will be impossible. What is your plan for this one, Koumei?"

Koumei regarded the Emperor coolly.

"You win. I lose." He told his father calmly. "It's simple. In this one-year battle, I won't only turn their hearts, but I will strengthen their loyalty, their fear, of your power. I, a second son, will not stand a chance against the immovable power of the throne. But there will be one small victory granted to the enemy's side to avoid any future conflicts against you."

"Oh, and what will that be? The Blessed Brat's marriage to Kouen? Of course it is. It's the critical point in this whole argument, isn't it? Tell me, Koumei, what is it that you're _truly _aiming for? This whole scheme is for a selfish purpose. You can't fool me. What is it that you want out of this?"

The Emperor's shadow seemed to loom over Koumei's form.

"Be honest with your father. It's not good to lie."

Koumei was not an impulsive man. He liked to calculate his opponents and walk one step ahead of everyone with a clear mind. He liked to be in control of everything, even his own thoughts and emotions.

Yet still-!

Koumei, who was ten steps away from his father, walked towards the throne with a fire in his eyes that could seem both determined and threatening. His fan and metal vessel that had served as his mask and weapon fell to his sides as he walked, step by step, to the man who currently held the power of all Kou. He stopped only a step away from the king.

Such imprudence could be worthy of a beheading.

The Emperor only scowled impatiently.

"Well, _gaki_? What is it?"

* * *

"_Wait, Princeling, don't tell me that he really…"_

"_Wow…"_

"_Whoa…"_

"_T-That actually sounds cool!"_

"_Prince-san is brave!"_

"_Um, people are starting to forget that 'Prince-san' might die by pulling that stunt. 'Not impulsive' my ass! That's the most impulsive thing I've heard a person do! And him being the Emperor's son changes nothing about it!"_

"_Shhh, Jazzy-chan, shhh, calm down. Koumei is still alive, isn't he? You don't have to be concerned about him. You're really a softie, aren't you? Calm down. It's just a story."_

"_Shut up, Sai! It's real!"_

"_Shhh."_

"…_Fine. I'll calm down."_

"_That's a good girl."_

"_Shion, is Prince Koumei really okay? Even Ahbmad knew the boundaries between him and father, and father never hit him. I heard that everything is more strict in Kou."_

"_It is. But I heard that the current Emperor of Kou likes interesting things that surprise him. That's why he was so well known before his ascension to the throne as a player and a gambler. After he took the throne, the tedious duty of a ruler made him more eager for excitement in the court. Maybe even bloody executions to tide him over. Koumei probably was taking a huge risk by doing something so uncharacteristic like that. But it did what it was supposed to and it amused the Emperor enough to keep his head."_

"_So for my sister he did all of that."_

"_Okay, Princeling. You convinced me."_

"_Not too bad for 'Pimples', right? Wait until you hear what he said!"_

* * *

"_**What I want? I want you to cancel my brother's engagement and give Amani Saluja to me as my wife!"**_

* * *

"_WHAT?"_

"_This is unexpected. I have always heard that Prince Koumei is a level-headed man."_

"_Let's not make hasty assumptions, Ja'far. Besides, didn't Shion just say that Koumei was making a gamble?"_

"_That's the point, Sin. Smart men don't gamble."_

"_**I **__gamble."_

"…_I rest my case."_

"_What was _that_ supposed to mean!?"_

"_Wait. Princeling. How do you know the details of this whole thing? Wasn't this whole meeting supposed to be private?"_

"_Don't get me wrong. I wasn't there. The details of this conversation were planned out between Kouen, Kouha, and Koumei. Kouha told me later when everything was over. What he just said, though…I think every maid nearby overheard it."_

"_Wouldn't that have ruined the whole 'plan' to 'turn the hearts of the officials' if Koumei's true intentions were made known?"_

"…_Fangirls. Shippers. They're such strong supporters that it's scary. That and the nobles are assholes to everyone. No one wants to help them."_

"_Shion! Language!"_

"_Sorry, Ja'far!"_

"_But it's true."_

"_So true."_

"_Oh Solomon, you should meet the ones back at Balbadd."_

"_No thanks, Alibaba. The ones back in Kou were bad enough. But back to Koumei, the Emperor actually agreed to his demands. I guess his performance was enough to convince the man. Besides, what Koumei offered was the quickest way to fix an internal problem."_

"_So he won?"_

"_I guess you could say that."_

"_And Amani? Did she hear about this? She must have been happy."_

"_Not really."_

"_Huh?"_

"_Since it wasn't really a safe environment for her, Kouen decided to send her with Kouha for a diplomatic visit to Sasan."_

"_Gee. I wonder what happened next."_

"_Sarcasm doesn't suit you, Yasmine. It was actually one of the happiest occasions in Amani's life. Kouha's too, actually."_

"_Stop it."_

"_No, really. I'm telling the truth. Since it was you they met on that day."_

* * *

"Harley Kingston. You're…Harley, right?"

* * *

"_What about you?"_

"_Oh me? I just stayed back in Kou and played around there. I did absolutely nothing important."_

* * *

"-So would you help me in preventing the end of the world, Sydney Trent?"

* * *

"Remy Perdue. Phoebe Winthrop is alive."

* * *

"…_Yup. Absolutely nothing important."_

"_Did Amani ever forgive Koumei for what he did?"_

"_It wasn't really 'forgiving him' that was the issue. She was just a little embarrassed that she came to her own conclusions without confiding in him first. Don't worry. They fixed things in the end. It was just…a little awkward."_

* * *

"Amani?"

Koumei caught her when she was taking her daily strolls around the garden. Kouha had still been tired from his trip to Sasan so she decided to go alone. Koumei, on the other hand, had been out feeding pigeons and taking a small break from his work. It was late afternoon, almost sundown. Kouha and Shion were still in their beds, asleep and unaware of what was happening outside. Their meeting, so to say, was completely coincidental.

Amani wanted to back away, but she didn't.

It would solve nothing.

So, she stayed and nodded in greeting.

"Koumei."

And then they were awkwardly silent.

"Ah, how are you? Was the trip to Sasan enjoyable?"

Amani forced herself to calm and answer casually. "Yes. Kouha was there, so there was no need to feel uncomfortable and the Sasan Princess was friendly."

Silence again.

"Amani."

Koumei appeared conflicted as he took a step forward. When he saw that Amani had no intention of fleeing or shying away from him, Koumei came up to her and handed her a scroll. Amani took it with questioning eyes and opened it.

_The Way of a General – Zhuge Liang_

"Oh." Amani felt a little faint. She remembered now. She had asked him to find it for her. And he did. Despite everything, he had been carrying it around with him so that he could give it to her at any given chance. "You found it."

"I apologize for not giving it to you any sooner."

Amani shook her head. "No. I am the one who has to apologize. Because of me, you have to go through all that trouble with the nobles and your father. Not only that, I have misunderstood your intentions."

"Anyone would have misunderstood the situation if they were in your place." Koumei assured her quickly. "I am by no means offended by your assumption. I am only relieved that you know the truth."

Amani felt relief rush into her body. "I missed you, Koumei."

"And I, you. There was no one else who could defend Sun Tzu as well as you do."

"And I will continue to do so as your friend and sister."

Koumei's smile then wavered at Amani's comment.

"Amani," he said, "I do not think that me regarding you as a sister will be possible any longer."

Amani frowned. "Yes, I know. The nobles are complaining. I heard that my marriage with your brother will be canceled sooner or later. I'm going to be sent back to Balbadd, aren't I?" Though it didn't sound too bad. That is, until she remembered just _who _she left behind when she came to Kou.

"No. Because you will be marrying me."

It was said so confidently that Amani almost didn't process what her friend just said.

She blinked.

"Pardon?"

Koumei looked away and scratched the back of his head nervously.

"I have decided to vie for your hand, so please accept that scroll as my first betrothal gift." He said, now looking less confident and a little uncomfortable. "It will take about a year to convince the whole court, but I'm sure that they will be more receptive to this suggestion than you marrying Brother Kouen. I am aware that I am not the most desirable husband material compared to my brother, but please…at least consider me a little bit."

His expression was mostly hidden behind the feathers of his fan but Amani had heard the quiet desperation in his tone. Her eyes softened. Koumei was doing this for her. He was willingly tying himself down to her, an imperfect wife, so she could stay here in Kou.

_Oh Koumei._ She thought sadly. _You give me too much._

But really, she didn't mind.

Amani reached out and straightened Koumei's disheveled robes, an act that she had restrained herself from doing since it had been too personal and too inappropriate to a man she wasn't married to.

Marriage.

With Koumei.

It…didn't sound so bad.

"If I am going to marry you, I expect you to wear your clothes properly."

The relief in his eyes was immense as he took her hand in his.

"It's getting too dark to wander outside. Would you mind if you join me in the library to catch up on things?"

* * *

Phoebe had never been kissed in her old life.

It wasn't that she was unattractive or deformed. It wasn't that she was rude or cruel. It wasn't even that her parents forbade her to. She just…didn't find the need to find her other half. Gaining the attention and adoration of the other gender wasn't on the top of her list during her years in high school. Phoebe had other things in mind that involved keeping her top spot in academics and spending the rest of her free time with Harley.

She had all the time she needed after graduating, right?

_That was what she thought every time a couple walked by her with intertwined hands and shared happy smiles._

She didn't need to be bothered by those things.

_That was what she thought._

It was useless anyways.

_That was what she…_

But Amani's lips burned and sparked at every chaste kiss Koumei gave her. Her mind spun in so many different directions that she had to grab his sleeves, his hair, his robes, to right herself or at least not fall to the ground so she wouldn't make a fool of herself again. Again and again, he would kiss her as if he didn't want her to recover from her sweet, sweet reverie. Amani was shrewd in politics. Amani was clever in battles. But in kisses? Amani was an amateur.

She returned them anyways, those kisses. She returned them sloppily, but he didn't seem to mind at all. Her lips stumbled the dance but at least this time, it was not by force.

Koumei was gentle. Koumei was honest. Koumei was kind.

Amani felt her back hit the shelf with a soft _'thud'_ but she hardly felt it. Her hands were too busy wrapping themselves around Koumei so she could draw herself closer. He was doing the same with her.

And they were close, so close, that even a sheet of paper couldn't have slid between them.

Amani couldn't remember when, but Koumei had managed to speak in between their kisses. Most of the words were lost in the heat and drawn breaths, but Amani had heard him say her name again and again as if in prayer or in sacred chant.

(_Amani, Amani, Amani,_)

Amani couldn't remember how long they stayed in the library that night. Amani couldn't remember how long they were even _kissing_. (A minute? An hour?) When did it even start? She thought that maybe it was a word, a sentence, or _something _that caused him to kiss her. Or maybe it was nothing that she said but something that she did? But really, it all didn't matter. She didn't care. Neither did Koumei.

(But they had to stop. They had to breathe.)

"It's getting late." Was the first coherent sentence that left Koumei's mouth when they separated. The moment the words were said, the second prince looked as if immediately regretted it. But Amani took no offense. It _was _late. Very late. Her maids would be suspicious if she stayed any longer. "I don't want you to leave." He confessed softly, as if it needed to be said to make up for his previous blunder. He drew her close to him as if she would jump away and leave him at any given moment.

"I don't want to either, Koumei." Amani admitted honestly while taking a step back and adjusting her clothes. "But as you said, it's getting late."

It was getting late and Koumei had much work to do.

Still, Amani fell into the temptation to draw Koumei in for a last kiss.

"Good night." She whispered firmly as she drew away, avoiding Koumei's lips as he greedily tried to sneak in another. "And no. That was the last one."

Koumei's face did something interesting then. It twisted into an expression that appeared to not know whether to feign indifference, to blush in embarrassment, or to pout. Amani laughed and walked out of the library to make her way back to her room. Shion would know what happened, no doubt, but all of that would be dealt with the next morning.

For now, Amani was _very _happy.

_Phoebe Winthrop was dead._

Dead?

Phoebe hadn't even _lived_.

* * *

The Ren Family was ecstatic at the news of Koumei's decision to marry her. Even some of their personal palace maids and the cooks, much to Amani's confusion.

Was there something she missed?

(And how did they even _know_?)

* * *

"What's that?"

Kouha peered at the scroll in Amani's hands and she smiled.

"It's a betrothal gift. From Koumei."

Kouha, with all his love, said:

"That's lame. Did he really give you that? It's not even his best work!"

* * *

It took about a week before Amani got it.

Really, she didn't know why she didn't realize it sooner.

It was a good thing that Koumei didn't mind. He was embarrassed, yes, but he was nonetheless flattered.

Amani still gave him a kiss as an apology. Koumei didn't mind that either.

* * *

One year passed by slowly with Koumei spending most of his time turning the nobles hearts to Amani's favor. It was a bit saddening that their meetings in the library were becoming more and more rare as the months went by, but Amani understood.

And it wasn't as if she wasn't doing anything.

During that time, Amani spent most of her time strengthening her connections with her fellow Blessed Children through letters. Yasmine and Sai were very receptive to her attempts in making contact by replying as much as they could. Sai even stopped by Kou in the guise of a Yambala Tribe member who was separated from his traveling group to meet with Amani personally. Since Kougyoku was right where Amani was, she found herself spending more time with the Kou princess, who was also an outsider within the palace because of the circumstances of her birth.

Despite her somewhat chilly introduction, Kougyoku turned out to be a very friendly person who appreciated Amani's company.

"Brother Koumei tells me that he will be finishing with his business in about a week. Isn't it exciting? Both of you are going to be married soon!" Kougyoku gushed. "About time, too. Both of you are so cute! Seeing him being so sweet with you all the time makes me so jealous!"

"What about that magi, Judal? I heard that he's showering you with great gifts lately." Amani commented in amusement. Kougyoku's face soured almost immediately at the mention of the dark magi. "Oh, come now. He can't be too bad."

"He doesn't know what 'no' means."

"His attention on you sounds sweet."

Kougyoku pouted. "You're just saying that because you have no idea what it's like being hounded by a jerk like him. You have a sweet guy like Koumei, so you have nothing to complain about."

"He can't be that bad."

"You're just saying that because you haven't met him yet."

* * *

"Old hag."

Amani stopped in her tracks to blink at the out of the blue insult aimed at her. She felt a bittersweet feeling of déjà vu. She pointed at herself.

"Me?"

The boy who had just insulted her simply sneered at her face.

"Who else has ridiculous white hair?"

Amani blinked again before continuing to walk away.

"Call me what you will. I've been called worse, Oracle of Kou. Try harder next time."

* * *

He did. In the most childish and upsetting way possible.

* * *

"Two years."

Shion regarded Amani with a serious look.

"Yes, Amani. We need at least two years to get ready for the actual chain of events." The once king bit his lip in distress. "I know that it's a bit unfair for you, since things are going so well between you and Koumei, but we need to leave Kou. Sai and Kougyoku just gave me important information about a really dangerous opponent. We need to start training and making connections now."

"What should I tell them?"

Shion shrugged. "Tell them that it's a Blessed Child thing. A pilgrimage of self-discovery or something. Just tell them a believable lie so we can leave as soon as we can."

"And when will that be?"

"Tomorrow."

* * *

"_Amani, Kougyoku, Yasmine, Sai and I had to leave on some 'Blessed Children' pilgrimage for about two years. It was a blessing in disguise when Judal decided to move Amani's wedding date to the next coming month in this year."_

"_Wow. Two years?"_

"_He was feeling spiteful, Ali-dork. Judal is an ass like that."_

"_So, just when Koumei had finished with convincing the officials and generals of Amani's importance, Judal ruined it all by pushing it to two years."_

"_Again, it was good for us since Amani wouldn't have had another chance to take this trip and improve her abilities and duties as a Blessed Child. I came along since it was fun. We traveled around the world, saved a few people, almost got killed a couple times, and still had an awesome time. We dropped by Kou now and then, but we mostly traveled until we got separated temporarily before meeting back up in Balbadd._

_"And you know the rest."_

* * *

Shion looked up at his Blessed Children solemnly.

"Ready?"

'Not really' their expressions told him. But both he and they knew that their opinions didn't matter. Not now, when they agreed to help him when he stretched out his hand to them.

"Ready." Yasmine nodded firmly.

"I'm ready as I could ever be." Kougyoku said brightly.

"Roger that, Leader." Sai teased.

Shion met Amani's eyes with an unsaid question.

"You know my answer."

Shion positioned himself at the front of the flying carpet that Kou lent to them and pointed in some unknown direction.

"_**Let's go."**_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And here ends Shion's story. We're halfway through the Kou Arc. 
> 
> Timeline?:
> 
> 1st half of 1st year: Amani and Koumei act like a pair of awkward turtles.
> 
> 2nd half of 1st year: They warm up to each other.
> 
> 1st part of 2nd year: Koumei realizes that Amani is being targeted
> 
> Rest of 2nd year: Koumei tries to smooth things over (pretty much this whole chapter)
> 
> 3rd and 4th year: Shion and co. travels and trains. (Judal being a prick places the date of the wedding way later inadvertently causing the whole Kougyoku/Ahbmad marriage situation.)


	16. Chapter 15: The Woes of Being Small

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kou prepares for the Wedding between their Second Imperial Prince and Balbadd's Blessed Child. Shion comes back to the country as a Sindria's prince.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Onwards

"And you know the rest."

Shion smiled serenely at the amazed expressions of his audience. Well, Yasmine and Sai weren't that impressed, but that was because he had spoiled them with more exciting stories of his other life.

Aladdin was the first to applaud. The other followed enthusiastically after snapping out of their dazed reverie that most would find themselves in after listening to a long story. Shion made an exaggerated bow. "Thank you, thank you very much."

"Well told, Prince Shion." Ja'far praised after the applause. "It was an enjoyable tale."

"Yeah! It was great!" Aladdin agreed enthusiastically, making Shion grin boyishly. "Well you aren't such a bad story teller yourself, Aladdin! Think of this as a 'thank you' for the story you told me back at the slave cells."

Ja'far choked. "S-Slave cell?"

Shion nodded, seemingly oblivious to the royal vizier's shock. "Yeah. Some slave traders caught me on my way to Balbadd. That's where I met Aladdin and Mor. It was a bit boring but Ugo saved us at the end, didn't he?"

Aladdin smiled sadly while patting his empty flute. "Yeah."

"Slave traders?!" Ja'far repeated in the background.

Shion patted the magi on the shoulder consolingly. "Hey. Ugo may not be able to come into this world anymore, but he left you his will to go on, didn't he? I bet he's still cheering for you, Aladdin! Wherever he is."

The magi visibly brightened. "Yeah! You're probably right, Shion!"

"Slave traders?" Ja'far repeated again in a louder voice, catching everyone's attention. Sai snickered behind his fist.

Shion stared blankly at the freckled man. "Yes? I said that a long time ago. Weren't you listening?"

"Prince Shion…just how long were you forced to be in such a situation?" The vizier looked ready to either faint or throw a fit. "Did they do anything to you?"

Shion hummed.

"They fed me." He recalled with much difficulty. "I'm not sure what, but I know that I was _really _hungry from my trip halfway across the dessert so I didn't care. I guess you can say that they saved me. But it was way boring inside the cell. Aladdin and Mor really saved me there!" He concluded cheerfully.

"_Saved_ you?" Ja'far asked incomprehensively.

No one could really blame him. Any sane man would be suffering the same confusion as Ja'far was at the moment.

"You forgot to pack food for the trip again, didn't you?" Yasmine deadpanned, knowing her king's habits like the back of her hand.

Shion looked offended. "No! I remembered to do that this time! It's just…there were a couple of kids in the caravan I was riding with who were hungry so I shared my food with them."

"_All _of your food?" Yasmine stressed.

"…Yes."

"_Why?"_

"They were children!" Shion bursted out, ending his sentence with what sounded like a wail. "I can't let children _starve_. It's…it's…inhuman! They need to grow! And I had so much food with me too…"

Alibaba looked moved by the young prince's confession. "Shion…"

Ja'far, too, looked humbled by Shion's honest admission. "So there _are _emotional qualities that you gained from your mother. That's good."

Sai snorted, ruining the moment. "You're forgetting that you're a child too, _child_. Now eat and keep your food when you're told in the future."

"What happened to Princeling?" Shion wondered.

"You were a child before you were a prince. So you're a child."

"I liked Princeling better."

"Too bad."

Shion pouted, making everyone else on the ship laugh at his antics. Being a good sport, he joined in the laughter.

_After _sulking in his mental corner for two extra minutes.

* * *

It didn't come as a surprise when Alibaba visited Shion's room after everyone returned to their rooms to get a good night's sleep. He had just told the blonde about his sister's time at Kou.

"Was she happy with them?" Alibaba asked him the moment he was welcomed into the boy's room.

"Yes." Shion answered truthfully. "But she missed you."

"Even though I left her?"

"Even then. Even now. You were always the first thing on her mind when she made her greatest choices. Amani would even throw away her happiness and new family for you if you asked."

Really. She would. Shion was sure of it.

Since it was Amani.

(Since it was Amani, who had thrown away 'Phoebe' and 'freedom' for the sake of this world and the people in it.)

Alibaba's brown eyes flickered at the statement. "Would she really?"

Shion's gaze sharpened.

"Would _you _really?" _Do that? To her?_

The shame that immediately filled Alibaba's eyes at his shrouded accusation made Shion relax his tensed stance. Good. Alibaba was human. Becoming tempted was natural. But Amani had sacrificed too much for him to make a mistake that would make her miserable again.

"No. You wouldn't do that, would you, Alibaba?" Shion asked consolingly. "You're better than that. I know that you are. Besides, she's getting married soon. You couldn't ruin a nice occasion like that, could you? Kidnapping the bride and leaving the groom hanging in the altar isn't a very since thing to do."

"Like what we did with that Princess of Kou and my brother?" He asked wryly.

Shion clicked his tongue. "Her name is _Kougyoku_. And that was completely different. She hated the idea of being married to Ahbmad since there was no love or care involved. We just saved her from a pointless and loveless marriage."

"Does she love him? Her fiancé?"

"No. She doesn't love him." As much as Shion supported their relationship, he was no stranger to love. He had seen it too many times in his precious people to confuse it with the strong emotion that Amani had claimed she felt. Shion could have lied. But that would have been wrong of him to plant falsities into his friend's head. So, he answered Amani's brother as honestly as he could. "But she more than _likes _him, I can assure you that. And Koumei loves her. Very much so."

So that made everything okay.

"How?" Alibaba asked, sounding almost bitter. "How could he love her when he doesn't know a thing about Amani? And didn't you say that you left Kou for two years? What if she changed during that time?"

Shion smiled sadly, pitying the blonde.

"Alibaba. It's true that our travels changed Amani. Personally, I think it was for the better. But it wasn't as if Amani barred herself from communication completely. Sai has a very useful messenger bird that could find us wherever we are, you know."

Alibaba's eyes widened.

"You mean that they-?"

"Yes. Koumei, Kouha, Hakuei, Hakuryuu, Seishin, and sometimes even Kouen sent her letters periodically and Amani wrote back." Shion closed his eyes for a moment to recall the image of Amani staying up during the night with only the thin light of the moon to finish her replies. "Every single time. Without fail. And remember, Amani came back to Kou from time to time. It wasn't as if we avoided Kou all together."

The blonde looked down in defeat. "I see. So they really were better family to her than I ever was."

"Maybe so." Shion agreed bluntly, making Alibaba flinch. "Both of you were separated for four years. That's a pretty long time. Things change within that time. But that doesn't mean that you should give up on improving your relationship."

"But what if I'm too late?" He whispered helplessly.

"You can never be too late." Shion assured strongly. "Besides, there's a saying in a far-off country: 'Distance only makes the heart grow fonder'. That saying definitely applied to Koumei when it came to Amani. I'm sure that, for her, it was that way with you."

"Really?"

"Alibaba, Amani was waiting for you to come back for the last four years. Now that you have, don't leave again. Now go to sleep. We will be reaching Sindria by tomorrow."

* * *

Sindria was in sight just as the sun rose.

_Beautiful_ some would say upon its sight.

_An overgrown floating rock _was what Sai said.

In English, of course, since Sinbad was on the ship.

But he had only poked fun at the great country at the expense of an uncharacteristically fidgety Shion, who was too far gone in the sea of his thoughts to acknowledge his comrade's humor.

The War Veteran reeked of anxiety upon the sight of the island. To him, the island looked nothing more than a cage. _Run away!_ He shrieked. _We have a chance! Let's __**leave**_.

The Child shook with a different kind of nervousness. It was one with a little bit of excitement and fear mixed in.

The King remained silent.

Shion himself just wished that he only had one persona in his head. That would have spared him the headache.

And the endless questions running through his head.

How would everyone take the news that Sinbad had a son? Would they believe him? Would they like him? Would they hate him? Would they make a big deal out of it? Would there be other siblings? Would he have to struggle within the court just as Amani did? Would he have to run? What if he didn't have to run? What if they wanted him to stay there forever? Would that even be a bad thing? Would they compare him to his father? Would they accept him? Would they-?

A large hand descended onto his head and ruffled it, breaking him from his thoughts. Shion looked up at Masrur, whose gaze was on the small form of his home country.

"They will like you." Shion heard him say shortly.

It wasn't that he doubted Masrur. No. The man was too straightforward to lie to Shion's face on these subjects. The King and War Veteran in Shion knew that what the Finalis was saying was true. But the Child needed affirmation. Desperately.

"Are you sure?"

Masrur nodded.

"Yes."

* * *

Sindria was beautiful.

Even Sai gaped when it came into view. Despite being in a world where the knowledge of electricity wasn't discovered yet, the place still seemed to _shine _like a city.

Sinbad grinned proudly at the gob smacked expressions that his country produced. His smile wavered when he saw that Shion wasn't paying attention to the island at all. Masrur was beside the child, looking at him with concern. (Or, what Sinbad was pretty sure was concern. You'd never know with the stoic expressions of the Finalis.) Masrur then patted Shion, an action that he had also done back in Balbadd after the boy had risen to his defense. Upon the action, the boy's tense form relaxed automatically, comforted by the support that the large hand gave.

_That was supposed to be __**my **__job. _Sinbad thought intensely before catching himself. Masrur was by no means trying to take Sinbad's place as a father. He knew this. He _should have _known this from the beginning since Masrur had been his comrade and loyal General for years. Yet he had still felt…possessive over Shion. _Is this how fathers normally react?_

Sinbad wanted to think 'yes'. But the gut feeling in his stomach and his memories of his own father told him 'no'. Baldr hadn't looked at old man Marius in envy when Sinbad had clung onto him and begged him for stories of the 'outside world'. But, then again, Baldr had been a strange man.

A strange, _brilliant_ man.

But did that mean that Baldr was the strange one?

No, only the threatened would feel possessive. Baldr had been calm because he was _assured _of his son's love for him. Sinbad, on the other hand…wasn't so sure. Eight years was a very long time to go without a father. And Shion hadn't even met Sinbad until recently. What love could the child hold for him? What loyalty could he have for him?

Well, to be honest, not that much, if not any at all.

It was rare, but Sinbad honestly didn't know what he was doing when it came to his son. Was he doing the right thing by doing this? Was he doing the right thing by saying that? If he made a joke, would Shion take it the wrong way? If he praised someone else, would Shion think that he didn't notice him?

Was he going to mess this up?

Sinbad unintentionally let out a sigh and resisted rubbing his face.

Being a good father…was going to be harder than he thought it would be. Especially since it was him.

_Doesn't mean you shouldn't try your best, at least._ A small voice in the back of his mind encouraged warmly. It wasn't the same small voice that firmly told him again and again to "_put his country first"_ and to "_defend what's important against __**anything"**_. This one was gentler and less demanding. It was familiar in an emotional sense and Sinbad trusted it wholeheartedly.

Since…

It sounded very much like Ranya's voice.

Yes, Sinbad had known the identity of Shion's mother all along. He had avoided the topic of Shion's birth mother, not because he knew the woman as a 'faceless lover', but because he _had _known Ranya.

It wasn't as if it weren't obvious. He had his mother's eyes and smile. When they had first met, he had immediately known, since those characteristics were the most apparent during that time. He had assumed that Ranya met another man and had Shion.

But there was no other man.

His hair color under the turban made that _pretty _obvious.

Eight years.

_Eight _years.

Could he really do this?

_Try._

Sinbad made up his mind and began making his way over to his son.

_Try._

He would.

"Anything the matter?"

Shion's head jerked up at his father's voice. Masrur respectfully took a step back to make room for his king. Automatically, Shion shook his head and made himself smile as naturally as he could. "Nothing's wrong." He lied.

And he would have gotten away with that lie if it weren't for Masrur.

"He thinks that he will be disliked by the others." The Finalis revealed bluntly.

Shion shot him a betrayed look before looking down in embarrassment. He avoided his father's eyes.

"Shion."

Sinbad knelt down to Shion's height and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Was that all it was? You don't need to be ashamed to tell me your feelings. It's natural to feel nervous. Even I feel nervous sometimes." At Shion's dubious look, Sinbad laughed. "I'm new at being a parent. I'm worried that I won't be enough for you because of my inexperience."

"But you're trying." Shion insisted.

"But I'm trying." He agreed. "And I promise you that I will do everything in my power to try making up for those eight years I wasn't there for you."

Shion frowned. "That wasn't your fault. You didn't know."

"Still."

Joy flashed across Shion's blue eyes for a moment before dimming back down into faint worry. Sinbad's sharp gaze caught this. "Shion. Look at me."

He squeezed Shion's shoulder and looked him in the eyes seriously.

"They will _love _you. I swear it."

Shion nodded with a pained look on his face. "Because I'm your son?"

"Yes," Sinbad admitted, "and because you are a clever and talented boy who is both the youngest dungeon capturer in history, beating even _my _record, and their first prince."

Shion's lips quirked at the mention of his achievement

(Not the youngest. Well, at least, not this time around.)

"Oi, Oi," he teased, "now you're making it sound as if you're just bringing me to Sindria because of my awesome strength and usefulness."

Sinbad shared Shion's grin. "Ah! I was caught! You found me out!"

Shion was feeling exceptionally better. His child side was appeased or, at least, successfully distracted from his silly worries since his father's attention was on him.

Without much of a warning, Shion found his small body thrown over Sinbad's broad shoulders, not unlike what he had done upon seeing Balbadd. At this height, he had a broader view of Sindria. "Look, Shion! Look at our country! Isn't it amazing?"

Shion's blue eyes widened.

It was.

Shion's breath caught in his throat and his heart leapt to his chest upon the sight of the island. He felt pride. _This _was what his father created. _This _was what he was able to do. Shion was _his _son.

But there was a wave of uneasiness too.

This place…though it looked different now, Shion had been to this place.

A memory that had been hindered by the seals that Yunan had placed in his turban was triggered upon the sight of the island.

"_Who do you think was buried here, Uncle?"_

"_Someone who was undoubtedly important, Shion. Why don't you take a closer look?"_

_Shion, standing in front of a majestic tomb on the uninhabited island of Sindria, traced the name so painstakingly carved into stone with a look of wonder upon his face. Yunan stood behind him with his hat shrouding his expression._

"_S-I-N-B-A-D." He read aloud. "Sinbad. Wait, I heard his name before! Alibaba and Aladdin mentioned him, didn't they? They told me that he conquered __**seven **__dungeons and was a well-respected king of this island. It's too bad that he died. He must have been a great person."_

Shion felt like screaming.

"_Yes, he was an amazing man."_

He swallowed it all and laughed instead.

"Do you like it?" Sinbad asked, appearing confident in Shion's answer.

"Yes." Shion nodded with a fixed stare at the beautiful island that was going to be _his_ home and _his _responsibility from this moment on, "It's magnificent. I love it."

Shion took a deep breath.

_Sindria is still standing._

Shion breathed out.

_His father is still alive._

There was no need to panic over what didn't happen. That was the future that Shion had left behind. All he needed to focus on was the hopeful future that he and his Blessed Children were striving for.

Shion would make sure that the tragedy that he left behind wouldn't happen this time around.

* * *

Two months later…

* * *

_To King Sinbad, Conqueror of Seven Djinn, Leader of the Seven Seas Alliance, and King of Sindria._

_You are hereby invited officially by the Emperor of Kou to attend the Royal Wedding of Second Imperial Prince Ren Koumei and Blessed Child, Princess Amani Saluja._

_Kou also congratulates you on the joyful news of the discovery of your firstborn son. This country would also like to extend the wedding invitation to the honorable young prince._

_Your request to have an audience with the Emperor has also been accepted._

* * *

Shion read and re-read the invitation for the thousandth time before letting out a large sigh and collapsing into his chair.

They had known. It was _right there _on the invitation and Sinbad hadn't even publicly announced to the Seven Seas Alliance that he was his son yet. Judal had probably been a tattletale to the royals of Kou about Shion's existence. Honestly, Shion didn't mind them knowing about him being Sinbad's son.

It was the fact that Al Thamen knew that raised Shion's hackles.

Them knowing about Shion's existence was inevitable. But having them know this soon was dangerous.

Especially now when they could take advantage of his newfound position to lure him into their territory.

Shion rubbed his eyes tiredly.

"This is a mess."

And an unavoidable one too since, Shion was already on the ship to Kou.

"Well, I couldn't just miss Amani's wedding, could I?" He muttered to himself as he stared up at the wooden ceiling. "After all that time laboring to pair her up with Koumei that whole time. It would've been such a waste if I didn't come."

A heavy weight suddenly landed on Shion's stomach, painfully breaking him from his thoughts. "Gak! H-Heavy!"

"Instead of sulking in your room, why don't you start studying the interior of the palace and memorize the traditions of the wedding ceremony?" Yasmine's voice sounded from above, "Kougyoku was nice enough to send this over to us secretly so you could be prepared for the unexpected."

Shion sat up painfully. "Doesn't mean you have to _drop _that damn thing on me." He complained.

"You were sulking." She stated as if it were the answer to everything. To her, it probably was. "I already had to deal with Alibaba's whining on the other trip, so don't ruin this one for me by doing the same thing 'oh great and powerful king'. Now do your homework."

"But-!"

"No buts. _Read._"

* * *

Shion stumbled out of his room about two hours later, looking as if his soul had been strangled out of him. He didn't like staying in one place for an extended amount of time, which made studying a challenge for him.

That was why Yasmine locked the door.

"But I finished studying it in _one hour_." He weakly complained to himself. "_Why _didn't she believe me? I almost _died _in there."

"Now, now, Princeling. You shouldn't lie about things like that." Sai chided as he kicked himself off of his position from the doorframe. Shion immediately knew that Sai had been the one who unlocked the door. "Lying is never good for the soul."

"Hypocrite." The prince accused his dark haired friend. "You do it all the time!"

"Never said that I didn't." Sai corrected his king patiently. "Just said that it was bad for you."

Shion scowled. "And a fat good example you're making."

Sai sent the boy a pitying look that Shion _swore_ was false. "Aw, is the prince cranky from his time-out? Yasmine must have been too hard on you, child. Isn't it a good thing that you brought me along for the trip?"

"Why _did _you come?" Shion wondered as he ducked from Sai's playful swipe.

"You know why, you ungrateful brat! It's to keep your tiny, child-body safe from the clutches of the evil baddies. Yare, yare, and to think that I felt sorry for you when you had that 'I-am-going-to-die' expression on your face when your father got the invitation."

"Did not." Shion denied hotly.

"Did _too_~"

"But you really didn't have to come. From what I remember, you think weddings are long, boring, and senseless, so I _know _it isn't because of Amani's wedding. And Yasmine is good enough as a bodyguard alone, so I don't see the point. You could've stayed behind to relax in Sindria and terrorize its inhabitants with your terrible sense of humor."

"My sense of humor is _great_!" Sai said defensively at Shion's last comment.

Shion raised his brow skeptically. "Oh yeah? Then why isn't anyone else laughing?"

"_I'm _laughing."

"And that's the most important part." Shion said sarcastically.

Sai nodded in complete agreement. "Exactly.

"_Besides, even if I think weddings are boring, that doesn't mean I don't attend them from time to time. Did you really think that I was going to miss out on Bee-chan's happiest occasion?"_

* * *

It took about a week for them to get to shore and three more days to travel by foot. Well, by foot for the others. Shion had the luck of getting a free piggyback ride from his self-proclaimed 'older brother figure', Sharrkan. The irony in the reality of their age difference wasn't lost on the time traveler.

"Are you sure you don't want to take a break, Sharrkan?" Shion asked the swordsman in concern as the young man began showing small signs of getting tired. "I _can _walk, you know?"

"It's no problem, young master! I can go on for a couple more miles in my sleep!" The swordsman bragged in between pants, which made his claim all the more fake.

"Uh huh." Shion said doubtfully. "And how do you suppose it would look for Father if his general comes in all sweaty and breathless for Amani's wedding service?" Sharrkan flinched at Shion's logic. "I like having rides on your back, Sharrkan. Really. But don't you think this would also make me seem childish to Kou's eyes? I want to make a good impression so Father won't be ashamed."

Spartos chuckled from his position at Sharrkan's left.

"Prince Shion is right, Sharrkan. I suggest that you listen to him so that you can spare _both _of your reputations." The Sasan-native informed his comrade in amusement. "And please do not worry about shaming his majesty, young master. You already make him and his country _very_ proud."

Yasmine, who had been speaking with Spartos, nodded in agreement.

"Face it, Princeling. You have him wrapped around your finger." Sai muttered loud enough for Shion to hear. "Ask him for anything and he'd go through high heavens and burning hells to get it for you."

Shion dropped down from Sharrkan's back with ease and smiled warmly at his friends (and the additional two generals). "Thanks guys."

It turned out in the end that Masrur was right and Shion's anxiety of being unaccepted was completely childish and silly.

For one, he was the exact replica of his father, aside from his eyes and some softer features, so his parentage was obvious.

Another thing was that he looked _cute_. Or, at least, cuter than the average eight year old. No one with a heart (or with a sane mind) in Sindria would turn away a _cute_, mini-clone of their king. Those two qualities pretty much rallied up the favor of the male and female population alike.

All in all, the meeting was a success.

That, and Shion had managed to get Aladdin and Alibaba a head start in their training without that six-month hiatus. Alibaba had a full two months in training battered into his head and body. Shion personally thought that his father bringing Sharrkan along was something of a small mercy for the Balbadd Prince, since 'going easy' didn't compute for the swordsman.

Except when it came to Shion.

Unfortunately.

"My Prince! You shouldn't be standing directly under the sun! You might get burnt!" The swordsman began to fuss only a minute after Shion started walking, much to the child's annoyance.

"Sharrkan, I'm _fine_. I've traveled like this many times before. Didn't I, Yasmine?"

Sasan's Blessed Child nodded. "Yes."

"Well…if you say so..."

"But he got into lots of trouble because of that~" Sai couldn't help but add with a devious smirk. "He used to get lost whenever we took our eyes off of him. I think he has some direction issues."

"Lost?" Sharrkan looked a little nervous.

"Hurt, too. Cuts, bruises, rashes, you name it. Clumsy and fragile, our Princeling is. Once, he almost broke his arm from a nasty tumble, since he was careless."

"B-b-b-broken arm?" The swordsman paled.

Shion couldn't help but pale too. _That liar! He's doing this on purpose!_

"Yup!" Sai confirmed cheerfully. "And occasionally, he would get held hostage."

"_Held hostage?!"_

"Yes, by ferocious bandits."

"_**Bandits?! **_My Prince, get back here immediately! I've had my rest!"

Shion shot Sai a nasty glare before turning to the general to calm him down.

"No! No! That didn't actually happen, Sharrkan! It's just Sai lying again! Hey, are you listening to me? Sharrkan? Sha-NO! Put me DOWN! I'm going to _walk _the rest of the way, no matter what you say or do! Let go of-SAI STOP LAUGHING! THIS IS ALL YOUR FAULT!"

* * *

"Welcome to Kou, King Sinbad and Prince Shion."

Shion blinked blankly at the gaggle of the originally holier-than-thou officials bowing lowly in front of him when it had been the other way around just a couple months ago. He quickly glanced at Sinbad and saw that his father was not affected by the spectacle at all. So this was a normal thing? Huh. Strange. In Shion's memories as King, people never did that to him. Though, after thinking about it a little more, Shion concluded that the whole world being at war might have played a part in that.

But still.

It was so _weird_ coming back to Kou as royalty.

Shion kept his expression impassive as he followed his father into Kou Palace. He made sure to keep about two steps behind as a show of respect to his father's position as a king.

As he entered, whispers and stares were all focused on him.

"Look, it's King Sinbad's son."

"He has a _son_?"

"Yes. He was recently discovered in Balbadd. Haven't you heard?"

"My, my, the young prince looks like the spitting image of his father. He will grow up to be a handsome one. I'm sure of it."

"Looks like a brat to me. Why did he come along? He'll just cause trouble."

"Hush now! They'll hear you!"

He must look so different to everyone in the palace with his purple hair and gaudy clothing that resembled what Sinbad himself wore. _Would _anyone remember the face of Amani's little servant boy? Shion's blue eyes twinkled at the thought. His purple hair tended to be everyone's focus, so he would be impressed by their perception if anyone did.

Shion's amused thoughts skidded to a sharp halt when a familiar figure stepped into view. Banker. Didn't…didn't Kassim kill him back in Balbadd? Both Yasmine and Sai tensed behind him at the sight of the Al Thamen member. To Shion's confusion, they didn't seem that surprised at the man's reappearance.

Was this supposed to happen?

Shion's steps did not falter. But he did place his hand over his metal vessel as an act of comfort. There was no sightings of other Al Thamen members yet, but he was still wary. Yasmine and Sai were already roving their eyes around every nook and cranny of the halls for the veiled figures of their enemy.

When the Banker came forward to greet Sinbad, the King showed no signs of aggressiveness but stood completely in front of Shion, acting as a protective wall, much to Shion's embarrassed relief.

He also couldn't help but feel panicked.

Shion could list twenty ways that the Banker could have hurt both him and his father. And that was without the additional sixty ways that the Banker could have just attacked Shion alone.

This thought drove the War Veteran into an alarmed frenzy.

He should activate Andromalius. He should run, flee from this closed space. He was too weak. Too- No, no, he had to calm down. Yes, he had to _calm down_ since having a clear head was better than a chaotic one. Calm down, Shion. Calm…

"Something wrong, Shion?"

Shion's hand slipped from his lamp as he turned to his father. "No. It's nothing."

"Was it Banker?" Sinbad asked knowingly. "Don't worry about him. As long as you're by my side, he won't dare touch you."

_But would he dare touch __**you**_?

"I know. I was just…surprised to see him alive. I thought he died." Shion said, not lying. Not really.

"Should've stayed dead." Yasmine snarled from his side. "Amani must be devastated, knowing that bastard is still alive."

Everyone blinked in confusion at the violent outburst.

"Kassim." Sai said simply.

Grim comprehension flashed across Sinbad's eyes while Shion looked down in silent anger. Everyone else retained their confusion, but they didn't ask.

Shion regained enough of his wits and emotions to stand up straighter and tilt his chin up. He was a _king_ and a _war general_, for Solomon's sake! He could do better than this! This was no time to fall into paranoia. His Blessed Children _needed _him to be confident and brave. "Don't underestimate Amani." He told Yasmine and Sai firmly. "She grieved back in Balbadd. She's fine now. The reappearance of Banker just means that Amani will have a shot at avenging Kassim. Let's not worry over something like this, and focus on the issue at hand."

When Shion saw the calm settle back onto Yasmine and Sai's shoulders, he felt a thrill of satisfaction for saying the right thing.

Small 'pep talks' and inspirational speeches were commonly used back in Shion's war days. Shion frequently gave these speeches as small pieces of hope for the remaining fighters. He had to keep his soldiers morale up somehow.

In this life, he hadn't found much reason to give one, so he was a bit rusty. But he wasn't too bad.

_Atta' boy, you still got it._

Sinbad nodded in approval at Shion's words.

"Well said, Shion. I-

"King Sinbad." A random servant interrupted unintentionally as he rushed over to the Sindrian King. He quickly kowtowed before completely delivering his message. "The Emperor is waiting for you and your son in the throne room. Please, allow me to lead you there. Your Household Members will be led to their respectful guest chambers by the other servants."

* * *

Shion stood before the Emperor while putting his hands together in the universal sign of respect, mimicking exactly what his father was doing. Judging by the smug look on the Kou Emperor's face, it was safe to assume that he did the right thing.

"Welcome, King Sinbad." The Emperor greeted with a ferocious grin. "And welcome, young prince. I'm afraid that we haven't been acquainted. What is your name?"

Shion knew that the Emperor knew. But this was part of the power game. By 'forgetting' his name, the Emperor sent the message that Shion's name wasn't worth remembering.

Then again, he was one of the many servants here just a couple months ago.

Shion stepped forward and respectfully tilted his head downwards. "My name is Shion, powerful Emperor. Many gratitudes for inviting my father and me to the happy occasion. You have been very generous for granting us audience."

Okay, he was laying it on a little thick, but Shion had overheard servants, officers, and even the _princes _address him in this manner during his time as Amani's ward. It seemed only natural to do the same.

The Emperor cackled boisterously.

"Impressive! Wonderfully done! You have trained your son well, King Sinbad!" The Kou Emperor said with glee. "And to think that you picked this one off the street just two months ago! What a clever boy you have!"

Shion did not react to the backhanded comment aside from a "thank you".

People had said worse in the past. And if Shion's memory was correct, this man was going to die soon, so he was practically worthless.

A figure behind the throne shifted into the light. Shion tried not to react. He really did. But he couldn't help but jump a little at the appearance of Prince Kouen.

Now _this _guy, he had to worry about!

The Emperor's teeth flashed at Shion's unease.

"Sinbad, why don't you let your son spend some time with mine while we talk? They both share the title of being the firstborn son, so they should have much to share." He suggested silkily. But Shion knew it wasn't a suggestion. It was an order.

Blue eyes slowly trailed up to meet a pair of burning, _powerful _brown. Upon eye contact, Shion just _knew _that Kouen knew. It was just _that feeling_ and he knew better than to brush aside _that feeling_. It was always right, which meant that Kouen knew.

(Dammit.)

As if he read the child's mind, Kouen smirked in a way that Shion's Child side computed as 'scary' and his Veteran side translated as 'creepy' and 'borderline pedophilic' (but then again, the veteran had always been a paranoid fellow).

Shion gulped.

"Shion?" He heard his father say in concern, quietly of course. "You don't have to go with him if you don't want to."

Oh _why _did his father have to do that? Now he _had _to go!

Shion felt the heavy feeling of resignation rest on his shoulders as he turned to Kouen with a sweet smile that could have melted many hearts that went soft in the presence of children. It had worked on Amani, at least. "Oh? Will you really do that with a kid like me, sir? That's really kind of you! Please take care of me."

* * *

Two princes having a nice chat, how awkward could it possibly be?

Kouen stared at Shion. Shion stared at Kouen.

Yeah. It could get pretty awkward.

"Er…so, what are we supposed to do again?"

Kouen grunted and turned his head towards the scenery at his left. "_I _will be asking questions. _You _will be answering them." He stated flatly as if his words were law. Shion wouldn't be surprised if that theory was actually true.

Though, it seemed a bit fair since the prince was stuck babysitting him.

"Okay." Shion agreed easily, much to the well-disguised surprise from the man across from him. "Ask away. And please don't hold back for my sake."

Kouen did not hesitate.

"What do you want with Kou?"

Shion blinked. "Me? Nothing." _I am not an enemy._

He was telling the truth and Kouen knew it, which frustrated the man.

"Then why are you here?"

"To see the wedding." _Obviously._

Kouen turned to scrutinize him. "You were that boy with Kouha, weren't you?" He finally stated with an approving undertone. "Well done."

Shion understood what Kouen was speaking of and grinned widely, completely unashamed with his blatant hand in the matchmaking between his friend and Kou's second prince. "Thank you. I worked hard with Prince Kouha to make it a success. I'm sure that you understand why I am so eager to take part in the wedding festivities."

Again, _obviously_. Since he pretty much did the hard work while everyone sat back and just _watched_. He had to face Amani's wrath while being in close vicinity, since they shared the same room. He _deserved _this, Al Thamen territory or not!

"Are you Amani's boy?"

Strange. He didn't call him 'Amani's servant' or 'Amani's ward'. It was a strange yet simple choice of words. Then again, he _was _known for being crude with his language.

"Yes." Shion answered simply, since he couldn't lie to this man. "I am."

Kouen nodded. "Then I suppose that you want to see her."

"Yes."

The prince stood. "Let's see her, then."

* * *

Kouen was not a kind man. Shion knew this. But he was fair and he loved his family.

Shion supposed that his connection with Amani allowed Kouen to tolerate him a little more than the average person. Son of a king or not, Shion was still a brat in Kouen's eyes.

Apparently, being a 'brat' equaled to being carried around. When Shion had asked, Kouen replied with a simple "too slow", making the poor child flush in shame. The fact that Kouen's whole household, who had been trailing after their 'king', was witnessing this made the embarrassment all the more humiliating.

Stupid small legs.

Stupid almost-nine-year-old body.

Stupid Kouen for not putting him down. (Even when he asked _nicely._)

"Are we there yet?"

Which led to the current situation.

"No. Be patient."

After a few more humiliating minutes of being carried around, Shion had a sudden epiphany that filled him with disbelief and horror. "You have no idea where Amani is."

"Oi!" A medusa-resembling household member snarled in defense. "Don't assume such nonsense, brat!"

The pig man and the lion man shot glares from the side.

Shion blinked at the aggression. "You don't have to be so defensive of His Majesty over here, Mister Snake Person. It's nothing to be ashamed of. My friends told me that I have direction issues too. I got lost in the middle of a desert, after all!" He said this part sheepishly. "And it's better knowing sooner than later, right? I heard that denial is a bad influence on a sharp mind so I'm practically doing him a favor."

The pig-like man stepped towards Shion (and inadvertently, Kouen) aggressively. "Why you-

"_Kin Gaku. Just __**what **__do you think you are doing to that child?"_

And just like that, everyone just _froze_. Shion turned to face the owner of the voice and immediately brightened at the sight of the voice's owner. "Miss Seishin!"

Seishin's hard eyes softened at the sight of the boy in her husband's arms. "Shion," she greeted warmly as she came to Kouen's side to pluck the child out of his arms, "it's been a while. How have you been? Has Sindria been treating you well?"

Shion nodded, overjoyed that the woman recognized him without his turban. Then again, Amani could have already told her about his true identity upon her return. (Not that he minded. Shion had a feeling that Seishin and Al Thamen didn't have much of a friendly relationship. That, and she didn't gossip.)

"My, you really _are _your father's son." Seishin cooed while stroking Shion's turban-free hair. He accepted her motherly affections since she gave it to him frequently when he dropped by to visit Amani during her daily spars. "You'll be a lady-killer with those looks when you get older, just like your father. I'm sure of it."

And she sounded so sure of it that it made the Sindrian Prince sweatdrop nervously.

Just how much of a 'lady-killer' was his father anyways?

"Um," Shion interjected shyly, "I'm actually planning to save myself for the right person." _Who is practically his soul mate, his other half. Who he loves so much that it hurts. Who died in the nonexistent future. Who doesn't exist anymore. Not really._

Kouen gave him his version of an incredulous look, which wasn't that much. The Household Members behind him, on the other hand, were more expressive with their disbelief.

"Ehhh? That's impossible." The medusa man said with utmost certainty.

"I'd give the child five years, give or take." The pig man muttered underneath his breath. "Brat has no idea what he's talking about."

The lion man remained silent, but his expression told Shion that he shared his companions' sentiments.

Shion pouted. Meanies.

Seishin frowned disapprovingly. "Seishuu, you shouldn't say those things. I thought I raised you better. Kin I understand, but you?" She sniffed and patted Shion's head consolingly. "Don't worry, Shion. Auntie Seishin is on your side! Don't listen to my idiot little brother and his friends. You have more maturity than the three of them combined."

"Oi! What did you just call us, Seishin?"

Shion noticed that she left Kouen out of the 'idiot' generalization, but kept silent about it.

He wanted to stay on her good side after all.

Speaking of which…

"Miss Seishin, are you and Mister Medusa man siblings? Your names sound the same." According to Kou culture, they should be siblings or cousins at least. "But you two don't look the same at all! You're so pretty! And he's…" Shion purposefully trailed off for the snake-like household member to reach his own conclusions.

"What? I'm _what_, brat?"

"…different?"

If it sounded like a question, that was because it was _supposed _to. Shion normally wasn't immature, but he still had to defend his ego, which all of Kouen's household members had bruised with their words and snickers. (Ha! Take that!)

Seishuu fumed. "When I get my hands on you, brat, I'll-

"_What, _dear brother? _What _will you do to the poor, defenseless child?" Seishin asked chillingly, shutting the man up in seconds. "I thought so."

"Sorry." Shion apologized automatically, cowed by his past immature actions. Insult to his pride or not, he wasn't here to make enemies out of powerful people. "I didn't mean to make it sound like an insult. Your snake hair is actually pretty cool, Mister. I've only heard of people like that in stories, so I was surprised to see the real thing in front of me."

"Stories?" Kouen asked, finally speaking up. His eyes sparking in interest. "What sort of stories?"

"Uh, stories from lands I've never really traveled myself." Shion said, not mentioning at all that they technically came from another world that considered this one entertainment in the form of Japanese storytelling. "I traveled a lot, so I got to hear lots and lots of interesting stories about unknown creatures and untraveled lands!" Lands that no one would ever travel. "The Medusa is one of the more popular legends, out of most of the ones I heard."

"Medusa? I heard you calling Seishuu that a little while ago. I'm assuming that the creature resembles him?"

Shion grinned. "Yeah! The Medusa is a powerful creature that can turn people into stone with one look! It's really powerful!"

Kouen nodded thoughtfully. "I see. That does sound impressive."

To Shion's relief, Kouen's positive reaction made Seishuu seem less angry with him than he was before. Good.

But the child's troubles were far from over. Without any warning, he was snatched out of Seishin's welcoming arms to his rough one. Shion's eye twitched. He was being held like a stuffed animal! Kouen was doing it wrong!

"Hn. You're more interesting than I thought. I'm going to keep you."

Shion balked at the out-of-the blue decision.

Seishin recovered from her surprise and gave her husband a fond smile. "That's very sweet of you, Kouen. But I think Shion already belongs in Sindria with his father. You should have adopted him before that." She scolded. "It's a bit too late for that."

"Can I be put down now?" Shion wondered aloud.

"Oh! Of course, it must be painful being carried like that. Really, Kouen. You should know better than to treat a child that way. It was the same with our daughter!"

Shion jerked in surprise. "You have a daughter, Miss Seishin?" _Shion didn't know that._

"Yes. Her name is Kohaku." Seishin informed the child with a wistful smile. "She is just about your age. She mostly just stays in her room, shy girl. Not many know about her, since she hardly goes out."

_Does Amani know? She never told me about this._ Shion thought as he nodded to Seishin's explanation. "She must resemble her mother."

"She resembles her father even more." Seishin said proudly.

_How frightening. _"Miss Kohaku must be beautiful, then." He said diplomatically.

Kouen smirked. "What? Interested? If you stay in Kou, I'll let you marry her."

The Household Members looked as if they wanted to interject. The little Princess must be well loved by the important few, then.

"As tempting as the offer is, no thank you." He politely declined. "I do not think that a child my age would be able to serve as a proper husband for your daughter. Besides, Father would not be happy if I left him so soon."

Kouen didn't look so happy.

Too bad. Shion personally thought that he was being ridiculous, offering up his own daughter as some bargaining chip. Daughters were supposed to be precious. Perhaps even more so than sons.

This had been what Alibaba taught him. The other one. The other one who died.

"Later, then."

_He really doesn't give up, does he? _Shion thought wryly.

"Anyways, what are you doing out here?" Seishin asked.

"Going to Amani." Shion said simply. _Please, please, please, know where she is._ He chanted silently. "Though it's taking a while."

Seishin gave Kouen a flat look. "…You forgot where she was, didn't you?"

"Yes." He informed her shamelessly, much to the shock of his household members.

'_He admitted it so casually!'_

"I'll take you to her, then."

* * *

"Shion?"

Eyes filled with pleasant surprise.

"Yes. It's me. It's been a while."

A nod.

"It has. How is Alibaba? Is he healthy? Is he eating?"

"Alibaba is currently under the tutelage of Sharrkan so don't worry. How about you? Have you been eating well?"

"Yes."

"Sleeping?"

"…It's getting better."

A reproving look.

"You should try taking some medicine for that. Sleep is good for your health, Amani."

"I will."

"Good."

A teasing light in soft, brown eyes.

"How does it feel returning to Kou as royalty, Shion?"

Teasing.

"It's weird."

Blunt.

"Come now. Be honest."

"It's troublesome. The title is like a disaster magnet. I think being a commoner was easier than this. Hey, did you know Kouen has a kid?"

"Yes, a beautiful daughter."

"You met her?!"

"Kohaku is shy. You'll meet her eventually. Have you met Kougyoku yet?"

"No. I'll try to meet with her later. You're my primary concern. The ceremony is tomorrow, isn't it? Are you nervous?"

"A bit."

It was more than a bit.

"It's going to be fine. Yasmine and Sai even came along to support you."

"They're here?"

Happiness.

"Yes. They insisted."

A smile.

"I'm glad."

* * *

Tomorrow, Amani Saluja would be a Saluja no longer. And being Amani? Well…she had stopped being 'just Amani' a long time ago. She had buried herself in Junkyard Street, once upon a time. But then again, even that's gone too, isn't it?

* * *

NOTE: For Juliedoo since she got the meaning of Zhuge Liang

* * *

**Omake: A Father's Son (or, How to Make an Impression)**

"Okay Shion. You can do this."

Shion took a shaky step off the ship and onto the dock. Sinbad was behind him with a hand on his back and an amused smile as his son talked to himself. He gently pushed his son forward. "Shion, it's not like Sindria is going to bite you."

"Sin, you shouldn't make him even more nervous." Ja'far scolded.

"Yeah." Masrur grunted in agreement.

His son shook his head. "No. Father is right. He's right. I should…I should calm down now."

"Yes, you should. Oh look! There's Sharrkan, Yamraiha, Spartos, and Pisti!" Excitement filled Sinbad's face as he stepped forward eagerly to greet four of his other generals. "Hey! I'm back!"

"My King." The four of them chorused as they clasped their hands in respect. "We are eased by your return."

Sinbad was practically bubbling with excitement, much to the amusement of Ja'far and Masrur (though no one could really guess, since his face was completely blank to those who didn't know him). "I think you should tell them now for the sake of your health, Sin."

"Tell us what, your majesty?" Pisti chirped curiously.

"Be patient, Pisti." Spartos scolded lightly.

"Sounds pretty important." Sharrkan said with a grin.

"You look pleased, so it must be good news." Yamraiha noted.

Sinbad grinned widely.

"Guys, I'd like you to meet-huh?" He blinked at the empty spot where Shion originally stood. "Shion?"

"Behind you."

Sinbad turned around to see that his son had indeed hid behind his left leg. Judging by the grip the child had on his pants, he wouldn't be letting go soon. _Well, that's to be expected. It must be overwhelming for him to present himself as a prince, so it's a given that he'd be shy. He's only eight, after all. _He thought understandingly. He patted his son's head comfortingly.

"Shion," the Sindrian King gently coaxed. "they'll be _happy_ to meet you."

When Shion hesitated, Masrur grunted and _gently_ pried the child's fingers off his father. Shion stood no chance against the Finalis' strength. After he was finished, Masrur pushed Shion into the figurative spotlight.

All eyes immediately fell on the child. The happy greetings to Sinbad for his return fell silent at the sight of the little boy.

Shion gulped and scratched the back of his head nervously, which was probably a bad idea since it brought attention to his hair.

_Oh boy._

The attention was suffocating.

It looked like Ja'far was silently hissing in the background for the other generals to _do something _but they seemed to be in too much shock to listen.

'_Say something'._ The king in Shion's mind said in encouragement. _'These are your people now. Tell them your feelings. Make them understand'._

At the thought, Shion straightened his back and cleared his throat.

"My name is Shion. This is my first time visiting Sindria. This country…my father's country is beautiful. The people here are amazing and so welcoming. I am aware that these amazing things are because of the great deeds of my father."

Shion took a shuddering breath.

"I'm not be very talented or amazing like King Sinbad, but…"

Shion looked up in determination.

"I would very much like to stay here! I may be weak and small at the moment, but I will grow and improve! I won't be a burden. I promise! I assure you that I will try my very best to be worthy of being my father's son!"

Shion bowed. Not the 'kneeling and pressing his head on the ground' sort of bow, but the bow that new students in the other world would give to the class. "Please take care of me!"

There was a moment of more shocked silence before Shion found himself looking into four pairs of eyes. His head jerked up in surprise at the sight of all the four generals kneeling on one leg and placing their right hands over their hearts.

"No need to bow to us, my prince!" Sharrkan said cheerfully. "You are our new young master, after all! And I'll help you with your swordsmanship personally, if that's the issue!"

"Even though he's a fencing idiot, he's right! We will support you every step of the way!" Yamraiha assured him with a kind smile. "I will use all my power and my magic to support you, my prince!"

"You're not a burden! We're happy to have you!" Pisti trilled with excitement. "Let's have fun, okay?"

"Our King Sinbad, though great, cannot withhold himself from women. A son is bound to appear sooner or later." Spartos said with a calm smile. "Though unexpected, your presence is greatly welcomed, Prince Shion."

"My Prince." All of them intoned with matching smiles. "Welcome home."

The Sindrian citizens and the royal guards who were close enough to hear the exchange suddenly broke into loud cheering that spoke volumes for how they thought of their new prince.

Shion felt relief wash over his body. They accepted him. They really accepted him!

He felt a hand on his shoulder to see his father looking down and mouthing a happy yet very smug 'I told you so'. And he had. Repeatedly.

Shion broke into a wide smile.

"I'm home."


	17. Chapter 16: Koumei Speaks

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After years of delay, Koumei is finally getting married.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Onwards

Being within the vicinity of Kouha and Judal, it was a given that Koumei's otherwise organized life would be filled with embarrassment and trouble. He even had a small mental list of the grief that they caused him.

The second most mortifying moment in Koumei's life, which used to be his first, was when Princess Hakuei caught him skipping out of his martial arts lesson to take a nap under a rose bush (which, coincidentally, was right under a giant blackbird's nest so his hair was tragically tangled with tiny branches and feathers upon their meeting). Of course, if Judal hadn't pointed him out, that embarrassing event would have never happened.

The first, the one that replaced his second in ranking, was Kouha's…_unique_ birthday present to him.

"_I got something for you, brother! Happy Birthday!"_

Though, thinking back to it, Koumei was actually the one who had been at fault. He had stared too long at her unique hair color and the paleness of her skin despite the scorching, hot weather in her homeland. If he hadn't…well, frankly, it would have been impossible for him _not _to. Compared to all those tall, blonde-haired maids trailing after (who he had assumed to be) the Balbadd Princess, she stood out with her young age and her pale complexion. Even stranger, everyone else had seemed to be oblivious to this blatant difference.

It was as if they _weren't aware that she was there_.

_What an interesting pawn._ Koumei had thought in the cold manner that a game board player would regard his chess pieces. _It would be useful to me in the future._

Koumei had not been a cruel man then. But even now, he tended to dehumanize many people, men and women alike, to make 'winning' the game of war far easier than it would be if he viewed every enemy as 'human'. Unfortunately, this thought process became a nasty habit when it came to situations _outside _the war room.

Realization of this always resulted in guilt.

(That guilt that he had felt ended up becoming his imminent downfall.)

His guilt, even if it was a _small _amount of guilt, had been enough to view the maid with new eyes as a woman, an equal.

And that was never good for a young, male royal.

Especially when the said woman had a pretty face.

(_Ba-thump._)

The slight upward lift in the corners of her lips had not helped Koumei's poor heart.

But this part, at least, he could honestly say was _her _fault.

He remembered thinking: Who in the Seven Seas taught that girl how to smile like _that_?

Koumei ended up becoming entranced by the mystery behind her amusement the moment he caught it. What was it that entertained her? Was it something that she saw or a personal joke? Would she answer if he asked? _Why was she smiling?_

It drove him insane with curiosity.

Without meaning to, the young 'maid' who had been trailing at the back of the crowd caught his interest.

And then, after the whole debacle with Kouha dropping the said maid _on his lap, _the 'interesting maid' turned out to be his brother's fiancée.

Again, it was because of this that it was technically his fault. If he hadn't shown so much interest, Kouha wouldn't have noticed her.

If Kouha hadn't noticed her, he wouldn't have tried to hand her over to Koumei as a 'present'.

(And if she didn't end up being his 'gift', Brother En and she would have…he and she would have been just…)

Koumei sighed heavily as one of his maids smoothed and straightened his formal robes. Her face wrinkled in brief confusion and curiosity, a silent question to his thoughts, but dropped it when she realized that it was, frankly, none of her business.

Was it selfish of him that, if he had the chance to do it over again, he would change nothing? Yes, even with the scary maid ("Leah", was it?) glaring him to death and all.

"Mei?"

Koumei waited patiently for his brother to approach him. He kept himself still as the maids placed yet another layer of robes, lessening the possibility of creases. Usually, he wouldn't care much about the state of his clothes but today was an exception.

"Were there any issues with setting up the ceremony, Kouha?" Koumei asked, shoulders already slumping at the thought of taking care of yet _another _mess. If there was, it was probably Judal. The magi had been strangely quiet and subdued lately, ever since his return from Balbadd.

Which was _very _unlike him, _especially _since he was Kou's personal menace.

Which also meant that Koumei had to be even _more _concerned than he already was for the wedding ceremony today, an event that he had so painstakingly planned _two years ago_ due to a certain oracle's decision

And then there were also the handful of nobles who were averse to allowing Amani to marry into the royal family. Period.

"Stop worrying. Everything is under control. Besides, Brother En said not to let you do any work when any problems come up. Just leave everything to us and _relax, _Mei. It's a special day! You're going to marry a pretty girl who actually likes you even though you're ugly!"

The sad thing was, Kouha was right. He _was _lucky that a member of the opposite sex had taken a romantic interest in him without being spurred on by his status or his connection to Kouen. Unbelievably lucky.

So that was why Koumei just settled with a deadpan look at his younger brother through the mirror.

Kouha strutted over to his brother and gave an impressed whistle at the sight. "Wow, Mei. For once, you look really fancy. Your maids did a really good job with your hair. You actually look human today!"

"…"

Since it was supposed to be a compliment, Koumei chose to let it slide.

"How is she?" He asked instead. From the corner of his eyes, he saw a pair of his maids giggle giddily at his questions. They had been doing things like that ever since Amani came to the palace. Kouha regarded them with amusement before answering his brother's question. "Amani is really pretty in her ceremonial robes and make-up. You're a lucky man, Mei! And you have me to thank for it!"

"From what I heard, it was the Sindrian King's son who did most of the work." Koumei stated dryly.

Kouha wrinkled his nose. "Untrue! The kid just sat back and watched while _I _set everything up."

Koumei wisely changed the subject. "Kouha, would you like to accompany me to the shrine to pay our respects to our ancestors? I promise that we won't remain there for long." At Kouha's doubtful look, Koumei added, "Brother En is coming too."

Kouha jumped up. "Well, what are we waiting for? Let's go!"

"_After _we finish dressing him, Prince Kouha." One of the older maids interrupted firmly. "Since it is very important for the groom to keep up appearances on his own wedding."

* * *

_ **Wedding Requirement #1: The Groom and Bride will have to be properly dressed for the occasion.** _

_Koumei hated mornings._

_It always meant that his rare, blissful time of rest was over and that he had the whole arduous day ahead of him. Lately, pulling all-night shifts became common to the point that Koumei could be considered as an insomniac. But that didn't mean that he _ _ **was** _ _._

_He wasn't. Really. He needed sleep as much as any human being._

"…_Koumei?"_

_Koumei groaned and threw a pillow over his head to block out the light. He wanted to sleep a little more, just a _little bit _more…_

"_Koumei?" The voice grew more concerned. Ah, what a kind, gentle voice. A mother would have that sort of voice, Koumei mused. He wouldn't know. His mother had been a shrieking banshee with ridiculously high expectations when she was alive, not comforting at all. His maids usually didn't wake him up this patiently, either. They were always so impatient, dragging him out of bed. This maid must be new, then._

_Ah, what a nice voice._

"_Koumei, are you unwell? The maids sent me here to check on you. I assumed that it was because they were too busy with the random jobs that Kouha made them do all of the sudden, but you don't look so good. Should I get the physician?"_

_Koumei could swear that the sound of it alone could put his thoughts at ease._

"_I'm going to check for a fever, okay? Please hold still."_

_The voice, it almost sounded like-_

_A cool hand landed on his forehead, bringing the smell of spices and the desert wind along with it._

_Usually, the smell would put Koumei at ease._

_This situation made it an exception._

_Faster than he ever had before, Koumei woke up without help, which would have been considered great progress if he hadn't been in this situation._

_Koumei's panicked movements caused Amani to smile in amusement. (There was relief too, he would notice later on when the panic left his brain.) "Good morning, Koumei."_

"_A-Amani." He stuttered. "What are you doing in my room?"_

"_Your maids sent me here." She informed him bluntly. "And since Kouha took them away for something important, I volunteered to help you get ready for the day."_

"_I'm fine. I can do it myself." He assured her quickly as he climbed out of bed._

_Amani grabbed him by the sleeve and gave him _a look_. "Koumei, you know that I hold your mind in the highest regard, right? You know that I respect you for your perseverance and loyalty when you work every day, right?"_

"…_Yes?"_

"_So please believe me when I say that you can most definitely _not _get ready without help." She told him dryly as she tugged him closer to her. Koumei made a halfhearted attempt to escape once again. "Amani," he begged, "it's improper for an unmarried woman to be alone in a man's bedroom! People will talk!"_

"_I think you walking around with that broom you call your hair would be more improper than anything." She pointed out dryly. "Do you even know how to tie your obi?"_

"…"

_Amani sighed. "I thought so. You should be more concerned about yourself for once, Koumei. Everyone in the palace is already talking about me and they will always talk about me." Her hands came up and began smoothing his hair from his face. "I am going to be your wife. I think it is a given that I help you, even if it's to help you dress in the morning."_

_Koumei blushed at her words. "Amani…"_

_Amani's smile suddenly turned a little cheeky, ruining the small moment._

"_I also think that this would be a wonderful time to start getting used to my presence in the morning." She added. "Of course, we will be sharing the same room after getting married, but I also don't like the idea of having other women touching my husband. So, I came to the practical conclusion that I will be doing this every morning from now on."_

"_A-Amani!"_

"_Hush, now let me help you get ready for the day. Don't you have a war council meeting? If you struggle, you'll be late."_

_Who knew Amani could be so possessive?_

FACT: If weren't for the maids, Koumei would be more of a mess than he already is.

* * *

Paying respect to the royal ancestors was necessary in every wedding celebration.

But to Kouen and Koumei, this was just another visit to the Shrine of the Dead. Usually, they would only visit it annually, but the conditions of the wedding ceremony required the groom and bride to pay respects to their ancestors. Since Amani had none to respect here in Kou, it was decided that she would pay a silent vigil for three hours for the late King of Balbadd and all of his predecessors.

Koumei was very well aware that doing this was just a show of filial piety. But he honestly did not care for the countless ink pictures of forgotten, old rulers. His older brother seemed to share his opinion.

Well, one was an exception.

"_Emperor Hakutoku."_

After lighting the incense, Koumei and Kouen simultaneously knelt in front of the detailed picture of Emperor Hakutoku and pressed their foreheads to the floor as an act of respect. Kouha, on the other hand was less reverent with his kowtow but he did so nevertheless because Kouen was beside him.

Koumei did not fault him his apathy. He was far too young to remember how _brilliant _and _magnificent _Emperor Hakutoku was during his reign. He had shared Kouen's envy of their older cousins for having that man as their father.

"_Hakuyuu, Hakuren."_

Koumei turned his body towards the twin pictures hanging at the far right of the greater picture and tilted his head downwards in respect. Kouen simply faced eye-to-eye with the ink pictures that represented Hakuyuu and Hakuren.

Kouen's blatant show of familiarity (or, to some others, disrespect) for the dead just showed how often they came here to pay their respects to their kin-no, _brothers_.

As bold as the thought was, Kouen and Koumei had and still regarded them as brothers.

Koumei cleared his throat awkwardly and began speaking to the pictures. It was illogical to assume that these inanimate objects could replace the real thing, but after years of Kouen's loud conversations with the said inanimate objects, he couldn't help but catch onto the sentiment of the action. "Prince Hakuyuu, Prince Hakuren, I know that our visit is a bit earlier than usual. It's because-

"Koumei is getting married today, so support him with all your strength from your side of the afterlife." Kouen rumbled seriously, interrupting whatever Koumei had been planning to say seconds before. "She's a smart one and not bad-looking either. Better yet, she thinks of our Koumei as _cute._ Imagine that! A woman who thinks this gloomy face endearing! Now _that's_ a woman we should keep for our hopeless brother. Isn't that right?"

The pictures didn't answer, but Koumei had a distinct feeling that they would have been laughing at his expense if they were still alive.

For a moment, Koumei thought he saw two figures standing at his far right, but they were gone when he turned his head for a better look. No, it wasn't that they were gone. They weren't even there in the first place.

_Losing your mind on the day of your wedding. _Koumei chastised himself bitterly. _Are you really that nervous? Only Kouen and Kouha are here with you. There's no one there._

Koumei stiffened when he felt something cold brush his shoulder and head.

'_Getting married, Mei? Finally!'_

'_Congratulations, Koumei.'_

Koumei blinked.

…Did he just hear…?

He shook his head.

The incense must be getting to him.

* * *

_ **Wedding Requirement #2: The Groom and the Bride will have to pay their respects to the dead to receive their blessings.** _

"_Amani, did you know that I had two older cousins?"_

_Amani looked up from her scroll with a curious expression._

"_Yes. Hakuryuu and Hakuei mentioned that they had two older brothers who died during a rebellion. I didn't ask for any more information in fear of opening old wounds."_

_Koumei nodded._

"_Yes, it would have, especially for young Hakuryuu. He was always bitter about his brothers' deaths. Did you know that Prince Hakuyuu was supposed to be next in line for the throne?"_

_Amani nodded._

"_Seishin was also engaged to Prince Hakuren at that time."_

_Amani paused. "That I did not know."_

_No one really did nowadays, since Seishin was now married to Kouen. The mentions of the deceased princes were always rare and brief within the palace. It came to the point that some even forgot about them. But Koumei never forgot._

"_Prince Hakuyuu was very much like his father." He would have made a wonderful emperor. "He was severe at times, but he was always kind to Kouen and me, treating us as his brothers."_

"_Prince Hakuren was a lighthearted soul and a poet at heart." He had loved Seishin to the point that he worshipped the very ground she walked on. "He had always insisted on calling me 'Mei', which Kouha, unfortunately, picked up on."_

_Amani looked at him with an unreadable expression on her face._

"_You miss them." She summarized._

_Koumei nodded._

"_But you wouldn't save them." She added with a knowing look. "If you had the chance to turn back time, you wouldn't have changed anything." Because of Kouen._

"_Yes." Koumei confessed._

_The Throne and Seishin._

_Two things that his brother completely deserved to have._

_(But he felt guilty because he knew that the deaths of his cousins were the price and _ _ **they had to burn ** _ _for this to happen.)_

_Amani's hand slid onto Koumei's and she squeezed it comfortingly. "It can't be helped. You love your brother, so I can't fault you for that. It seems to be a common trait among you Ren brothers, loving your brothers too much."_

'_It's fine.' Her eyes seemed to tell him. 'It's fine to think like that. I accept it. I accept _you_. Nothing changed. It's fine.'_

_And just like that, everything was fine. Just because of that._

"_The next time you visit their shrine, can I come with you?" Amani asked._

"_Of course."_

FACT: Koumei sometimes found himself wishing that Hakuyuu and Hakuren weren't dead. He would banish the thought immediately after it came, since En was his one and only king.

(It's guilt, not love, that causes him to visit the shrine every year.)

* * *

"Koumei, Kouha, would you like to visit Kohaku? She has been asking for her uncles lately." Kouen commented offhandedly when they finished their prayers and began making their way out of the shrine. Kouha grinned with excitement. "Of course!" He answered for the both of them. "Mei and I would _love_ to visit her. Maybe we'll be able to convince her to come out today so she can attend this evening's ceremony."

"Maybe." Kouen agreed, but Koumei knew that his older brother was just as doubtful as he was.

Kohaku was a shy child. She did not like wandering from the safety of her room or meeting new people. She was quiet and didn't like meeting anyone's eyes during even the briefest of exchanges.

Koumei didn't blame her.

If he were in her position, he would have done the same.

It didn't take long for the three princes to reach the room of the youngest member of the Kou Family. It took them only thirty steps, in fact. It was a depressing fact that his only niece's room was right beside the Shrine of the Dead. Though Kou did revere their ancestors, it was never a good thing to stay too close to the dead.

But it couldn't be helped since-

"Prince Shion! Please, do not be so imprudent!"

Koumei snapped out of his thoughts when he caught sight of the boy Amani had raised as a ward and the Emperor had _insisted _on inviting to their wedding despite his newfound and undoubtedly _powerful_ position as King Sinbad's son.

Actually, it was because of the said powerful position that the young boy was invited to the ceremony despite his young age.

Koumei paused in his step to allow the child to catch up with him and his brothers.

"There…you are…Prince Koumei!" The Sindrian prince panted in relief. "I," the boy coughed a little before taking a large breath. "Sorry, I practically ran all around the palace looking for you. Give me a moment."

Shion composed himself.

By that time, the servant, who had been at the young child's heels, caught up to him. At the sight of the three members of royalty, he abruptly stopped in his tracks and kowtowed to the three princes with fear written all over his face. "Princes of Kou. I apologize for the ruckus that our young guest has caused. Please, allow me to remove him from your presence so you can make your way."

"No," Kouen immediately declined while eyeing the young prince in interest, "leave him here with us and leave."

The servant's mouth fell open in shock.

Kouha scowled at the stuttering man. "What? Do you have any complaints with Brother En's order? Do you want to be chopped up that badly?"

"N-No, Prince Kouha! N-Never!"

"Then leave the kid alone and scram. You're an eyesore."

He obeyed.

Shion sighed in relief. "Thank you, Prince Kouha."

Kouha shrugged. "Meh. Don't worry about it. Think of it as a 'thank you' for coming to the ceremony and for helping me out all those times in the past. Didn't you have something to say to Mei?"

"Oh yeah." Shion turned to Koumei with a serious look. "Amani was wondering how long she would have to do the prayer thingy, since no one really clarified that for her. She's been at it for a while now and she refuses to come out of her room so she won't accidentally break tradition. Leah and the other maids are a bit frustrated since Amani will have to wear _red _for the wedding. They wouldn't believe me when I told them that it was a good thing. Hassan and Zaynab are also a little upset that she won't be allowed to eat for the next two days, not to mention later on today. They wanted to know if you're sure that she has to do that. Or were the servants just pulling our legs?"

Shion stopped to take a deep breath. By then, Koumei was already starting to feel the beginnings of a headache.

"Is that all?" Koumei asked tiredly.

Shion nodded with sympathy written all over his face. "Yes. Yasmine and Kougyoku are working on everything else. And the issue with Leah and the other maids…I think this Chuu'un guy already had it covered while I was running around? That's his name, right?"

Koumei sagged in relief. Thank Chuu'un for being there in his stead. He _really _didn't want to deal with the scary maid. The trouble with Amani was simple enough and, compared to the stubborn woman who called herself a maid, Amani's household members were far easier to deal with.

Not that making them see sense about this particular tradition would be easy. Koumei had a strong feeling that the couple didn't like him very much. The glares that they shot at him when they thought he wasn't looking were a clear indication.

And no, he wasn't imagining things.

"Amani was right to remain in her room." Koumei informed the younger prince patiently. "She shouldn't be finished paying her respects to the dead until noon, according to the elders." Who did not approve of Amani. At all.

(They were doing this to make her miserable. Koumei was sure of it.)

Shion frowned. "Two more hours of being cooped up? Amani was already at her great-great-_great _grandparents by the time I left her…do you think it would be allowed for her to make up a couple more because of the time?"

Kouha shrugged. "She probably could. The old coots can't read minds, can they?"

"Good point." Shion agreed after a moment of thought. Then, he gave the youngest Kou prince an uncharacteristically mischievous grin. "Hey Kouha, do you think we can sneak in some snacks for Amani before the ceremony starts?"

"I don't know…it's against tradition to do that…" But Kouha's face mirrored the young Sindrian prince's, contradicting his verbal reluctance. "Why don't you come with us instead? We're going to visit my niece to see if she would be willing to come out of her stuffy room, which _coincidentally_ is right next to the kitchen. We can drop by to get some walnuts and dates. We won't be getting those snacks to give it to a certain starving bride-to-be. _Obviously_."

"Why, Prince Kouha, how could I ever decline such a generous offer?" Shion said with over exaggerated politeness. "I would be _honored _to accompany you and your brothers!"

The two boys managed to keep up a straight face for a solid two seconds before descending into loud snickering. Koumei pinched the bridge of his nose behind his fan.

"…Wait." Shion abruptly stopped laughing and turned to the two older men. "Can we really do that?"

Kouen smirked down at Shion's imploring expression before turning away from the scene. "You two do what you like. She's not going to be _my _bride."

Translation: Ask Koumei, but do it even if he says no.

Koumei wanted to sigh when two pairs of eyes landed on him, brimming with the obvious question: _'Can we?'_

'_No,'_ He wanted to say, _'no, you may not. It is a terrible idea. The elders would catch you two in a heartbeat with such an ill-conceived plan since they're watching Amani like hawks. Do you even know __**why **__they do this with every bride before she is bound to her husband?'_

But he couldn't.

Since Kouha would tease him relentlessly.

Since Shion was only eight.

This time, Koumei actually did sigh.

"…I didn't hear anything."

As Kouha and Shion cheered in the background, Koumei decided that it was for the better if he turned a blind eye. It wasn't his responsibility, was it? Today was his day off. Besides, no one would know if he didn't tell.

(Koumei hadn't been particularly fond of the idea of having his future wife starve either, so he had already snuck small snacks into her room the day before. Subtly, of course since he didn't want the elders hounding on his heels.)

* * *

_ **Wedding Requirement #3: The Bride will have to fast for three days.** _

"_You don't like sweet things?"_

_Koumei, for once, did not look up from his scroll when he spoke to Amani. "No, I am actually fond of sweets. What made you come to that conclusion?"_

"_You didn't touch your dessert dish." She pointed out with a frown. "Actually, you left a lot of your dinner over. Was there something in it that you didn't like?"_

"_No, no." Koumei tried to assure her while weighing whether or not he should sign this document in front of him. Councilman Ming was asking for a loan from the royal treasury. His gambling habits were well known, which would mean that the money would most definitely be squandered away. But he was also a powerful political figure crucial to Kouen's cause. "I'm just…busy today."_

_Which was an understatement._

"_Ah." Amani nodded in understanding. "They're overworking you again."_

_And as always, Amani knew how to read between the lines. Subtlety usually bounced off of his brothers' heads, so he usually had to be straightforward with them. But his betrothed was clever._

_Amani reached over the table to squeeze his hand. "Good luck. I know you can do it." She said encouragingly. "And know that I will help you. All you have to do is ask."_

_And wonderful._

"_Here," she took a spoon and scooped up the remaining rice and meat from their respective bowls and held it out in front of his mouth. "I know that you're still hungry. Continue your work." And though it might have seemed a bit childish to do so, Koumei leaned forward and took a bite._

_Acceptance. Appreciation. Gratitude._

"_It's delicious."_

_Koumei felt so lucky to have her._

FACT: The first day of fasting would start on the second half of the wedding day as an act of modesty and abstinence. The other two days of the bride's fast would be spent in the bridal chambers with her husband.

(_That_ was why Koumei had kept his silence.)

* * *

"Uncle Mei. Uncle Ha. Papa."

Koumei felt his chest warm at the small voice coming from the big pile of blankets in the middle of the large room.

"Princess Kohaku." A maid hissed from her bowing position. "I implore you to greet your father and uncles _properly_. Please have some manners!"

The blanket pile practically _trembled _at the reprimanding of the maid. Kouha shot the woman a fierce glare that sent her groveling on the floor. While Koumei shared his younger brother's anger, Kohaku had a limited number of maids willing to serve her. "Kouha, you'll scare her."

He was talking about Kohaku. Not the maid.

At Koumei's warning, the killing intent that had filled the room vanished completely.

"Hey, isn't it hot under there?"

Both Koumei and Kouha whirled around to see the Sindrian Prince casually walking towards the blanket pile. Kouha scowled. "Oi, kid! Come back over here! Kohaku doesn't like strangers. You'll scare her!"

Shion stopped in his tracks, but he was already in front of the blanket pile. "Really?" He asked quizzically. He turned to the blanket pile. "You don't like strangers?"

"…N-No. Not r-really."

Koumei was surprised when he heard his niece answer. It was almost unintelligible, but she had still answered. Usually, she would keep quiet and pretend that she wasn't there. Her answer had struck Kouha dumb in mid-rant, causing the whole room to still in silence as all eyes watched the interaction between the Sindrian Prince and the trembling pile of covers.

"Hi. My name is Shion." The boy suddenly said while taking a seat on the floor. "My hobbies are traveling, fishing, reading, and randomly saving cities. I like my family, my friends, Andromalius, seafood and a lot of other things. I don't like pickled plums. Oh, and I don't really like Judal. Judal is mean." He added while making a face. "My dream is to save the world!" He concluded dramatically. After he was done, he faced the cloth pile expectantly.

"Huh?" Kohaku squeaked in bewilderment. Koumei did not blame her. He was just as confused.

"It's your turn. I introduced myself." Shion explained patiently. "It's a game that my friends and I do when meeting new people. We tell our name, hobbies, likes, dislikes, and our dreams. Your turn."

"U-Um." The pile of blankets rustled a little. "M-My name is Kohaku. My hobbies are…_a-ano_, would playing with paper d-dolls and feeding the koi fish in the pond c-count?" At his nod, she went on with a little more confidence. "I like Papa, Mama, Uncle Mei, Uncle Ha, and Miss Amani…she's going to be my new Auntie. I also like moon cakes and spicy things. I don't like having eye contact during conversations and talking to strangers. My dream is…I don't know. I don't think I have one."

Shion grinned. "That's all right. That just means that you can find one later!"

"Really?"

"Mn! So do you feel better now?" The boy asked kindly. "We're no longer strangers so coming out won't be such a problem, would it? I'm sure that your family wants to see your pretty face instead of a pile of blankets."

"Well…I guess…"

"I'll turn around if that makes you feel better." Shion promised while doing exactly that. "See? I'm not looking."

Koumei watched with interest as his niece considered the boy's offer for a few moments before taking it. With the slowness that rivaled that of a snail, Kohaku crawled out of her cloth cocoon.

By then, Kouha had forgotten his irritation and began cooing at his niece with outstretched arms. "Come here, Kohaku-chan! Uncle hasn't seen you for a looong time."

"You saw me two days ago." Kohaku reminded him, but she obediently walked into his arms. Koumei was impressed. Kouha tended to give life-threatening hugs that squeezed the air out of the lungs.

Koumei allowed himself to go down to his niece's height to accept her shy hug. "Hello there, Kohaku. I'm sorry for not visiting lately."

"Your uncles were very busy." Kouen spoke up. "Do you know why, Kohaku?"

Kohaku suddenly _grinned _in excitement. "Yes! Yes! Miss Amani is going to be my Auntie today! She's going to be married to Uncle Mei! Today is a special day, so that's why everyone's been so busy!"

Koumei found himself smiling at his niece's enthusiasm. "Yes, Kohaku. I am going to be married to her soon. Will you come and watch? I'm sure that Amani would love to see you there."

As he had expected, Kohaku's excitement tapered off, replaced by sadness, indecision, and a little bit of anxiety.

"I…"

Koumei sighed. "You don't have to come if you don't-

"Is it because of your eyes?" Shion suddenly interrupted, causing Kohaku to jump in surprise. She immediately slapped her hands over the upper part of her face. "D-Don't look!"

Koumei did not hold back on his glare. But it lessened when he realized that Shion's back was still facing them. "I'm not looking." The young prince assured Kohaku soothingly. "I didn't peek. I swear. Ask your father."

"He didn't." Kouen agreed.

"Then h-how did you know?"

Koumei couldn't see Shion's face, but he could tell by his body language that the boy was a little sheepish. "I guessed from all the information I got before and after I got here. It's easy to see that there's something about your appearance that you're trying to hide. I heard your mother tell me the other day that you didn't come out that much, which crosses out any possible scars or burns. When you walked over to Kouha, I didn't hear anything off about your stride, so natural disfigurement was out of the question. You also mentioned that you didn't like having eye contact, which suggests that you're a little self-conscious of your eyes. So that was what I went with."

"Eh? You got that much from just that?" Kohaku squeaked.

Koumei was impressed by the child's perception.

He glanced over at Kouen and mentally winced at the expression his brother sported. A small part of him pitied the young prince. _You have caught my brother's attention once again. I do not think you will be leaving Kou soon. Or ever, if he gets his way._

_I'm going to have to take care of the mess._

(The last part wasn't a question. Kouen always seemed to get what he wanted.)

Kouha, on the other hand, was not amused.

"Got a problem with Kohaku?" He snarled threateningly, while drawing his niece close. The back of Shion's head began shaking frantically. "What? Solomon, _no_! Why in the world would I-? I'm friends with Yasmine remember? I would never judge someone for being different!"

Which, frankly, was a good point.

Kouha seemed to see the logic in Shion's words, but the weariness in his eyes remained. "…Hey kid."

"My name is _Shion_."

"Whatever. Turn around."

Shion obeyed and blinked in surprise. Koumei felt faint confusion at the boy's reaction. Kohaku still hadn't removed her hands from her eyes. Just what in the Seven Seas was that boy surprised of? "That…was not how I expected her to look like."

Kouha's expression grew stormy. "What was that?"

"I thought she would look exactly like Kouen." Shion's head tilted to the side. "But she looks more like Miss Seishin. Well, she _does _have her father's red hair but…I don't see it." _Thank Solomon for that._ Went unsaid.

As much as he loved his brother, Koumei shared the child's sentiments. Kouen's 'roguishly handsome' looks would not have suited his daughter at all. She did inherit his hair and some minor features, but the rest was all Seishin.

Though, Kohaku hadn't lost the baby fat from her cheeks yet. It was too soon to tell.

"Seishin was over exaggerating." Kouen commented from his position in the room. He made his way to his daughter and easily plucked her out of Kouha's grasp. Kohaku squeaked at the sudden movement and was forced to use her hands to steady herself, leaving her eyes naked for the world (or just the room) to see. "Boy, you won't judge my daughter, will you?"

"As long as she isn't a cannibal, I don't think there would be any problems." Shion answered honestly, making Kouen smirk.

Koumei and Kouha shared a look. Cannibals? That sounded like an interesting story.

Kouen moved to Shion with his daughter in his hands and placed her in front of the boy. "Go on," he encouraged her, "show him your eyes. He doesn't care as long as you don't eat humans."

Kohaku made a face. "Ew."

"Right?" Shion agreed amicably. "I thought that too when a southern tribe tried to toss me into a pot of boiling water."

Kohaku's eyes snapped open in interest. "Really? Did that really happen to you?"

Gold and Green.

And yet, Shion seemed completely unfazed. Actually, he seemed more interested in telling his story than her appearance, which both amused and annoyed Koumei. While it was a good thing that the boy was so accepting of his niece's strange characteristic, it also mean that he and Kouha had been overreacting for _nothing_.

He had forgotten that children were so simple.

"Whaaa! That's terrible! It's a good thing that your friends managed to save you in time!" Koumei heard Kohaku say after Shion was finished with his tale. Kouen stood behind her with a more muted version of her interest.

Shion nodded seriously. "It was a close one. On that day, I learned that appearances were deceiving and shouldn't really be relied on."

"So…is that why you don't care about…?" Kohaku gestured over to her eyes nervously. The boy shrugged nonchalantly.

"Oh, those? It's not something to be ashamed of. A fairy probably got jealous of your cute face. They tend to give flaws to beautiful people, you know. I met _bunches_ of people who are like you."

"Fairy? The maids say it was ghosts who made me this way."

Both Koumei and Kouen stiffened at her comment. Kouha shot a particularly nasty glare at the group of maids. Naturally, they flinched back.

Shion, on the other hand, waved the comment away with a flick of his hand.

"Ghosts? Psh, _please_. Ghost can't control your appearance. _Everyone _knows that. They have other things to worry about, like fulfilling their regrets to rest in peace, not messing with a little girl's eyes. You probably heard those things from crabby old men and superstitious women, but we know better, right?"

Kohaku tentatively nodded. "Ah, r-right!"

He winked and whispered to her in a conspiring tone.

"Trust me on this. It was the fairies."

* * *

At the end, Kohaku made a new friend and, quite possibly, a fiancé judging by the look on Kouen's face. By then, Kouha had once again warmed up to the Sindrian Prince for convincing his niece to come out and attend the wedding ceremony. To Koumei's utter despair, he knew that Seishin would not oppose this new arrangement, since Kohaku practically had no friends.

He comforted himself with the thought that the boy was, at least, very polite.

* * *

_ **Wedding Requirement #4: The Bride and Groom ** _ _ **must** _ _ ** have children attending their ceremony to bring in luck, health, and children for the future.** _

"_Would you like a son or a daughter?"_

_Koumei blinked at the question and stared blankly at Amani._

"…_Pardon?"_

"_When we have our first child, would you like a son or a daughter?" Amani repeated patiently. "I'd like to know."_

_Koumei was caught between blushing in mortification at her forwardness and melting at the before mentioned "when" in her question._

_He decided to do neither and went with answering her question instead._

_It would be a son, obviously-_

"_A girl."_

_-or not. Koumei was puzzled by his unconscious answer. No, that couldn't be right. A boy, he should want a boy. A girl would never make a good heir and-_

_His mind flashed to the image of Amani playing with Kohaku in the garden outside his niece's room and his answer suddenly made sense._

_(_"Kohaku is such a nice girl. I'm so jealous of Seishin." _She had said that to him the other day, didn't she?)_

_A girl would be more preferable. Boys were rowdy. They ran around too much and were loud. Girls were gentle and easier to take care of. She would gentle and kind, he thought, like her mother. "I would like to have a girl." He repeated with a little more strength._

_Amani didn't question him._

_She just smiled. But Koumei had a feeling that she was pleased with his answer._

"_I will try my best, then."_

FACT: Lately, when Koumei daydreams during work, he has been seeing a tiny, laughing face with his hair and her eyes.

* * *

"Princess Kougyoku, please get down from there! It is completely unladylike for a young woman to climb _trees_! Your underclothes are showing!"

Koumei had left the room for some fresh air, which was a very, very rare event. So rare, that Kouen laughing would be less shocking.

"Then _look away_, Koubun you pervert! I'm a little busy here!"

_This _was why he rarely came out of rooms for fresh air.

Koumei watched blankly as his younger sister stubbornly climbed the tree outside her quarters – sleeves pushed back, dress pulled up, shoes lying on the nice patch of grass just below her – looking _very _unladylike.

But that wasn't what was so surprising. No, Kougyoku had pulled stunts like this in the past. Even at her younger years, his sister had the terrible habit of being too forward with her opinions and having a violent streak a mile wide.

Koumei blamed it on their blood. The royal children of Kou tended to be particularly bloodthirsty, with him being an exception (thank Solomon).

"_Princess_. Please." Koubun looked just about at the end of his patience. "Did the Oracle not say that he does not want to speak with you? This is a waste of time, dignity, and effort! I beg of you to come back down _this instant_! Your dress will be ruined!"

Kougyoku rolled her eyes from her position. By now, Koumei could see Judal's silhouette sulking on one of the higher branches. But that sort of scene wasn't uncommon these days since his troublemaking went down to a nerve-wracking zero.

Koumei was still convinced that Judal was going to do something horrific after he snaped out of his 'mood'.

"Sister," he called out without thinking, "shouldn't you be getting ready for the banquet tonight?"

Kougyoku's head snapped in Koumei's direction. "Brother? You're outside?"

Koumei was _almost _offended by the shock in her expression. _Almost_.

"…Yes. I am your brother, Kougyoku. And you are climbing a tree. Why?" He decided to go straight to the point. It was the best way to communicate with his brothers when they decide to do something stupid, so it should work just as effectively for her.

His sister scowled, not exactly at him. "It's stupid Judal. He isn't talking with me."

"And that is an issue because…?"

Kougyoku glared at him. He couldn't figure out the reason why. Hadn't she been dodging and rejecting the magi's gifts and love confessions just a few months ago? Shouldn't she be happy that he was being obedient for once? Why did she want to ruin such a wonderful thing?

"_Because_," she hissed, "it's not like him to be so quiet. He hasn't even called Amani 'old hag' even once! That's…not normal, not for him." She sighed heavily. "I'm worried, okay? I know Judal is annoying and destructive but he's my friend. I want to make sure that he's all right."

Koumei stared at Kougyoku as he felt dread pool in his stomach.

"You…aren't romantically interested in our magi…are you, Kougyoku?" Koumei asked tentatively.

Now he was concerned.

Kougyoku's face flushed a bright shade of red. "N-NO! Shut up, Baka-Mei! Didn't I just say that he's my _friend_? Geez! What the heck is going on with your mind? I can't believe Amani is going to be married to a guy like you." She looked away grouchily and continued to climb up the tree.

Kougyoku was a terrible liar. She tended to wear her heart on her sleeve when it came to people she trusted. She was telling the truth about seeing him as a friend, but…

Koumei thought back on the almost desperate worry and the steadfast determination in her eyes. He had only seen such eyes on Seishin when she ran from the burning palace many years ago with little Hakuryuu in her grasp and into Kouen's arms.

(Koumei suspected, but was never sure, that Seishin had assumed that the fire got to Kouen too. They were battle comrades a long, long time before she reached a marriageable age.)

But that wasn't the point. Kougyoku had reacted to his comment in a way that he had hoped she wouldn't. And she was _still _climbing the tree.

Now he _really _was concerned.

"Sister, is there any other reason you want to speak with the magi?" He asked.

"Well, I wanted him to be there for the wedding, you know?" She commented, but he could tell that she was still upset with him. "So I'm going to _formally _invite him, since I know he would ignore the message if I sent anyone else to do it since he's a jerk-face." Kougyoku paused for a moment in her climb to shout out. "You heard that, Judal? You're being a JERK-FACE for not COMING DOWN here and TALKING TO ME!"

There was no reply.

Koumei sighed.

"Sister, may I suggest that you start getting ready for the banquet?" He almost _begged _her. "I don't think Kohaku would take it well if her Auntie 'Gokyu does not sit next her during the meal."

Kougyoku's eyes widened. "What? Kohaku-chan is actually coming-ACK!"

The moment of distraction proved to be just enough for his sister to miss a branch and lose her balance. The servants collectively let out a cry as she fell. Koumei, admittedly, was feeling just as panicked as he quickly began to activate his djinn equip so he could catch her before that terrible sound of her head meeting the ground reached his ears and-

"You're so stupid. Don't fucking do that again."

-But that hadn't been necessary.

In contrast to his harsh words, Judal handled a shocked Kougyoku gently while setting her back onto her feet. He avoided looking at anyone _but_ Kougyoku. It was obvious that he came down only to catch her.

Unfortunately, Kougyoku refused to let go of him.

"Oi, Princess, let go."

"No."

"I save you and this is the thanks that I get?"

"I visit you a thousand times and this is the conversation that I get?

"You had your conversation. Let go."

"No."

"Princess."

"No."

"I'll cut your arm off."

"No."

"I mean it."

"I don't care." Kougyoku snarled stubbornly. "I'll just use my other arm."

Koumei decided that now was the right time to speak up. "Kougyoku, let go of the Oracle."

"No."

"Sister-

"_No."_

Koumei gave up. His sister was impossible to deal with when she got like this. Not that it took too much for him to give up when it came to arguing with his siblings. The ones involving Amani were an exception, but when had things pertaining to Amani _not _be an exception?

"…What do you want?" Judal finally relented, seeing just as Koumei had, the impossibility of arguing with her.

"Come to the wedding. Bless Amani's marriage to Koumei. Stop avoiding me like a total coward." She listed off while keeping a tight grip on Judal's clothes and arm. He bristled at the last comment.

"I don't want to come to that stupid wedding and I'm not a coward!"

"Sister, he really doesn't have to come if he doesn't want to." Please. Don't.

"Oh yeah?" She sneered, ignoring Koumei. "Then explain why you duck away every time I come over? Is it that you're _embarrassed _that Aladdin kicked your ass? _Please_, he pulled a last-minute voodoo trick that we didn't see coming. You were caught off guard. Everyone was. I was there, remember?" She asked in a gentler tone. "Don't run away because you were spooked. That isn't like you."

"…"

"Please come? For me?" Kougyoku made the saddest, most pathetic expression that Koumei felt very fortunate to never have been subjected to. He would have _crumbled _in an instant if it were aimed at him.

Judal did not crumble.

"Please, Judal?"

Judal practically _melted_ into some unknown malleable substance for his sister to bend and shape to her will. And it wasn't the good kind of melt that Koumei usually experienced when Amani praised him or doted on him. It was the sort that entailed defeat and desperation. It was pride and arrogance being peeled and boiled into some liquid that puddled at his feet. Judal seemed willing to do anything – give her all his power, slaughter a whole country, dominate the whole world and give it to her on a silver platter- only for her to_ stop. _It was very frightening to watch. Yet she did none of that. She only asked from him the simplest of requests. Koumei suspected that it was because she was completely _unaware _of the effect she had on him.

"…_Fine_. But I won't be staying long."

* * *

_ **Wedding Requirement #5 (Optional): A Priest attending the Banquet to bless the marriage would be preferable.** _

_It was safe enough to say that Ren Koumei was very upset._

_A year of debating with squabbling, old officials and generals._

_A year of sleepless nights and exhausting days._

_All for the hand of Amani Saluja._

_The whole experience was bitter and arduous, but what he gained at the end was priceless. It also helped that Amani was always at his side with some form of support, whether it was by food and massages or by encouraging words._

_And finally, just a few months before the completion of the year, Koumei succeeded, and before the time limit too._

_He had expected to wedding to be scheduled for the next month at most._

_But-_

_RIP_

_Koumei stared blankly at the ruined paperwork in front of him. Fortunately, the document was not too important or relevant. He discarded it and rubbed his face tiredly. Kouha, who had been sitting beside him, didn't laugh. _ _ **Wouldn't ** _ _laugh._

_Not when this action was a very rare show of frustration for his brother._

_All the times that he and Judal made trouble, Koumei had just sighed and cleaned up their mess with a resigned look on his face._

_Koumei didn't look resigned this time. No, he looked frustrated. He looked ready to start a war, which was not too far from his brother's actual thoughts._

_Judal had crossed the line this time. Kouha hoped that the magi knew what he was getting into by pulling something like this._

"_Two…years…" Koumei muttered in almost a dazed state. "Two. Whole. _Years_. Are you sure about that, Kouha? Surely, you're joking. I promise not to be angry at you if you're joking."_

"_Sorry, Mei. That's what he said." His little brother said apologetically. "He said something about the moon and the stars not aligning right."_

"_Bullshit." He snapped angrily, sending Kouha into a coughing fit. "He __**knows **__that I don't believe in fortune-telling or anything mystical."_

"_Mei, you swore." Kouha said, looking very much shaken. "You never swear."_

_Koumei looked as if he was going to say something sharp but stopped when he heard the door open. "Koumei? Is this a bad time?"_

_Just like that, the tense atmosphere dissipated, leaving a very tired Koumei. "Amani."_

_Amani, who had been smiling widely at the doorway with what turned out to be celebratory lunch for Koumei's hard work, took one look at him, set down the tray, and strode over to his side in worry. "Is there something wrong? Can I help?"_

_There wasn't a moment when Koumei was more miserable than this._

"_Amani, I have something to tell you."_

_Koumei told her._

_Just as he thought, Amani was devastated._

FACT: That Spring, all one hundred and seventy-eight peach trees were unable to bear any fruit. Some even died. No one could find out how and why this strange phenomenon happened. Judal was not happy.

* * *

_On the Night of the Banquet:_

In Kou, weddings are a serious, binding business that are rarely broken.

The wedding would last three days.

On the first day, the bride would arrive at the groom's home and pay her respects to her in-laws with a tea ceremony. Then, she and her husband-to-be would pay their respects to their ancestors. In the evening, they would attend their wedding banquet where friends and family would give their blessings. At the end of their banquet, the bride and groom would go through certain procedures and would be officially bonded.

Traditionally, the groom would not be allowed to see his betrothed's face until the wedding ceremony was over. The bride would be completely veiled throughout the ceremony with a red shroud, which would be removed in the privacy of their bedroom after the ceremony.

But Koumei already knew her face. The veil was unnecessary.

When Amani stepped into the dining hall, Koumei's eyes immediately centered on her. The room didn't exactly quiet down on her entrance, but she did draw multiple stares. Including his. Definitely his.

Beautiful.

Who knew that the color red complemented her skin and hair so well? It was no wonder her household members threw such a fit over her the color of her clothes. Did she have her lips painted? It was probably the doings of the maids. Was the state of her hair Kougyoku's doing? It must be. Her hair was pulled behind her with complex braids and waves, pinned by many hairpins and the like. Though he preferred it down, it did make her look nice. Was it the dress that made her look so mature? No. Eighteen. Amani had turned eighteen just last month. It had been four-almost five-years since she was dropped onto his lap. She had been smaller then. Now, time had made her blossom into a beautiful, young woman. Koumei almost forgave Judal for postponing the wedding two years ago. Almost.

"Whoa, is that girl over there really Alibaba's sister?" One of Sinbad's generals marveled loud enough for Koumei to hear from his seat. He still had some food in his mouth as he spoke. "She looks cuter than I thought!"

At that moment, Koumei wished that he hadn't allowed Amani to discard the veil.

"You shouldn't say things like that, Sharrkan." Shion advised him. Kohaku was right at his left, clutching at his sleeve with downcast eyes. "The groom can hear you, you know."

To reinforce the young prince's statement, Koumei turned and gave the man a pointed look. The message was clear: _back off_.

Sharrkan shrugged nonchalantly, pretending that he didn't see the look at all. "Isn't it natural for a guest to compliment the bride? Besides, she is the mirror image of my cute student."

"S-Student?" Kohaku shyly asked from her seat. "Are you a teacher, Sh-Sharrkan-san? What do you teach?"

Sharrkan puffed up his chest. "I'm a swordsman!"

"Really?" Kohaku chirped in wonder. _"Wow."_

By then, Amani came over and took a seat beside Sinbad. Traditionally, she would have to sit beside her father and mother but…well, they were dead. Her brothers were all exiled. Sinbad was technically her 'Uncle' so he served as the best substitute, hence his invite to the wedding. He stood up to personally lead her to her chair with a brilliant smile. Shion grinned from Sinbad's other side and mouthed his "congratulations" to her.

For a woman whose family was practically shattered, Amani looked very happy.

Hakuryuu came over to her to congratulate her and inform her that Hakuei wanted to congratulate her too from her post in the Kouga Tribe. Koumei pretended not to see the dumpling that the teen snuck onto her plate. Everyone seemed to be feeding her, so he gave up on the tradition all together. It wasn't as if the elders could see this, right?

Kougyoku, instead of sitting with her unmarried sisters, went to sit with the trickster boy and the Kouha's friend from Sasan. (Sai and Yasmine, right?) They immediately began murmuring to themselves under their breath and sharing smiles at the sight of a glowing Amani.

(Thankfully, Judal had only stayed long enough to publicly give his "blessings", sparing everyone the extra headache.)

"If you don't keep your mouth shut, a bug will fly into it." He heard Kouen's voice say. Koumei jerked out of his thoughts long enough to realize that yes, his mouth was indeed open. He snapped it shut.

Seishin's eyes twinkled with mirth. "Aren't you going to going to eat your food, Koumei? There's squid." She offered while pushing the plate his way. He took the seafood from the plate and bit into it, only to grimace at the taste. Too salty. The meat was overcooked. It was cut too thin. They put on too much spice.

Not like Amani's.

He chewed and swallowed before downing a cup of tea.

"Not as good as Amani's, right?" Kouha asked sagely from his seat. "I didn't think so, either. After the ceremony, do you think she will be able to cook something for us?"

Koumei thought for a moment. Would she? He would like that. "I-

Kouen answered for him.

"If she can walk in the morning, then yes."

"_Kouen!_" Seishin sharply jabbed his side with her chopsticks for the statement but the damage was already done. Kouha began howling with laughter, drawing attention to their table. Kouen's Household Members chuckled and Chuu'un (that traitor) coughed into his fist.

Koumei decided to imitate Amani's ability by pressing himself to the chair and making himself seem smaller.

* * *

The official part of the ceremony was actually very simple. If Koumei hadn't known what to expect, he would have felt a little cheated that he had to endure so many tasks for this moment.

A table was set in front of the doors to the wedding chamber. It was covered with a pile of quilts that Amani had sewn up herself. On them were two cups of wine tied with red string. Koumei's duty was simply to take one side of the string while Amani took the other. Both pulled onto the strings to tighten the knot before simultaneously picking up their cups to take a sip. Then, they exchanged their cups to take another sip.

And that was it. They were married.

See? Anticlimactic.

Amani giggled at his expression. "You look disappointed."

"And you are correct." He told her dryly from under his breath. "When Brother En becomes Emperor, I hope that he terminates all the unnecessary aspects of the marriage ceremony."

Amani hummed in agreement. At the corner of his eye, Koumei caught sight of an earring at the upper corner of her left ear. Strange. He hadn't seen that before. It looked too plain to be Kougyoku's.

It was also made in a Balbadd style.

"That earring you have looks nice. It matches your dress." He complimented softly. She stiffened. "Ah…did I say something wrong?"

Amani shook her head. "No. It was a gift from a childhood friend before I left Balbadd. Alibaba has its twin." There was a bitter edge in her tone. It was the same bitter edge that he had heard after her return from Balbadd. He had assumed that she was upset about her homeland's downfall, but it seemed that it was more than that.

Koumei reached over and gently touched the ornament. "This friend must have been important to you, then. I'm sorry."

Someone died. This person had died. This "childhood friend" of hers had died during her stay in Balbadd.

(Did she cry?)

He did not pry.

Koumei decided to drop the subject and speak with her about other things. Happier things. Amani welcomed the change of subject and began to smile again as the newlyweds made their way into their bridal chamber. There were shouts of "Congratulations!" and "We're happy for you!" from the well-wishers as they ascended the stairs.

The night was warm. A breeze blew past the couple, ruffling Amani's dress and, strangely, sending shivers down Koumei's spine.

_You better take care of her. You better make her happy._

And just like in the shrine, Koumei glimpsed the blurry form of a dark-skinned man with dreadlocks walking beside Amani. He blinked. The figure was still there. When Amani staggered a little, both Koumei and the shimmering form grabbed onto her shoulder and abdomen for support.

"Thank you." Amani said sheepishly. "I have no idea why I'm so clumsy today."

The figure took his hand off Amani's shoulder but kept his arms wrapped around her abdomen as if he was making sure Koumei was giving her the support that she needed.

Koumei righted her, not taking his eyes off the figure.

_I'll kill you if you don't. I swear it._

"I will." Koumei couldn't help but promise aloud.

And just like that, the figure dissipated into smoke, the hand that was in contact with Amani being the last to disappear.

"You will what?" Amani asked in amusement as they finally reached the doors of the wedding chamber, completely unaware of what just happened. Koumei offered her a small smile. "I will make sure you are happy for the rest of your life. I swear it."

Amani's eyes softened at his promise. She took his hand and began to tug him into their room. It was dark, but Koumei could see the outline of their bed. His cheeks warmed as he met her eyes, but he stepped forward nonetheless. Amani did not back away. When they were face to face, he was close enough to hear her whisper an answer to his vow.

"Oh Koumei, I already _am_."

She pulled him down for a kiss.

The doors swung shut.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> About the chapter format:
> 
> I did something new with this chapter. Since not everyone knows about the ancient, Eastern marriage custom, I decided to drop in some "Marriage Requirement" rules for all of you to follow. They sort of ended up being headers of multiple omakes. Each "Requirement" shines a light onto parts of Amani and Koumei's relationship. I wanted to show a deeper insight in their bond since the three chapters didn't really cut it with all the timeskips. I thought: Where else should I do this but their wedding chapter?
> 
> So here it is.
> 
> The Wedding:
> 
> Obviously, I couldn't do a Christian/Catholic styled wedding with a white dress and a tux since this is Magi so I had to do a butt-load of research for this chapter. (I think I mixed a little Manchu culture in there.) But I am proud of the fruit of my effort. See this? It's my love.
> 
> Kohaku:
> 
> Who liked Kohaku? She's an adorable little thing, isn't she? Since the Kougyoku in this story is a stubborn, mouthy badass, I decided to add in a character who has her innocence. The heterochromia bit was to add into the "eyes" theme. Though her eyes have no special ability, she's still mistreated and feared for her appearance. The whole "Ghost cursing eyes" thing was the assumption that Prince Hakuren and Hakuyuu's ghosts made Kohaku's eyes this way as an act of anger against the marriage between Kouen and Seishin since she had originally been engaged to Prince Hakuren.
> 
> Kohaku will have a bigger role in the story later on. She's not exactly what she seems to be.
> 
> JuKou:
> 
> To those who are Kougyoku/Judal shippers, here is your dose. I haven't been writing about them lately so I had to put them in. We can also see that, just like in cannon, Judal is struggling emotionally. Or he's just sulking. Same thing.
> 
> Ghost Problem:
> 
> No, Koumei is not going insane. He is actually being harassed by the dead on his wedding day (LOL). Since Hakuyuu and Hakuren needed some screen time, I added them into this chapter. We want to learn more about Koumei, right?


	18. Chapter 17: The Day After

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Unlike fairy tales, the wedding doesn't hail the end of a story. Life moves on and the rubber band snaps back at the worst possible moment. Well, for Kougyoku, at least.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Onwards

Amani's eyes cracked open the moment the first sunlight touched her eyelids.

Her eyes blinked blearily as they tried to regain their vision. Her room smelled strange. Unlike its usual smell of spice with a tinge of metal, it was completely replaced by the fragrance of sweet perfume and…paper? Amani inhaled again. Yes, paper. And ink. The room smelled like the library.

Did she fall asleep in the library?

Amani shifted a little.

No. Her legs were covered in blankets. Her head was lying on a comfortable pillow. She was in a room. She was on a bed.

It wasn't her bed.

Just when Amani was about to jump out of the covers in panic, she heard an exhausted groan and felt someone shifting beside her. An arm reached around her to pull her flush against another body. Amani couldn't help but let out a squeak when she felt foreign, _naked _skin on her own.

"Mmhk, Amani?" She heard Koumei say sleepily from behind her. "Is it morning already?"

At the sound of his voice, Amani relaxed into his hold. Koumei. Yes, she remembered now. They had gotten married the night before. It had been a long, arduous day and she remembered wanting nothing more than it to be over. Though, it made her happy that her friends were there to cheer her on and sneak in pieces of food. The ceremony had lasted until midnight when they made their bond final. As it always should be after a wedding, they went into their bridal chamber to spend the night. And then they had-

Amani smiled softly and turned herself to face Koumei, who had by then began making movements in getting up. His hair was a mess, as always. But it wasn't hard to brush the strands away from his face. Unlike Phoebe's hair, Koumei's didn't get frizzy and was actually very easy to take care of as long as there was a comb nearby. She could see that he was trying his best to open his tired eyes to look at her. "Amani?"

"Shhh." She shushed him and gently pushed him back into the bed. "Yes, it's morning. But it's still early. Go back to sleep. You can sleep all you want today, remember? We're not permitted to leave this room until tomorrow."

Koumei sunk back into the pillows in relief, dragging her down with him. "I see. That's good." Then, he suddenly jerked when a thought hit him, eyes snapping wide open. "Amani! Are you feeling sore anywhere? Do you feel any pain?" He began fussing over her. He took one look at her less than flawless skin and hissed under his breath. "I should have been more gentle."

"These are love bites, Koumei. They're supposed to look like this." She deadpanned. "And my skin tends to bruise easily."

Koumei looked miserable.

Amani's eyes softened at his expression. She sat up, wincing when pain shot through her body. For Koumei's sake, she swallowed most of the sound and moved closer to his side. "It's fine. Really. You were wonderful. It didn't even hurt and you were patient. I couldn't have asked for anything better."

"But you're still sore." Koumei muttered.

Amani kissed his nose. "Rest will help that. Join me?"

* * *

At the same time, Yasmine was outside on a roof, admiring the sunrise.

It was almost surreal that one of them was already married. It wasn't that the idea was impossible, but Yasmine couldn't get it out of her head that Amani was only eighteen. And she had been around fifteen when she was supposed to be married to Koumei. The Sasan Princess suddenly felt _very_ grateful that Judal was the spiteful sort. Married at _fifteen _to someone ten years older than her. And that was considered _normal_ in this world. In Harley's world, it would have been illegal.

But this wasn't Harley's world. This was Yasmine's world. This was the world where magic existed and kings were chosen. This was a world where monarchy ruled and equality was but a dream.

Harley was dead.

Yasmine was alive.

The masked woman let out a heavy sigh. It was, at least, a comfort that Amani was happy with this Prince Koumei. She might even be in love with the man too, but Yasmine wasn't so sure about that part. She filed the question in her mind to ask later when the last day of their ceremony was up. But that wasn't the point. Amani was happy. That should be the only thing that mattered.

So Yasmine guessed that she should be happy for her friend too.

"That's a pretty heavy sigh." Kouha commented beside her. "Want to share?"

If Yasmine hadn't been paying attention to her surroundings, she would have jumped at the sudden appearance of her pink-haired friend. But she was. So she didn't. "Kouha."

The youngest prince of Kou pouted at her lack of reaction. "Dammit. I thought I got you this time."

He almost had. But Yasmine wasn't going to give him the pleasure of knowing that soon. She turned her gaze back to the sunrise and did her best to ignore him.

Kouha did not like being ignored.

"Yasmine~" He whined while clutching at her clothes. "Don't ignore me! You haven't visited me at all since you came here! And what was that about making me wait in Sasan for so long?"

Yasmine shifted away from him.

"Emergency." She informed him shortly before adding a quick "Sorry." For, well, leaving him stranded in her hut and practically forcing him to do her job while she was gone.

Kouha pouted.

"Ehhh? What's with that lackluster apology?"

"Well what do you want, then?" Yasmine snapped, finally losing her patience. When the words left her mouth, she immediately regretted it.

Kouha grinned.

* * *

"I can't believe that you're making me do this."

Sai looked between Yasmine and Kouha in amusement. "Mou~, Kouha. How did you convince Jazzy-chan to join us? She's usually not that kind of person, you know?"

"She owes me." Kouha sniffed.

"You somehow managed to get her to owe you?" Sai whistled appreciatively. "I'm impressed. Yasmine usually does things on her own. What did you do for her?"

"He took over the borderline duty for me so I could save your ass in Balbadd." Yasmine answered for Kouha flatly before he had the chance to open his mouth. "Now shut up and help me with this pot. If we're not quick, we'll miss them and all of this will be for nothing."

Sai cackled. "Oh, this is _priceless_! You actually want this to work!"

Yasmine shot him a scathing glare, but didn't deny it.

Old coots deserved it.

About ten minutes later, when the trio was far, _far_ away from the 'crime scene', a gaggle of elders found themselves tarred with feathers, with honey as a substitute for the tar.

Their shrieks were heard throughout the palace, waking the rest of its inhabitants up with the exception of Amani and Koumei who were peacefully slumbering away.

It was a good morning.

* * *

Shion woke up with a jerk at the sounds of screams.

What? What was happening? Was the camp being attacked? Did Al Thamen come back to deliver the fatal blow to his battalions? How could he have been so careless in falling asleep when there was a _war_? His men, were his men already dead? Burning? Fallen? How could he be so careless? Were they alive?

_Were they alive?_

"Jamal? Kikiriku? Selene? Opal? _Sai? Yasmine? Jin? __**Amani?"**_ Shion more or less shouted in panic as he tried to climb out of the bed, disoriented. "Are you all right? _Are you all right?_ Did they get to you? Oh Solomon, they got to them. They're dead. They're dead. They're-

"SHION!" The door burst open, revealing a half-dressed Sinbad with Sharrkan at his side.

(Who? Who? Who?)

For a moment, Shion had no idea who the man in front of him was.

_Your father, Shion. _The King reminded him patiently. _He's your father._

"F-Father?" Shion stuttered out. "Wha-I don't…can't-

"It was just a nightmare, Shion." Sinbad said soothingly, immediately recognizing the situation. He slowly made his way over to his son's bedside so to not startle him. "Nothing happened. No one is getting attacked. It was just a prank being pulled too early in the morning."

Shion blinked and forced his breaths to slow.

Right.

The world wasn't at war anymore. Al Thamen hadn't won. He went back. In some way, all of his comrades were still alive.

"Are you feeling alright now, Young Master?" Sharrkan asked cautiously. At Shion's dazed nod, he let out a sigh of relief and sheathed his sword. "Good. You scared us there! Was your nightmare that scary?"

"It wasn't a nightmare." Shion found himself saying before he could control himself.

Sharrkan froze at his admission.

Sinbad didn't outwardly, react but Shion could tell that his confession agitated his father. "Oh?" Sinbad said casually, but Shion knew that was not the case. "Was it a memory, then?"

_Lie._ The veteran hissed in panic.

_With some truth. _The king added helpfully, for once agreeing with the other side.

"Andromalius." Shion answered. "He…I get flashbacks of my time at his dungeon sometimes. A lot of people died in my trials. People I knew. People I never met. Sometimes, I would have to kill them with my own hands. Sometimes, I would try to save them and they would die anyways. The 'nightmares' used to come every night but it got better after I met my friends." Again. Alive.

In a way, it was the truth.

Well, it was truthful enough for Sinbad to believe him.

His father squeezed his shoulder. "It didn't happen."

"You were there too, you know." Shion murmured miserably. "I didn't remember that much of it since it was only brief but I remember reading your name on a tomb. Sindria had fallen by then. People were dying left and right. The world was burning. Al Thamen succeeded in their goal. There was nothing left. _Nothing._"

"It didn't happen." Sinbad repeated. "It was just a vision your djinn gave you to test you."

_I wish._

Shion forced a smile. "I know. I just got scared."

"Would you like to eat some breakfast?" Sinbad offered, breaking the silent tension in the room with his offer of food. "They have shark fin soup."

Shion tilted his head critically. "For breakfast?"

"It's seafood. Why complain?"

"Good point."

* * *

Post-traumatic Stress Disorder.

PTSD.

That was what Shion was diagnosed with during his journey to Kou with Amani. She had recognized its symptoms almost immediately. She had assured him that it was common in people who experienced both physical and mental trauma and that _she would help him_. She did. It helped. But her kindness wasn't able to block _everything_ out. His nightly terrors would come crawling back into his mind when he least expected it.

PTSD, she called it.

_The Veteran_, he called it.

* * *

"So Shion," Sinbad asked slyly at the breakfast table. "Are you going to play with that Kohaku girl again today?"

Shion swallowed a mouthful of his soup and nodded. "Yeah."

"She's pretty cute." Sharrkan commented sneakily from the other side of the table.

Shion shrugged. "Yeah, she is."

Sinbad and Sharrkan shared a _look_. Spartos just sighed.

Shion knew what they were doing. They were trying to pretend that the morning didn't happen. Though it was for his sake, he couldn't help but feel offended by what they were implying.

He was _eight_, for Solomon's sake. What made them think that he would be interested in having a romantic relationship at this age?

(Not that he was actually a kid, of course.)

The fact that he was, in fact, far more advanced than Kohaku mentally rubbed more salt on the wound. If anyone were to measure his technical age to Kohaku's actual one, he would be about old enough to be her father, which meant that any romance between them at the moment was out of the question. He was _not _a pedophile.

Nope.

No way.

Not when he _knew _Kouen was baiting him with his own daughter. (What kind of father _was _that guy?)

"So you like her, then?" Sharrkan prodded, making Shion twitch. "Aw, how cute!"

Turning to the swordsman, the Sindrian Prince gave him his brightest smile that practically _oozed _with sunshine and innocence. "Oh? Sharrkan, I never knew that Kohaku was your type! But isn't she too young for you?"

Sharrkan balked.

Shion clicked his tongue. "Tsk, tsk, I thought better of you."

Spartos shook his head in disappointment. "I pray for your dirty thoughts to be cleansed, Sharrkan."

"B-b-b-b-but that's not it! You misunderstand me! I like grown women. _Women!_"

"Like Miss Yamraiha, by any chance?" Shion asked brightly.

Sharrkan nodded. "Yes, exactly like-_wait_. **No**."

"Such a forceful denial." Shion sighed while finishing his breakfast. "I think I have a new couple to ship now that Amani and Koumei are married. Gook luck on wooing her, Sharrkan! I'm rooting for you!"

"Young master that isn't-

"Oh look at the time." Shion made an exaggerated gesture of taking a look outside. "I better get going before Kohaku gets worried. I promised that I would come extra early today since we're leaving tomorrow. Bye! Thanks for the meal!"

With a cheeky wave, Shion was off running.

"Nooooo, Young Master, come baaaaaack! You misundersta-a-a-and!" Sharrkan called out desperately in vain. When Shion's small form was out of sight, he curled up into a depressed ball. "I don't like that stupid magician. I don't."

Spartos took pity on the swordsman. "Sharrkan…he was joking. "

"_What?"_

Sinbad laughed.

* * *

"Ha! Koubun, did you see the look on their stuffy faces? Hilarious!"

Kougyoku was in a good mood.

Koubun sighed from his position behind her. "Princess…they are well respected elders, the best minds of Kou. You should not speak of them in such manner…"

Kougyoku scoffed. "_Please_. You know as well as I do that you're worth _ten _of those old coots, Koubun Maybe we should nominate you for that position. I think you'll do much better than them."

"Princess," Koubun tilted his head downwards in an act of modesty, "you give your servant too much credit."

_Yeah, and the peacock preening behind you isn't any indication of your ego being stroked._ Kougyoku thought wryly. It had been surprising that Koubun's true thoughts were being projected into an image of an animal at first, but she realized that this was just how simple he was at heart. Unlike the tainted officials and her friends, he was far more…pure, in a way. That was one of the many reasons why she kept the man by her side.

"Yes, I suppose you're right. If I compliment you too much like that, you will eventually leave me for some higher position." She mused to herself. "I wouldn't want that. What would I ever do if you leave my side?"

"P-P-Princess, that's a bit…" This time Koubun looked genuinely flustered. "You know that I will always be at Princess' side."

_Honesty._

Kougyoku couldn't help but smile.

"Yes, I know." _And for that I am thankful._

"Pardon me, Sister." A voice cut in sheepishly. Kougyoku and her entourage stopped in their tracks at the new voice. Her eyes softened at the sight of Hakuryuu. "Haku-chan." She greeted her family member warmly. "What a surprise. I was just out for a morning stroll. Would you like to join me?"

"Yes." He accepted a bit stiffly. His eyes darted between her and her servants. Kougyoku could see his doubt even without her ability. But she could also tell that what her brother wanted to tell her was _urgent_.

Kougyoku turned to her servants with a cheerful smile. "I would like to walk alone with Haku-chan. It has been such a while since I got to spend some quality time with my cute brother."

All of them, including Koubun bowed without question. "Yes, my lady."

After they were gone, Kougyoku's lackadaisical demenor dropped and she turned to Hakuryuu with a serious expression. "So? What happened? Is there anything wrong? That witch mother of yours didn't try pulling anything on you, did she?"

"No! No! That isn't it!" Hakuryuu denied fiercely before pausing for a moment to consider her statement. "Well, it may be a little bit about that. But that isn't the point! I wanted to speak with you about King Sinbad. You see, I have been given the opportunity of being tutored in Sindria."

Oh. _Oh._ That's right. Hakuryuu was supposed to go to Sindria.

"That's great! Congratulations!" She said genuinely. "They have wonderful teachers and their facilities are very advanced. I also heard that Amani's brother is currently there."

Hakuryuu blushed shyly. "Thank you. I heard that you put a good word in for me with King Sinbad and the Emperor. I guess being a 'you-know-what' has its perks."

'You-know-what' as in Blessed Child.

Yes, Hakuryuu was aware of her abilities and so was the Emperor himself.

The Emperor had to know since he was the Emperor (and her father).

Hakuryuu, well, she told him herself. For a while, she had seen a dark shadow looming behind her originally innocent brother (cousin at that time) after the deaths of his older brothers and naturally wanted to fix that. Kougyoku had been guilty that she did nothing to prevent the tragedy. Though, in her defense, her knowledge of Hakuyuu and Hakuren's murder was hazy at best. But that still did not quell the guilt she harbored.

So she told him.

Kougyoku offered the scarred boy two things that he did not have in the original storyline: support and protection.

Support, in that he was not the only one who knew of the Treachery of the Al Thamen's Witch.

Protection, in that her affiliation with him warned the Evil Queen and her masked grunts away from him and his sister.

Hakuryuu still carried an unnatural hatred for his mother, but he was far more receptive to help. Well, at least from his trusted family members. Though it was a small thing, Kougyoku was happy that the shadow that once lurked in her brother's heart was long gone. She was even happier to see that Hakuryuu considered her as an important family member he needed to protect. (Psh. Other way around, buddy.)

"Actually, it was Shion who did that." Kougyoku corrected him honestly. "I just annoyed the Emperor long enough for him to bring up the offer first." Ah yes. Perks of being the most powerful daughter.

Hakuryuu nodded frantically in comprehension. "I will have to thank him personally."

"Yes, you should do that, Haku-chan."

"But Sister?"

"Yes?"

Hakuryuu scratched his cheek nervously. "Can you…come with me to Sindria?"

_Come with him?_ Kougyoku saw his expression. _Awww! He wants me to be there 'cause he's nervous! How adorable!_

As if sensing her thought process, Hakuryuu immediately corrected himself. "I mean! Things are getting pretty turbulent in Kou and there was that incident in Balbadd…I just don't feel comfortable leaving you here." _Unprotected_, went unsaid. But Kougyoku knew what he wanted to say.

"Well…." The original Kougyoku was supposed to go to Sindria in cannon, wasn't she? So this shouldn't hurt their plans. "Of course I'll come. It'll be fun!"

As Hakuryuu smiled happily and began speaking of other things, Kougyoku's mind wandered. She tried to remember how she originally came to be in Sindria. How did she anyways?

Hmm…well, she came with Hakuryuu on the ship because Sinbad did something to make her angry. She had been crying with mascara running and everything. Sydney had laughed at the scene when Kougyoku threw Vinea at the king. And it was over something so trivial! It was…a misunderstanding! Yes, and it had been Koubun's fault. He had framed Sinbad for…what was it exactly?

"Sister?"

Kougyoku snapped out of her thoughts to answer. Oh well, it couldn't be _that _important.

She would find out eventually.

* * *

"So Kohaku, what do you want to do today?"

Kohaku blinked at the question. "Um…I never played with anyone before." At her confession, her gaze flickered downwards in shame. "I don't know how to play with anyone else."

"…" Shion did not speak.

Kohaku flushed at his silence. Why did she have to tell him that? Now he knows that she was weird! He definitely didn't like her anymore! Kohaku desperately wanted to take back her previous words. It was possible that Shion would decide that she was too boring for him and leave her to play with someone more fun. She knew a lot of boys who did that when they found out that the palace's 'monster' wasn't really a creature with four arms but a girl with mismatched eyes. Yes, he'll leave her. He'll definitely leave her. Unconsciously, her eyes began to water at the thought.

To her surprise, Shion did no such thing. He did the complete opposite.

He came up to her and hugged her.

The maids who took care of her told her that touching someone familiarly was a bad thing. Holding hands, hugs, and kisses were not allowed. That was what they said.

But her Uncle Ha gave her hugs and kisses _all_ the time. Auntie Amani and Uncle Mei hugged her and kissed her a lot too. And, sometimes, when they thought she wasn't looking, they would give each other hugs and kisses.

Kohaku didn't think that hugs and kisses were bad. They made her feel all warm and fuzzy inside her tummy.

And Shion's hug made her especially warm.

"It's okay." He soothed. "You don't have to be upset. There's bunches of things that we can do. I just wanted to know what _you _liked, since you're my friend."

"F-Friend?" She hiccupped. "Really?"

"Yeah." Shion said softly. "I'm not lying. And if you like, I can introduce you to all my other friends. They can be your friends too. They're nice and I don't think they would mind your eyes. People think that they're strange too. But they're not." He added hastily. "The other people just don't know any better."

"Can I really meet them?" Kohaku sniffed.

Shion nodded. "Yeah, of course. I bet they'd love you." He rubbed her back soothingly for the last time before letting her go. "Feel better now? Let's go find your Aunt Kougyoku. I bet she'll have something fun for us to do."

Kohaku wiped away her tears with a sleeve and followed. "'Kay."

* * *

Amani woke with tender kisses trailing down her neck.

"Koumei."

"Hmm?" Her husband was only half listening, though he _did _seem apologetic for waking her from her morning nap. She sighed. And to think he was so concerned about the marks earlier. "Will you be doing this to me every morning?" She wondered aloud in fake annoyance.

Amani felt Koumei smile. "Now that you mention it…maybe."

She 'scoffed'. "How immature of you, dear husband."

Koumei froze.

Amani looked down at his face in confusion. "Koum-

"Say that again."

It was said so quietly that Amani's sharp ears could hardly catch it. But she did.

"What do you want me to-" She broke off in realization. Oh. _That_. She began to smile in amusement. She leaned in close enough for her lips to brush the shell of his ear. _"Dear husband."_ She repeated in a whisper.

"…"

Amani began to grow worried at the lack of response from Koumei. Did she misunderstand him? That was possible. And embarrassing. "Ah…sorry, was it something el-_Ah!_"

Judging by how fiercely Koumei tackled her down for a proper kiss, it must have been exactly what he wanted to hear from her.

* * *

"Thank you very much, Shion-dono!" Hakuryuu cried out in a kowtow position. "Your generosity has given me a huge opportunity! Thank you!"

Shion looked helplessly at Kougyoku. She shrugged. "He insisted." She mouthed apologetically. He turned back to the prostrating prince, looking very lost.

"I just wanted to play a game with Kohaku." He said helplessly. _What did he __**do **__deserve this sort of treatment?!_ "…Please get up. This isn't necessary."

Kohaku walked up to Hakuryuu with a curious expression on her face. "Are you my Uncle Haku?" She chirped cutely. When Hakuryuu looked up, Kohaku jumped excitedly while clapping her hands. "Oh! You are! I always wanted to meet you!"

Hakuryuu stared at Kohaku in shock. "You are…"

"Kohaku." She introduced herself shyly. "And you're my Uncle Haku!"

"Y-Yes. I am." He stuttered.

"Would you like to play with us? Shion says that he knows lots of fun games."

"Kohaku-dono, I don't think that it is best for you to be seen with me." Hakuryuu said slowly.

Kohoku looked disheartened at his words. "Oh…"

Hakuryuu winced at the glares both Kougyoku and Shion sent him. "The elders don't like seeing us together." He quickly explained. "They will give you a hard time because of me."

"Why? Is it because of my eyes?" She asked while touching the edges of her eyes self-consciously. "Is it because they believe ghosts did this to me?"

Hakuryuu's hands balled into fists. "Yes." He said reluctantly.

"Do you believe it?"

"_No."_ Hakuryuu said forcefully. "Hakuyuu and Hakuren would never- don't believe what they say. They would have loved you as if you were their own."

Kohaku smiled brilliantly at her uncle's outburst. "Good! I don't think so either. I think it has nothing to do with ghosts, really! Shion told me it was the fairies that did this to me."

"…Fairies?"

Kohaku nodded solemnly. "Yes. He told me that they did it 'cause they were jealous."

Kougyoku snickered from behind her sleeves while Shion coughed.

"So…we can play since the ghosts didn't do it! Right?"

Hakuryuu looked as if he was about to politely deny her again but changed his mind in mid-sentence. He got up from his kneeling position and took her hand with a kind smile. "Of course. What will we be playing?"

Shion stepped up with a grin. "What about 'Tag'? It's a pretty common game far out west. It's easy. The person who is 'it' chases the rest of the players until he catches one to pass on the role to the next person."

As he explained the rules, Shion took Kohaku's hand and slowly backed away.

"-You're it!"

They bolted.

* * *

"Ha~ Looks like they're having fun over there."

Sai looked onto the nice scene of a squealing Kohaku and laughing Shion being chased around by an out-of-breath Hakuryuu. Kouha, who was sitting beside him, cackled at his stepbrother's obvious exhaustion. "He's getting his ass kicked by a bunch of kids!"

"Shion is pretty fast." Yasmine supplied as she climbed up the roof. In her hand was a bundle carrying food. Sai eagerly made a grab for it only to have his hands slapped away. "No." She said shortly. "Kouha first, since we're the guests."

"Thanks, Yasmine!" Kouha reached into the bundle. When he took out the content, his expression became puzzled. "Huh? What's this?"

Sai, on the other hand, looked thrilled. "Jazzy-chan, you couldn't have!"

"I did." Yasmine deadpanned.

"Sandwiches!" Sai rejoiced while swooping one from the bag and taking a bite. He sagged in euphoria at the taste. "_Yum_."

Kouha wearily took a bite. His face brightened at the taste and he began taking enthusiastic bites. In no time, Sai and Kouha were fighting over the last piece.

"Hey! I got it first!" The Third Prince of Kou shouted indignantly. At the end he managed to get a proper hold of it. He stuffed the whole thing into his mouth and swallowed it all in one gulp. Kouha shouted in victory. "Ha! Take that, Shambal!"

Yasmine inched away from her pink-haired friend and sent a traditional Sasanian prayer up to the higher beings. "May his death be swift and painless."

Kouha stared at Yasmine in utter bewilderment. "Huh?"

Sai, who had gone silent, looked up with an uncharacteristically dark look in his eyes. "Kukukukukukuku….I am going to END you for that, Ren."

Kouha felt a shiver run down his back at the killing intent the Blessed Child emitted.

"Run." Yasmine advised from the sidelines.

He did.

* * *

Hakuryuu heard an ungodly shriek pierce the air for the second time in that day. It must have been another prank being pulled. But, the scream strangely sounded like Kouha's. Should he be concerned…?

"Uncle Haku, you're too slow!" Kohaku giggled from the bushes. "Catch us! Catch us!"

He gave a mental shrug and continued playing with the children.

* * *

"Idiots."

Judal looked down at the scene from a different roof and sneered. "What a joke. He looks like a headless chicken running around for its head. I don't even know why he's wasting his time."

"Maybe it's because he wants to spend time with his family."

Judal's body seized up in panic at the unexpected voice. "What the-

He stopped mid-sentence and glared.

Shion, who had snuck away from the game to speak with the dark magi, offered Judal a sheepish smile as an apology. "Sorry, sorry. Gosh, I didn't know that you were easy to scare, Judal."

"You didn't scare me."

"Of course. My bad!" The prince said agreeably while taking a seat beside the magi. He was completely undeterred by the scathing glare that Judal sent his way. Shion even dared to completely spread his whole body onto the space beside him.

"Oi, chibi-er chibi. Didn't your mother teach you about personal space?"

"Hm. I don't know. Did yours?" Shion shot back coolly. He didn't need to turn his head to see that his statement caused Judal to flinch. "No, she didn't, did she?" He continued to muse. "You never mentioned them, so I had a hunch…"

"What about your own _mommy_, pipsqueak? I don't see her around babying you." Judal shot back angrily.

Shion's expression darkened at the mention of his mother. "You have your little group to thank for that. They did something to her that made her sick. Uncle took her away somewhere safe to heal after I left. I haven't spoken with mother ever since I was five."

"So what? You blame me for that?" The magi spat.

Shion's angry expression softened. "No. Not at all." He turned his gaze towards the sky. "Since we're in the same boat."

"How did you-?"

Shion smirked. "Trade secret. I know lots of things."

Judal snorted. Cocky brat. "Of course. You're still that sneaky turban brat."

"And you're a working for the wrong team." The Sindrian Prince shot back. "Face it. You've been played for your whole life. You, a great and powerful magi. Doesn't that bother you even a bit?"

It did.

It _really _did.

But why was this chibi bringing it up?

"I'm worried for Kougyoku." Shion said bluntly, answering his unasked question. "I never really trusted leaving her here with Al Thamen. Surely, they would use her if they ever found out that…you know."

"Spit it out."

"Wait." Shion sent Judal a perplexed look. "She didn't tell you?"

"Tell me _what_?" He snapped impatiently.

"Well, that she's-

Shion cut himself off when he caught sight of something. His lax expression hardened dramatically. "I gotta go. Kohaku might get caught if I don't."

"Wait-!"

The child was already gone.

"Oracle."

Judal whirled around to face the cause of the child's disappearance. _"What?"_

The Al Thamen underling remained in a bowing position. "Queen Gyokuen asks for your presence. You are needed." He recited monotonously.

As if he hadn't said this message a thousand times before.

"Leave me."

"Oracle, you must-

"Didn't you hear me?" Judal asked darkly. "I just told you to _fuck off_. I don't give a shit about that old hag. Don't make me repeat this again." He shot shards of ice at the underling to drive him off.

When the underling was gone, Judal let out his frustration on the roof.

By the time the roof was properly damaged, the magi had conveniently forgotten the conversation and flown off somewhere else to properly sulk alone.

* * *

"What was your mother like?"

Amani stared up at the ceiling and lazily traced patterns on the wedding quilts.

There was an air of boredom that hung between the pair. Koumei lamented that he didn't think of smuggling in some form of entertainment into the room. He was confident that his wife would have loved learning the rules of _Shogi_. Was remaining in the room for the whole day really necessary?

"My mother?" He asked blankly.

"Yes."

Koumei shivered at the mention of his late mother. "Mother," he winced at the word, "was a woman of perfection and ambition. She had fought her way into becoming Emperor Koutoku's first wife when Queen Gyokuen took her side beside the late Emperor Hakutoku. I do not think she ever forgave the Empress for 'stealing' the spot she believed was to be her own." And oh how she pushed her one-sided war onto Kouen and him. "Mother was not an evil person, per se. She was more…ambitious. I always knew that she had always wanted the best for Kouen and I." Somewhere deep, _deep_ down in what was left of her black, shriveled heart. "She loved both of us but…she valued physical strength. As you can see, I was not so talented in that area as Kouen." She gave up on him after her skipped his thirty-fourth martial arts lesson. She ignored him completely after that.

(Koumei had been absolutely relieved.)

"I see."

"She wouldn't have approved of you." Koumei told Amani bluntly.

"Ah."

Amani didn't look bothered by that little fact at all. On the contrary, she looked amused. It came as a blessing that his wife accepted everything he said with a grain of salt. He told truths. She accepted. He told lies. She knew. They suited each other that way.

"And your mother?" He found himself asking despite himself. But he was curious. Amani never mentioned her birth mother when she told him about her life in Balbadd. Though, thinking back to it, she had never really mentioned her life before the palace, had she?

Amani hummed. "She died from some unknown sickness when I was about five. Or was I already six at that time? I can't remember clearly. But I know that she was very beautiful and kind. She was…strangely optimistic despite her situation. It was a trait I admired since that sort of optimism never really came to me that easily." She confessed. "I have her face. Father mentioned that to me before he died."

"Then she must have been a stunning woman." Koumei said genuinely. "I think I understand how the late King of Balbadd was enchanted."

Amani blushed and said nothing.

"Why did you ask about my mother?"

She shrugged. "The same reason why you asked about mine. I'm curious. I want to know more about you." She smiled sardonically. "And we have all the time in the world to do exactly that away from unwanted ears."

Koumei could see the logic in that.

"I, too, would like to know more about you."

Amani's eyes twinkled. "Let's play a game, then. Twenty questions. One person asks the other one question in each turn until twenty questions are used up."

"And the catch?" Koumei asked, amused by the simplicity of the game.

"You have to answer every question honestly." Amani said.

Ah. There it was.

The catch.

"What a dangerous game." Koumei said quietly. "You could spill out confidential secrets by playing this." Not that he didn't trust Amani. It was just…

"I want to learn about _you_, Koumei." She assured him. "The questions will undoubtedly be simple and related only to you as a person. Secrets that could hurt the country wouldn't really help me know you. Do you understand?"

Koumei nodded slowly. "Yes. I think I understand."

"Good. Let's start with something simple, then. Koumei, what is your favorite color?"

"Purple." He murmured as his memory flashed back to Amani's shawl. It had been purple. "My turn. Do you prefer wearing clothes from your homeland or clothes from here?"

"My homeland, of course." She answered shamelessly. "I am still unused to the layers that the dresses here have. If we wore something like that in Balbadd, we would die from the heat. See? That's wasn't so bad, was it?"

Koumei nodded absentmindedly as he stored that little fact in the back of his mind. "Yes."

"Would you mind if I take my turn?"

Perhaps he should ask about her preferences in authors and genres on his next turn. Getting something for her birthday early wouldn't hurt.

"Not at all. Go ahead."

"Wonderful! So, how many women were there before me?" Amani asked cheerfully.

Koumei choked.

* * *

Kohaku yawned.

"It seems that Kohaku-dono is too exhausted to play any longer." Hakuryuu noticed. "Should we stop the game?"

"No! I'm not t-tired at-" She yawned again. "At all. I'm fine…see? I want to play longer."

"Kohaku-chan, you're tired. I think it's time for your nap." Kougyoku said soothingly. "You have been playing for a long time."

"Noooooo. If Kohaku sleeps, she will wake up alone again! Shion will be gone and Uncle Haku won't be able to play with her anymore!" She wailed pitifully while stumbling on her feet. Shion deftly caught her and steadied her. "Kohaku, you need to rest. I promise to visit you before leaving tomorrow, okay?"

"…Okay."

* * *

"Thanks for showing me where Father is." Shion thanked Kougyoku. "I know I served as a servant boy here for a couple of years, but I still get lost."

"No problem. You were officially invited to the Last Night Banquet anyways. It wouldn't have looked good if you didn't show up." Kougyoku said airily. "Those elders always try causing _some _sort of trouble with the visitors. They would definitely pick on you for missing the banquet. They're pretty annoying like that."

Shion nodded. "Well, good thing that I dropped by my room to change into something nice, ne? The tag game I played with Hakuryuu and Kohaku got my other clothes all dirty."

"But it was fun, wasn't it?"

"Yeah!"

Kougyoku stopped right in front of the doorway to the throne room. "Here it is! Now, have fun with your father and make sure that he doesn't get too drunk!"

"Thanks Kougyoku! I will!" Shion waved at her for the last time before walking into the room. Kougyoku waited for a full five minutes before peeking through the doorway to make sure that Shion was doing all right.

_Solomon, I feel like a mother dropping off her kid._

She breathed a sigh of relief when she saw Sinbad beckoning Shion over and placing him on his lap. Though the action appeared informal, it was actually a blatant show of favor.

Old coots would think twice before trying something on Shion now that it was apparent that he would be heir to the throne.

Feeling accomplished, Kougyoku stepped inside as if she hadn't escorted Shion and began a conversation with a minister's daughter.

"Ming Hua! How lovely to see you here. Is that a new hairpin? I hear that opals and jade are the style these days and it suits your skin so well. Oh come now, don't be modest! Speaking of which, did you hear about the scandal with Counselor Wang? No? Well, I shouldn't be spreading this around…what? You want to know? Well, you look like a trustworthy person…"

Spreading rumors were the _best_.

* * *

"Had fun?"

Shion yawned from his father's shoulder. The banquet had gone until late at night. Naturally, his small body could only take so much after playing all day and staying up for most of the night.

"Yeah." He slurred sleepily.

Sinbad patted his back gently as he walked into his son's guest room. "That's good."

"Kohaku and I played tag with Hakuryuu." Shion giggled dopily, more asleep than awake. "We won."

Sinbad set his son down onto his bed and tucked him in. "That's good."

"Night." Shion managed to say tiredly before succumbing to sleep.

"Good night, Shion."

* * *

Kougyoku regained consciousness the next day.

You heard her. She didn't _wake up_. She _regained consciousness._

What idiot had the gall to do **that**?

(When in doubt blame Sai. Everything is Sai's fault.)

Feeling completely pissed, she almost didn't realize that this wasn't her room. When she did, Kougyoku almost screamed when she realized just whose room it actually was.

Who wouldn't, with freaking _King Sinbad of the Seven Seas _sleeping right beside her?

"Oh _shit_."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sandwiches:
> 
> It's definitely a modern thing. But do you really think that none of the Blessed Children would bring up some of their modern culture with them into this world? Doesn't mean that they'll share, thought.
> 
> PTSD/The Veteran:
> 
> It's actually a matter I've been wanting to bring up for a long time. Shion, though calm in appearance, is traumatized. He wasn't completely unaffected by the ordeal that he left behind in the nonexistent future. Shion went through war and lost a lot of people. Since he's not a robot or God, he is a little imbalanced. Some would even call him a little crazy with all those voices in his head. Makes you wonder who The Child and The King is, right?
> 
> Hakuryuu:
> 
> Fun Fact: I'm not a Sauske Uchiha fan. To those who don't know him, he's a Naruto character who acts just like the manga's Hakuryuu Ren except ten thousand times worse and no nice. Since Hakuryuu isn't completely like Sauske, I'd like him to not go down that path, thank you very much. This is my attempt in converting him before he meets Alibaba. Whether or not I will be successful could be debated.
> 
> Judal:
> 
> Him...not sure what Shion is trying to do with him. But I'm sure it's big.
> 
> Rumor-Spreading Kougyoku:
> 
> Of course she would have more influence. Giving corrupted officials a dressing down should be easy for her.


	19. Chapter 18: Birthday

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Happy Birthday, Shion

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Onwards

_To Shion:_

_Auntie Kougyoku helped me write out a proper letter. I hope that it isn't too messy. It's my first time writing to a friend so forgive me if it is all over the place. Kou's weather is nice and sunny today. Uncle Haku says that Sindria is a sunny place too. I hope that you get to eat lots and lots of fish there. Tomorrow, Uncle Haku is going to train me. Wish me luck! I will be strong the next time I see you since Mama always says, "a woman should always be strong to support her man". You're not a man yet, so I will work hard to be a friend powerful enough to be able to support you until then. Papa laughed at me for some reason when I told him this. Does it really sound that silly, Shion?_

_I hope that you will visit Kou again soon!_

_Your friend,_

_Kohaku_

* * *

"Wow, that was fast. And we left shore only a week ago."

Shion folded the letter back up and looked at Sai's sparrow. Sai had left the sparrow in Kohaku's care so she could send her letter as quickly as she could. Turned out that the normally tricky Blessed Child had a soft spot for little kids. Or maybe it was just Kohaku. She naturally charmed those around her with her innocence and naivety as long as they overlooked her eyes.

After a long moment, Shion finally blushed. "Seishin…she wouldn't be planning on pairing us off together, would she? No, she can't be _that _kind of mother, right? I already have problems with Kouen trying to make me his son-in-law."

_The marriage __**would **__allow Kou and Sindria to continue their good relations… _The King mused. _And Kohaku wouldn't stay a child forever._

_And Kohaku-chan is really cute! _The Child cheered. _I don't mind!_

Shion pushed those thoughts away before they became dangerous. Really, were those two so unaware of the fact that he was technically _older than her? _Thankfully, the Veteran was on his side on this one. Then again, the Veteran was the one who kept the memory of _her _closest to his heart. He never really did let her go…

Shion felt a forlorn pang in his chest when he realized that the spaces between his fingers would always remain that way. Spaces. The hands that had fit so perfectly to his was gone.

No, it wasn't only that.

Her smile.

Her wisdom.

Her dreams.

They were-

_Gone. _The Veteran murmured sullenly. _Burned with the rest of them. Destroyed._

Yes. Destroyed with the world he left behind.

"She's dead, Shion you fool." He muttered to himself. "You chose to sacrifice her for the future, remember? She's never coming back."

Andromalius pulsed at his side warningly, as if sensing his dark thoughts. Shion patted the lamp in assurance. He wouldn't fall into depravity that easily. He had overcome the temptation too many times in the past to count. No matter what he had faced, he would always walk in the path of the light. He didn't live under his Uncle Yunan's guidance two times for nothing. Yes, he did miss her. He would always miss her.

But that didn't mean that he wouldn't move forward.

_Keep the possibility of marrying Kohaku in mind. _The King suggested. _Improving relations with Kou would definitely be a major 'pull' of the rubber band that could prevent the tragedy._

_The ends justify the means._

Shion's hands tightened into fists. He didn't like the idea of using people. But, if it had to come to that, then he would do it.

(He sacrificed too much to turn back now.)

"Sorry, Kohaku."

* * *

"Hey, doesn't Young Master look a little down to you?" Sharrkan asked.

This immediately caught Sinbad's attention. Concern flooded into him as he immediately began interrogating his general for details. Even Spartos, who was normally calm, appeared concerned.

"What? Sharrkan! Tell me the details!"

"Yes, your majesty. Lately, his average meal intake has been lowering and I caught him sighing now and then. He also hasn't been sleeping much."

"And how do you know this, Sharrkan?"

"I check on him every night. Young master hasn't been in his bed half the time." The swordsman explained automatically.

"A-re, if that isn't creepy, I don't know what is~!"

"Shion did mention that there was a pervert on the ship. He wasn't talking about you, was he Swordsman Teacher?"

All three heads turned up and sweatdropped at the sight of the two Blessed Children looking down from their position in the crow's nest. "Um…what are you two doing up there?" Sinbad took the liberty of asking.

Sai snickered. "Well, Jazzy-chan and I were just playing a game of Go-Fish and we were interrupted by a noisy bunch!"

"I thought we were playing BS." Yasmine deadpanned.

Sai waved it away. "Same thing."

Sinbad's eyes narrowed.

Sai's sharp eyes caught sight of it. "Oh-ho! What an interesting look you got there, Your Majesty." His eyes narrowed wickedly. "Your face is like a picture book! I don't even have to make an effort to decipher it. You're probably thinking: 'Did they overhear me on purpose?' 'What are their intentions?' and my personal favorite 'Are they a threat I should remove?' Isn't that right?"

Before Sinbad could say anything, Yasmine whacked Sai over the head. "You're overdoing it again, idiot. Treat him with respect. That man is Shion's father, like it or not."

Sai rubbed his head and pouted. "So mean! But it is the truth, Jazzy-chan. Reading people's hearts are my specialty, you know."

"No, it's Kougyoku's."

"Nah, she's still an amateur. But don't worry. Once she's exposed to more lies, she'll become a pro!"

"Don't even_ think_ about doing that to her." Yasmine warned before turning back down to the three men below. "Again, I'm sorry for Sai's actions. He tends to do this a lot to people he's interested in. Since you're Shion's father, I guess that makes you automatically interesting. Just don't mind him."

"Mou, mou, Jazzy-chan, shouldn't we be telling them _why _the Princeling is feeling a bit down? It doesn't look like they know about **that **day."

Sinbad finally spoke up. "**That **day? What kind of day is it?"

Yasmine nodded. "Yes, it's something that Shion gets easily depressed about when you forget it. That's why we all have always been keeping count of it every year."

"Yes…" Sai agreed ominously. "**That **day. We should never forget it."

The shape shifter trailed off and there was a tense silence between them before Sharrkan finally snapped. "GAH! I can't take it anymore! Just TELL us what it is already!"

"Oh, right!" Sai appeared genuinely surprised. "Yeah, it's going to be Shion's birthday in, oh I don't know, two days so Jazzy-chan and I came up here to secretly plan for his birthday present before we reach Sindria!"

Sai looked down and chuckled when he saw that all three men looked as if they were turned into stone. "A-re, what a frozen bunch. Jazzy-chan, you didn't accidently use your ability on them, did you?"

"No."

"Oh well~"

"Father?" Shion walked out of his cabin tiredly while rubbing his eyes. "You look strange. Did something happen?"

Sinbad smiled woodenly. "It's nothing, son."

"Okay." He said doubtfully. "If you say so."

* * *

"My everyone-is-keeping-a-secret-from-me senses are tingling." Shion announced to his Blessed Children later on in the evening when everyone else was downstairs eating dinner. "What is Father hiding from me?"

Yasmine shrugged. "King stuff? I don't know. Weren't you a king before all of this? You should understand his situation better than me."

Shion pouted petulantly. "But he's never lied to me before!" He whined. "Why is this so different? I only asked a simple question!"

"Maybe it was something to do with your daddy's adult love life~! No need for the kiddies to hear about _that_. Right, child?" Sai cooed patronizingly as he threw a pail overboard with a rope tied to its handle.

Shion looked at him strangely. "Was that…_dinner_ you just wasted?"

"Seafood." The shape shifter stated shortly with rare seriousness. "I hate seafood."

"Doesn't mean that you have to waste it. _I_ would've eaten it."

Sai huffed. "Then why didn't you tell me _before _I threw it overboard?"

"I didn't know that you were going to throw it overboard."

"Then don't complain. It's stupid and pointless." Sai stated resolutely. "Just to spite you, I will do this every night."

Shion looked scandalized.

Yasmine rolled her eyes at her friends' immaturity. "Shion, let's go back inside. It's your bedtime."

"Don't say it like that!"

"She's saying it as it is, Princeling. " Sai jeered.

Shion crossed his arms and huffed. "I'll be taller than you before you know it, Sai! Just wait until I turn seventeen. That's only eight years away!"

Yasmine and Sai shared a look when Shion counted his not yet gained year into his age. Usually, Sai would correct him but he didn't. That would only alert the child of what they were planning for him.

"We know." Yasmine assured him. "We know."

* * *

_A week ago back in Kou…_

"Princess! We must do something about this!" Koubun raged as Kougyoku brooded in a corner. "We must go over to Sindria this instant before this scandal is revealed. What if you are with child?" He panicked.

Kougyoku covered her ears.

_Oh Solomon let this not be true! I did _ _ **not** _ _ wake up next to my best friend's father!_

Koubun was in her face in no time. "Please do something about this, Princess!"

The peacock behind him made a distressed sound.

"What seems to be the matter?"

Koubun's ranting stopped abruptly at the presence of Amani. He tilted his head downwards in respect. "Blessed Child."

Kougyoku stood up from her position in the corner and slapped on a smile. "Finally let out from your Bridal Chambers, huh? Must've been boring."

"No, your brother was actually very entertaining." Amani said with a straight face, causing Koubun to choke.

"E-Excuse me, Princesses. I will leave you two alone now to speak together." Then, he shuffled out of the room awkwardly.

When he was gone, both Kougyoku and Amani broke out into giggles.

"Geez, did you really have to traumatize my servant, Amani?" The Kou princess teased. "And I _really _didn't need to know about what goes on between my brother and you."

"Really?" The newlywed asked innocently. "And I thought you would have been interested in our game of twenty questions."

"…I can't believe I just fell for that."

* * *

Koubun sighed.

Princess Kougyoku was many things, but a blabbermouth wasn't be one of them. On the contrary, she could be very mysterious when she wanted to be. His princess was tight-lipped when it came to her own issues. The only way for his plan to come to fruition would be to spread the word 'accidentally'.

His eyes caught sight of a group of maids.

_Perfect, _he thought smugly as his face 'crumbled into despair' for the part. He even let out a distressed wail for a good measure. As he thought, the maids were at his sides, clucking over him and asking him "what was the matter" and "are you okay"?

And of course, he eventually 'gave in' to their concern and 'confided' in them about his 'poor princess's' situation. By the end of his story, all the maids were wearing expressions of pity and horror.

Everything was going smoothly, just as he had planned.

"HE WHAT?!" Two voices shouted, scattering the maids and startling the nearby birds.

Koubun paled and turned to face a red-faced Hakuryuu and an enraged Judal. Both looked ready to murder.

He paled.

This hadn't been part of the plan.

* * *

"Okay, Kougyoku. Let's run this through again. You went to the farewell banquet. You chatted with some of the ladies of the court. You were knocked out. You woke up next to Sinbad. Did I miss anything?" Amani asked calmly after hearing the tale.

"You missed the part about _him being naked._" Kougyoku stressed anxiously as she wiped her tears from her face, causing her makeup to smudge. "_Oooooh no_. I am **not **about to become **that **girl who slept with her best friend's father."

Amani shrugged. "Technically, it wouldn't be 'sleeping with him' per se. That would be considered rape on his part." Kougyoku almost missed it but she heard a little darkness in Amani's tone when she suggested the unthinkable scenario. If that really _was _the case, Kougyoku was sure that heads would roll, Shion's father or not.

"I didn't think he would be _that _type of person…"

Amani hummed. "We're jumping to conclusions. Tell me everything about what you felt and saw that morning. What kind of state were you in when you woke up?"

"Well…my clothes from the night before was still intact…" Kougyoku confessed. "I don't feel any different…"

"No aches? Pain? Blood on the sheets?" Amani prodded.

Kougyoku shook her head.

Amani smiled and clapped her hands. "Well! At least we have one issue cleared. Good news! You're still a virgin!"

The other Blessed Child fell over at her sister-in-law's bluntness.

"Amani…for some reason, I feel like Brother Mei has something to do with the sudden increase of your jokes."

The white-haired woman shrugged. "I am happy." She said simply.

Kougyoku's eyes softened. Undoubtedly, after everything she went through, Amani deserved it. "That's good."

"So, everything is good? You didn't tell anyone about this?"

"No. Only Koubun knows and I doubt he would be stupid enough to blabber about my secrets."

As if the contradict her statement, her doors swung open.

"Sister! Is it true that King Sinbad defiled you?!" Hakuryuu shouted in panic as he rushed over to Kougyoku's side. "Are you hurt? Do you need a physician? Should I-oh, good afternoon Amani-dono."

Amani smiled. "Good afternoon, Hakuryuu. Tea?"

"Oh, um, no thank you."

"PRINCESS!"

Kougyoku scowled when her doors were _completely shattered _with overgrown icicles. Judal strode into the room, took one look at her face, and walked right back out. "The idiot king is going to die." She heard him say. With a blank look, she turned to Amani for an answer.

"Makeup."

Kougyoku swore and grabbed a handkerchief to dab it away.

Hakuryuu floundered on the sidelines awkwardly. "Should I cancel your trip to Sindria?" He finally asked. "Your servant says that you must come along to regain your honor by marrying King Sinbad, but I don't share his sentiments."

"No."

"Sister, I don't want to make you feel uncomfortable." He insisted.

"You're not, Haku-chan. _Really_. It's actually just a huge misunderstanding-"

Hakuryuu interrupted her. "No! If it is true that he did such a thing to you, I will not allow you to be married to that man! I implore you to remain in Kou, Sister!"

Kougyoku wanted to scream.

Amani promptly placed her cup onto the table. "Hakuryuu, please do not worry. I will be coming with her."

He stared at her dumbly. "Huh?"

"My husband and brother-in-laws will be busy dealing with subjugating Balbadd in the next few months. I am not be allowed to join them because the elders are worried that I would start a rebellion instead." Amani explained patiently.

"And you're not upset?" Kougyoku asked critically.

"Oh no, I _am_ upset. But it can't be helped." She sighed. "Though, I miss my brother, so it wouldn't be a bad thing to come over to Sindria for a visit. I also think that helping dear Kougyoku regain her reputation would be more productive, no?"

"And your husband?" Hakuryuu asked tentatively.

"What about my husband?"

His forehead furrowed. "What if he says no?"

Amani blinked. "He can't stop me." Without a question, that part was a fact. "But he won't say no." Again, a fact since Koumei was probably feeling guilty about the whole not-being-able-to-bring-Amani-to-Balbadd thing. At this point, he would plan the whole trip himself for her so she wouldn't be upset with him, not that Amani actually was.

But that was besides the point.

For Amani, 'no' was not a possibility.

And since he already knew this, Hakuryuu sagged in defeat. "Fine."

Amani patted him on the shoulder. "Hakuryuu, let's not jump into conclusions. This whole thing is probably just a huge misunderstanding. From what I gathered, Kougyoku still retains her chastity." Hakuryuu blushed at her frankness but kept silent. " Trust me. Let King Sinbad tell his part of the story when we get to Sindria."

"Fine. But only because I trust you."

"Haku-chan, do you mind doing me a couple of favors?" Kougyoku asked as her stepbrother made his way to leave. "Please stop Judal from leaving Kou. I can handle my problems on my own. He'll only make the situation worse."

"Got it."

"And please don't let this spread any further than it already has."

"Already done."

She smiled approvingly. "I _knew_ there was a reason why you are my favorite brother."

Hakuryuu blushed and rushed out to catch Judal before he left.

Once he was gone, her smile instantly disappeared. She turned to Amani with a sour look.

"I take that back." Kougyoku said bitterly. "Koubun can't keep his mouth shut."

* * *

_Back to the Present in Sindria…_

"Your majesty."

"Your majesty!"

"Our king has returned."

Shion shifted awkwardly under the appraising stares from the soldiers lined up at his sides. The whole staring thing was still weird and unfamiliar to him. They were watching him with a sort of reverence that Shion usually saw in the holier worshippers in Sasan. _Probably the influence of Father._ He thought as he tried to subtly inch himself behind the said father, making him his own personal meat shield from the stares.

"My King, I am truly eased by your return." Shion heard Ja'far say. "And…er…Prince Shion? Did you have a good trip?"

Shion sheepishly stepped away from his father. "Sorry, Ja'far. Habit." He apologized. Ja'far smiled and inclined his head in proper greeting. "And yes, thank you. We have been away for a long time."

From the corner of his vision, Shion caught two new faces inspecting his in something akin to shock and interest. "Um…Father?"

"Yes, son?" Sinbad's attention was immediately on him. Shion almost started at the _worry _and the slight _panic _he heard in his father's voice. Lately, he noticed that his usually calm and composed father was pacing and mumbling aloud to himself about something. It was strange to see him all jumpy.

Shion blinked and cleared his throat. "I think those two tall Misters in the back are confused about something."

It took Sinbad some time to process Shion's question. The result: even more bewilderment. "Two tall…Misters?"

Shion sweatdropped. _Is he broken or something?_

Thankfully, Sinbad recovered quickly. "I almost forgot! Drakon, Hinahoho, meet my son, Shion. Shion, these two gentlemen are the generals who were absent during your first introduction."

"This is the first time I'm hearing about this." The Dragon-like man rumbled. He sent the other generals a pointed glare. All were shamelessly nonplussed.

The gigantic man, on the other hand, looked pleased on seeing Shion. He even took the extra effort in getting onto his knee and hunching over to make himself look less threatening. Not that Shion needed it. He already had experience with the great height of Imuchakk Warriors.

_Say his name. _The Veteran snarled. _He has a __**name**__. Kikiriku._

Shion swallowed. "Hello, Mister Hinahoho."

"You can call me 'Uncle'." The blue haired giant said kindly. "Your father and I are very close friends. That makes you and me family. It's wonderful to finally meet you, Prince Shion."

His statement made Shion crack a smile. "Well then, please return the favor and call me just 'Shion', Uncle. It's nice to finally meet you too."

He turned to Drakon, who had been waiting patiently to step up to Shion. The young prince grinned up at the reptilian man. He held his small hand up before Drakon could speak. "Wait, wait. I think I got it, Mister!"

Everyone stared as Shion took a huge breath.

"It's a great honor to meet you General Dragul Nol Henrius Govius Menudias Partenuvonomias Dumid Os Kartanon." The child said rapidly, much to the shock from the onlookers and the pleased surprise of Drakon. "And I'm…Shion." He finished a little lamely. "Just Shion."

Wow. He had never been as aware of the shortness of his name as he was at the moment.

But, Shion was proud. It had taken him only two days to memorize. Drakon's name was just _too _cool **not **to remember. But it had been a great feat that required intense reading in the correct pronunciation of the ancient Partivian families and private rehearsals during the night.

Yes. He had been _that _bored.

"You practiced, didn't you?" Yasmine asked flatly from the background, voicing the truth. She sighed at his expression. "Good grief."

Drakon inclined his head respectfully. "No, Prince Shion, it is _my_ honor to meet you. You hold great promise. Please continue to study and train diligently."

For some reason, Shion felt as if he passed some sort of exam.

Ja'far started as if he was struck by some figurative lightning bolt. "Shion," he started slowly, "did you finish the homework I gave you?"

Shion opened his mouth and then closed it.

Sinbad practically pounced on Ja'far for his question and covered his mouth. As the advisor struggled against his grip, the Sindrian King laughed loudly. "Sharrkan, why don't you take Shion to Alibaba and Aladdin?"

"Of course, your majesty."

Shion looked at Ja'far nervously. "B-But what about-?"

"-You can worry about that later." Sinbad quickly interjected. "You just came back from your first diplomatic trip. I think that deserves a day off from your studies."

"…Okay." Shion said unsurely as he allowed Sharrkan to scoop him up onto his back. "If you say so."

"Let's go, young master! I'm excited to reunited with my other student, too!"

Well, he _did _want to see how Alibaba and Aladdin were doing.

"Okay, Sharrkan."

After a little while, the purple haired child caved to his concern and voiced it to his swords teacher. "Sharrkan, is there something wrong? You, Spartos, and Father are acting a bit strange. I didn't do anything, did I?"

"No! Of course not!"

"Right."

Sharrkan began sweating nervously.

"Sharrkan," Shion said warningly, "don't lie to me."

"I'm not I…" The swordsman looked around desperately and caught sight of two forms on the training grounds. "-Look, young master! It's Alibaba and Aladdin. Oi! Guys! Guess who's back?"

Reluctantly, the young prince allowed Sharrkan to make his escape. Pushing for information would only drive him away.

"Shion! Sharrkan-sensei!"

"Welcome back, Shion!"

As Aladdin and Alibaba enthusiastically greeted him, Shion thought to himself.

He honestly had no idea why everyone was acting so strangely. He had already finished all his homework Ja'far assigned him. He was just a little tentative in revealing that he even did the 'challenge' problems because he was so bored. Revealing his more advanced mind so soon wouldn't have been wise.

Shion understood how his father came to the conclusion that he slacked off on his work. _He w_as the older male of the two slacked off in his work far more than Shion had ever dared to do in his two lifetimes.

But still…why?

After thinking it over, Shion made a conclusion:

It was Sai's fault. Definitely. No doubt about it.

* * *

"Sin! You shouldn't pamper him like that." Ja'far scolded the Sindrian King once he was released. "I know that you feel guilty that you missed the first eight years of your son's life, but you'll only do more harm than good with your lenience."

"I _know _that!"

Sinbad paced around the emptied out throne room agitatedly. The other generals watched with growing worry at his apparent frustration.

Spartos spoke up. "Your majesty. I think that it would be best if you told everyone about the current issue. They are confused."

"It's his birthday." The King gritted out as he attempted to calm himself down. "Today is his birthday." He repeated sullenly. "And I don't have _anything _planned for him."

The whole room became deathly silent.

Sai decided to be the asshole who broke the news straight to Sinbad. "Well," he began optimistically, "I guess that's another birthday that you're going to miss, eh your majesty?"

Sinbad didn't reply but a dark cloud began forming over his head.

Yasmine roughly jabbed Sai in the ribs. "I know you're still sore about the sandwich incident with Kouha, but do you really have to let it out on the guy? He's obviously crushed."

"Yes! Don't do such a thing to our king!" Yamraiha scolded Sai angrily. Then, with a more subdued expression, she turned to Sinbad. "But still, what should we do, my king? We were completely unprepared for this."

"I almost made him do his homework." Ja'far said to himself in horror. "On his _birthday._"

"Let's just throw a fun party for him!" Pisti suggested.

Spartos shook his head. "We don't have enough time to set up such a thing, Pisti. It would require the help of all of Sindria and we can't alert everyone of this quick enough for that."

"Awww."

"What about moving the celebration to the next day?" Drakon suggested logically. "I'm sure that wouldn't be an issue since the young prince seems to be a very mature child for his age."

Hinahoho frowned. "But wouldn't that imply that we were forgetful of his birthday?"

At every failed suggestion, Sinbad seemed to be sinking further and further into depression.

"What kind of father forgets his son's birthday?" Sai asked loudly, purposely aiming to get a couple more jabs at Sinbad.

Yasmine retaliated with a couple of physical jabs of her own. "Shut it. Kicking a man when he's down is shameful."

"There, there, we'll think of something, Sin." Ja'far tried to console the distressed man. "Just calm down. _Something_ will come to you."

Sinbad just groaned hopelessly.

Sai watched the scene with a smug smirk playing on his lips.

Yasmine peered at him suspiciously. "What the hell are you thinking about?"

"Oh nothing. Just keeping time."

_Ten…Nine…Eight…_

"Time for what?"

_Seven…Six…Five…_

Sai drew his finger to his lips. "Shhh. It's a _surprise_."

"Tell me."

_Four…_

"You'll know soon."

_Three…Two…_

"Your Majesty!" Many soldiers ran into the throne room. "A Southern Creature as appeared in the Orchard of the Eastern Zones!"

_ **One.** _

Ja'far was the first to speak. "A Southern Creature breaching the walls at this time of the year? That's odd."

"Is that a bad thing?" Yasmine asked curiously as she played with the handle of her scythe.

Ja'far shook his head. "No. It is actually a fortunate event that the citizens and tourists alike look forward to since each generals alone are able enough to take down the creature without much trouble. After killing the creature, we have the Mahrajan Festival. Surely you have heard of this from your grandfather."

Yasmine shrugged. "I wouldn't know. The King of Sasan and I have not spoken about things such as this, so I am ignorant of Sindria's culture. We were never that close." She said casually. The freckled advisor frowned in concern.

"Oh!" Sai interrupted before Ja'far could prod Yasmine any further about her life back in her country. "Isn't this lucky? Shion loves big fish and parties! He'll be really happy about this!"

At Sai's words, Sinbad's face brightened exponentially. No one would have guessed that he had been in a depressed state just seconds before. "I see." He excused the guards and turned to everyone else in the room.

"Ja'far," Sinbad ordered, "summon Masrur and Sharrkan. Everyone else, please make the preparations for the Mahrajan."

"Yes, your majesty!"

Sensing his king's line of thought, Ja'far smiled and efficiently followed his king's orders without hesitation. The other generals obeyed and got ready with mirroring smiles.

"Can you two bring Shion to the front of the palace so he can watch the performance in a safe location?" Sinbad asked the Blessed Children politely.

"Of course." Yasmine answered immediately and towed Sai away with her before he could say anything offensive to their host. Knowing him, he probably had a thousand more demeaning things to say to the king that were just not necessary.

Sai began humming under his breath.

It took Yasmine three minutes to recognize the nostalgic tune.

"Is that 'Happy Birthday' you're humming, Sai?"

"Of course." He said, a little surprised at her question. "Don't you recognize it? It's the most classic tune!"

Yasmine smiled ruefully. "Sing it for me?" _I forgot the words._

"Happy Birthday to you. Happy Birthday to you. Happy Birthday dear Prince-ling~! Happy Birthday to you!" Sai sang cheerfully.

* * *

Shion stared at the Southern Creature in awe.

Back in the future, those things had been extinct. He had only heard stories about them from Kikiriku, who had hunted them during his childhood. "Big creatures," he had said, "great in length with jaws as big as your body, maybe even bigger."

Shion had been sixteen.

Now, with his much shorter height, the creature was _monstrous _compared to him.

"Whoa. I'm practically a bite-sized snack for that thing." He marveled with sparkling eyes. "So cool!"

Alibaba looked at him strangely as he brandished his sword at the sea monster. "It can eat you," he said slowly, "and you think that it's _cool_? And why is everyone so happy?! They're getting attacked by that thing!"

"I want to eat it." Shion confirmed with a solemn nod at the blonde's first question. "That thing is even bigger than the fish Yasmine caught for me last year! I wonder if it's edible." He added as an afterthought.

Aladdin sweatdropped. "Ah…Shion, don't you think that's a bit…?" Strange? But the magi wisely left that part unsaid. The purple-haired child had a look of utter excitement that Aladdin didn't want to shatter. For once, he was acting his age.

Aladdin started.

_What made him think that?_

A Sindrian citizen, who had been standing close to the small group, spoke up, interrupting Aladdin's confused thoughts. "I apologize for intruding into your conversation, young prince, but Southern Creatures are indeed edible. Actually, they are a wonderful source of protein!"

Shion smiled. "Oh, that's good to hear. Thank you for telling me that, mister." He thanked politely. "You're the man who sells great peaches, right?"

The man nodded frantically. "Yes, that's me! Oh wow, the prince actually remembered who I am! THANK YOU!"

"Oh, um, your welcome? And…keep up the good work?" Shion had no idea what else to say.

The prince decided to turn back to Aladdin and Alibaba as the fruit-seller squealed over 'being praised by the prince himself'. "So! Let's plan on how to kill this thing before it terrorizes this whole island. I'm starving!"

"Sharrkan-sensei would take that thing down in an instant." Alibaba bemoaned. "Why did he have to leave?"

"Aladdin! Alibaba! Shion!" Morgiana rushed over to the trio. Shion was pleased to see that the Finalis already had her chains made for her. He had been nudging his Father to make those for her before they set out to Kou. Good thing that he listened.

"Mor! Long time no see!" Shion greeted warmly. "We were about to take this thing down and cook it into a delicious meal. Want to help?"

Alibaba shot him a look. "That was all your idea. Don't drag us into it!"

Shion pouted. "You're no fun, Alibaba."

"Oi! Everybody! The great and awesome Sai-sama has made his entrance!" A voice cackled, causing many heads to turn. All eyes landed on a smirking Sai and an undoubtedly annoyed Yasmine. Sai caught sight of Shion and waved enthusiastically. "Princeling! There you are! Your royal daddy asked us to take you over to the palace."

"No thank you."

Sai shrugged and turned to Yasmine. "Eh. We tried. Guess we'll be staying on the front lines for the performance after all."

"Performance?" Alibaba finally spoke up in confusion. "What performance?"

Almost right after the question left his mouth, the crowd behind him began cheering loudly as soldiers began banging on metal plates. "It's starting! The hunt is starting!"

"Watch carefully, Princeling." Sai whispered into Shion's ear, making the poor boy jump in surprise at the shape shifter's sudden appearance. "This is all for you."

"What do you-?"

"Here they come!" A woman shouted excitedly, interrupting Shion in mid-sentence. "Our King and the Eight Generals!"

Shion's eyes widened at the silhouettes of his father and his generals.

_Amazing,_ he thought.

But there was a curdling feeling in his stomach when he realized that the scene looked almost like Shion and his own rag-tag group of friends when he was seventeen and they were alive.

Shion crushed the thought.

Instead he focused on Sharrkan's form as he gracefully (but lethally) jumped at the gigantic sea monster. He took note on every angle, every positioning, and every move that was made within every second. As the blade became covered in an ethereal light that extended into a whip-like weapon, Shion could only watch in awe at the _precision _and _steadiness _of his teacher's hand as he dismantled the gigantic fish into neatly sliced pieces.

Even the placement of the sliced slabs of meat was visually pleasing.

(Alibaba's baffled cries of "It's plated?!" was only a momentary distraction to Shion's focus, though Yasmine's dazed comment, "Looks like sushi", almost broke him out of his awed reverie. Almost.)

Shion was so engrossed in his teacher's performance that he didn't notice his father behind him until his hand landed on the boy's shoulder. Shion whirled around and smiled widely. "Father! Did you see what Sharrkan did? It was so cool! Do you think I'll be able to do things like that when I'm older?"

Sinbad squeezed his son's shoulder fondly. "Of course. You're my son."

Again, Shion's insides warmed pleasantly. He had been feeling that lately when his father praised him.

_That's pride, _the Veteran grumbled in his ear, _you used to feel that when _ praised you, remember? He was like a father to you._

Shion frowned. No, he didn't remember. He didn't even remember his name.

Well, that was just wonderful. His memory was still a little spotty. Shion made note to have a long talk with his Uncle once they were reunited.

"Do you like it?" Sinbad asked. Shion almost missed the slight hopeful and nervous lilt in his voice, but he caught it. Again, he was acting strange.

"Do you mean what Sharrkan did? Yes! It was so cool! And the Southern Creature was pretty awesome, too. I never saw one before!"

Sinbad sighed in relief.

Shion raised his brow. "Um, Father? You've been acting really weird lately. Can you tell me what's wrong _now_?" He knew that he was sounding a little whiny, but he _hated _it when people kept things from him.

The glaring fact that Shion was currently keeping a major secret was purposefully overlooked.

Sinbad rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "Couldn't fool you, could I?"

_No, no he couldn't._ The Veteran commented dryly. _We're paranoid._

"Well…Happy Birthday, Shion."

Shion blinked.

…Wha?

"Oh, it's your birthday? Happy Birthday, Shion!" Aladdin congratulated happily.

"Yeah, I guess you're finally nine, huh?" Alibaba added with a teasing grin to Shion's common interjection of "almost nine" when his age was brought up.

Morgiana blinked in confusion. "Ano…what is important about this birth day?"

"Don't worry, Mor, Alibaba and I will explain later." Aladdin assured her.

"It's Prince Shion's birthday? We must celebrate!"

"How fortunate! The prince is having his first Mahrajan Festival on his birthday!"

"Quick! Make the preparations! It's Prince Shion's birthday!"

Shion blinked again.

Birthday? It was his birthday?

After a long moment of tense, uncomfortable silence, Shion was the one to break.

"I'm _nine_?" He squawked incredulously. "Uh? Wha? When did that happen? How did I forget? _Why did nobody remind me?_"

A certain shape shifter snickered loudly.

"SAI!"

* * *

"To King Sinbad and Prince Shion! To the Blessings of the Southern Seas!"

* * *

Mahrajan Night.

A harvest festival that was celebrated at least twice every year.

It was a means of soothing the minds of Sindria's citizens whenever a random monster occasionally breached their tight security. It was also a tourist attraction.

Personally, Yasmine thought that it was just an excuse to party and get drunk. It wouldn't surprise her, since that was just the sort of person King Sinbad was.

But, looking down at the sights, the Blessed Child of Sasan couldn't help but feel impressed. The streets were decorated with various colors, masks, and light (the non-artificial sort). At the sight, Yasmine was reminded of Hawaii. Sindria did share many traits with the popular vacation spot back in Harley's world.

Her eyes wandered over to Shion munching happily on his dish, blissfully unaware of the gaggle of women surrounding both him and his father. She snorted at his simplicity.

But then again, Shion did mention that he would- _did_\- commit himself to one and only one woman. (She died.) Yasmine wondered what kind of person that mystery woman was for Shion to grieve and cherish her memory for such a long time.

Who was she? What sort of person was she? Kind? Witty? Ruthless? Maternal? Beautiful?

Why did he seem so convinced that she was long gone?

(This was the past, right? Surely she should exist here…)

Yasmine took a bite out of the fish meat distractedly, only to rear back in surprise at the taste. All thoughts about Shion and his past were thrown out of the window as she stared wonderingly at her bowl.

_Holy-! This is delicious!_

* * *

"Kyaa~!"

"I'm the next one!"

"No, it's me!"

Shion wanted to cover his ears. He really did. But he didn't want to alert everyone else that he was _completely aware _of his father flirting with his…girlfriends? Harem?

Wait, did his father even _have _a harem or were these women just randomly here?

_Mother, I have no idea what you saw in him before you had me. _Shion thought wryly. _He's a great man and all but…Uncle is right, Father is a total player._

Shion sighed.

"Shion! Come on over here!"

He looked up at his father's call. Sinbad, now (surprisingly) women-free, beckoned him over with a pat on his lap. Shion obeyed by rushing over and jumping onto him. "Oof. Strong jump, Shion." He heard Sinbad say appraisingly. "So, how are you enjoying your first Mahrajan Festival?"

"I love it." Shion said honestly. "It's the most that anyone has ever done for my birthday."

And it was true. Shion had never imagined that a whole country would be willing to come together to celebrate his birthday. And they had done it so joyfully too. Though a darker part of Shion grumbled that it was all because of his father's influence, the fact that it was true only made Shion want to gain it with his own hands. Unconditionally, they had accepted him. Unconditionally, they had loved him.

_But then again, __**they **__did everything unconditionally too. _The Veteran reminded. _Don't go forgetting your comrades now, boy. Don't ever forget what they sacrificed for you._

_Let him be._ The King said disapprovingly. _Just let him be._

"I'm glad." Sinbad murmured. "Since I missed all eight of your other ones."

Shion huffed. "That's silly. You didn't even know that I existed. It wasn't your fault."

Sinbad smiled fondly at his son. "I'm happy to hear that." He then gestured over to the great scene of Sindria that both of them could see from his seat. "Look, Shion. This is your home. Sindria belongs to me and, eventually, it will belong to you."

_Well, if that isn't a declaration of making you his heir, I don't know what would be. _The King commented in amusement as Shion outwardly gaped at his father.

"M-me?"

Sinbad laughed. "Don't worry about it now. You're too young to think about those things. Just know that you are my son."

Shion slumped in relief. "Yeah. I'll make sure to remember that."

"So, what do you want? I still didn't get a proper present for you."

Yeah, and his father throwing a huge party and practically offering up a whole _kingdom _weren't "proper presents". Right.

Shion smiled nervously. "Help me achieve djinn equip?" He offered. "Have Sharrkan teach me how to do what he did with that Southern Creature?"

"Done."

Sinbad seemed relieved that the request was doable and simple. Shion was just relieved that Sinbad didn't push him to ask for something…better.

"The festival will be finished soon!" Shion heard someone cry out from below.

"Thanks, Father. The party was great. I always," he swallowed dryly, "I always wanted to spend my birthday with my family. Glad that you found me."

Sinbad squeezed his shoulder.

"Blessings to King Sinbad and Prince Shion!" A cheer erupted from the crowd blow. "Blessings to the Sindria Kingdom!"

Father and Son watched as two great columns of light roared upwards into the sky, towards the stars and the moon.

* * *

Andromalius pulsed at Shion's side.

Celebrating the day of one's birth? How…quaint. Very much like the humans.

But the djinn couldn't help but understand the sentimentality of the strange ritual. It showed that people appreciated your birth and existence. His King was noticeably happier because of this celebration.

Andromalius pulsed again.

"Perhaps…I should give you a 'gift' too, my king." The djinn said from his realm. "It is only fair, since you have used me wisely throughout the years."

"My King, what do you wish for?" He reached out into Shion's mind, probing it for an answer. "What is your greatest desire? I shall grant it."

When Andromalius got his answer, he sighed.

"My, you never make it easy for me, do you my King? But, I keep my promises. I will grant this wish."

* * *

"_Happy Birthday, Shion. Thank you for being born."_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mahrajan Night: You have to admit that it will totally awesome to have your birthday on a Mahrajan Night. Dinner, Festival, AND a show. Who wouldn't want that?
> 
> Fish Pail: To all of you with sharp eyes, you will know that Sai purposely did this to attract the Southern Creature to the island earlier than usual for Shion's birthday. It was pretty much a gamble but he did it anyways with the aid of the Rubber Band Theory.
> 
> October 29: When I started brainstorming this story, Shion was not in the equation. It wasn't until I stumbled across an omake about Aladdin telling Judal about Sinbad having, like, a bizillion kids (just his dream, BTW) when I realized that a child for Sinbad would be the perfect way to go deeper into his character. There are so many fan fictions about him being a perfect husband (which sounds unrealistic). But him being a great single Dad? I can see that. So then there's Shion. I completed his character on October 29.
> 
> Judal: Hell yeah he's going to be there in the next chapter and many chapters after. He's pissed. Someone needs to die.
> 
> Andromalius' B-Day Gift: You'll find out later.


	20. Chapter 19: Misunderstandings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> So. About that funny scene where a misunderstanding gets played off as comedic relief.
> 
> Yeah, that's not how it's going to play out here.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Onwards

"_So you came."_

_Balbadd hadn't changed a bit. The streets were still lively. The markets were exactly in the positions where she remembered them to be. Some familiar faces flickered in and out of her vision as they went by with their lives, sparing her only a glance or maybe no glance at all. The stalls still filled the air with their unique scents._

_But even with the sun bearing down on her neck and the sharp stones scraping the bottoms of her calloused feet, Amani knew that it was a dream. She knew it very well because…_

"_Kassim."_

_Amani took a step beside her childhood friend and took a long look at Junkyard Street._

"_Remember when you used to sit over there with Mariam to watch us play?" Kassim asked with nostalgia lacing his tone. He pointed over to a familiar road. "And over there, that was where we met."_

"_Did it always look that small?" She asked while squinting at the street Alibaba and she always took when they went out to play. To her tiny body, the path had seemed massive and endless. Now, it looked as big as the hallway near her room in Kou, which wasn't too impressive._

"_No, we just grew up."_

_Kassim lifted a cigar to his lips and silence surrounded the pair._

_Amani drank Balbadd in and with a pang, realized that everything that was in front of her was going to be washed away by Kou. "I will never see this again." She voiced sadly. "Will I?"_

_He exhaled smoke into the air._

"_Not if you don't do anything about it."_

"_I can't do anything." Amani insisted. "I can't. In Kou, I have no power, no influence. They even purposely left me out of the subjugation process to prevent me from trying anything."_

_Instead of being upset with her, Kassim nodded thoughtfully. "I see. So politics are that complex. I think I understand now."_

_Amani blinked in surprise. "What?"_

"_Even if I succeeded in my rebellion, it wouldn't have worked out in the end." Kassim clarified with a grim expression. "Everything would have fallen apart."_

_Amani let out a breathless laugh._

"_Now I know I'm dreaming. The Kassim I know would never-"_

"_-Say that?" He finished knowingly. "I know. But people change. Perspectives change. Especially when you're dead."_

_Amani silently agreed. Perspectives do change after death. She knew that better than most. But his comment about him being dead struck her in the chest and wrangled the little air that was left in her lungs out of her. She hunched over and tried to breathe again._

_Kassim was dead._

_She forgot that for a moment, since he was sitting right next to her looking and acting so _real_._

_She felt a hand rub her back and an arm wrap around her waist as a gesture of support and comfort._

"_I'm sorry." She heard him say. "I'm sorry."_

"_Then don't be dead." Amani told him._

"_You know I can't do that."_

_She did._

_But it still hurt._

"_I wish you didn't go." She confessed. "I wish you didn't-" She choked, "-die. I never wanted you to die. Never. I want you to live. I want you to stay at my side as my comrade. I want you to get married, have children, and grow old and gray. I want you to live a full, happy life. _I wish you didn't' go._"_

"_Ghost." Kassim's hand stopped moving and rested on her shoulder. "Ghost, I'm still here. Even if you can't see me, I will __**always **__be here." Amani felt his arm give her a slight squeeze at "here"._

_She felt her eyes pool with tears that would never fall._

_Amani looked up and gave him a watery smile. "Promise?"_

"_Always. Just between us, remember?"_

_She almost laughed. "Right."_

"_Hey Ghost, I didn't get to ask this before, but can I-?"_

* * *

Amani lurched up from her bed and emptied whatever she had decided to eat into a wooden bucket beside her bed. It was fortunate that Kougyoku was aware of her easy bouts of seasickness since she would have made quite a mess if that bucket hadn't been there.

The door was carefully opened.

"Ghost?"

"M'lady?"

Leah and Zaynab entered the room with matching expressions of concern. Amani offered them a half-hearted smile. "Seasickness got me again." She stated simply.

Both relaxed. Zaynab gave a heavy sigh as she took the bucket away from Amani. "Why didn't you stay in Kou? Sure beats throwing up every hour and feeling sick every meal."

"Don't be so forward with the princess." Leah scolded the woman, but without her usual fire. Zaynab rolled her eyes good-naturedly at the maid's admonishing and continued her duty. Surprisingly, the pair got along well because of their matching spitfire personalities. Leah appreciated feminine strength when she saw it and Zaynab had it. "Princess Amani, do you want to stay in your room for today?"

Amani waved Leah's offer away. "No thank you, Leah. I think staying inside will only make it worse." She turned to Zaynab and smiled fondly at the small bump. "How is the baby?"

Zaynab rubbed her belly tenderly. "Growing well. Hassan thinks it's going to be a boy."

_And he will be. _Amani thought proudly. "I'm sure that the child will be as healthy and strong as his father."

"Solomon help the child if he has his father's appearance too." Leah grumbled under her breath.

Zaynab elbowed her roughly on her way out. "He's my _husband_." The woman said pointedly.

"You know it's true!" Leah called out after her mockingly.

Amani sighed and rubbed her temple, feeling rather sick again. "Leah, can you please keep your voice down? I'm feeling rather dizzy."

Leah obeyed. "Would you like me to help you dress, princess?" She asked, more out of habit than actual inquiry. She already knew Amani's answer.

"I will be fine. Thank you, Leah."

Amani gingerly picked up her light blue dress. It was one of the small sacrifices she had to make to get permission from the Emperor to come to Sindria. She needed to "represent Kou well".

The hanfu was beautiful. Well, it _had _to be since it had been _Seishin _who picked it out, a small blessing to the overall curse. Since her sister-in-law knew her so well, she modified to hanfu in a way that allowed Amani the most movement possible for fighting purposes.

Looked more like a brand of ownership to her.

As the Blessed Child dressed to meet the day, Kassim's voice banged through her eardrums and invaded her mind.

"_Ghost, can I-?"_

_What, Kassim, _she wanted to scream at him, _**what?**_

* * *

"Um, Amani-dono…should I get a physician?" Hakuryuu asked hesitantly, as Amani threw up the fourth time that day. She shook her head as she wiped her mouth. "No, that's not necessary, Hakuryuu. We are almost at our destination, so I will be fine. For now, though, I think I will have to skip lunch. Sorry." She apologized since he was the one cooking the meals.

"No, it's fine." He assured her kindly as he led her back to her seat. Kougyoku rubbed Amani's back and murmured words of comfort.

Judal looked at the scene and snorted."Weak." He sneered at Amani. "You and Pimples suit each other _perfectly._"

Amani blinked in pleasant surprise at the magi. "Thank you." She said genuinely. "Many people don't agree, so I'm happy to hear that you think so."

Amani blissfully ignored Judal's outcry of "Hag! That wasn't a compliment!" and turned her attention to Kougyoku. "Are you feeling okay? We're almost at shore."

Kougyoku's expression immediately soured as both Judal and Hakuryuu's gazes zeroed on her.

"I'm _fine_." She gritted out forcefully. "I already told all of you a thousand times that all of this is just a big, stupid mis-

"You are very kind, princess, but we cannot allow this injustice to pass!" Koubun interrupted her in mid-sentence. "King Sinbad has to pay for his sins!"

Judal looked like he was agreeing with the advisor, judging by the way the wand in his hand was freezing over. Hakuryuu didn't really look opposed to Koubun's statement either, with his grip tightening on his weapon.

_Sinbad will die._

Yes, the Kou Princess didn't even have to use her power to see that was what they were thinking.

Kougyoku sent a withering glare at Koubun. "You're not helping."

"My apologies, Princess."

But his 'apology' was not sincere. It was not sincere at all.

The action wasn't too noticeable, but Kougyoku's shoulders slumped a millimeter and the constant fire in her eyes wavered slightly at what she saw behind Koubun. After she completely processed what she saw, realization and defeat shrouded her bones.

Only two people in the room noticed this.

Judal swallowed a snarl and came to his own conclusions.

Amani sent a concerned look her friend's way, but kept silent.

* * *

"I remember now." Kougyoku said dejectedly when she and Amani were alone. "It was Koubun who did this. He framed Sinbad so I would have to marry him."

"Isn't that a bit too extreme?" Amani wondered aloud. "What in the world was your vassal trying to achieve from all of this?"

Kougyoku scowled. "The baby."

"…?"

"Koubun is an ambitious man. He's not content with simply serving under me, since he doesn't know about my true status as a…you-know-what." She clarified. "So, he originally planned to use my future child with _Ahbmad_," Kougyoku shivered in disgust, "for power. Since that plan went wrong, he's focusing on Sinbad now."

Amani tried to console her. "Well, at least he's pairing you off with a more handsome man, right? It shows that he cares about your feelings just a little bit."

"Sinbad is Shion's father."

"Right. And?"

"_Shion's _father, Amani. If I marry him, I'll become Shion's stepmother!"

Amani frowned when she processed Kougyoku's words. "Oh dear, that does sound quite disturbing."

"Right? If Koubun gets his way, I'm screwed!" She wailed with a waterfall of tears running down her face. "What do I **do**?"

"Calm down. I'm sure that everything will work out in the end. Kougyoku didn't marry Sinbad in the original timeline, did she?"

Kougyoku sniffled. "No."

"Then trust Sai's Rubber Band Theory. I'm sure that everything will work out in the end. I will make sure of it."

"…Thanks, Amani."

* * *

When Judal first set his eyes on his princess, she had been hiding behind that annoying woman Ping's dress, whispering to the hag and pointing at other people. She had been so small that he almost overlooked her.

_Almost._

He had no true interest in her then. The rukh around her had just been particularly loud that day. That was all.

Nope. Not interested in her.

(Liar. He glanced at her _twice._ And the insides of his chest did something strange when she disappeared after he tried to peek at her for the third time.)

So that was why he didn't feel disappointed when she wasn't there in the hallway the next day. And the day after that. And the day after _that_.

(Days, Weeks, Months, _Years,_ yet she _still _didn't come.)

Him attacking Sindria Kingdom and causing many wars was definitely _not _a result of frustration and an attempt at forgetting the light-heavy feeling in his gut. Not at all. He just wanted to see something burn and die, since what right did _they _have to feeling all happy and hopeful like that if he couldn't?

(And for some reason, pink hair and equally pink eyes seemed to always flash across his eyes when he thought this.)

Judal vainly tried to crush the strange feeling with blood and screams. He mercilessly crushed the images of that girl whenever they came up in his mind as an attempt to bleach her out of existence. He wanted to forget her and the strange feelings that came with her. Almost succeeded in it, too.

Then, he saw her again.

Walking through that hallway had become more of a habit than an attempt to catch sight of that girl. But that day, he finally got what he wanted (?) and caught sight of that girl storming down the hallway with a dark look on her face.

It made him angry when he felt the same flip-flop feeling in his gut when he saw her.

It was _her _fault that he felt like this. This stupid, stupid weak girl _made _him like this. She didn't even look important or particularly powerful! It was her fault!

"_Wow, what an ugly face."_ He had called out to her to cover up and soothe his disappointment. _"Old hag."_

He had expected her to cry. Heck, he had _wanted _to see her cry for all that she did to him for those years.

But she didn't.

Instead she-

_Before he knew it, the boy felt a sharp pain burst in his forehead as the force that caused his pain sent his head snapping abruptly back. He took a step back and fell on his ass, clutching his bleeding forehead the whole way. It took him many seconds to realize that she had _head-butted him _and_ it had hurt_._

-and then she-

"_Listen here_, brat_. I am the eighth princess of Kou. But, I'm not like any of my flowery and weak sisters so _don't_ underestimate me. After I find someone who will train me properly, and I mean _properly_, I'll become a general of this empire!"_

Judal could have beaten her bloody for that stunt. No, he _should have _beaten her bloody for that stunt. Yet he didn't. The idea of it hadn't even crossed his mind at that moment.

All Judal did was stare.

He didn't know what he thought. But the stinging throb in his forehead sent an unknown thrill down his spine as she snarled at him for his insult.

_Warrior_, his mind had supplied later on after he was a healthy distance away from her, _that girl is a warrior, a potential King Candidate._

But at that moment, his dumbstruck mind could only process that she was beautiful.

Beautiful.

Not the sort that one would equate with a shiny stone, or a magnificent landscape, or some other disgustingly romantic, sappy description.

It was the sort beautiful that involved blood and despair. It was the beautiful that focuses on the burn of the fire instead of its light. Judal's sort of beautiful.

And he had a feeling that she would understand him, judging by her enthusiasm in causing pain and her apparent thirst for power. Bloodthirsty and vengeful. Just like him.

(Not that he had _wanted _anyone to understand him.)

Judal could have retaliated. He could have made her miserable. He could have humiliated her to the point that all the fire in her eyes would burn out and give way to hopelessness. But he left her unharmed instead. Whether it was because she gained his respect (a very, very twisted form of respect,) or because he was too surprised, even he didn't know.

It was a maid, a new one who didn't know to be afraid of him yet, who informed him that this strange feeling had a name.

"Love" she had called it very enthusiastically. And since she seemed so confident about it, Judal decided to trust the information. She had been very helpful, too, with all the little tips and gift suggestions.

Judal in love.

For others, it might have been a ludicrous idea to ever _consider _that for the dark magi, but for him it made complete sense. Though Al Thamen had done a crappy job of instilling common sense into him, Judal wasn't stupid. He knew what "love" was. Or, at least, the idea of it. He had felt almost relieved when he finally had the name for the uncomfortable yet almost pleasant feeling.

Judal simply accepted this "love" as it was.

He spent _years _trying to woo his princess only to be rejected at every turn. A lesser man would have given up by now.

Not him.

"Magi-sama, I hope that you will cherish this precious person." The maid had expressed before they parted. _"_Love is a very special thing. It is not something that should be squandered. Do not let it slip easily or you will regret it. Keep it and never let it go, for it is rare and priceless."

Like fucking hell he would let go of her now that he had found her.

Judal was normally impatient but for _her_, he could wait. He had planned on waiting for her as long as necessary.

But then that _idiot king _placed his grimy hands on her_-_!

Judal's eyes narrowed dangerously as he paced about within his room. If he had flown, the trip would have been faster. Much faster. Five days faster to be exact. That bastard got to live for five more peaceful days while his princess had to suffer under judging looks for _his _crime.

Not only that, Judal suspected that the Sindrian King was competition.

"_Wait, she didn't tell you?"_

"_Tell me what?"_

Judal shook.

"_Well, that she's-_

"In love with the idiot king?" The dark magi couldn't help but finish the incomplete sentence darkly. "So in love with him that she wouldn't mind leaving Kou so she could marry him?" Judal barked out a laugh and pretended that something in his chest didn't pull painfully.

Sinbad would be burned a thousand times over before that prospect could become reality.

"Magi-sama, we have reached shore." A soldier said with a silver of fear in his voice. As it should be, since he knew about the horrors Judal could do.

Judal plucked his wand from its position on a table and twirled it around casually, making the soldier gulp audibly. "Good. Lead the way, small-fry."

No more waiting. Judal's patience was completely spent.

He had a king to slay.

* * *

Sai was chuckling to himself as the ship from Kou docked at Sindria's shore.

Oh what fun! It was _this _episode of the show! This part always cracked him up in his past life. Sai couldn't help but feel a little vindictive towards Sinbad's for taking most of his King's attention. (Princeling was _theirs_. Not his. Not after being some nameless sperm donor for the last nine years. _Theirs._) So, he 'forgot' to give Kougyoku the heads up on their last day in Kou.

Okay, that part he admitted was a dick move.

But still!

This episode was too priceless to gloss over! Especially now that Shion was going to be in the picture, Sinbad was going to go through a pretty hard time. Besides, the Rubber Band Theory would have bounced this back even if he reminded his friend, right?

_You still should have told her. Kou-chan must have been so scared and confused when she woke up in a stranger's bed. And all of that could have been avoided if you had reminded her._

Sai kindly told his conscience to shut up and watch.

"What are you snickering about?" Yasmine asked suspiciously from his side. "You didn't do anything…did you?"

"Maa, maa, Jazzy-chan. How could you think so lowly of me? _I_ didn't do anything this time." He defended himself silkily. "For once, it's not my fault. I was laughing because I remembered something. That's all."

"And what exactly did you remember?" She asked warily. "Is it bad?"

"It's bad." Sai confirmed excitedly, seeing no sense in lying with this one, since everything was going to go to hell in a couple of seconds. He glanced over her shoulder and whistled. "Wow, looks like the show is starting. Better turn around before you miss anything."

Yasmine whirled around, giving Sai a better view of the events playing out in front of them-

"DIE AND SUFFER, IDIOT KING!"

-just in time to see Judal pelt Sinbad relentlessly with his magic. It took only two seconds for Ja'far to react and defend his king. It would have been comical if it weren't for the size of the icicles that were aimed at the king. They were huge enough to wipe out the whole port and all the people on it. Of course, the Judal he knew wouldn't care but the dark magi usually had more control than that.

"Judal, stop this!" Shion shouted from his position. "Can't we just talk and clear up the misunderstanding like civil people?"

"This is between the idiot king and me so _**butt out**_, Chibi-er Chibi!"

"Shion! Stand behind me!" Sinbad ordered his son while activating his djinn vessel.

Sai stared at the scene blankly. For once, his cheeky smile dropped into a frown for a brief second before forming into a neutral expression.

Oh.

He admitted to himself that he had completely underestimated Judal's feelings for Kougyoku and taken him out of the equation.

'Bad idea, Sai.' He scolded himself. 'Really careless of you.'

But he had to confess that this turn of events, though shocking, wasn't unwelcomed. Sai reveled in the chaos he made, after all.

The shape shifter's lips slowly lifted into a smirk as his mind quickly re-calculated and shifted around the pieces of his original plans to fit into the events that were unfolding at the moment. Yes, he could use this newfound information to his advantage.

_Perhaps, _he mused as Judal and a defensive Ja'far exchanged aggressive blows, _this could be just the thing that could turn the tide of our not-yet war to our favor._

"Do something!" Yasmine hissed at him urgently, shaking him out of his thoughts. "You know what's going on, don't you? _Do something, Sai!_"

Sai shrugged 'helplessly'. "Can't, sorry. This is completely out of my control and expertise. And honestly? I'd rather not face the brunt of his icicles."

"_Sai!"_

"**J**_**U**_**D**_**A**_**L**!" Kougyoku's voice screeched from the ship. The borderline psychotic, I-will-castrate-you-if-you-ignore-me tone in her voice caused every wise man to immediately stop what they were doing and stare at the enraged form of the Kou Princess on the deck of the ship. "I am going to KILL you when I get down from here, Solomon help me, if you don't back away from King Sinbad _this instant_."

It sounded more of a promise than a threat.

(Sai betted twenty gold coins that she would follow through with her promise. And knowing her, she would if she was pushed far enough.)

Catching onto that fact, Judal paled and quickly stepped away from Sinbad and Ja'far. Since he could no longer maim the objects of his hatred, he settled on shooting nasty glares at them.

Kougyoku purposefully strode off of the ship with panicked maids and soldiers trailing after her like ducklings.

Sinbad smiled charmingly at her.

"Princess Kougyoku," he greeted kindly as if he wasn't just fighting a death match with a magi a second ago, "welcome to Sindria. My son has been looking forward to your arrival."

Shion peeked over from his position behind his father and waved.

"You didn't get hurt, did you?" The eighth princess of Kou snapped out of her enraged expression to look the boy over in concern.

Shion smiled and shook his head. "Father is pretty strong, so he was able to fight Judal and protect me efficiently. So, I'm okay."

"Good." Satisfied with Shion's safety, she turned to Sinbad. "King Sinbad, I-

"King Sinbad!" Koubun interrupted Kougyoku, much to her apparent annoyance. Judging by her body language, this wasn't the first time. "You have done to our princess a great and horrible deed!"

Ja'far paled and stiffly turned to Sinbad. "S-Sin? You did something to the princess?!"

"I didn't!" Sinbad insisted.

In the background, the group of maids who had followed Kougyoku simultaneously burst into loud, mourning wails.

"Our Princess has been manhandled disgracefully!"

"Her purity has been taken away! You fiend! Now she can never be properly married!"

"Our poor, poor, princess!"

Sai snickered. He had to give Koubun and the maids props for the dramatic display. If Sai hadn't been Sai, he would've fallen for the well-executed act. Too bad Broadway didn't exist in this dimension.

Koubun held himself up in a pose of righteous anger as he glared at Sinbad accusingly. "You have defiled Princess Kougyoku! Pay for your sins, King Sinbad, or my princess will be forced to take her life to keep her honor!"

("Um, no, I'm not going to go _that _far, Koubun. I like my life.")

The maids went about wailing again.

"Princess Kougyoku~!"

Shion looked around in confusion. "But that doesn't make sense!" He said. "Father wouldn't do anything bad to Kougyoku! She's my friend!"

Koubun opened his mouth and closed it. Apparently, Shion's presence had been overlooked until now. _Another roadblock to your plans, Koubun?_ Sai thought sardonically. _That's right, you forgot that Sinbad already has a kid._

"King Sinbad also wasn't drunk that night." Spartos supplied. Sharrkan nodded. "That's right! We checked that night to make sure."

Sinbad nodded and turned to Kougyoku. "See? I didn't do anything to you."

"Oh, I know-

"Then why was the princess in your room the following morning?" Koubun barreled on, giving Kougyoku no chance to say her part. "According to Princess Kougyoku, you were…unclothed when she woke up next to you."

Judal's head snapped up at 'naked' and his eyes narrowed.

"Oh that. That's normal!" Sinbad said cheerfully.

Judal's body began to tremble. It was subtle that only Sai's sharp eyes caught it.

"…So this sort of thing happens often?" Kougyoku spoke up with obvious curiosity.

Sinbad nodded. "Yeah. It happens often."

BANG.

"Is this whole thing a** joke **to you?"

Inches, _inches_ away from Sinbad's face was Judal's wand. Though it hadn't harmed him at all, his hair looked messier than it had been seconds ago because of the force of the impact. Judal himself was hovering disturbingly close to the king with a look of barely controlled fury. Sinbad stood stock-still, slightly put off by the magi's uncharacteristic restraint.

"Princess never really had much back in Kou because she was the eighth." Judal drawled slowly. "The only thing she had for her was her talent and the metal vessel _that she convinced me to give her_. Me. The Oracle of Kou. And even after _that _she wasn't considered anything higher than cattle to be shipped off to make some useless alliance with a pig king." At this, he snorted in disgust. "Then, word comes around that she lost the ONLY THING THAT MADE THEM TREAT HER LIKE THEY SHOULD because of YOU!"

At his shout, everyone jumped. Even Sai, which impressed him. Even in the canon, no one had reacted to Kougyoku's "being defiled" fiasco in such a way.

He really should re-evaluate his thoughts on the dark magi. Maybe they should try to jerk him out of his antagonist seat in this story before he fell too far? It might take work, but Kougyoku would definitely be happy about the plan change.

"Magi!" Koubun shouted from his position. "Don't act so rashly! Though he indeed did those terrible things to the princess, he is still an important figure."

Judal laughed.

"That's all that you idiots care about." He spat. "How _important _a person is. Well, isn't Princess _important _enough for you? **Huh?** Or am I the only one?"

Koubun, at least, had the decency to look ashamed.

Kougyoku, on the other hand, looked shocked.

"J-Judal…"

"Say the word, Princess, just _say the word _and I'll rip his throat out. There's no way I'll let them make you marry him."

Kougyoku's gaze slowly traveled up to his eyes. She held it. "Judal," she began in a firmer voice, "don't hurt him."

* * *

And just like that, Judal's world fell with those three words.

Of course.

Of-fucking-course.

She was in love with the stupid king. How could he forget?

She must be jumping with joy now that she had the chance to have her happy-ending marriage with the idiot king. And all he was doing was blocking it.

Bitterness welled up in Judal's chest.

He needed it out. All of this. Everything that had been building up ever since that chibi made him see Al Thamen killing his family and making him into…into…

This.

A monster.

Judal opened his mouth.

"_Fine_," he remembered saying spitefully, "stay in Sindria and be Sinbad's whore for all I care."

The moment the words left his mouth, he immediately regretted it.

He didn't mean it.

Usually, he said what he wanted to, but this time…he didn't mean it. He didn't.

He _didn't._

Judal didn't even look at her face when he turned and flew away from Sindria. He flew and flew until sea gave way to shore, that gave way to cities, that gave way to sea again. He didn't know where he was going, but it was definitely away from Sindria and not to Kou.

Anywhere but Kou.

* * *

And just like that, Kougyoku felt as if someone pulled a rug from beneath her feet and sent her tumbling down the highest mountain.

It took her many seconds to recover from the shock and call out to Judal desperately.

"Wait! Judal!"

But he was too far to hear her. Or maybe he did hear her but was ignoring her.

No, he was probably ignoring her. He was angry enough to do that, just like back in Kou when he shut himself away from everyone and everything.

_He hates me now_, Kougyoku realized with a guilty pang when she thought back to his loud and brash act of defense for her. Out of all his attempts to convey his feelings for her, this one had hit home and Kougyoku hated herself for not noticing sooner. Judal did _everything _for her. He even threatened to kill King Sinbad, despite the political backlash and his personal interest in the king. All for her. And what did she do? Throw it all back in his face, just because Sinbad was Shion's father.

But no, it wasn't even that. Everything would have been fine and dandy if she had just…trusted him. She should have told him the truth like she had with Hakuryuu.

_She should have told him that she was a Blessed Child._

Sinbad, though a hopeless womanizer, had not been lying. He did not touch her. He wasn't even aware that she had been sleeping next to him until they brought it up now.

_She knew the truth but didn't speak up._

And now she was paying for it.

Kougyoku's lips trembled.

Behind her, Koubun was milking the situation for what it was worth and continued to paint Sinbad into the image of a terrible scoundrel. The sad thing was that everyone believed him because of the king's reputation with alcohol and women.

"_Believe in me, I beg of you!"_

Sydney had thought this scene was ridiculously funny. Hilarious even. Maybe it was the exaggerated anime expressions or the natural 'feeding from another's pain' feeling a viewer would have when watching a show. Kougyoku didn't know. She didn't even remember much of it.

"_You did it."_ They pretty much said.

Shion, who was still standing behind his father, looked around at his father's subordinates in confusion. 'Don't they trust him?' She could almost hear him think. 'How could they not trust him? Are they that _blind_?' Kougyoku could only feel relieved that his eyes were free of the doubts that everyone else had. He reached over and squeezed his father's hand to show his support.

"_Are you saying our trust was only a lie?"_

It didn't seem so funny now.

"Stop." She croaked. No one heard her so she said it again, louder this time. "STOP! For Solomon's sake, _stop_! Did any of you think to hear me speak my part? Let me speak!"

All talk halted and dumbstruck eyes landed on her, surprised at her shout. She had been silent this whole time, so it was a given that they had forgotten her.

"He didn't do it. Did you hear me? _King Sinbad didn't do it_. He's innocent."

Kougyoku paused to swallow. Her mouth felt as dry as a desert with all the attention pointed to her.

"There wasn't any defiling. I'm still…I'm still a virgin, if that's the issue."

Koubun spoke up. "Princess-

"Shut. Up. I have had _enough _of you interrupting every single time I'm about to speak. Just back off and let me speak my damn mind before anything else goes into hell!" She snarled angrily, ignoring the gasps from the maids around her. "I came to Sindria for only two reasons: one, to accompany my dear brother Hakuryuu and two, to ask King Sinbad himself for the truth." Kougyoku drew a shaky breath. "He says that he didn't do it, so he didn't do it."

"How do you know that he's not lying?" Koubun argued, making her eyes narrow and her breath catch. The peacock behind him shifted around nervously. "Princess, I know that his son is a very important person to you, but you should not overlook this man's misdeed! How can we trust that he is not lying?"

"That's because she's one of us." A voice spoke up, making everyone jump.

There, amongst the crowd like a shining saint, stood Amani with a bewildered Kohaku hanging onto her hand.

"Kougyoku knows the truth because she is a Blessed Child with the 'Eyes that See the Truth'." Amani explained patiently, as expressions morphed into shock and wonder when they turned to Kougyoku. "The others and I can attest to that. _And_," she stressed with a firmer tone when Koubun tried to interrupt, "I can also confirm that my sister-in-law is untouched since I have had experience with…this sort of situation…" She cleared her throat as she received looks of pity and sympathy. "But enough of this farce! If Kougyoku says King Sinbad tells the truth, then he is innocent! Is that clear to all of you?"

The maids and the soldiers of Kou simultaneously bowed. "Yes, Princess Amani!"

Amani whirled around to Sinbad and smiled regretfully. She placed her hands together and bowed. "I apologize, King Sinbad, for this misunderstanding. We only came to ensure that Kougyoku was untouched, but it seems that it was blown completely out of proportion."

"No, no, it's fine. I'm just glad that this issue was cleared up." Sinbad assured her kindly before scowling at his subordinates. "See? I didn't do it! Jeez, don't you see how dejected I am right now?"

"Sorry, sorry, we're sorry!"

And, just like that, Amani fixed the problem as she had promised.

_Well,_ Kougyoku amended bitterly, _not everything was fixed._

Kougyoku sniffed, buried her face into her sleeves, and cried.

* * *

"Amani!"

Alibaba wasted no time in pushing his way through the crowd to get to his sister. Amani sighed almost resignedly as she let go of Kohaku's hand to accept her brother's tackle-hug. "Long time no see, brother. Have you been eating well? I heard you recently gained a new teacher. Are you learning diligently from him?"

"Yes, sister." Alibaba said with a muffled voice as he hugged her tighter. "I missed you."

"Aw, well isn't this a sweet reunion?"

Alibaba's head snapped up at Hassan's voice. His mouth fell open at the small bump in Zaynab's midsection. "Zaynab, you're, you're, you're-

"-Pregnant." Amani finished helpfully. "Hassan and Zaynab are going to be parents."

"…Congratulations." He said a bit dazedly, but it was genuine.

Hassan puffed up proudly while Zaynab simply glowed.

"Kougyoku!"

Both Amani and Alibaba's heads turned in alarm at Shion's shout. They saw Shion rushing from his father's side to comfort a now sobbing Kougyoku. Amani immediately dispatched herself from her brother's side to come over to her distressed friend. Sai, Yasmine and (surprisingly) Kohaku had already beaten her.

"Auntie, don't cry." Kohaku said worriedly. "Don't cry. The nice king said that there's no trouble, so it's okay. Don't cry. Please?"

Kougyoku gave her niece a watery smile. "Auntie will try, Kohaku. It's just-" She broke into another round of sobbing.

Hakuryuu, who had been speaking with Sinbad, rushed over to Kougyoku. "Sister, are you alright?"

"J-Judal hates me n-now!" She wailed. "And it's all m-my fault! I don't know how I e-ended up in Sinbad's bed, b-but it caused all of th-_this_! I should have been m-more careful! If I didn't get knocked out, this w-wouldn't have happened!"

"Oh, Sister." Hakuryuu sighed. "You couldn't have controlled any of that."

"Prince Hakuryuu is right." Sinbad spoke up, startling Kougyoku from her tears. He swooped down, grabbed her hands, and gave her a charming smile. "Princess Kougyoku, please understand that no one blames you for being a victim. Be assured that my men will do their best to find the identity of the true culprit. And I'm sure that Judal will come around," he grimaced a little at the dark magi's name, "so please don't blame yourself."

If Kougyoku were her canon self, she would have blushed. But she wasn't. So she didn't. Instead, she took her hands back from his and used her sleeves to wipe away her tears.

"I understand. Thank you, King Sinbad."

Shion sighed in relief. "Do you feel better now?"

"A little." She said truthfully.

"Princess!" Amani twitched in irritation at Koubun's voice. "Please! You are being deceived!" Desperate one, wasn't he? He just couldn't give up. "As your vassal, I implore you to reconsider giving away your forgiveness so easily!"

Kougyoku looked as if she was going to cry again.

The pair of guards behind her suddenly let out a cry and threw themselves at her feet in obvious guilt. "Sorry, Princess, it's all Ka Koubun's fault." They confessed in usion.

The said Ka Koubun's mouth fell open in shock.

"Eh?! Don't you fools want the promotion?"

"Cut it out, Koubun! Don't you think we pushed enough? She's _crying_. We're not going to stoop _that _low, to make a crying girl even more sad." One of the soldiers said disapprovingly. His companion nodded solemnly. "We're her subordinates. Not yours."

Everyone stared at the scene with ranging expressions.

"Well," Amani finally said, "finding the culprits turned out to be ridiculously easy."

At her side, Sai broke into a malicious grin and clapped his hands in preparation. "With that done, let's think up the best way to punish them, yes? I suggest that we chop them up and throw them to the little fishies for making Kou-chan cry."

Finally realizing his situation, Koubun broke down and begged for his life.

* * *

In the end, they didn't chop them up. His life was spared because of Kougyoku's bleeding heart and the fact that there were children present. He got locked up instead.

But Ka Koubun _did_ get spat on. Two times.

One from Ja'far, who, understandably, had been upset with Koubun.

The other one from Sai, who didn't like how Koubun got out of his punishment so easily.

Sai also flipped him off for a good measure. Koubun probably didn't understand the connotation of it, but it was idea that counted, according to him.

"With that mess dealt with, what is Prince Kouen's daughter doing here? Not that you are unwelcome to Sindria, princess." Ja'far added the last part hastily when Kohaku's expression became downcast.

"Oh. Um," Kohaku shifted uncomfortably and turned her gaze to Shion, who she was the most comfortable speaking to, "Mama told me that I would be safe with you. I-I don't really know why she sent me here, but she said something about bad people wanting to hurt me."

"Assassins?" Shion asked in concern. "Are you being targeted?"

Kohaku shook her head in frustration. "I don't know. Mama just told me to leave with my Aunties and Uncle after I did something strange during a training session."

"Strange?" Sinbad asked in interest. Kohaku's eyes snapped up to his before they were immediately lowered bashfully. Instead of answering, a bubble-like barrier of light surrounded the child's body.

"Mama called it a 'borg'." Kohaku explained shyly before glancing at Shion, worried of how her friend would react to her strange abilities. Before Shion could open his mouth to assure her that he totally thought that her being a magician was cool, Yamiraiha beat him to the punch by scooping her up and squealing.

"You're so CUTE! I'll do my best to make you into a wonderful magician!" The general promised passionately. "That fencing idiot already snatched our young prince, but I don't mind teaching you instead!"

Poor Kohaku looked seconds away from fainting.

Sharrkan bristled at Yamraiha's insult and turned to Shion. "Young Master, let's step up your training! We can't have those magicians beat us, can we?"

"Er, I don't mind the stepping up in training, but I don't think this is a competition."

Shion's sound logic was swept away by the irrational rivalry between the swordsman and the magician. He turned to Kohaku, who had been placed back down onto the ground, and shrugged in a 'what-can-you-do?' gesture.

"They get like that a lot. You'll get used to it. Personally, I think they should get together. Oh, and I think that you having magic is awesome. Welcome to Sindria. Want a tour?"

* * *

Judal didn't know when he ran out of power. He didn't even notice when he began plummeting down to the earth. He just remembered feeling pain, pain, pain throbbing in his chest as it caught up to him.

The ground catching up to him hurt too. Hurt like hell.

He was too tired, too miserable, too _hopeless _to even care. Or stand up. He just lay there and wished for nothing more than to sink into the earth and be no more.

_Maybe this is how it is supposed to be. _He thought as his consciousness began slipping away from the pain. _Since I'm a monster, they probably sent chibi here to balance the scales. No need for __**four **__magi's in this word._

_No need for me to be here._

Sadness reached up and gave his heart a final squeeze.

_She'll probably be happier if I am gone anyways, _was his last conscious thought before he gave himself to oblivion.

(He truly was the detestable, cowardly monster Al Thamen created him to be.)

* * *

"_Hey there, kid, are you still alive?"_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Spat(?) Between Judal and Kougyoku: This was seriously the scene that I didn't mean to make. This chapter was supposed to be more lighthearted but it ended up a bit of an emotional mess on both sides. On the bright side, Kougyoku is going to take Judal's feelings a little more seriously in the future since she had assumed that his feelings for her was purely fascination and infatuation. Sadly, it would mean that there won't be another JuKou scene for a while. (Sorry.)
> 
> Overreacting or OOC Judal: He's not. If you haven't noticed, Judal is pretty new to all of these feelings. Even though he's aware that he loves Kougyoku (or just really, really likes her), the reactions and spouts of jealousy aren't something that he could control. (Not that he had any control in the first place.) Sinbad, since he's...well, Sinbad, becomes a very real threat to Judal compared to all the other "competitors" for Kougyoku's heart. He's just reacting like any spoiled, uncontrolled child would when they're jealous.
> 
> Zaynab Pregnant: Canon. Totally canon. Just check it up on the manga.
> 
> Leah and Zaynab Friendship: This I have been planning for a while. I think they would cause lots of hell together, don't you?
> 
> Magic Kohaku: YES! Kohaku can do MAGIC! I thought it would even the odds a little since there has been a little too many Dungeon Capturers. Kohaku will also go through changes in her stay in Sindria. Kohaku's abilities were discovered during her first martial arts lesson (mentioned in her letter to Shion in the last chapter). Some accident happened which caused her to unconsciously activate her borg. Seishin, being wise, sends her daughter to Sindria and away from Al Thamen's clutches. Gyokuen might have took poor Kohaku under her wing if Seishin didn't do this.


	21. Chapter 20: Revelations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Before the Blessed Children, Shion had another team, another family who he cared for and cherished.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Onwards

The Djinn's Question to his King:

"_My King, what do you wish for? What is your greatest desire? I shall grant it."_

* * *

_Once upon a time, there was a boy who fell into a dungeon and met a djinn._

_The djinn was one who tested the heart. A thousand men had failed his test._

_Except the boy._

"_If you want my power, you need to pay a price, boy." The djinn told the boy after he passed all his tests. "I am not like the others. My powers bring steep consequences to your world. I dare you to pay with your life in full and some more. If you do, I shall serve you as my King."_

_The boy did._

_All five years of it. And three more._

* * *

**Night: The Drunken Chief**

When Chief Apuputsiaq died, he died with regret in his heart.

Oh, he had gathered a lot of those in his lifetime.

Like everyone, there are some small, mundane regrets like never being able to catch that Rampaging Unicorn when he was twelve winters old. His father didn't really mind. Really, he had been more upset that Apuputsiaq tried to take down the monster without any adult supervision. But still, he still was disappointed that he didn't hold on to the beast _a little bit _longer.

But then there were the big ones.

He had been no saint during his time as the Chief of the Imuchakk Tribe. Apuputsiaq had garnered more enemies than he had friends. But that was how it was up at the north. If you weren't ruthless, you weren't fit to rule.

Apuputsiaq wasn't fit to rule.

As much as people thought he took after his grandfather, Apuputsiaq ended up having his father's bleeding heart. Taking up the leadership position…didn't do well with his health. Especially since his ascension was directly _after _he saw his father being murdered in cold blood and him avenging his father by killing for the first time.

Unfortunately, the said person he had to kill had been his grandfather. On his mother's side. The one on his father's side had been pretty cool in his childhood memories, Solomon rest his soul.

Apuputsiaq ended up getting the leadership position at the ripe age of twenty-three, more or less, without any training or experience beforehand.

He never regretted killing his grandfather. He just regretted not thinking it through _before _he stabbed the bastard. The position frankly gave him more grief than aid. It had prevented him from returning to Sindria when his siblings and King needed him the most. While the throne he had unintentionally gained held him back, his siblings were mercilessly slain by a horrifying monster that razed Sindria to the ground with tsunamis, earthquakes, and storms. He couldn't even retrieve their remains, which were long since washed away into the sea by the time he reached the desolate island.

_If only, if only._

As the regrets piled up in his life, Apuputsiaq took to drowning his sorrows with the strongest liquor, taking comfort in the haze of forgetfulness. He had wished more than anything for death. It had been a miracle that the Imuchakk Tribe managed to survive under his rule.

(In all honesty, they had quickly became weary of his habits and sent many assassins to finish him off so as to replace him with a better ruler. It was very unfortunate that they discovered through such a manner that Apuputsiaq's fighting abilities actually _improved _when he was drunk to terrifying levels. His authority had not been challenged since then. That event also gained him the infamous title of the "Drunk Chief".)

Shion's appearance in his life two years into his reign could have been a huge part of that.

Apuputsiaq remembered how the fourteen-year-old boldly approached him, introduced himself, and proceeded to clear off all of the alcohol within the Imuchakk Chief's vicinity.

"No more of that." Shion had said disapprovingly as he took away the last cup from his hand. He had still been wearing a turban then. Yunan had been floating right next to him, watching the whole scene play out passively. "Don't you think that your loved ones would be sad seeing you like this?"

"They're dead." He remembered snarling, snatching the cup back. "The Black Bird swallowed them all. Their remains lie at the bottom of the sea."

Yes, the monster resembled a black bird thus, its name.

"The Black Bird took my mother from me too." Shion had confided. "She was all that I had and she was taken from me. Now, I am rallying up whatever power there is in this world to destroy it and Al Thamen once and for all."

Shion had looked him straight in the eye in a way that had made Apuputsiaq's body freeze all over. "Why don't you put down that cup and join me in this little quest of mine?"

He didn't know what convinced him, but he chose to put down the cup.

(_That choice _he never ever regretted. Even now as he was dying.)

Apuputsiaq vividly remembered having the worst hangover ever that lasted for a whole week after that.

But Shion had saved him.

Apuputsiaq, to the relief of many in his tribe, temporarily left his position as the chief to join Shion on his quest. The whole experience of the next four years had been both exhilarating and freeing. Even as Shion eventually led him into the path of a gigantic war, he couldn't help but think that it had been inevitable and that he would have followed the boy anyways even if he knew about the war beforehand.

Apuputsiaq learned about the world. It was a given with how Shion wandered all around it.

Apuputsiaq learned (slowly) how to heal from his loss. The friends he gained along the road helped with the process, supporting him in whatever ways they could.

Apuputsiaq also learned how precious and important bonds between comrades were.

But Apuputsiaq also regretted.

"Shion…" He rasped as his friend clasped his hands and looked down upon him with a look of dread and desperation. "Don't speak, my friend." Shion begged."By Solomon's Will, don't speak or the blood will run faster!"

"I'm already dying."

Oh the hilarity of the situation. For years, he had been wishing for death and now he got it when he needed to be alive the most. And to think that he was going to die from an arrow wound. He really was a failure of an Imuchakk Warrior. What would his ancestors think of him now?

"Don't speak, Chief Apuputsiaq. Your people need you."

"Kikiriku." Apuputsiaq suddenly said.

"What?"

"Kikiriku. That was my name before…before they forced me to undergo the coming of age ceremony to take the throne. Kikiriku. Please…_please_, remember me as Kikiriku. I'm not a chief or anything like that anymore."

"Hey, didn't I tell you that you shouldn't speak? You're going to come out of this ali-Oi, don't close your eyes. Did you hear me? _Don't close your eyes. _Apuputsi-_Kikiriku_. Kikiriku?"

"**Don't die on me**!"

_Sorry, Shion. _Kikiriku sank into the darkness. _My family is waiting for me at the other side so I guess I'll be leaving first._

_I couldn't fight that Black Bird with you in the end._

_So,_

_I'm sorry._

* * *

Untold Tales of Shion: The Rampaging Unicorn

It had been, honestly, a complete accident when Shion was separated from his group. Or perhaps, it hadn't been since Sai thought it would be a funny idea to dump his sleeping body into one of the smaller rowing boats and send that said rowing boat out to sea.

That had been one of the more vindictive tricks the shape shifter pulled on Shion.

When Shion woke up, he found himself in the middle of what seemed to be a wild storm…but the sky had been clear.

Turned out that his ship floated toward a battle between an Imuchakk Warrior and a Rampaging Unicorn. Since he had been still half asleep at that time, Shion mistook the beast for a gigantic broccoli (it was a weird dream) so he sicced Andromalius on the thing and fell immediately back asleep.

A twelve-year-old Kikiriku, who had been hanging on for dear life, was shocked to find that a child younger than him had taken down the beast. After he recovered, he had the intention to thank the boy and share the bounty of the kill. Unfortunately, the waves that resulted from the collapse of the beast carried the tiny rowboat and its sleeping passenger away.

(Shion was found a couple hours later by a frantic Kougyoku and Amani. Yasmine stayed behind on the main ship to beat the crap out of Sai. Shion was completely confused, since he had been out for the whole "thrown overboard" episode.)

Since there was no way to find the mysterious boy's identity, Kikiriku came back home victorious. He was given the highest praise for taking down the creature at such a young age. Everyone was so proud of him, so he didn't mention that he had help.

Kikiriku didn't really think much about the turbaned boy again until word came out about King Sinbad's long-lost son whose identity was unknown because of the turban he always wore.

The _turban._

Immediately, feeling guilty for not actively searching the boy out for saving his life, Kikiriku approached Prince Shion to introduce himself and thank him properly.

Though the Prince was thrilled (and a little…sad?) to meet Kikiriku, he was also confused at the gratitude.

"For what?" Shion questioned curiously.

"You saved my life when I was hunting a Rampaging Unicorn. Without you, I would have not been victorious."

Prince Shion genuinely did not remember the event but assured the young Imuchakk Warrior that he didn't owe the prince any favors since the whole thing was unintentional. After exchanging a couple more friendly words, Kikiriku was sent away so Shion could finish eating his meal.

"What did you speak about with the young prince?" His father asked him a little later into the evening.

Kikiriku lied. "We spoke of the Southern Creatures. The young prince has taken a fancy to the beasts and wishes to hunt one down when he is older."

"Ah, well at least he will have an experienced companion to come along with him on his first hunt, eh son?"

"…Right."

In the end, he couldn't tell the truth.

* * *

_Daybreak: Kikiriku, Son of Ice_

A star fell from the sky over Sindria.

"_Awaken and protect your King!"_

Kikiriku's eyes opened.

"I'm back."

Memories of a life that he would never live trickled into the Imuchakk Warrior's consciousness and Kikiriku finally realized the weight of what Shion had done.

His family was alive.

Without a second to waste, he scrambled out of his bed with the intention of checking on every single one of his siblings to make sure they were alive and hug them to death.

Kikiriku was also determined to seek audience with his father.

There was something that he had to tell him.

* * *

**Night: The Iron Maiden**

When General Opal died, she died screaming.

It wasn't the sort of scream young girls would usually make when they see something scary. It wasn't even the common scream of a tortured soul begging for death.

No.

It had been a scream of pure fury and frustration as she fell by the hands of her enemies. It had been a scream of "how **dare** you do that, worm?" coupled with a glare that would have sent the receiver underground a thousand fold.

And why did she scream? Simple.

The answer, to her comrades and followers, had been obvious:

Someone stabbed her in the back.

If there was one thing that Opal hated above anything, it was betrayal and cowardice. Her father made sure to drill the importance of honor and loyalty into her mind before his death.

It was a lesson that Opal always kept in her heart as she matured into the strong general of the Partevia Empire.

Opal's father meant everything to her. She didn't care that they were a family of simple blacksmiths with a low income. Dresses and pretty things didn't suit her fancy anyways. Opal much preferred to roughhouse with her brothers and to help her father out in the forge.

(If it weren't for the fact that she was a girl, Opal would have been immediately named the heir of her father's shop. Her skill with metal was prodigious.)

"Fight with honor and valor." Her father had told her when he first allowed her to hold the sword. "Always fight to protect. Especially, protect the weak. Never stab a man from behind."

Ironically, that was _exactly _how her father died. A customer who didn't want to pay stabbed him in the back.

Said customer being her father's childhood friend, a man she had known and adored since birth.

(And people wondered why she had trust issues.)

Successfully traumatized by the event, Opal left her home in the hands of one of her elder brothers and decided to become a soldier. "Always fight to protect." Her father said. So, to protect her family, Opal decided to become the protector of the weak remains of what was once a great empire.

With much effort, Opal climbed the ranks despite being a woman and eventually got to the highest position in the army.

The whole time she struggled, she made no alliances or friends. If her snarky comments didn't drive them away, her uncontrollable temper sent any potential 'friend' running for cover.

When Opal reached the top, her body was riddled with scars and bruises. No man would take her as a bride now. But she didn't care.

Her back remained completely clean of any injuries.

'Never stab a man from behind.' Her father believed.

'Never turn your back on an enemy.' Opal followed and brought along into the battlefield when the world began falling into chaos.

"But isn't that lonely?"

Since none of her subordinates wanted to be at the end of her bark, Opal had never been spoken to in such a bold manner. She was shocked into silence for a moment because of that. That moment had been enough for the stranger to add in the final two lines that changed her whole worldview.

"Don't worry about a thing, Miss. I got your back."

Shion had been fourteen then and he had Aputsiaq at his side. They were travelers who ended up stumbling into a skirmish between Partevia soldiers and mountain bandits. They had insisted on aiding Opal and her subordinates despite her insistence that she was _fine _and everything was _under control._

Except it wasn't. Her men were growing tired and many had already fallen. So Opal had to swallow her pride and accept the help.

"_I got your back."_

And despite her doubts, Shion did. And he continued to do so many, many years after she joined him in his journey to save the world from a dark creature.

"_I got your back."_

Opal didn't know it then, but she had been a coward before she met Shion. Even as her back began sporting scars and bruises, she eventually realized that having wounds on the back didn't necessarily mean that she was a step closer to dying.

"_I got-_

She realized that having friends didn't necessarily mean that she was weak.

"_I-_

_Drip. Drip. Drip._

"I got your back." A voice mockingly crooned at her ear as a blade was wedged in between her shoulder blades. "Don't worry, Opal. I. Got. You~!"

Opal screamed.

("TRAITOR!")

That disgusting, little _maggot. _How dare he do such a thing? _How dare he? _After all those years of being together. After all that Shion did for all of them! That traitor. Opal would never forgive him for betraying that trust. She would never forgive H-

* * *

Untold Tales of Shion: Point Blank

Shion couldn't help it. He blamed sentiment when he made the decision to visit the small smithy at an obscure corner of the Partevian Empire.

His Blessed Children thought he had directional issues. On the contrary, Shion was actually very good at knowing where he was. He just wandered off a lot. He couldn't help it. Staying in one place made him restless and itchy all over.

And especially now, when they were so close to Opal's home.

Shion couldn't help it. He just…he just _needed _to see her. Alive. Breathing. Even if it hurt, Shion had to make sure that she was at least _okay_.

So that was why he ended up in front of the smithy, looking a little lost.

He toed a rock before kneeling down and picking it up. He played with it a little before looking back up at the smithy. Should he?

"Oh? Are you lost, boy?"

Shion whirled around in surprise, almost dropping his rock. In front of him was a man who was undoubtedly a blacksmith. Opal's father. "S-Sorry, sir! I was just…" He was at a loss of words. "I…wanted to see what a smithy looked like from the inside…sorry."

The man chuckled and patted Shion's head.

"Ah, you don't have to be sorry. It's natural for a young one like you to be curious. I have a daughter just a little older than you. Would you like to come inside? You can take a look at what we do."

And despite the emotional pain it would undoubtedly cause him, Shion accepted.

Opal was healthy. He was happy to discover that much. He found himself surprised that the younger Opal's personality was more trusting and relaxed. (She didn't even swear! Not even once!) They even struck a small friendship as they watched her father work. Shion made note to keep in touch with her.

"Ah come on, Julius! I'm a little short on money. Lend me a sword and I'll pay you back later."

Both Shion and Opal looked up from their conversation.

"Like you said with the other two swords I gave you? I think I already gave you too many favors. Sorry, my friend, but if you want my merchandise, you would have to pay for it. I have a family to support."

Opal's father turned away for a moment to put away something. The man behind him raised the sword in his hand with a crazed expression on his face. Opal squeaked in horror.

Shion reacted quickly. He always had this quirky ability in being precise when it came to throwing things. So it was easy to hit the sword away from the crazy man's grip with the rock he was still holding.

_Ping. Clatter._

"What the-? Why you bastard! Trying to attack me from behind, were you? How daring. Come here you little-"

Shion found out that day where exactly Opal got her short temper and scary strength.

What happened next was history. The man was arrested (but was thoroughly beaten up by Opal's father beforehand), Shion got a small dagger as a thank you gift ("You deserve it, kid. You saved my life back there. Come back again for a sword when you're older, got it?"), and his heroics solidified his friendship with Opal and her family ("I'll become as strong as you, Shion!").

All and all, the visit was better than he expected.

* * *

_Daybreak: Opal, Daughter of Fire_

A star fell from the sky over Partevia.

"_Awaken and protect your King!"_

Opal's eyes opened.

"The insane bastard actually did it."

It was…impossible. No, it just seemed impossible but when had 'impossible' stopped Shion? Never. Not even the barriers of time stopped the impulsive man from achieving his goals.

But still. Gaining the ability to travel back to the past was just ridiculous.

Well, no matter. Opal planned to return to Shion's side so she could beat the life out of him for doing such a reckless thing. (Oh, and she owed him a thank you too, for saving her father. That would come after beating him up.)

Opal looked at her much smaller hands before cursing loudly in angered realization.

"_Fuck_, I have to go through puberty again!"

* * *

**Night: The Mad Knight**

When Knight King Jamal died, he died laughing.

No seriously. He was _laughing. _The nutjob even added a little giggle at the end of his mad cackle and he had been burning to death the whole time.

Though, in his defense, Jamal started the said fire on the building to bring down the enemy. He was by no means suicidal, but he had issues with losing. He was **not **a loser. So, to make a point, Jamal settled with a tie, which involved loud explosions and voices of thousands howling for mercy. Psh, wimps.

When he claimed that he would be dragging his enemies into hell with him if he ever died, he meant it seriously.

Jamal never lied.

But did anyone ever believe him? _Noooo_. They just called him crazy. Not that they were far off, but it got pretty annoying when they began overlooking his suggestions and bright ideas because of that label.

But Jamal guessed that it wouldn't have made a difference, since he was born in a place like Sasan. People there were so narrow-minded and limited that it was painful. Jamal remembered clearly that he couldn't wait until he was old enough to leave back then.

Actually, he still felt that way in his last moments. Jamal hated Sasan to the core. Sasan as a whole hated him just as much.

…Wait. How did he end up becoming Knight King again?

'_Because it was your fate.'_

Right. It was because of the stupid voice inside his head. Jamal _knew _it was a bad idea to listen to the voice in his head. It was way too bossy and logical to be from the figment of his glorious imagination.

That was why, after the voice ended up tricking him into becoming head honcho of Sasan (thus, permanently ruling out any possible ways of escaping the place), Jamal did his best to do the _opposite _of what the voice told him to do out of spite.

Yup.

Even if that meant that people would forever look at him as "the crazy man".

Well…that worked until he met Shion.

Shion.

Now, what to say about his most favorite person in the world? Easy. It could be summed up with practically three words: He was _awesome_.

Even though his choices sorta kinda ended up killing Jamal.

(Hey, Jamal took full credit for starting the fire. What happened before that…well, it was a mix of a lot of bad choices made by many people plus Shion and listening to the wrong advice from the wrong people.)

Okay,_ fine_. So Shion wasn't the most perfect thing that was created in this world. He was a human being with flaws. So what? That didn't mean that he wasn't a great friend. Jamal chose to follow that guy for a lot of good reasons.

First, the voice told him not to since "he brought danger around with him". (Which was _always _a sign that he should do the opposite.)

Second, Shion told him that he was "brilliant".

Imagine that.

"Brilliant."

Not crazy.

"_Brilliant."_

(_…That's it. He was totally ditching his country for this guy,_ Jamal remembered thinking and did just that)

Jamal had no idea why everyone was so surprised when he hightailed out of Sasan that day to join Shion on his quest. He thought that they would have known him by then. Guess not.

The years after, Jamal remembered, had been the _best _in his life.

There were no ass-kissers, paddling after his heels for favors or promotions. There were no crowds of jewelry-wearing people, bowing to him in respect every single time he passed (he didn't do anything to deserve that, dammit!)

What Jamal _did _have were friends. Real actual living and breathing friends who didn't hold back from informing him that he was insane but pretty cool at the same time.

Friends. _His _friends.

He liked the sound of that.

Just as the voice warned him when he first joined in, Shion's life was never peaceful. Their group had this habit of getting tangled up with all the issues in the world because of Shion's hero complex. But it was fun. Really fun.

There was just a _teensy weensy_ catch in that, though.

Shion's choices and the voice's demands coincided sometimes. Jamal had no choice but to follow the voice's demands then. Looking back to it, those exact choices his best friend made that echoed the voice in his head, were the choices that caused not-so-cool results.

Like the end of the world.

…

But that was okay! It was bound to happen sooner or later with those coo-coo Al Thamen grunts trying to summon a tentacle-head monster that apparently sucks out your soul. (Or rukh, according to Aladdin. Same thing.)

Jamal was completely cool with lending Shion his battalions for the battle against those Illah-worshipping extremists. He was even eager to join the fray of danger.

Though the Black Bird being added into the danger equation was a pretty scary thought. It literally caused freak storms and tsunamis with every flap of its wings.

But they were buddies. And Shion's mother along with another million lives or so were killed by that thing. So Jamal just swallowed his fear and went with it.

_You are going to die. _The voice had informed him.

Well, everyone was going to die someday.

"JAMAL!" Shion called out desperately.

Jamal responded to his name even with the fire eating at his hair and skin. He brushed the pain away with a cheerful wave.

"Hey Shion!" Jamal called down from his position on top of the burning structure. "Didn't want you to see me like this but…oh well! Time's ticking, so don't dally too long here. You gotta save the world, y'know. Go beat their ass, buddy! I'm rooting for ya!"

'_You shouldn't have befriended that boy. He brought you to death's door. He brings bad luck with him.'_

Shut up, voice. He was having a moment with his friend here.

Shion was saying something. Begging, by the looks of it. But Jamal couldn't hear anything anymore. Oooh, black spots. That didn't look good. Was it because of the smoke or the burns all over his body?

(Why wasn't he hurting?)

"NO! JAMAL, JUMP-!" Jamal read from Shion's lips. Was that tears he saw rolling down his best friend's face? He chortled. Even now, Shion still hoped for him to pull a last second trick to get out of this alive. Usually he did.

But not this time.

"It's been pretty fun. Thanks. For everything."

Jamal let out another laugh before the fire consumed him completely.

"_**Bye."**_

* * *

Untold Tales of Shion: Sister Complex

Yasmine stood in front of Shion and the rest of the Blessed Children looking a little uncomfortable and embarrassed. At Shion's inquiring glance, she cleared her throat.

"Guys, this is my little brother. Please treat him well."

"Yo! Name's Jamal. Nice ta meet'cha, Nee-chan's buddies!"

Jamal was Yasmine's little brother.

Go figure.

Shion was caught between bursting into tears and rushing over to hug Jamal. He settled with a polite smile and a wave. "Nice to meet you. My name is Shion."

Jamal focused on him. His mouth formed into an 'o after assessing him for a few seconds. "So _you're _the guy who whisked Nee-chan away from Sasan. Geez, I thought you were the taller guy back there. You turned out to be just a kid after all!" Jamal complained. "I even prepared a whole 'stay away from my Nee-chan or die' speech!"

"You must love Yasmine a lot then." Shion ignored the 'kid' comment. Nope. Not letting it get to him. "Yasmine is important to us too."

Jamal jumped right up to Yasmine and hugged her possessively. "_My_ big sister. Mine."

Sai snickered. "_Someone _has a sister complex."

Jamal growled and barked at the shape shifter, making his smile grow wider.

"Oh, and he barks too. How _cute_. Are we going to keep him?"

Yasmine reached over and smacked Sai over the head. "Shut up, Sai. He's my little brother, so you better be nice."

"Fine, fine."

"Jamal, you be nice too."

Jamal's expression did a complete one-eighty when his attention turned to her. "Yes!"

"Oh," Yasmine turned Jamal in Shion's direction, "and I also want you to be friends with him. Both of you are the same age, but this guy is super mature. He has my respect. Learn from him well."

"Okay, Nee-chan! Hey you, be my friend. My sister demands it!"

"Oh, uh, sure."

It was a bit forced at first, but Jamal became Shion's friend again.

Eventually.

Like, three life-risking situations, an explosion, and a dungeon-jumping eventually.

(It was worth it.)

Shion learned later from Yasmine that her father or "that bastard" as she so lovingly called him, dropped Jamal into her care to scare him into submission a couple years back when Raja had just died. Turned out that Jamal had liberal and revolutionary ideas that scandalized the Sasan population even as a child.

The plan totally backfired.

Within a week of being in her care, Yasmine had Jamal toddling after her with stars in his eyes. She was pretty good with kids. The fact that she looked pretty badass to a child's eyes (…well, _anyone's _eyes really) naturally had Jamal idolizing her. Their father had to drag Jamal back to Sasan (kicking and screaming all the way, mind you).

Jamal was good using his head. So it wasn't hard for him to sneak out and come back to Yasmine's side again. He had to be brought back, of course.

And then he did it again. And again. And again.

Even the Knight King gave up and allowed Jamal to visit Yasmine for a week every month if he just. Stayed. Put.

Jamal was only too happy to agree to the arrangement.

* * *

_Daybreak: Jamal, Son of Metal_

A star fell over Sasan.

"_Awaken and protect your King!"_

Jamal's eyes snapped open and he jumped out of bed.

"OhmySolomonIneedtogettoShion!"

Jamal stared at the wall of his bedroom for a full minute before bursting.

"And I need to get out of this place! PRONTO!"

The next morning, when the maid came into the room to wake Jamal up, the room was completely stripped of its belongings and Jamal was nowhere to be seen.

There was just a piece of parchment lying on the bed.

"_Going on a religious pilgrimage or whatever. Don't look for me. BAI~! ;)_

* * *

**Night: The Voiceless Pariah**

When the Pariah of Artemyra died, she died in silence.

Complete and utter silence.

Selene didn't know whether she was stabbed or hit with some sort of spell, but she knew that it was enough to render her whole body immobile and give her a wound deep enough for a river of blood to gush out of her veins.

It was painful.

And lonely. Oh so lonely.

Selene wanted to scream. She remembered hearing Apuputsiaq rambling about his regrets and Opal screaming in fury when they died. She also recalled Jamal's laughter before he went up in flames.

It must be nice. To be able to make sounds like that.

Selene used to be able to make sounds like that too. She could say "Mama", "No", and "Why?" at two. Her mother was happy then. And sad. So, so very sad.

Because she asked where her father was.

"Bad man." Her mother had told her. "He is a very, very bad man."

So was that why her mother wasted no time in throwing her out when she realized what Selene could do? Was that why everyone looked at her with those scared, scared but mean, mean eyes? Because she was bad like her father?

She didn't mean to. Really. She just spoke.

She just spoke.

Birds didn't like her for some reason. Birds liked everyone else, but they didn't like Selene. The other girls her age could make the birds do anything for them. She couldn't. The dolphins were nicer, but Selene wasn't very good at speaking with them either. None of them ever allowed her to ride their backs like they did with the other little girls.

(What was _wrong _with her?)

But then, Selene found out that she could make _people _do things.

She didn't do anything bad. She didn't even fully understand what she was doing.

"You have a dangerous ability." Queen Mira told her when the bigger people brought Selene to her. "But you are young."

She was _twelve._

The Queen could have killed her. Selene knew that.

But she was young. A child. So-

_They took her voice instead._

The blade was so hot. So hot. It slid across her throat and she screamed then. She screamed then in a way that she wished she could scream now as she lay dying on the ground.

"If she survives, the child can continue living with us. If she doesn't…" Even Selene, in her pained haze knew what that silence implied.

And they watched her choke and gurgle on her own blood as she slowly lost her voice.

Watched her as she came in and out of her consciousness.

Watched without extending any hand of help.

Watched as if they wanted her to die anyways.

No.

Selene knew they wanted her to die. She could see it.

She remembered feeling hate hate hate hatehatehate**hate HATE**. At the people. At the Queen. At her mother. It bubbled up, but it couldn't come out. Nothing could ever come out anymore. Not anymore. She tried throwing up. She tried scratching at her throat. But nothing came out.

Nothing.

So that hate festered inside her throat and her stomach and her heart.

That hate was what saved her in the end. Selene refused to die. The others saw it too. So they feared her even more.

"Monster," they called her. "Abomination."

"Dumb," the girls her age called her. "Cripple."

Even without her strange abilities they still hated her.

_What did I ever do to you?_ She wanted to scream at them, but even that ended up getting stuck between her lungs and the ugly, pink borderline scratched into her throat.

So she hated.

Hate hate hate...

…hate. All alone. In the darkness. Everything in her life was shrouded in bitterness and darkness. She practically drowned in it to the point that she was convinced that she was the monster they believed she was.

But then.

"Hey, Selene right? Why don't you come and join us?"

_Light._

Shion was her light. He was so bright. He took her hands and brought her into the folds of their group.

Of all things that she could do, Selene knew how to heal wounds. She was pretty good at it too. The Medicine Woman of the tribe had been kind enough to teach Selene a couple of her tricks. Selene knew it was out of pity, but she took what she could get. It was a useful talent since the rest of the group tended to end up in situations where they got terrible, life-risking wounds.

"Thank you." All of them would say. And Selene felt something warm bubble in her chest. "You really saved us."

In the end, Selene had been the one who was actually saved.

By them.

But now she was alone again. Aputsiaq, Opal, and Jamal were already gone. H…_that man _betrayed all of them so she no longer considered him to be part of them.

The only ones left were Shion and her.

Her heart clenched in guilt.

Just him soon.

Selene knew that Shion wouldn't be able to make it in time to see her draw her last breath but she knew that it was for the best. She didn't want to see him heartbroken again.

She wanted to remember him smiling.

_Inhale_

Selene dipped her fingers into the mud, moistened with her blood, and began to write. Shion taught her how to write. Yes, perfect. Perfect. She could express what she felt this way, without him seeing her die. Yes. Perfect.

SHION THANK YC

_Exhale_

* * *

Untold Tales of Shion: Monster

Shion was too late.

He had intentionally traveled to Artemyra with the purpose of preventing Selene from having her throat damaged this time around, but even with the one-week head start he had been too careless!

"Oh _Solomon_, Selene. What have they done to you?"

Shion could only do his best in stopping the bleeding by using parts of his clothing as bandages. Healing had never been his strong point. That had been Selene's forte.

Selene's lips moved helplessly as pitiful sounds gurgled from her throat.

"Shhh, Selene. It's going to be all right. Kougyoku!" He called for his Blessed Child. "I need you to close up the wound. Can you do that?"

"Yes."

"Amani, Yasmine, gather proper herbs! We need to do what we can to save her voice!"

"On it."

"Understood."

"Sai, I know you don't like being ordered around but I need you to stop the-Huh?!"

Shion gaped at his most troublesome Blessed Child as he grimly placed his bigger hands over Shion's to help stop the bleeding. Shion's mind couldn't compute. _Sai was actually listening to him for once. _Shion shook his head and focused on the issue at hand.

Kougyoku did her best in healing the wound but there was still a scar left over her throat. The herbs that Amani and Yasmine managed to gather didn't do much aside from soothing the pain of the horrible wound.

Sai's eyes were narrowed even after Selene was stable. His silver eyes focused on Selene's face as she breathed hoarsely. "Huh," Shion heard him mutter under his breath, "so he only wanted a girl after all."

"What?"

Sai grimaced. By now, Shion considered turning himself to a healer to check his mental stability. He _must _be hallucinating all of this up. "It seems that I have a cute half sister." He said a little louder. "She has my…sire's face."

"_Say __**what**__ now?"_

At the end, Selene's Mother confronted Sai about his identity, demanding to know where his "dangerous" father was. She appeared convinced that Sai was still in contact with the man.

In response, Sai shifted his face into hers and stuck his tongue out at her rudely.

"Bastard left me in a ditch to die when I was a baby, so how should I know?"

Turned out that Sai's father was some sort of criminal to the women of Artemyra named Raul (or so he claimed). He was a magician, a crazy one, who had an uncanny ability of 'charming' people into doing his bidding with only his voice. According to Selene's mother, he had 'charmed' her best friend into leaving Artemyra with him. After only a few years, he came back and spirited her away. It was under his care that she discovered what he did to her friend.

Experiments.

Raul was what you could call a scientist. He had been convinced that mixing his and an Artemyrian's genes would create an 'ultimate weapon' that could control thousands of people, even _countries _with their own voice.

But the infant had to be a girl.

Selene's mother had managed to barely escape him while she was heavily pregnant.

"I knew she was going to be a monster. I knew it." Selene's mother said while pointing a finger at a conscious and very hurt Selene. "She should have never been born."

"How can you _say _that to her?" Shion asked, disgusted. The others shared his opinion. Sai even more than all of them combined.

"A-re, what a bitch."

"What did you call me?"

"What sort of mother would watch her kid bleed to death?" Sai asked her almost accusingly. "I've seen people do terrible stuff and let me tell you that this is re~ally low. Even for me. That's it. I'm taking her with me. Selene is under _my _care now. Got it, you _bitch_? Touch her again and I'll destroy you."

No one complained about his decision, so they left Artemyra with Selene without much trouble.

Though…Shion was just _a little _concerned about Sai being responsible for a twelve-year-old kid.

Turned out that he was already an older brother in his past life.

He was also, surprisingly, very good with kids.

* * *

_Daybreak: Selene, Daughter of Wind_

A star fell over a small town.

"_Awaken and protect you King!"_

Selene's eyes opened with tears streaming down her face.

Then, with a determined gleam in her eyes, she lay back down in bed. She was going to rest completely tonight so she could be ready for her impromptu trip to Sindria.

Selene needed see him. She needed to properly thank Shion.

* * *

**Night: The Weapon**

When the Weapon died, he died with an answer on his lips.

He never managed to say it, though.

It must have been karma, since he was not a good man. In fact, he had been a weapon of Al Thamen's for a long time. Too long. He didn't even remember when he got involved with the organization.

The Weapon only remembered that he had a mother he loved more than anything and a name.

"Hel."

Well, it was more of a nickname. But the slave traders thought his real name sounded too regal for a slave like him so they shortened it to "Hel" so it would sound more savage.

According to the slave traders, he was some sort of monster progeny.

"Has Finalis blood in him." He had overheard one say. "Could snap your neck if you let him get his hands on you."

"Don't forget about the other blood he has in him." Another said. "Those demons in the Tenzan Plateau, that assassin clan up north, I heard that the mother was one of them."

No. Not true. That assassin's clan only consisted of women. Demonic women, yes. But only women. His grandmother, whoever she was, left it to marry his Finalis grandfather. His mother was never…she was never a demon. She was not a monster.

But Hel was.

Fighting made his blood sing and his thirst for the blood of his 'prey' was almost insatiable. Why should he hold back in his instincts if it was going to help him in his survival?

He was a carnivore. He will protect his mother with his strength.

But then he was separated from his mother when she was bought by some sleazy, rich man who liked her face. They chained him up to prevent him from beating her new master into pulp. He could only writhe around in his restraints in an effort to reach his mother like some weak herbivore.

Hel forever remembered her fading screams.

It wasn't a surprise that he became a gladiator to fight for his freedom. Despite his youth, he was a carnivore. Most of his opponents were weaklings against his desperation.

He won his freedom within two years.

(How old was he? He must have been somewhere around eight or nine.)

But he had been too late.

Yes, he remembered now. His mother was already dead by the time he confronted the master. Hel had planned to buy her back, buy her freedom.

She was already dead.

Raped, starved, beaten, Hel could imagine what that man could have done to her that caused her to die so suddenly.

(She didn't deserve this. His mother was so kind.)

After he killed his mother's killer, Hel cursed his fate.

The Weapon remembered now. That was when an Al Thamen member swooped in with a proposition. He would work for them and in return, they would give him the power to defy fate.

Hel, in his despair, accepted it and became Al Thamen's Weapon. He gave into the primal instinct of his blood thirst and released himself from human morality.

From that moment until he first crossed blades with Shion, the Weapon became an animal. He wasn't even human.

"_I stand for my friends! What do you stand for?"_

When Shion asked him that question, he had no answer. The Weapon didn't know. He didn't know anymore.

Everything he cared for…they were gone.

So nothing. He stood for nothing.

"_You lost a lot of things. I understand that feeling completely. I think I would have ended up like you too if __**that person **__didn't speak some sense into me. I was saved. Now, let me save you too."_

'Why?' He remembered thinking. 'Why waste energy for a lost cause?'

He had rejected Shion's offer and remained in the darkness. But those words…they planted seeds of- dare he think it? – _hope_ in his mind and began fighting against his primal instincts.

Slowly, oh so slowly, the Weapon of Al Thamen began showing signs of "Hel".

Shion saw this and relentlessly tried to convince him to join the light.

In the end, instinct gave way to morality. The Weapon betrayed Al Thamen and joined Shion's side. Ironically, around the same time, one of Shion's betrayed him too.

The traitor was surprisingly strong. Shion would have lost if he fought against him alone.

But Shion was not alone.

"Wow~! I can't believe that you actually let Shion talk you into leaving Al Thamen! I guess he really is a miracle worker with the lost souls, ne?"

"Don't speak, _Snake_."

"Oooh, scary, scary! Now, show me your hatred, Weapon!"

The battle between the traitor and the sinner ended in a draw.

But the traitor did not play fair. No, he did not. There was poison on the blade. Potent poison.

_I am going to die._ Hel realized as Shion caught him. _I am going to die._

The Weapon did many deplorable things in his life and he remembered _loving _it. His primal instincts demanded blood and battles. Now…he only felt disgust and shame for what he did. His mother would undoubtedly be disappointed in him.

But in the end, _Hel_ chose the right thing, didn't he?

"Hey Hel, do you think we could have been friends if the world wasn't this messed up?" Hel blearily heard Shion ask tiredly.

"_Maybe."_

But that answer was lost in the wind of his last breath.

* * *

Untold Tales of Shion: Growl

Shion hated slavery.

Those shackles, those chains.

To be caged and held down by those metal things was like a death sentence to the free boy. His spirit and his feet would have never allowed him to remain sane in such a situation.

He could only imagine what those poor people were going through right now.

This was why he didn't like visiting Reim.

Shion sighed. "Wow, I can't believe I actually got lost for real this time. The girls are definitely going to put a leash on me after this."

His stomach growled.

It was a good thing that he was holding a good part of the money from the last dungeon diving. Sai finally received his metal vessel, Barbas. One gold coin should be enough to get him a full meal.

"NO! Mother! Get your hands off of her you filthy jackals! MOTHER!"

Shion paused in mid-step at the cry and turned his head. His heart ached at the sight.

It was a slave auction.

"I'll buy that woman for thirty gold coins!" A fat man said as he reached out to take the mother by the arm.

"WAIT!" Shion found himself shouting. "I-I have three hundred gold coins right here. I want to buy both of them!" He re-evaluated his statement when he saw the other slaves. "Never mind, I want to buy all of them with a thousand gold coins!"

The slaver trader had been mocking at first, but when he saw the actual coins being waved in front of his face he automatically changed his tune. "Of course, little master!"

And just like that, Shion ended up with over forty people standing in front of him.

All of them stared at him with curiosity. Some were even incredulous.

"Um…so yeah. I'm not really interested in owning slaves, so you're all free."

"…"

"Oh, and each family will have fresh clothing, a week's stay at an inn, and ten gold coins to start off with your free life. Sorry if the amount is a bit meager. It's all I have left." Shion apologized sheepishly. "But it should be enough for a good jump start, don't you think? No need to be thrown back into slavery, right?"

"…"

"Wow, tough crowd."

"…"

"Okay, I'm going now. Bye."

"Wait!"

Shion turned in surprise at the boy who spoke up. The other slaves had already scattered, leaving behind the boy and his mother.

"Why?" The kid demanded.

Shion blinked. "I did it because bad people took my mother away. Guess I didn't want it to happen to other kids too. So I bought both of you. _Then_, I thought it was unfair to the others, so I bought them too. Oh, and I hate chains. Never really liked them."

GROWL~

Both boys stared at Shion's stomach.

"You're hungry." The boy stated flatly. "And you're broke. What kind of idiot _are_ you? Here." The boy handed Shion one of his gold coins. When Shion tried to deny it, the older boy pinned him down with a pointed glare. "I can take care of my mom with nine _gold _coins. Now go and feed yourself, idiot. People like you are going extinct and I don't want to see your kind wiped out because of something as stupid as self-starvation."

GROWL~

Shion stared at the boy. The boy glared at his stomach as if it betrayed him.

"I think this is enough for a group meal. Why don't we share a meal?" Shion suggested.

"Fine."

* * *

_Daybreak: Hel, Son of Blood_

A star fell over Reim.

"_Awaken and protect your King!"_

Hel's eyes opened to sand. He slowly got back up to his feet and shot a nasty glare at his sparring partner. There was _no way _he was going to accept this…this herbivore as a replacement father, no matter how much his mother liked him. Though, he grudgingly admitted to himself that this man was _not _weak during their spar.

Hel made up his mind and decided to travel to Sindria to get answers from a certain fellow carnivore.

Muu Alexius sweatdropped. "Ah, did I push you a little too hard, Hel? Sorry about that. So, what do you think? Am I strong enough for your mother now?"

Hel got into a stance with a sharper look in his eye.

Beating this man to submission came first. _Then_ he would give Shion a surprise visit.

"_Kamikorosu."_

* * *

**Night: Her**

When she died, she died in his arms.

"Don't die." He begged her. "Please. I love you."

There was so much that she wanted to tell him that couldn't be described in words.

Shion. She loved him. She loved him so much.

She didn't want to go. But she could already hear and see the rukh waiting patiently for her to join it. Instead of being afraid, she was almost tempted to reach for that light. It felt so warm.

But so did Shion.

"Shion, remember when you asked my father to court me? That was the bravest thing you ever did for me." She told him fondly. Cold. She was so cold. So she held onto Shion for warmth. "Papa was so angry. But I think he was proud too. He liked you, you know."

Shion, that crybaby, began to sob and beg.

"I was so happy."

He knew that her end was coming. She knew it too. So she held on a little longer. For him. Only for him.

"I love this world." She commented airily as she looked at the night sky. The edges of it were beginning to burn into morning. The sun wasn't quite in sight yet. But it would be after she was gone. "It's so beautiful, Shion. Can't you see it? It's so beautiful."

"I know, I know. Please."

She squeezed his hand. "Promise me that you will continue walking after I'm gone. Promise me to save this world, Shion. Please."

"I…promise. I will."

She knew that she sounded a little unfair.

But she wanted Shion to have a reason to live.

Because-

"I love you. From this life to the next and the one before, I have and will always love you."

By daybreak, she was gone.

* * *

Untold Tales of "Her": Voices

_Can you hear me?_

Go away.

_Please, listen to me._

No. Stop it. Go away. I don't want you here. You're the fairy Shion told me about, aren't you? Go away. You scare me. Uncle Mei says that hearing voices in your head is a bad thing. Stop it.

_You are not crazy. I exist. You need to listen._

No I _don't._ Go away.

_Please._

…

_Please, I need to help him._

…Help who?

_Shion._

Fine. But only because Shion is my friend. Who are you anyways?

_My name is-_

* * *

_Daybreak: Her Name_

Shion led Kohaku around Sindria. He showed her the views and towers. He made her laugh with the strange masks that he kept from his first Mahrajan. The soldiers lined up to guard smiled at their childish antics and left them well to their own devices.

But as he was showing her the trees, Kohaku suddenly stopped.

"Kohaku?" Shion asked, a little worried. "Are you okay? You didn't sprain your ankle because I pulled you too hard, did you?"

"No."

"Then what's wrong?"

For some reason, the air around Kohaku was strange. Different. But not hostile. No, it actually felt familiar. Shion tilted his head to the side. "Kohaku?"

"I love you." Kohaku said. Before Shion could say anything to the sudden confession, she continued her sentence. "From this life to the next and the one before, I have and will always love you."

Shion stilled.

No.

_Could it be?_ The Veteran asked with so much hope that it hurt.

No. It was impossible.

_But she could be. _The King said softly.

No. She died. He sacrificed her. She was never coming back. She was-

"Shion." Kohaku said with so much familiarity. She reached out and held his hand. Shion almost cried out at the _warmth _and _rightness _in the grip. It was the touch that he had missed for nine years. But was it really her? Was it?

"Shion."

Then, it crashed down onto him like a lightning bolt made of cold water.

It was her.

It was _really her._

Shion didn't know when he started crying.

Kohaku wiped his tears away patiently. "You crybaby." She said fondly. "Don't you think you should have grown out of those tears by now?"

"A-A-A-"

"Yes. It's me, Shion. Say my name."

"_**Amani."**_

* * *

_Once upon a time, there was a boy who fell into a dungeon and met a djinn._

_The djinn was one who tested the heart. A thousand men had failed his test._

_Except the boy._

"_You have already paid the price long ago." The djinn said. "You are worthy of my power, My King."_

_And so, the boy left the dungeon and paid naught but a few minutes of his life._

_This time around._

* * *

The King's Answer to his Djinn:

"_What I wish for, more than anything, is that my friends would be here with me."_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "Pay with your Life": On the first time around when Shion became Andromalius' master, he had to "pay" with his life. He was five years old at that time so the djinn only held him inside the dungeon for five years in his own world's time. The three extra years is a nod to the cliche "three wishes" thing. It was only a second for him but eight years for his family. This was why he wasn't seen in the canon timeline (or my excuse anyways).
> 
> Apuputsiaq/Kikiriku (15): He is a canon character. His second name is my "coming of age" name for him since it is Imuchakk culture.
> 
> Opal (12): I was thinking about an Erza from Fairy Tail with trust issues, a shorter temper, and a dirty mouth. And Toph from Avatar the Last Airbender too. Since her father isn't dead this time around, she won't join the Partevian Army and become general. She is going to stick to being a blacksmith. Her skills in that area is actually prodigious. Her weapons will be a pair of hammers.
> 
> Jamal (9): He is your average "mad scientist". I based him off of Genie from Aladdin and King Bumi from Avatar the Last Airbender. He's pretty much your average crack character. He is considered Shion's closest friend in the nonexistent future. Since he was technically "brought back to life", he has knowledge from our world so he will be shamelessly using modern slang, quoting from movies, and blowing things up. Jamal is the inventor of the group so he'll be coming up with interesting things to make with his knowledge of our world. He still has a sister complex.
> 
> Selene (15):Sai's half sister and a pariah. She's mute. She can't control birds like the rest of her clan. And, Selene's ability to control people with her voice (taken away by throat-slitting) is actually because of magic so that makes her a magician...sort of. She has extensive knowledge in healing but she will be focusing more on poison study under the influence of her older brother (dammit Sai!)
> 
> Hel (13): To make it clear, he and Shion were never really friends. Shion just thought of him as such when Hel decided to change sides. Their relationship was more of a rivalry though they will become close friends in the future. And yes, I really did base him off of Hibari Kyoya from Katekyo Hitman Reborn! How can I not? He's an awesome character! And the phrase at the end was him copying Hibari since he gained knowledge of our world when he was revived. Both of them share a lot of characteristics so Hel took the phrase as his own. I made Muu his "sort-of-step-father-but-not-yet" for comic relief since their personalities will definitely clash. Hel, like Shion, loves his mother very much.
> 
> Amani Saluja/Kohaku (9): Surprise! Finally, Shion's mystery woman's identity is revealed! Yes, in the nonexistent future, Shion fell in love with Amani. Since "Kohaku" wasn't supposed to exist, Fate used the "nonexistent future Amani's" soul for Kohaku to come into creation, which made her revival possible. Technically, nf!Amani and Shion should be ten years apart but Shion being stuck in a dungeon for eight years only gave them a one year age difference.


	22. Chapter 21: Invasion of the Chibi Generals

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Generals return to their King.
> 
> Or: A bunch of preteens barge into (or back into, depending on the perspective) Prince Shion's life, shaking up Sindria as they do so.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Onwards

Pain.

That was the first sensation Judal felt when he was conscious. It was the burning, aching sort of pain that he felt in the left side of his body, aside from his face. His arm especially.

He groaned.

Something shuffled at his right, cutting him off. He tensed and growled threateningly "Who is it? What do you want?" Judal tried opening his eyes to see the other inhabitant in the…cave? Yes, it was a cave. Every sound he made bounced off walls in an empty space. But Judal couldn't see. Something…something was covering his eyes. A blindfold.

Something cool touched his shoulder. Judal flinched at the sensation and began struggling. "Let go of me, you bastard! Do you want to die?!"

"Calm down. I'm only here to help, kid." A male's voice stated soothingly while holding the struggling magi down. To Judal's shame, it didn't take much because of his weak state. "I'm not going to hurt you, okay?"

Judal didn't answer but he stilled and allowed the man to finish applying medicine on his shoulder.

"You fell on your left leg and arm pretty hard. Your leg is broken but that'll heal after some time. Sorry for performing operation on you while you were out. It was the only way to save that leg. Just don't move around too much or you'll mess up my hard work. Your arm…well, you busted it up pretty bad. Just don't expect it to work as well as it used to, okay? The impact from your fall almost ripped it clean off your body so I did my best with it. If it doesn't go well, I might need to amputate it." The man said apologetically. "You're also going to have a lot of burns on your body. Sliding on the ground like that would definitely leave burns on the skin."

Judal processed the information and froze in fear. His arm…might not work? He would need to amputate it? That would leave him as a cripple and worse: powerless. Completely powerless.

He was weak now.

The man grunted in annoyance. "I know that look. Quit it, kid. Thoughts like that won't help you. Just feel grateful that you're alive."

"Grateful?" Judal spat bitterly while slapping the man's hand away with his good hand. "You expect me to be grateful? Ha! Don't make me laugh. You don't know what you're talking about. You just wasted your medicine on a lost cause."

_I want to die._

"…I see." The man shifted away and shuffled through something. "So my patient is suffering through 'wounds of the heart' too. Sadly, I have no medicine for that, kid. You have to sort out your problems on your own." Judal felt the cool sensation of a wet cloth on his face. Judal could _smell _the herbs and medicine mixed into it. "But let me say this: you're taking the coward's way out by giving up now."

Then, the man stood up and left Judal alone.

The magi was almost thankful that the man placed the wet cloth over his face when he began to cry.

* * *

"Haku-chan, remember to always be respectful when speaking with Sinbad. He's our host and we are the ones who are asking for favors." Kougyoku repeated her advice to her stepbrother for the thousandth time. Both were making their way to Aladdin and Alibaba's room to introduce (or in Kougyoku's case, _re-_introduce) themselves before their formal meeting with Sinbad.

"Understood." Hakuryuu said with a straight face.

"Good." Kougyoku nodded sharply and continued striding forward, completely ignoring all the stares and whispers. "We will be lucky if he doesn't tell us 'no' outright, so take whatever you can get from him."

"Of course." His straight expression began breaking, pink beginning to color his cheeks. "Yes."

"And for Solomon's sake, please, please, _please_ don't push. You tend to be pushy when you don't get what you want." She nagged.

"I understand completely, but um…S-Sister Kougyoku." Hakuryuu stuttered out, finally giving into his embarrassment. "Please excuse me from straying from the subject, but…what _are _you wearing?"

Kougyoku stopped to glance down at her own figure and look back up at him in genuine confusion.

"What do you mean?"

Hakuryuu cleared his throat. "Sister, you are wearing _pants_."

"So? I'm wearing a dress over it so it should be okay."

What was the issue? She was just wearing a simple white dress and red pants. Though she knew the red slippers might have been overkill, Kougyoku really wanted to wear something simple for once that matched the 'Arabian Nights' theme of this world. Now that Koubun wasn't lording over every single one of her choices, she had the freedom to do as she pleased.

Besides, she needed a distraction.

"You hardly have any clothes _on _you." Hakuryuu began fussing. Kougyoku wanted to stomp her foot and insist that – really, it was actually a pretty modest outfit – but she knew it would appear childish of her so she refrained. "Where are your other layers?"

"It's humid here. Why would I go through the torture of wearing those bothersome layers? I don't see anyone else here wearing hundreds of layers on their person. I think clothes like this are acceptable here." Kougyoku said logically.

"The dress hardly reaches your legs!"

"That's what the pants are for." _Duh._

Hakuryuu made a strange sound from the back of his throat.

"Look at your shoulders! How could you leave them uncovered? What if men start looking at you with lewd eyes? You should at least let Amani-dono lend you one of those shawls of hers."

Kougyoku considered his suggestion seriously. "Hm. Good idea. A shawl _would _look good with this outfit. I think Amani has one with a similar color. You have surprisingly good taste in style, Haku-chan."

Hakuryuu didn't know whether to feel relieved or worried by her easy acquiesce.

"Oh. We're here!" Kougyoku said enthusiastically. She gave the door a firm rap before allowing herself in, much to the shock of Hakuryuu. "Oi! Amani, are you in here?"

"Yes, Kougyoku." Amani replied in amusement. Alibaba regarded the Kou Princess with a look of shock that mirrored the one on Hakuryuu. "Did you finally put your hair down into a ponytail? I told you the hairstyle would look nice. The dress also looks _wonderful_ with those slippers. And the pants! I envy you."

"I have an extra pair in my luggage if you want one."

Both Alibaba and Aladdin sweatdropped at Kougyoku's antics. "Is she really the princess we saved back in Balbadd? She acts so differently! And…is she wearing _pants_?"

Kougyoku looked up from her conversation with Amani and sent him a _look_. "Yeah they're pants. So? Got a problem?"

"Alibaba, they are just pants." Amani agreed from her side. "I don't see how it is a problem."

Alibaba shook his head frantically when he realized how he sounded. He had long since snapped out of his sexist views since Yasmine made sure to beat it out of him during her hellish training. "No! That's not what I meant! Many women back in Qishan wore pants. Yasmine-sensei does too. So I would never think such a thing! It's just…I heard that women in Kou aren't-"

"-allowed to wear pants?" Kougyoku cut in with a smirk. "You're right. They're not. But I never really followed their expectations." She held her hand out. "The 'Princess Kougyoku' you met back in Balbadd was an act I usually put up during political situations. Let me re-introduce myself. I am Kougyoku, Princess of Kou, Blessed Child, and Amani's comrade. Nice to meet you, Alibaba, Aladdin. I hope we can be good friends."

* * *

"Oh! I almost forgot. This is my brother, Hakuryuu. Please be good friends with him too. He's a bit anti-social and shy, but I bet a pair of optimistic fellows like you will be able to draw him out of his shell."

Hakuryuu bowed in greeting. "Nice to meet you. I apologize for my sister's actions."

"Not at all." Alibaba assured the Kou Prince amicably. "Really. We're used to it."

* * *

"Shion, Kohaku! Had a fun time playing outside?"

"About that, we need to have a meeting."

"Sure! After I tuck Kohaku into bed, I'll gather everyone-

"As in _right now_, Kougyoku. With Kohaku."

"…Understood."

* * *

The four Blessed Children stared at Kohaku with a range of expressions. Shion shifted uncomfortably beside a smiling Kohaku.

"So…you're Amani?" Kougyoku finally choked out. "Wait, is that even possible? Then how is Amani still here?"

Sai began poking Amani. "Hey, hey, Bee-chan. Do you feel any different? Are you going to combust or merge with Kohaku because of this paradox?"

Yasmine slapped his offending hand away. "Stop harassing her. This is serious!"

"Well, I have been eating less and feeling a little under the weather during our trip here." Amani confessed. "But I think it's because of seasickness more than anything. I'm eating more in Sindria and the nausea stopped." She glanced at Kohaku. "It's a bit strange to be talking to myself. The experience is a bit…jarring."

"The feeling is mutual. Seeing my body moving and speaking differently is weird." Kohaku agreed honesty. "But that's fine since it's really not my body anyways."

"'Not my body', you say?" Sai parroted. "You're making it sound as if you're not Bee-chan in the first place."

Kohaku's smile turned sheepish. "It's a bit confusing for me too, you know. I'm Amani. But I'm not. I'm Kohaku. I've always been Kohaku. But ever since I came to Sindria, I became Amani too."

"So you're saying that you are Kohaku no matter what. Just with extra memories of another person." Yasmine clarified.

Kohaku nodded. "This flesh and this soul has always been 'Ren Kohaku'. I just received 'Amani's' memories, feelings, and experiences."

"Then, you're **not** Amani?" Kougyoku asked quizzically.

Kohaku blinked slowly. "I am Amani as much as Amani is Phoebe."

("Wait, how did you know that?" Yasmine asked her. Kohaku gestured over to Shion. "Shion told me.")

"Oh, I get it now." Sai chuckled. Everyone turned to him for the explanation. "It's almost like a computer and a hard drive. Kohaku-chan and her body are the computer and the non-future Amani's memories are like information stored in a hard drive. I have no clue what the hard drive is or how it 'connected' with 'the computer', but the information essentially becomes part of the 'computer' after the information is transferred." He explained, going into lecturing-mode. "Because of that, Kohaku-chan is able to coexist with Bee-chan since they are essentially two different souls."

"Oh." Every chorused while nodding.

Kohaku giggled. "That's one way of describing it."

And that was that. Everyone agreed that Amani was Amani with some extra memories and Kohaku was Kohaku with some extra memories.

"Amani and my Amani are completely different people anyways." Shion assured all of them when Amani expressed her concern of causing him unintentional pain by marrying Koumei. "Since my Amani was raised by an idealistic father and a naïve mother, she has always been very cute and easily embarrassed."

He got slapped for that. By a very flustered Kohaku. Which proved his point.

"See?" Shion chuckled while sporting the slap-mark proudly. "Very cute."

Everyone had a feeling that this would be a very common occurrence.

("Wait, _naïve _mother? Don't tell me that Alibaba married-" "Yes, Kougyoku. Alibaba had to marry the other version of you to reclaim Balbadd in my timeline." "…Gross. No offense Amani, but that is _so _not happening this time.")

With the confusion cleared up, the Blessed Children warmly welcomed Kohaku into their small group, completely unaware that they would be bombarded by a couple more new faces in the future.

But that happened later. Way later.

* * *

Actually, it only took three days for everything to start falling into chaos.

Kikiriku was the one who approached Shion first.

It was right after his daily swords training with Sharrkan. Kikiriku had been waiting for him with a water bottle. Shion, as always, greeted the Imuchakk Warrior pleasantly and thanked him for the water.

Kikiriku timed the news exactly when Shion began to take his first swallow.

"Apuputsiaq."

Shion did a spit-take. As expected. And it was glorious.

(As thankful as he was for the second chance in life, Kikiriku still had a mischievous streak. There was no way he was going to allow a chance to prank his constantly calm friend to slip from his fingers.)

What Kikiriku _didn't _expect was for Shion to squawk out, "You too?!"

After three (or five, but Kikiriku thought the extra two didn't count since they were completely incomprehensible) long explanations, Kikiriku hugged both Shion and Kohaku tightly and bawled loudly for hours.

"So you have no idea how I got back here?" Kikiriku asked some time later when he calmed down. Shion shrugged helplessly. "No. But I think it might have been my djinn's doing. He's the only one with that sort of power."

"Well, whatever. It doesn't really matter. You gave me a second chance to protect my family." Kikiriku kneeled and looked Shion in the eye. "Please, let me fight by your side again, my king."

And that was how Kikiriku was (re-)added to his group of friends.

Completely unaware of what was really going on, Sinbad and Hinahoho simply took it as their friendship extending to the next generation.

* * *

"_My, is that Kikiriku? He grew so much! What age is he again?"_

"_Fifteen winters old."_

"_Look at the size of the fish he caught. Almost his size! What a strong young man! And very kind to his younger siblings too. Such a pity that he is an Imuchakk, I would have paired him up with my niece."_

_"He resembles his father during his youth!"_

"_But don't you think he has his mother's mouth?"_

"_He does."_

"_Is that Prince Shion over there? I never knew that the two were friendly. Well, never mind that. Their fathers were like that too."_

"_Like father, like son."_

"_Yes, yes. Like father, like son."_

* * *

Jamal, in his enthusiasm, came next.

If anyone ever asked about the incident, they would be met with groaning, wailing, and shaking heads.

Needless to say, Jamal completely and successfully obliterated, mocked, and shamed Sindria's security within a mere two hours. He sent the country into complete chaos. He even got King Sinbad to panic, a feat that even Al Thamen couldn't achieve. In the end, Jamal was willingly captured and dragged to Sinbad, cackling all the way.

Sinbad being shocked that the perpetrator of the madness was a _child _was an understatement. When he managed to gather his wits to question the child, Jamal shocked him once again by demanding to see Shion.

Shion chose that moment to walk in to ask his father for his help on attaining his djinn equip. Jamal, of course, greeted Shion naturally as if he wasn't tied up and placed under the mercy of the King.

"Yo Shion! I decided to drop by. So this guy is your dad?"

The Sindrian Prince could only swallow thickly in reply and turn to his father to explain everything.

No, this boy wasn't sent from Al Thamen to do their dirty work. No, this boy did not mean to do any harm. He was only doing it for fun. Yes, this boy was a Prince of Sasan and Yasmine's little brother. Yes, he was his best friend. Yes, him doing this kind of thing was actually normal. Just wait for the King of Sasan to send a letter of apology after word of the fiasco comes out – yes, it was _that _common.

When Shion turned to Jamal and sternly told him to apologize, Jamal hotly insisted that he was actually _helping _Sindria by crashing in and wreaking havoc. "What if it was actually those Al Thamen lackeys? I don't care if everyone says that Sindria's security is totally 'top notch'. If it isn't Jamal-proof, it isn't perfect." He said stubbornly.

And he did have a point.

So, instead of booting him back to Sasan (which, King Darius would have advised strongly against in the letter that he actually did send since he and everyone else in Sasan knew what lengths Jamal would go through to _come back_), Sinbad allowed Jamal to remain in Sindria as a guest. In return, Jamal would have to 'test' the future improvements that his soldiers and Yamraiha would make on Sindria's security.

Jamal was all too happy to agree. He was so happy that he traveled down to the soldiers' barracks to personally hug and apologize to every one of them individually.

Shion had to drag him away when he got to his 211th soldier. He announced to his slowly growing group that they had another member. Jamal, overjoyed Yasmine was there, greeted her enthusiastically but did not attack her with his usual tackle-hug.

Jamal became even happier when he found out that Kikiriku and Amani – Kohaku now – had received their memories too.

"So, what were you doing with your life for the last couple of months?" Kikiriku asked warmly after their reunion.

Jamal shrugged. "Eh, nothing big. I up and left Sasan to travel the world. From what I could tell, there's so much more to see now than I ever would if I stayed home. Better enjoy it now while it lasts."

"Weren't they worried?" Kohaku chirped in concern. Jamal took a moment to coo at how adorable she was in her current form before answering her question.

"What? My family? Nah, I just left a note saying that I was on some religious pilgrimage to find the answer for the mysteries of the world."

Everyone sweatdropped at that.

"Did you find it?" Shion finally asked.

"Hell yeah I did! _Science_." Jamal slung his arm over Shion's shoulder. "Buddy, I'm going to blow your mind with the stuff I'm going to invent for Sindria. Prepare to be amazed!"

* * *

"_Have you heard about the little hellion Jamal?"_

"_Yes, caused everyone to panic."_

"_To think that he is the nephew of the honorable General Spartos seems impossible! They are so different."_

"_Well, they do say that he takes more after his Uncle Mystras. And you know how different he was compared to General Spartos. The brat looks a lot like him too."_

"_And I hear that he is friendly with our prince. How could our prince associate himself with such a-?"_

"_Shhh! Hold your tongue. Remember, our prince lived amongst common folks like us. He didn't know any better."_

"_Well I think our prince knows what he's doing and the brat is a blessing in disguise."_

"_Oh? How so?"_

"_Look what he did all on his own! And he was playing with us! Us, Sindria's protectors! I bet if he had actually been serious, Sindria would have fallen."_

"_And? What exactly are you trying to say?"_

"_Just saying that I'm glad that he's on our side and not the enemy's, that's all."_

* * *

Then came Opal with her father.

She had somehow convinced him that extending their business to Sindria would be a good idea. So, after packing their bags and putting her eldest brother in charge, they made their way to Sindria.

Opal's sudden increase of swearing didn't go unnoticed by her sharp-eyed father. Fortunately, for her, he came to the conclusion that she was trying to copy her brothers and left it at that.

(His only daughter would _always_ be his little angel.)

Once she was there, Opal purposefully strode into the palace, fought off a couple of the soldiers who _dared _to stand in her way, and found Shion in the middle of a studying session with Ja'far.

If Shion hadn't been in the study room, he would have been horrified and near tears. But he was in the study room.

"Opal! _Thank Solomon_. You have no idea how happy I am to see you!"

Opal was happy to see him too. And she told him that by kissing his cheek with her fist. Judging by Shion's laugh and compliment on her right hook, he completely understood and received her message.

Ja'far was not as amused. So, after restraining Opal, he brought her over to Sinbad.

Shion found himself once again in the position of explaining the actions of his friend. ("It's her way of showing affection. Opal is actually a good friend. Really.")

Thankfully, the misunderstanding was cleared up and Opal was released without any charges. With that, she was welcomed into the growing circle.

Opal's father, feeling somewhat responsible for the incident, decided to donate swords to the Sindrian Army without any pay. Opal, feeling guilty for making her father do such a thing, took it upon herself to make every single one of those swords.

All 3,000 of them

Opal being Opal, managed to create three thousand perfect blades within a week. With the help of Shion and the others, of course.

The result of her work caused an uproar amongst the soldiers and a certain General.

(It meant a great deal when _Drakon _praised someone's skill.)

Opal was once again dragged to Sinbad. This time it was to place her under the apprenticeship of his personal blacksmith, Sindria's best. The honor made Opal's father break down into a waterfall of tears and thank the king profusely.

Opal had no choice but to accept.

(And through a strange twist of fate, _she _was the one who ended up working on Morgiana's metal vessel. As a result, the two girls became very close friends.)

* * *

"_Look at that Opal girl. Is it true that her abilities in metalwork are as good as they say?"_

"_Captain Drakon complimented her swords."_

"…_Solomon, that's saying something. And she just came to Sindria last week. Think she's still selling those swords the Captain complimented?"_

"_Sold out. Wait until next week for the next batch."_

"_Amazing."_

"_Girl gave the young prince a good punch too. I heard that they knew each other in the past."_

"_Think he deserved it?"_

"_If he's anything like his father, probably."_

"_Look at her. Black hair, blue eyes, budding figure, and a feisty personality, it's such a pity that she's so young. I would've hit that."_

"_Don't even think about it. She has a father. Remember Gladius?"_

"_Yeah? The upstart who ended up in the med-bay because he had his di-Oh."_

"_Yeah. Don't even think about it."_

* * *

Selene's entrance to Sindria was by far the most expected out of the five.

She sent a letter to both Sai and Shion in advance before coming over.

When the ship came in, Sai was already there like any other dutiful older brother (many eyebrows were raised at _that_) and he ushered her over to where Shion and the others were. They shared a tearful reunion and introductions were made. Everything was _normal_, much to Shion's relief.

Aside from the horrified cries of "WHAT? You have a SISTER?" from Alibaba to Sai, it was an anti-climatic event.

But Shion assumed too soon. A month after Selene's arrival, there was a sudden increase in the production of poisonous plants and an infestation of snakes.

But that was another story.

* * *

"_Look, see that sweet-looking blonde over there with those silver eyes?"_

"_Yeah?"_

"_That's the Selene girl. Sai's sister."_

"_My Solomon. How could such a beauty be related to that man?"_

"_Half-sister. Must be the differences in mothers."_

"_Poor girl. Can't make a sound. See that scar? Those people from Artemyra did that to the child. Did it because of some silly superstition."_

"_Poor girl."_

"_Can't even speak to birds like our General Pisti. Though, for some strange reason, the snakes seem to understand the child just fine."_

"_You don't need a voice to hiss."_

"_True. But it's strange that the girl has an interest in poisonous plants."_

"_She might be training to be a healer. You never know."_

* * *

Hel was the last to come.

Unlike the others, he did not come in a sporadic fashion. He actually came as a representative of Reim. Hel did not know, and did not _care _to know, how he caught the attention of the High Priestess Scheherazade, but he did.

It was only the pride and pleasant surprise on his mother's face that prevented him from rudely declining the 'tea party' invite with 'the Great Priestess Scheherazade'. Hel never liked disappointing his mother.

But he hated Scheherazade. Or, at least, he didn't like her very much.

It wasn't because she was weak. No, she was _strong. _She was a carnivore. Hel wasn't stupid.

Scheherazade was a mother bobcat, protecting her cubs, her country, her Reim. Hel could respect that. But what he could never respect was her obvious (or at least, to him) attempts in making him her cub. She saw something in him that she wanted for Reim. So she tried to collar him with sweets and motherly words. Scheherazade was a sneaky carnivore, but Hel saw through her tricks.

"Stop the games, carnivore." Hel told her bluntly, shocking many of the Finalis Soldiers who had accompanied him to the 'tea party'. "Tell me what you really want and be done with it."

Of course, the sneaky female was not completely honest with her answer.

"Little boy, I would like you to do a small favor for this old woman that only a strong young man like you could do. Can you do that for me?"

Which was how he ended up in the diplomatic mission.

"_I have heard that King Sinbad has discovered a son in Balbadd about your age. Because of my old age and my duties in Reim, I am unable to express my congratulations for the king and meet the prince. Why don't you go and meet the child in my stead, Hel?"_

Translation: "Go to Sindria, send a powerful message that even Reim's youths are stronger than Sindria's own Prince, and bring back information that would help protect Reim."

Hel hated politics, but if this mission was going to let him into Sindria and, eventually, to Shion, he wasn't going to complain.

It took a while, but Hel finally reunited with Shion when Sinbad brought him out to "introduce" his (more like "show off" his younger and more talented) son to the child-diplomat. Hel was impressed that the king caught onto Scheherazade's game so quickly.

"Hi, my name is Shion and-wait. Aren't you the guy I shared a meal with in Reim?!"

"Carnivore." Hel greeted him with a vicious smile, making Shion gape comically. "HEL?!"

King Sinbad looked almost resigned at the new development. "_Another_ friend of yours, Shion?"

"…Sorry, Father." Shion looked away guiltily.

Sinbad sighed. "_Please_ tell me he's the last one."

Shion and Hel shared a look.

"Yeah. He's the last."

* * *

"_Another strange one appeared on our island again."_

"_Let me guess, a friend of our prince?"_

"_Yup. He's the young representative from Reim. The horrifically strong one."_

"_Does he have some Finalis blood in him? He doesn't look it."_

"_I agree. What Finalis has white hair and skin as dark as that? He almost looks like-_

"_Don't say it. The boy is thirteen summers old. It's impossible for him to be General Sharrkan's child."_

"_But you can't deny they look similar."_

"_Yes, but all men from Heliohapt look like that. It's just a coincidence. The little bastard's father must be from there."_

"_And his mother?"_

"_She has some Tenzan demon blood in her and some Finalis, or so the little brat claims."_

"_Demon? No such thing."_

"_That's what I thought too. Our prince has strange friends."_

* * *

Sindria is a beautiful, peaceful island.

_People talk._

Shion is a loved prince.

_But strange things have been happening ever since the young prince came into the country. Very strange things._

He is a clever child.

_Perhaps he was a little…too talented. Some whispered that he acted too much like an adult. Things came easily to the child. Too easy._

His father is loved by everyone.

_Yet no one speaks of his mother. No one._

Shion is a loved prince.

_That was the only reason why the strangers were welcomed into Sindria._

Sindria is a beautiful, peaceful island.

_People talk._

* * *

Shion stood in front of his Blessed Children with a sad look in his eyes.

"I guess we're going to be separated for a while."

Yasmine patted him on the head. "Not for such a long time. I just need to take care of things with Kou for Amani and Kougyoku. I also need to speak with that useless grandfather of mine. Take care of Jamal for me, will you?"

"I think he'll be completely fine on his own." Shion confessed nervously, making Yasmine smile in agreement. "But I'll be at his side if he needs my help."

"That's all I ask."

"Speaking of younger siblings." Sai interrupted loudly. "No man better look at my baby sister with lecherous eyes when I'm gone. _Got it_, Princeling?"

Shion gulped. "Y-Yeah."

Sai stared at Shion for a long time before his mouth split into a wide smile.

"Mou~, did you seriously think that I would say something like that? It's quite impossible since she is such a pretty thing. Let them stare. I trained my little sister well. Selene will bite if they do more than looking. Just make sure that she continues studying diligently in poison and whatnot when I'm gone to Reim."

Kougyoku gave Sai a dry look. "And what were you supposed to do in Reim again?"

"Family business. _And_ I need to make some ties in Reim for future plans, right? Besides, Princeling's scary friend wants to stay here longer. Having a Blessed Child send the message would soften the blow, ne?"

Amani nodded. "Sai is right. And I need to leave with Alibaba and Hakuryuu to Zagan's Dungeon to make sure things go smoothly."

"Are you sure that's a good idea?" Kougyoku asked worriedly. "It might be safer to just let them go on their own. Zagan is pretty unpredictable and you didn't read the chapters ahead of the Sindria Arc."

"I'll be fine." Amani assured Kougyoku. "Because of my ability, everything in Zagan's dungeon will overlook me completely so it will be as if I'm not there. I also have the information that you and Sai filled me in on."

"Just don't get hurt. Brother Koumei wouldn't be happy if he got word that you're planning to dungeon-dive. You know how protective he is when it comes to you." The Kou Princess warned her.

Amani flushed. "That husband of mine worries too much! And I'm with my brother so I'll be _fine_."

"Actually, I think I understand why he's so worried now." Sai muttered under his breath, causing Yasmine to whack him over the head.

"That's my apprentice you're talking about, Sai. He's not as wimpy as he used to be. He'll protect Amani just fine in his current state."

"Okay, okay."

"I'll watch over Shion so don't worry about us, guys!" Kougyoku said with a wistful look in her eye. "It's going to be boring here."

"Say that to Shion's crazy buddies, sans my little sister, of course." Sai muttered under his breath, causing Yasmine to whack him over the head yet again.

Shion smiled at his friends.

He was going to miss this.

* * *

It took a while, but Judal slowly began to regain his ability to move. His mystery helper encouraged him to exercise daily to re-strengthen his legs. While he did this, the man spoke to Judal about seemingly useless things like the weather or the happenings in the outside.

Funny enough, Judal listened. Sometimes, he would even answer.

They were always silly little things. Useless things.

(But _she _did that too sometimes, didn't she? And you listened. You lapped everything up and eagerly waited for more.)

Judal had nothing else to do. So he listened to the small things about this man.

He was a healer.

He was born in a village somewhere in the east.

He was twenty-four years old, somewhere around five or six years older than Judal.

He loved the winter season.

He was a traveler.

He was a fan of _The Adventures of Sinbad._ (Judal scoffed at that. The idiot king couldn't write shit. Everything was exaggerated. Biography? Pah. That piece of work should've been shelved in the fiction section years ago.)

He liked peaches and grapes, but didn't like watermelons.

He was currently nursing a broken heart. (Strangely, Judal almost felt a sense of…camaraderie at that piece of information. No, it was more than that. What was that word _she _always used? Empathy? Yes, _she_ had always told him that he had no empathy for others. Was this empathy? Maybe?)

He had two younger siblings. (_Had._)

And so it went on.

Judal was convinced that he knew the man inside and out by the time he learned the man's name.

"Tao". That was the man's name. Judal never told Tao his own name.

That was fine with Tao. He just continued calling Judal "kid".

"Al Thamen killed my family for no damn reason." Tao muttered one day during their daily exercise. Judal had found, to his relief, that he could move some of his fingers from his left hand.

Tao was also very happy, much to Judal's surprise.

(Why? You don't know me. You don't even know my damn name. So why?)

Judal missed a step, causing him to stumble a little.

Tao steadied him.

"Fuck." Judal said. "_Fuck_, that hurt."

(Whether he was talking about his aching leg or something else, he didn't know.)

Tao let out a chuckle and patted Judal's shoulder. (_Nonononono, can't you see who you're giving kindness to, you bastard? This is wrong. Wrong. Wrong._) "Okay there, kid?"

"What do you _think_?" Judal spat out bitterly. He tried convincing himself that the bitterness came from having a _peasant _see him at his weakest. (Lie. You lie.)

"That you still have three rounds to go before I'm going to let you take a break." Tao answered easily with a smile in his voice. Judal's eyes were still healing so he couldn't see his face. So he guessed and learned his companion's (when did he think of him as _that?_) expressions from his voice and body language. It was because of this that Judal knew what expression would be on his face if he ever told Tao the truth.

For some reason the _idea _of it alone made Judal's chest hurt.

Then, it suddenly hit him one morning as he lied awake to Tao's soft snoring.

Judal cared.

_He'll never know. _Judal swore to himself. _By the time I'm healed, I'll be gone._

_He'll never know._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Jamal's Sensible Voice: I know it was a pretty long chapter but did no one notice that there was a voice trying to tell Jamal to do things? No one? Guess who it is whispering ideas into Jamal's ear. (And the first two choices don't count.)
> 
> Mystras: To those people out there who didn't read Adventures of Sinbad, read it. But this character is Spartos' big bro. Jamal takes after his appearance and interest in the unknown.
> 
> Selene and Snakes: Since Pisti is big on birds and sea creatures, I decided to have Selene retain at least some of her animal-speaking abilities through hissing to snakes. Sai actually was the one to point this fact out to Selene during her youth, which sparked her interest in poison study. Since Selene is obviously a misunderstood character, these qualities won't really help her. At all. But they're still pretty cool.
> 
> Hel and Mu: Hel doesn't like Mu. At all. When Hel gets back to Reim (when he feels like it), there will be some tension between the two. (Really, it's one-sided. Mu is a pretty nice guy who genuinely wants to have a good relationship with his girlfriend's son.)
> 
> Tenzan Demon Assassin Clan: Obviously, they aren't canon. But I'm planning on making them significant in the story. The clan is completely made up of female. The reason why everyone is so dubious of Hel's Finalis heritage is because of the lack of red hair. Hel does have red eyes, though. Hel's mother does not have Finalis traits despite being a half because of her Tenzan "Demon" Blood. I won't be going to into detail why the clan's blood is so strong but it completely dominates the person's features if they are born female. If Hel was a girl, he wouldn't have his father's (whose identity will continue to remain unknown) features. But he's a boy. So he does.
> 
> Hel's Father: Is NOT Sharrkan. Before you freak out, do the math.
> 
> Tao: Really important character to Judal's character development. He'll also be significant in the future. I think you'll like him :)
> 
> Aside from that, here are some fun facts about the characters!
> 
> FUN FACT: Andromalius never spoke much to Shion because he's actually shy.
> 
> FUN FACT: Jamal is an atheist.
> 
> FUN FACT: Sinbad avoids the topic of Ranya because he was genuinely hurt by her sudden disappearance and her keeping Shion's existence secret from him.
> 
> FUN FACT: Kougyoku had been planning on using Amani's shawl as a belt, not a shoulder cover when she agreed to Hakuryuu's strong suggestion.


	23. Chapter 22: Family Business

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Amani reunites with her half-brothers and dives into a dungeon.
> 
> Meanwhile, Judal discovers something about himself and gains something very important.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Onwards

Judal twitched in irritation.

"So you're saying that you managed to _slip on your way __**up**__ a hill _and _**break**__ your ankle __**and **__wrist _at the same time? And you're saying that it's _normal? _What kind of healer are you if you get injured this easily?"

Tao laughed sheepishly. "Well, I didn't really plan on becoming a medic. But I got injured so much that I _had _to learn or I'd actually die."

"…_Wow_."

Tao scowled in embarrassment. "Shut up, kid. I was carrying a lot of stuff so I couldn't watch where I was going."

"You're not the one with the blindfold on." Judal drawled from his position.

"_You_ were stupid enough to injure your eyes, which makes the blindfold necessary." The healer stated dryly. "But don't worry too much, that will be coming off soon."

"Yippee." Judal deadpanned. "I get to see your ugly mug for the rest of my recovery."

"So mean! And it'll only be a couple more days before you're ready to go. Your injuries healed faster than I expected them to. Even your arm is in good condition! That's good!" Tao shifted and winced slightly. "You can go wherever you like, so bear with my 'ugly mug' until then."

Judal's snickers abruptly stopped at his words.

"Right."

"Anywhere you're planning to go?" Tao asked casually.

Judal rolled the question around in his head. "Not really." He said slowly. "…No. I don't know." Just away. He just wanted to go away.

"Anyone waiting for you?"

An image of a certain pink-haired princess sprung up in his mind. "Yes" almost sprung from his mouth until he remembered his cruel words and her hurt expression.

"Probably not."

Tao hummed at his answer. "You know, 'probably' doesn't mean 'definitely', kid."

"You don't know anything." Judal snarled while drawing himself back. The other man chuckled. "Try me. I have my fair share of heartbreak and misunderstandings in my life."

"You sound like an old man."

"And you sound like a whiny brat. C'mon. Tell me." Tao prodded the dark magi. "You might be surprised. It usually feels a lot better when you tell someone else your troubles. You don't have to say any names or places if you don't want to."

Judal hesitated.

"C'mon." Tao encouraged soothingly. "I'll just listen. No judging. No interruptions. I promise. Trust me."

So Judal spoke. Tao listened.

(Tao was right. He did feel a bit better.)

* * *

Amani never did well on ships. She was well aware of this.

But this was getting _ridiculous_.

"Ano, Amani-san, are you sure you don't need to lie down?" Morgiana fussed as Amani clung onto the edge of the ship for dear life. The nausea wasn't as bad as it was during the trip to Sindria, but she still threw up from time to time. The pale blonde shook her head resolutely. "It gets worse when I'm in a closed space."

"It could get _worse_?" Morgiana asked incredulously.

Amani smiled weakly. "Unfortunately." Her brown eyes wandered over to where Alibaba and Aladdin were playing with the dolphins. "But it's nice that the boys are having fun. I remember playing with dolphins when I was a child."

"…Amani-san? How could you have played with dolphins? I thought that they weren't common in Balbadd."

Amani almost winced. Careless. She had been thinking about Phoebe's past. Her _other _life. Careless. On the outside, she laughed sheepishly. "You're right. There weren't any dolphins in Balbadd's waters. I meant _toy_ dolphins, Morgiana. Sorry for the confusion."

"Ah. Did Alibaba-san play with these toy dolphins too?"

"Unfortunately, no. Alibaba and I didn't spend much time together until I captured Foras' Dungeon, I'm afraid. It was because I was a girl. We had to study…_different _subjects."

Yes, very different subjects. Amani was almost completely sure that Alibaba didn't have to do the things that Fatima made her do.

Morgiana looked at Amani sympathetically. "Did you miss him?"

"Of course. He is my brother."

"I see. You must have been very sad without him. Alibaba-san was very sad too when you were separated from him in Balbadd. He wouldn't even eat. I was worried for him." Morgiana confessed. Then she brightened. "But you came back. I am happy that you returned to your brother. Alibaba is very happy too."

Amani patted Morgiana's head indulgently, causing the younger girl to blush. How cute. Amani definitely approved of this girl. "Morgiana, please look after my brother for me when I return to Kou. You are the only person I can depend on for this."

The young Finalis' eyes shined at Amani's words. She clasped the pale girl by the hands and nodded determinedly. "Hai. I will. Thank you for trusting me."

Amani couldn't resist giving the girl another pat. "Oh, it's such a pity that I never had you as a little sister." She bemoaned playfully. "I'm sure that you would have been so cute!"

Morgiana blushed again. "A-Amani-san!"

"Come now, it's true. Don't be so modest." She scolded lightly. "You are a very beautiful and strong girl. Be proud of it. I'm sure that many boys will notice it soon."

Morgiana lowered her eyes.

"Thank you. Though, I do not think that I could be as graceful or as beautiful as you." The girl admitted shyly. "I tend to break and crush things when I try."

"And I try building up my strength, yet I still find myself unable to protect the people I care for." Amani informed her quietly. "We all have our strengths and faults, Morgiana. That doesn't make you any less beautiful. Though, I am flattered that you think of me as 'graceful and beautiful'." She said in amusement. "People tend to think of me as plain and boring."

Morgiana looked shocked.

"You, Amani-san? Plain? _You?_"

Amani laughed lightly. "Is it really that surprising?"

Morgiana nodded earnestly.

"Why, thank you. The only other person who had the same reaction is my husband." Amani said fondly. "Well, Alibaba did too. But since he and I are flesh and blood, I suppose it was a given."

"That is because Alibaba-san and Prince-sama are good people."

It was simply put, but Amani understood what Morgiana was trying to say. For the ex-slave girl, it was the highest praise to be dubbed a "good person". "Good" as in, idealistic, optimistic, and good-hearted, which completely applied to her brother. Unfortunately, if that were the case, the term would only apply to Alibaba.

Koumei, as much as she cared for him, was not a…"good person". He had too many shadows chasing at his heels and weighing down on his shoulders to remain as innocent as her brother.

(But then again, Amani had a fair share of blood on her hands, so she was the same.)

"Good people?" Amani repeated slowly. "I see. I'm glad that you think of my brother so highly."

_Alibaba, you better not lose this one._ Amani thought as she and the Finalis began another conversation. _Girls like her are rare._

* * *

"Everyone, lunch is ready."

"Wow, you cooked all that by yourself?"

"Uwaah! This looks delicious, Hakuryuu!"

"…urgh…"

"Amani-san, you look green."

"…strong smell…dizzy…feel sick…ugh-!"

"…Amani-san has fainted."

"Oh no! A-Amani-dono!"

"Sister! Hold on! I'll get the physician!"

* * *

To Amani's immense relief, they reached shore by the next hour.

"Are you sure you shouldn't stay on the ship, Amani?" Alibaba asked in worry. "If you aren't feeling well then maybe you aren't in the best condition to dungeon dive with us."

Amani gave her brother a flat look.

"Alibaba, being in the ship _is_ the reason why I'm feeling sick. _Keep_ me in there and I will show you horrors _worse_ than the things inside dungeons. **Understood**?"

"H-Hai." He squeaked.

"Good. As long as you understand."

Aladdin came over to Alibaba's side while shooting Amani nervous looks. "Miss Amani is a little scary, like Miss Yasmine. Is this normal, Alibaba?"

The blonde shook his head. "No. My sister is usually a calm and motherly person. I think she just doesn't like the idea of going back into the boat."

"Oh, I see." Aladdin said, relieved.

Amani repressed a shiver.

_Damn straight she didn't want to go back._

Going back inside the water-floating contraption again would be the death of her this time. She just knew it.

Hakuryuu floundered over to her side.

"Amani-dono, though I do understand your reluctance to go back inside the ship, I agree with your brother. You should stay back and recover." He spoke up. "It's not that I believe that you are weak!" He quickly added, very much familiar with the ire in Amani's eyes that appeared when her gender was belittled. "We are all confident in your skills. But we are also worried about your health."

Amani's gaze softened at his confession. "I understand. But I have the most experience out of everyone in the group with dungeon diving. I cannot leave all of you alone because of a minor case of nausea. I will be fine by the time we get to the dungeon. Trust me."

Hakuryuu looked as if he was going to argue but stopped himself mid-way. "Fine." He forced himself to say. "But if you feel sick again, you have to tell us."

Alibaba nodded in agreement from the side. "Yeah!"

Amani patted both of their heads fondly. "Thank you for worrying, boys."

"S-Sis! Stop it! That's embarrassing!" Alibaba whined, blushing.

Hakuryuu's face mirrored Alibaba's, but he kept silent.

Aladdin looked onto the scene with appreciation. "I think I understand what Alibaba is saying now. Miss Amani really does remind me of a mother." A trace of wistfulness crossed the blue-haired magi's face. Amani took note of the expression and was about to ask the little magi about it when a voice suddenly spoke up.

"Hey, you're both late Alibaba, Sister Amani. We've been waiting for you for a while now."

Amani's eyes widened in surprise and she turned her head toward the voice.

"Brother Sahbmad! And…Ahbmad."

Amani felt relief flow into her body. So Sinbad really _did_ place her half brothers in his protection! Her eyes inspected their clothing and recognized their origins. Clothing from the Toran Tribe? Wait…were they-?

"Brothers!" Alibaba cried out with the same relief Amani had been feeling. "What are you doing here?"

"Hehe, were you surprised, Alibaba? Long time no see." Sahbmad said happily. "We were entrusted with guiding you and u-um…" His eyes turned to Hakuryuu, hesitance slipping into his tone. "Sinbad already told us of the situation with the Kou Empire's Prince so…please don't be concerned."

Hakuryuu politely bowed to both royals in greeting. "Brother-in-laws."

Sahbmad and Ahbmad both appeared struck by the greeting. Sahbmad hurriedly turned to Amani. "O-Oh, I almost forgot! Congratulations in your marriage, Sister. We're sorry that we couldn't come but…well…you know…"

Ahbmad turned away and muttered something under his breath. Amani liked to think that he said "…congratulations…" but she knew not to hope too much when it came to her eldest brother.

The Blessed Child dipped her head in thanks.

"Thank you, brothers."

Alibaba lessened the tension in the air by swinging an arm around Sahbmad's shoulders and commenting on his strange clothes.

As Sahbmad patiently explained to Alibaba about their new roles as archeologists of the Toran Language, Amani turned to Ahbmad and looked at him coldly. He avoided her gaze silently.

"How have you been?" Amani finally asked, surprising him.

Ahbmad was slow with his answer, but Amani knew how to wait. "…Better than I would have been without Sinbad's help." He admitted stiffly while playing with the strap of his bag. For a moment, his eyes flickered up to hers nervously before they were looking away again.

_He's ashamed._ Amani realized. _He realized what he has done._

The murderous anger that Amani had once felt towards Ahbmad back in Balbadd had faded into only pity in time. Though she still cared little for Ahbmad, a small part of Amani still acknowledged the misguided king as her brother.

Ahbmad opened his mouth. "I'm-

"_Don't."_ Amani snapped and he flinched. "Just…don't apologize. I already know. So don't. You were stupid. You were greedy. You did horrible things that caused the death of many people. There is nothing you can say or do that could change any of that." Amani told Ahbmad bluntly. "But you're my brother. So, I'll forgive you just this once."

She forgave Kassim for worse.

"I forgive you, Ahbmad." She repeated when Ahbmad swung his eyes up to meet her eyes in shock. "And don't you _ever_ make me regret it."

Ahbmad swallowed and nodded.

"Ah! That's not for free! You have to pay!" Amani heard someone cry. She turned to see Hakuryuu and Aladdin being attacked by small Toran children. After accessing the situation, Amani concluded that the two were duped by the most common trick in the book used by slum children. (She and Alibaba had used this trick many times. Kassim had used more…aggressive tactics.)

Amani's knowledge in the Toran language was a little rusty from misuse, but she understood the children perfectly as they complained and cried out for money.

She opened her mouth to intervene but was completely taken by surprise when _Ahbmad _handled the situation by handing the children little treats and shooing them away with firm instructions to "stop bothering the tourists".

Alibaba shared her shock.

"Ahbmad…"

Her elder brother looked upon Alibaba in annoyance. "What?" He snapped.

"Well, ah, thanks."

Ahbmad scowled. "You don't have to thank me. I just don't want problems with the islanders. Otherwise, they wouldn't let us proceed with our research on the Toran Culture."

"You're quite zealous about this research on the Toran." Alibaba commented.

Ahbmad gave the strap of his bag a squeeze and looked directly at Amani. "That's right." He said resolutely before throwing Alibaba a last cursory glance. "This is the best thing I can do now. That's…what I have decided."

_Me too,_ Amani thought as she turned away from Ahbmad to follow Sahbmad as he herded the whole group towards the chief's tent, _marrying Koumei and becoming a citizen of Kou, these are the best things I can do now for Balbadd._

"Ahbmad has changed." Alibaba noted as he walked by Amani's side.

"He had a lot to think about on this island." Amani said simply while admiring her surroundings. "Being exiled from your own country can give you a different perspective on things."

"What did you speak about with Ahbmad? I noticed that the two of you were talking."

"Oh, small things." Amani said airily. "He's sorry for what he's done, by the way."

"Really?" Alibaba stated in surprise. "Wow…he really did change a lot."

"You changed a lot too." Amani said offhandedly. She smiled when he blinked in surprise. "You're more confident in yourself and you hold yourself with more strength. I'm proud of you."

Alibaba blushed. "W-Well, that's because of Yasmine-sensei and Sharrkan-sensei."

"Still." Amani insisted as she took his hand. "I'm proud."

Alibaba was still beaming when they reached the chief's tent.

* * *

Despite the Chief's initial refusal, the group managed to receive permission to enter the dungeon. After one night of rest, they were off to the dungeon.

Amani and Hakuryuu shared a kayak, much to Alibaba's disappointment, but it was immediately dispelled when Aladdin distracted him with the beauty of the reefs.

"Look Alibaba! The fish are sparkling in a gold color! Look!"

"Whoa!"

Amani laughed at their antics. "They seem to be having fun."

Hakuryuu glanced at the laughing pair and frowned. "Shouldn't they be a little more concerned about the dungeon? It's supposed to be very dangerous compared to the normal dungeons."

"Oh, don't be so serious, Hakuryuu." She sighed. "I know that this is your first dungeon dive, but you shouldn't be so nervous. Trust me, everything will be-no wait. I shouldn't say that. Murphy's Law would just prove me wrong." Amani sighed. "What I was _trying _to say is that though caution is critical on missions like this, you shouldn't be _too _paranoid. The dungeon will only use that to its advantage. Do you understand what I'm trying to say here?"

Hakuryuu nodded slowly. "I think I do."

"Good."

The Toran girl steering the boat hesitantly tapped Hakuryuu on the shoulder. _"Um, can you understand the Toran Language?"_

"_A little."_ Hakuryuu said modestly.

"_I knew it…yesterday, you seemed more like the clever type, like the chief of the group. I have a favor to ask you."_

Hakuryuu glanced at Amani.

"_I'm not their chief but…what do you want to ask me?"_

"_Take me along with you to the dungeon please! I want to help my mother and father!"_

Amani and Hakuryuu shared a look.

This…might be a problem.

* * *

"_You cannot come with us to the dungeon."_ Hakuryuu told the little girl for what seemed to be the thousandth time. _"You will only be a hindrance."_

The prince had long since given up on denying her kindly.

Though, to his defense, the girl had been relentless.

"_I want to save my parents who were devoured by the dungeon!"_ The girl insisted. _"If they're dead, I would like to take revenge!"_

"…" This time, her words seemed to have struck a chord in Hakuryuu. Amani felt sympathy for the pair. They had mutual goal of revenge for their fallen families.

But revenge wasn't the answer. It never was.

"_I understand. I will do that in your place. I will find your parents for sure! If they are dead, I will destroy everything that nests in the dungeon. That will serve as revenge, right? So hurry back to your village and wait for my return."_

The girl looked downtrodden by his decision, knowing that he would hear her pleas no longer.

Amani inspected her expression. She knew that look. No, the girl hadn't given up yet. Judging by what Amani gathered of her personality, she would sneak into the dungeon herself after they entered.

That would be dangerous.

"_If I may add in my opinion," _Amani spoke up, _"I think we should allow the child come with us."_ She placed a supporting hand on the girl's shoulder. _"I will protect her, so you won't have to worry about her being a hindrance."_

The girl flinched in surprise at Amani's intervention. _"You…speak Toran?"_

"_Yes."_ Amani smiled encouragingly at her. _"What is your name? Mine is Amani. The boy over there is Hakuryuu."_

"_Tiare."_ She said shyly while clutching at her dagger. _"Do you really mean it? Can I come with you?"_

"_Yes. That is my decision."_ She aimed the last part to Hakuryuu. She switched back into the common language. "This girl is determined, Hakuryuu. She would only follow us into the dungeon and that would be even riskier than simply bringing her along. I will be responsible for her, so please…"

Hakuryuu sighed, hearing the reasoning in his sister-in-law's decision. "Fine. But if she gets in the way-

"-Hakuryuu." Amani said chidingly. "I know you're better than that. Don't be so cruel. Isn't your situation similar to hers? Be more understanding please."

"Sorry."

Amani turned back to Tiare. _"The dungeon is dangerous, so I ask you to remain by our side for the whole time."_ She scanned the girl's stance and body structure. _"Since you don't really have much strength or experience in fighting, you should stay back at all times. Don't attack unnecessarily and listen to my instructions. Understood?"_

Tiare nodded. _"Yes!"_

"_Good. But just in case, let me teach you some basic moves with that dagger."_ Amani offered. _"And some words in the common tongue. Some of my friends are unfamiliar in the Toran language…"_

* * *

Tiare was a fast learner Amani found out.

"So me swipe blade…_upwards…_like this?" Tiare asked stiltedly. Amani nodded in approval. "It's "I", not "me", Tiare. And the word is "upwards" in our language. But you spoke very well within such a short time." She adjusted the younger girl's grip. _"Hold the blade like this. If you don't, it will only fly out of your hand."_

"Yes…"

"Have we arrived at Zagan yet?" Amani heard Alibaba complain from the front. Amani silently shared Alibaba's frustration. It already had been three hours and the dungeon was nowhere in sight. Then, Amani heard Aladdin shout out the words everyone had been dying to hear: "I see it! It's there, right?"

Amani sighed in relief. "Finally." She turned to Tiare. "Now remember what I told you, Tiare. Always listen to what we tell you to-huh?"

Something, Amani wasn't so sure what it was, wrapped around her abdomen like some lasso and began pulling her towards the dungeon's direction. Around her, she heard everyone else crying out in panic and fear.

_I know this feeling…the dungeon! It's pulling us in!_

Amani forced her body to relax and allowed the pull to happen. She was completely calm and content with how the events were playing out. After all, the dungeon was practically doing all the work for her.

It just saved her another twenty minutes of hiking.

* * *

"Mistress…"

Amani blinked slowly as she tried to reclaim her bearings. Jumping through the entrance always tended to make her slightly dizzy. But it was only momentary and Amani found herself standing in front of a kneeling Foras.

"Foras?" Amani blinked in pleasant surprise. "Oh. Long time no see. Were you getting lonely?"

The djinn's lips curled upwards at her master's lack of surprise and panic. "As amusing as ever, Mistress. You never fail to surprise me." Her smile wavered as a thought crossed her mind. "Mistress, are you unhappy with me?"

"…Eh?" Amani tilted her head to the side in confusion. "What do you mean?"

"You have successfully helped all the other Blessed Children to capture their respective dungeons, so why do you seek to capture Zagan? Is it because I am inadequate?" Foras asked sadly. "Is it because I have caused the death of that human you insist on calling your Household Member?"

Ah. So that was what her djinn was talking about.

"No. It's not that, Foras. Though I did suspect your hand in Kassim's death, I do not blame you." Her eyes became downcast. "He chose to protect me. It was _his _choice, _his_ sacrifice. You simply gave him power and I will not scorn you for that." She turned to her djinn with a firm look in her eyes. "I have no intention of taking another djinn. You are enough, Foras."

Foras' form slumped in relief. "Thank you, Mistress…"

"Besides," Amani added, "I think that my brother-in-law, Hakuryuu, will need a djinn for himself, right? Do you think Zagan would be suitable for him?"

Foras paused. "…Perhaps. Zagan he has…unique tastes and…a _terrible_ personality." Her expression soured. "I doubt he has changed after all these centuries."

"You seem to know him well." Amani noticed. "Are the two of you close?"

Foras scoffed. "Close? Apparently not."

Amani blinked at her djinn's unique wording and childish attitude. Then, her eyes lit up in comprehension. "Ah." She gave her djinn a look of sympathy. "Were the two of you in a relationship? Was it a lover's quarrel? Oh dear, and the two of you were separated for such a long time while leaving things unresolved. It must be awkward to meet again in this situation."

Foras' face turned beet red. "I-I-I-It's not like that, Mistress! It's not! I just don't like that fellow at all!"

"I'm sure." Amani nodded. "But you must settle your differences while you can. I'm sure that the whole situation is a misunderstanding. You are a wonderful woman, Foras. I doubt that any male djinn would be silly enough to lose someone like you."

"M-Mistress!"

While Foras blushed and spluttered at the compliment, Amani thought deeply to herself about the information she had received so far. "Foras," she started slowly, "I would like to help you. Do you mind telling me a little bit more about Zagan?"

Foras hesitated. "Well…I shouldn't disclose too much information about my fellow djinn since this dungeon _is _his test..."

"Of course not." Amani said smoothly. "Just characteristics and personality. And some history between you and him, if you don't mind. You do not need to tell me the details. I just need to hear the bigger picture so I can fix the situation.

"I see, Mistress. You are very kind, but that is not necessary-

"Foras," Amani broke in, "You are important to me. I would like to help you. Please."

"Mistress, you are too kind…thank you…I shall tell you what I can."

So she did. Contrary to her first appearance, Foras was actually a very chatty djinn. Amani blamed that quality on the centuries of isolation that the djinn had to endure. Why would they subject themselves to such a lonely environment? Amani herself would definitely go crazy if she were in their position.

That subject alone caused many questions to arise in the Blessed Child's mind. She forced them into the back of her mind to contemplate later.

She had to focus on the important information Foras was giving her.

(Amani felt a twinge of guilt for using her djinn like this, but she _needed _to come into the dungeon prepared. Personality was an important thing to know about a djinn, Amani found. It always reflected the shape and form of the dungeon and its tests. The connection between her djinn and this one was important too. It gave her leverage over this djinn if the situation got too tough.)

"…And that was how we ended things." Foras finished. "Though, I admit, I had been a little too hasty. But I was so upset! How could he have said those callous things?"

'…_She reminds me of a teenage girl.'_ Amani couldn't help but think. _'So this is what my djinn is reduced to when it comes to males. Well, at least it makes her have more character. Flaws are inevitable in a human being. I'm just glad that hers is a shallow thing.'_

"There, there, Foras. I'm sure that it's a misunderstanding." Amani said consolingly. "I will try to speak to Zagan for you."

"Usually, I would take the initiative to do it myself, but that would require me to use your rukh." Foras confessed.

Amani's expression brightened. "Oh! Why didn't you mention that before? You can use my rukh anytime your want!"

"I apologize, but you are in no condition to do that." The djinn said firmly, surprising Amani. Her eyes softened. "Please, do not push yourself too much in this dungeon, Mistress."

Amani felt a small amount of panic rise inside at her djinn's request.

"Am I unwell, Foras? What's wrong with me?"

Amani looked into Foras' eyes. In them, she saw pity and some other emotion. Though she couldn't recognize it, Amani knew that it had a negative connotation.

_(Oh Solomon, oh Solomon, oh Solomon.)_

"It's nothing you should be too concerned of right now." Foras assured her. "Just…please, do not intentionally put yourself in situations where you could get hurt. Use your Blessed abilities as much as you can to shield yourself from the dungeon creatures' radar. Allow my sand to help you."

'_Is my condition really that serious?' _She wondered as her djinn looked at her with concern and care. _'Am I really in a state of so much weakness that I have to be cautious of even my own power?'_

(_'Please let it not be something serious and untreatable. Like cancer.' _Amani prayed.)

Amani nodded hesitantly. "I understand. I will do as you say."

"Good luck, Mistress."

Then, there was a blinding flash of light.

* * *

"_Amani! Amani! Wake up!"_

Amani's eyes snapped open at the sound of her own name. She immediately jumped to her feet, making the person next to her yell in surprise. Amani looked around and saw that she was on some sort of narrow cliff. It was directly under Solomon's symbol. She then turned her gaze on the other person with her, who turned out to be Tiare. "Tiare?"

"_A-Are you awake now?"_ The Toran girl asked shakily.

Amani nodded. _"I always wake up like that when I am shaken suddenly because of my training. I'm sorry that I scared you."_

Tiare shook her head. "N-No. Me…no, I fine. I o-kay. I brave." She stuttered in the common language. "S-S-So, I go through dungeon with you still."

Amani almost shook her head at the desperation in the child's voice.

"_Tiare, you can't turn back now. Even if I wanted to turn you away, I can't." _Amani assured the shaking girl. She felt pity for the girl when she flinched in terror. _"Remember, I said that I will protect you. As long as you stay with me and listen to my orders, I will give all my power to protect you and save your parents. I swear it."_

As if to prove herself, Amani willed Foras' sand to trickle out of her gourd and create a solid stairway down the cliff. _"See?"_ She said comfortingly. _"I already have a dungeon's power. I already did this before. You don't have to worry."_

Tiare relaxed and sent Amani a look filled with gratitude. "You kind woman. Very, very kind. Like mother. But strong like father."

Amani laughed. "Thank you, Tiare. Your parents sound wonderful. I would like to meet them in person after we free them."

Tiare nodded optimistically. "Yes! After!" She liked the sound of "after" instead of "maybe".

"Now," Amani turned to her sand stairway, "let's find Alibaba and the others, shall we?"

* * *

"GIVE ME HONEY!"

…This wasn't exactly how Amani planned to find the others, but it worked.

Though Tiare appeared scared senseless by the animalistic scream. She was terrified by the otherworldly appearance of the dungeon too. Amani couldn't blame her. She was only a child after all.

Wait…

"_Tiare, how old are you?"_

The Toran girl looked startled at the sudden question. _"Um…I'm twelve. Almost thirteen."_

"Really?" Amani mused aloud. "You seem younger than that."

The girl flushed, understanding enough to know what Amani said. _"I am smaller than the other girls in my village."_

"Yet you came into this dangerous dungeon with the intention of saving your parents." The Blessed Children patted Tiare's head. "_I was exactly your age when I entered Foras' dungeon. People told me that I couldn't do it. Yet I did. You are the same. You are a brave girl, Tiare. I hope that you know this."_

Her words seemed to have an affect on the Toran girl. Tiare no longer clung onto Amani's dress as they moved toward the source of the loud sound. There was also a slight stride and bounce in her step too.

Amani brightened when she caught sight of her twin and…a giant teddy bear.

She rubbed her eyes and looked up again.

No, it was still there. And it was fighting her brother.

It was strange. Really strange. And ugly in a way that would make young children cry and have nightmares for weeks. But, this was a dungeon. Anything could happen in places like this. At least the "Give me Honey!" outcry made a little more sense.

(But Phoebe's childhood was completely and successfully ruined. She would never remember Winnie the Pooh the same way ever again.)

It didn't take long for the group to drive away the overgrown teddy bear. Amani was impressed with the teamwork that they had.

"Amani!" She heard her brother cry out in relief. Everyone else seemed relieved at her entrance too. "I just saw the teamwork out there. Good job."

From the corner of her eyes, she saw Hakuryuu's expression darken in disappointment.

(She would have to speak with him later.)

"Tiare, right?" Aladdin chirped. "Are you okay? You're not too scared, are you?"

Tiare shook her head. "I okay." She said cheerfully. "With Amani, I always okay! All defeat dungeon easy with Amani! I save parents and defeat dungeon with everyone!"

"**I will not let you do that."**

The gourd immediately started pulsing at the sound of the voice. Instinctively, Amani placed a hand over the gourd and faced the owner of the voice.

_A Jester?_

The silhouette certainly reminded Amani of one. But the presence of the person suggested that he was a little more than that. He began murmuring words of concern to the startled dungeon creatures, calling them each by name.

"Are you all right Francois? Are you hurt Marianne? I see…there, there."

Alibaba looked at the newcomer warily. "Who is he?"

"Zagan…" Amani unintentionally said aloud, gaining the attention of everyone. She repressed the urge to hide her presence with her ability so they would overlook her, she knew that it was a little too late for that. "You are Zagan."

"Wha-really, Amani? This is Zagan?" Alibaba cried out.

Zagan smirked and snapped his fingers. Instantly, he grew in an enormous size that all the djinn shared. Amani herself found that she had to step back so she wouldn't be tramped on.

"Welcome!" Zagan bellowed. "To my stylish dungeon! I am Zagan, the 61st djinn!"

Amani didn't hold back on making a face at the dramatic display. _'So Foras was right. He _is _one of those flamboyant types.'_ She turned to her metal vessel and sweatdropped. _'Foras, I am beginning to doubt your tastes in men.'_

"_Eeek!"_

Amani snapped out of her train of thought the moment the djinn grabbed Tiare. She began struggling in vain in the djinn's grip.

"Huh. Just an ordinary girl from the village. I didn't bring her here…"

"STOP!" Hakuryuu was the first the react. He boldly swung his spear towards the djinn's direction. "Let her go!"

Zagan paused for moment and considered Hakuryuu for a moment. "Eh?" To Amani's disgust, the djinn began _licking _poor Tiare, who, appearing completely and utterly traumatized by the djinn's treatment, began to struggle even _more_. "What should I do after you say something like that to me?" The djinn flipped Tiare over and inspected her as if she were some interesting object. Tiare grabbed at the hem of her tribal dress to retain her dignity while sobbing. "This girl~ I wonder where you are most delicious~?"

"You bastard!" Alibaba and Hakuryuu simultaneously shouted while drawing their blades.

Amani, on the other hand, was seeing red.

(Never again, never again would she ever allow someone else go through what she did, not Tiare, she's only _twelve_-)

"**You," **She snarled as her killing intent rose into a terrifying amount**, "**you despicable, perverted, **PEDOPHILE! Get your hands away from Tiare!"**

Sand began to pour out of the gourd in enormous amounts. Alibaba began to shout for the others to back away as the sand covered the whole floor and Amani.

Zagan turned to her in interest only to gape at Amani's djinn equip.

"Y-You wield Foras?" She heard him asked weakly before he recovered himself and smiled smugly. _"Well_, aren't you talented? You managed to master her power at such a young age. But, that is expected since you are a Blessed Child."

Amani had no patience for this.

"Let. Tiare. Go. You. BASTARD!" She shouted while sending a gigantic sand whip towards Zagan's direction. _"Die. _Hakuryuu and Alibaba don't need a disgusting thing like you to stand in their way."

Zagan pulled Tiare in front of him at the last second, forcing Amani to stop her sand.

"Ah, ah, _ah_~" He crooned. "Let's not be nasty now, Blessed Child. We don't want any _accidental deaths _happening inside my dungeon, do we? Besides, you are in no condition to use that great amount of power. Drop your equip."

Reluctantly, Amani did so and found, to her confusion, that she was having a hard time staying on her feet. How could she already be this tired? She hardly used Foras' power! Disoriented, she accidentally stumbled into Zagan's giant hand. To her horror, the branch-like fingers curled around her body and lifted her up to the same level as Tiare.

"AMANI!" Alibaba lifted up his blade and came forward threateningly. "Let my sister go."

Zagan stuck his tongue out. "No."

"Let her go or I'll-

"Or you'll what?" Zagan sneered. Amani felt something sharp press onto her neck and abdomen. "My, they're right when they say twins are similar. Don't be too hasty too. I might _slip _and _skewer _her."

Alibaba's expression darkened, but he made no other movement.

Amani's focus began to slip as event played out in front of her. For some reason or another, Amon materialized himself to carry a conversation for Zagan. She couldn't make out the details, but she understood the gist of the conversation.

Zagan had no intention of taking a 'king'.

And-

Zagan hated humans.

Amani felt a migraine coming. Really, out of all the djinn, why did _this _one have to be so troublesome? Her brother-in-law really, really needed the power, so why him? And why did her djinn have such a terrible taste in men?!

Hakuryuu lashed out at the djinn with a magoi-concentrated attack. "Let them go."

(Amani felt proud of him for that. Even though the shot missed.)

"Okay!"

Really? That easy?

Amani felt her whole body lurch as the djinn flew upwards. "If you make it to the 'treasury', I'll prepare a path for you!" She heard Zagan say with glee.

"AMANI! Give her back! AMANI!"

Amani wanted to call out to her brother and assure him that she was fine, but she found that her throat felt sore and her head extremely light. Black spots danced across her eyes and she had to blink many times to clear them. She looked down at the shrinking form of her brother. "Alibaba…"

"Oh? Are you tired?" She distantly heard Zagan jeer. "Well, that's to be expected with the state of your body. I'm actually impressed that you made it this far! The staircase you made takes talent and focus."

"…Shut up…let go of Tiare…"

"Still able to speak? Now I can see why Foras chose a little thing like you." Zagan began to slow his flight, much to Amani's relief and exhaustion. "Now sleep, Blessed Child." She heard the djinn say in a more serious tone. "Even if your comrades fail my tests, I swear that I will not harm you or the child."

"…Why?" She gasped out. Zagan spoke, but Amani was already too far gone to hear his answer.

* * *

"I know."

"Eh? What are you blabbing about now, Tao? Did you hit your head too hard again?"

"Judal, _I know_."

Terror.

Complete, raw terror.

Judal had never experienced such a feeling in his life. He enjoyed making other people, _weaker _people, feel it. He even thought of himself as immune to the feeling because of his power. But he wasn't. He _wasn't_. He never was.

"Judal, I know."

It only took two words and his name to bring him to his knees and make him quake in fear.

'_You fool.' _He cursed himself viciously as he heard Tao speak. _'You __**fucking **__fool. You slipped up. You messed up. He knows now. He __**knows**__.'_

_He wasn't supposed to know._

"…How the hell did you find out?"

Judal imagined Tao shrugging. "I always knew, pretty hard to **not** know after tracking Al Thamen for all these years. You're pretty well known around these parts, you know that? You raised hell in one of the villages around here a couple of years ago. Recognized you the moment I laid eyes on your sad body."

"So you're saying that you did all of this because you knew what I was?" Judal snarled, feeling somewhat betrayed. "You healed me because I was your biggest connection to Al Thamen?"

"Stop shoving shit into my mouth, kid. I said nothing like that." Tao snapped. "If it was only that, I wouldn't have even bothered to patch you back up like I did. I don't need stupid things like 'connections' when it comes to that filthy group. They're heartless bastards. They wouldn't even think twice before leaving a comrade behind. Actually, I wouldn't have done anything to you, period. I would've just let you die." The magi felt cold at Tao's callous words since he could hear from the man's voice that it was all true. He really would have left Judal there to die.

"Two reasons." Tao suddenly said, making him jump. "I let you live for two reasons. One, you're too young."

Judal bristled at that. "I'm _nineteen_, old man! I'm no brat!"

"And my family was wiped out nineteen years ago." Tao said calmly. "You were too young have even taken part in the destruction. You might have done some terrible things in your life, but you didn't kill my family."

Oh.

"Besides," Tao said quietly, "during the time I spent with you, I found out that, though you might be the rudest ass I've ever met, you're not them. You're an ass, but you're not them."

Oh.

Judal didn't know what to say. Tao was waiting patiently for him to say something and Judal had no idea what to say. _What should he say?_

"So?" He snapped. "What's the other fucking reason?"

"Sentiment, I suppose." Tao mused as he shifted closer to where Judal was sitting. "You can take your blindfold off now, you know. Your eyes should be completely healed by now."

"Wait, that wasn't an answer! Stop changing the subject and give me a proper answer! Oi! Take your hands off my face, Tao! I'm trying to-Oi!"

The blindfold fell to the floor and Judal blinked. As he had thought, they were in a cave. But they weren't too far from the entrance either so he could see everything just fine.

Which was why he fell silent when he finally saw Tao's face.

He had seen this face before. Too many times. Hell, he knew it better than anyone else's in this world. If he had any artistic talent, he would have been able to draw it perfectly with his eyes closed. He saw it every single time he walked past a lake or some mirror, if he ever bothered to take a glance.

"It's amazing how strong mother's genes are." Tao said casually while cleaning up the bandages. Judal's eyes followed Tao as he moved. "Almost every part of us is exactly like her. It's a good thing we got father's eyes. I don't think mother's cute eyes would have suited us, knowing our personalities."

"Tao." Judal choked as tears began streaming down his eyes and cheeks. _"Tao, _are you really-?_"_

"What?" He laughed. "Did you really think that the only reason why I chased after Al Thamen was for revenge? _Please_. I'm not that dark. I just wanted to take back what they stole from me."

Tao sat right in front of Judal and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"I'm glad that I finally found you, little brother."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tiare: Since they didn't really say her name in the manga at all, I used the anime one. She still can't really speak the common language well. I like her name. It's the name of a Hawaiian flower. Her age is something that I picked out by flipping a coin. She was either going to be ten or twelve. I got twelve. So, she is technically older than Aladdin. Yup. I promise, she will be important later since I never do anything without a reason. But for now, she's a damsel in distress. (Give the kid a break. She's an actual, twelve-year-old child. Not a genius rebirth-person like the other characters. Nowthey are the weird ones.)
> 
> Tao: Yes! Finally, his real identity has been revealed! Tao is Judal's big brother who somehow survived the attack. He is actually an obscure figure standing next to infant-Judal and his parents. Check out Chapter 110, page 15. He's there at the right with his sister. So, the whole point of Judal being separated from Kou, Al Thamen, and Kougyoku is to give him the chance to discover his roots. Tao will help him with that. We'll be learning more about Judal's family through Tao. (I always was a bit frustrated that Ohtaka didn't say much about Judal's family. I was so curious about it too!)
> 
> Foras/Zagan: Yeah, they sort of just happened? Don't worry, this pairing won't be too big. I sort of did this for future comic relief since Amani will be playing the 'middle-man' of their relationship from here on out since they're both immature about their feelings. This was inspired by the surprisingly human interactions between djinn in the "Adventures of Sinbad" extra chapters. And Amon during this arc. He totally cracked me up with his "I'm going to give birth" comment.
> 
> Each chapter will have a theme. One subject of struggle for every Blessed Child (+ Judal/Tao). This one is 'family'. Amani had always had a strained relationship with her birth family so I wanted to rebuild that a little. The family she is married into now values family too so it's a big thing for her. Tiare also goes into the dungeon for her family. Judal discovers that he has a living family member.


	24. Chapter 23: Only from Fairytales

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yasmine pays Kouha a visit before heading back to Sasan.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Onwards

Tao remembered having a weird uncle.

He had been one of those strange relatives that popped up in the family tree once now and then. Overall, Tao's family was a pretty normal one. But his uncle…he was beyond strange. Tao remembered finding him rambling to thin air and winding up _knowing _things that he shouldn't.

"How did you know where Grandmother's hairpin was?" Tao asked his uncle one day. "No one knew where it was hidden except Grandmother and she died."

"Well, Tao," his uncle said while picking Tao up and putting him on his lap, "your uncle has a special ability of seeing the regrets of the people who have passed on."

"Really? Cool! I wanna do that too!"

Tao remembered his uncle looking very sad. "No." He had told Tao firmly. "You should never wish that, Tao. It's a sad thing, seeing the regrets of the dead. It's not like seeing the rukh or being able to use magic. It's…not normal."

Tao didn't understand what his uncle was trying to tell him then. But then again, he had only been five years old, wide-eyed and curious about the world and his strange uncle.

"This village, this clan, is _different _from everyone else. We need to hide because of that. Do you understand me, Tao? This ability is cursed. Just…feel thankful that only the clan members who experienced a deathly situation can see what I can see."

And with that, his uncle had patted his knee and shooed him back home.

The next day, his pregnant mother gave birth to his baby brother.

The next day, Tao gained another sibling to look after alongside his little sister.

The next day, everything that Tao knew went up in smoke and blood.

The next day, Tao experienced death and the repercussions of coming back. As he rose from the ashes of his clan, he finally understood what his uncle had tried to tell him the day before.

Truly, seeing the regrets of the dead was a sad thing.

_(To Tao, being alive was a little bit sadder.)_

Tao was the last of the _Gui _Clan, a clan that once walked amongst ghosts, a cursed clan. A dead clan.

_Gui_. Ghost.

His clan could see ghosts. And he was the last.

'_What meaning is there to be alive?'_ He wondered to himself as he wished for death. _'Why shouldn't I move on like the others? I'm done for, anyways.'_

Grim thoughts for a boy so young, but Tao had been so helpless…so helpless. He just wanted everything to end. And he almost let it happen.

But then, his mother's ghost spoke.

"_Tao…your brother…"_

Tao remembered forcing himself back onto his feet, dribbling blood everywhere. He remembered stumbling away from his village and to…well, he didn't know then. Just away from the death and the fire so he could _breathe_, live, and find his little brother.

With burns and gashes all over his body, Tao left the desolate village chasing ghosts and an eight-pointed star symbol for the next nineteen years to come.

* * *

By the time Yasmine reached Kou, she was too exhausted to even care that people were giving her wary stares and whispering suspiciously to each other. Yasmine didn't blame them. Here she was: a foreigner who covers her face with bones and has her skin marked all over with strange symbols. It must have been a strange sight.

"…_One of those __**barbarian**__ sorts…"_

Actually, it was the usual treatment she would receive in Sasan, so she was already used to it.

Originally, Yasmine had been planning on coming to Kou and making a 'good impression'. But she had a bad run-in with a couple of slave traders on her trip there, so the caravan that had been transporting her was completely destroyed.

Beating the no-good troublemakers had been no problem.

Losing her only means of transportation…sort of was.

So, that was how Yasmine ended up trekking the whole way to Kou by foot.

"This sucks." She commented to herself as she half walked-half dragged herself toward the palace. "Now, how to prove my own identity when I get there?" It wasn't like Sasan made those wooden identification nametags that Kou was always obsessed with. Heck, Yasmine doubted that any of those high-strung, pompous knights even left the mountains to do anything (those lazy bastards) so _of course _they would have been completely unnecessary.

"Halt, you suspicious person!" A couple of guards began striding towards her direction.

Yasmine continued walking. Maybe they weren't speaking to her. Maybe.

"Halt!"

Yasmine walked a little faster.

"Halt!"

'_I have no time for this.' _Yasmine seethed mentally as she turned a corner. The guards doggedly followed her. _'They're way too stubborn! Just how bored are they?'_

A strong hand grabbed her arm and stopped her from her tracks. "Didn't you hear me, kid? I told you to-

Out of instinct, Yasmine grabbed the invasive hand and flipped the guard over her shoulder. His partner took a step back warily as she placed a foot on the winded guard's chest.

"Don't. Touch. Me. I'm in a pretty bad mood so _don't_ push me." She enunciated slowly so the two could understand. She pressed her foot down on the fallen guard. _"Understand?"_

"Ye-Yeah! We get it. We get it!" The other guard said hastily as the one beneath her foot groaned in pain. "We won't bother you anymore!"

Satisfied, Yasmine began to continue her way toward the palace. She was completely oblivious to the look of growing anger and humiliation that the fallen guard gave her after he regained his breath.

"That _bastard_. Thinking that he could make a fool outta me and just walk away with it." He growled under his breath. Before his companion could stop him, the humiliated guard unsheathed his sword and ran at Yasmine with a shout.

Yasmine was, by no means, surprised. Far from that. She had would have been both deaf and blind if she did not see it coming.

But she underestimated the range of the man's swing.

_Slash. Clang. Thunk._

And suddenly, the whole world was very clear to her.

Yasmine didn't dare raise her eyes as her mask fell from her face. Her heart fell to the pit of her stomach when she realized that it was _Raja's mask _that was lying on the ground in two pieces.

Behind her, the reckless guard let out a laugh. "Not so strong now, eh kid?" He sneered arrogantly as Yasmine knelt down to pick up her halved mask. He strutted over and kicked the mask from her hands. "Oi," he growled condescendingly, "I'm talking to you, brat. Look at me when I'm talking to you."

"You…do you really want me to do that?" She asked lowly, anger slowly seeping into her voice. "Do you really…" Yasmine raised her glare upwards in fury, "…**want me to turn my eyes on you?**"

The effect was instantaneous. The results were disastrous.

"Agh! Save me!"

"M…Monster…!"

"I know." Yasmine informed him coldly as he writhed and choked under her deadly gaze. "That's why I told you not to mess with me."

(She didn't kill them. But she was very well damn tempted to for what they did to Raja's mask.)

_Monster!_

And, as always, the bitter feeling left at the end stayed with her a long time afterwards.

After everything was done, Yasmine picked up and cradled the pieces of broken mask in her hands with care. "Raja."

"Yasmine?"

She looked up in surprise, recognizing the voice. "Kouha?"

Afterwards, Yasmine would continuously berate herself for _not thinking_. She could have killed Kouha, since the risk of her power leaking out unintentionally without her mask was extremely high. She could only be grateful that it didn't.

But she wasn't thinking. So she looked up.

Kouha didn't freeze, choke, or look away like normal people usually did. But Kouha wasn't normal. He just stared back like he usually did when her mask was on before flicking his gaze to the fallen soldiers. His nose wrinkled in distaste. "Did they bully you, Yasmine? I bet they did. Probably deserved what they got too." His eyes landed on the broken mask in Yasmine's hands. "Oh, you broke your mask."

His statement broke the spell and realization crashed down on her.

_Raja's mask was broken._

Yasmine could only stare. Such a precious thing. Such a precious, precious thing. And she let someone break it. Yasmine tried to will the pieces to merge back together but the bones lay uselessly in her hands, still broken.

Still broken

Yasmine numbly felt something wrap around her shoulders. Tentatively, Kouha placed a hand on her back and began pushing her forward.

"It's okay." She heard him say soothingly, gently. "It's okay, Yasmine. Shhh. We'll fix it when we get back into the palace." He placed a hand over her eyes as she drew nearer to his subordinates. "Shhh. Trust me, Yasmine. Everything is going to be okay. I'll fix it. You'll never see those mean soldiers again."

Behind his fingers, Yasmine's eyes fluttered shut and she relaxed into his touch.

"…Atta girl, Yasmine." Kouha said approvingly.

She let him lead her into his caravan. JunJun, ReiRei, and JinJin immediately rushed over and clucked over Yasmine's physical state. They pulled her and Kouha into the caravan while piling the Blessed Child with words of comfort.

Yasmine felt a little better. But then a thought hit her that made her feel worse.

Her eyes.

During the whole ride to the palace, Kouha's hand never left Yasmine's eyes.

'_Kouha doesn't trust me with his subordinates.' _She realized with a sad pang._ 'I'm a danger to all of them without my mask. Even he views me as a threat.'_ And she didn't blame him.

Her hands squeezed the broken pieces of her mask.

The sooner she fixed Raja's mask, the better and safer everyone would be.

* * *

Yasmine let out a blissful sigh as she sank into the bathwater.

It was rare that she was able to enjoy a warm bath. Usually, she would use river water to wash the mud and grime off her hair. She knew that she could use the one in her room in the Sasan Palace…but she obviously wasn't going to drop by for a casual visit anytime in the future.

Yasmine picked up a cloth and began scrubbing her arms from the filth that gathered there during her travels and the blood that dribbled from her recently-gained cuts. A wry smile flickered over her face as her fingers traced over the Toran symbols on her skin.

_Blessed with far-reaching eyes that create mountains. Blessed with far-reaching eyes that create mountains. Blessed with-_

Yasmine scrubbed her arms even harder. She scrubbed them until they were red and raw.

But, no matter how much skin peeled off, the symbols were still there.

_Blessed with the far-reaching eyes that create mountains._

Before Yasmine could raise her hand to resume her scrubbing, a hand snatched out and stopped her. "Stop."

Kouha.

Automatically, Yasmine closed her eyes and snatched her wrist from his grip. "Don't you know that it's impolite to come in without knocking?" She snapped at him sharply while shielding her upper body with her arms. "Get out."

She heard Kouha huff under his breath. "_Someone's _cranky." He commented as she heard him move his body behind hers. "I just came in to help you with your hair, which is atrocious by the way." He added with a sniff.

Yasmine bristled at his comment as Kouha casually began untangling her hair.

"_You _try looking your best when you have to walk all the way from the western shores to Kou." She spat as his hands continued to weave through her hair. Kouha made a sound of apology from the back of his throat. "That's pretty far." He consented. "It must have been hard then. So how _did _you end up walking all the way here? Didn't that King Sinbad send you off with a caravan at least? Or is he ruder than I thought?"

"No, there was a caravan. But the goddamn bandits stopped it and forced me to use my feet." Yasmine growled as she recalled the memory. The bandits had made her _very _angry. She made them pay for that. Yes she did. She doubted that they would be raiding another caravan soon. "I was angry." Yasmine summed up everything in short words.

Kouha snorted. "You kicked their ass, didn't you?"

"Never said I didn't."

Kouha barked a laugh. "Good." He said simply. "Or I would have gone all the way to that desert to hunt down and kill every single band of bandits I came across until I wiped them all out."

There was no anger in his voice. He stated it as if it was a fact. Knowing Kouha, it really was.

"You are a scary one." Yasmine said in a subdued voice. "I don't care what they say about your older brothers. _You're_ the one the world has to look out for."

Kouha laughed. "Do you really think so? Thanks!"

Kouha didn't think so. He didn't think that she really meant what she said and humored her. Yasmine could hear it in his voice.

But she really did mean it. She meant every word.

There was nothing in this world scarier than a loose cannon that killed on a whim, based on swinging emotions and small bouts of anger.

"If we ever face each other as enemies in the battlefield, you better be the one to kill me." Yasmine said abruptly, causing Kouha's hands to freeze where they were. "I don't want it to be a common solider or one of your brothers. It has to be you, Kouha."

There would be no better honor than to be killed by a hand more talented than your own. Raja taught her this.

(But he never got to have his honorable death. No. Raja was completely mulled over by barbarians. Yasmine had to be the one to raze them over with her wrath and come back to pick up her beloved teacher's body.)

Yasmine felt something cold land on her hair and seep onto her scalp. She yelped and jumped a little at the new sensation. The sweet fragrance that followed after told her that it was hair oil, the ancient substitute for the other world's shampoo.

'_He…He did that on purpose!'_

Kouha's other hand began to gently message the oil into her hair as the other set the bottle down onto the marbled floor of the bathroom. "Don't say things like that." He scolded. "You're important to me, Yasmine. We're friends. I would never kill you."

Yasmine scowled. "Don't make promises you can't keep, Kouha." She grumbled.

Yasmine could imagine the tilt of Kouha's head. "What makes you so sure that I won't keep it? Do you have such little faith in me?"

"Of course I do." She replied without hesitation, making Kouha stop in his actions again in surprise.

"Why?"

"Because," Yasmine explained with confidence, "you love your brothers more than you care for me. It's no contest."

Her words rang true, but Kouha was determined to ignore the reality in her statement. "Ne, this conversation is getting pretty depressing. Let's talk about other things. How is my niece?"

She let him change the subject.

"Kohaku is doing well in Sindria. She is learning a lot from Yamraiha and improving quickly." _Though her having the memories of Shion's Amani might have something to do with that._ "She also made many friends." _And wrecked havoc upon the whole island by doing so. _"And I think," Yasmine worded this part carefully, "many people in Sindria are fond of your niece. Namely Shion."

"Shion? You mean that brat who came to Mei's wedding?" Kouha asked with alarm and irritation in his voice. "That brat."

"Shion is **not **a brat." Yasmine defended hotly. "He is as mature as he is kind. And don't you think of bullying him, Kouha. He is nothing like his father."

"That's what you think."

"Not think. I know." She stated shortly. "He likes pairing people up better than _being_ paired up, so shut it and let Kohaku make her friends." Yasmine angled her head away from Kouha's hands, much to his dissatisfaction.

"And for Solomon's sake, get out of the bathroom, Kouha! I'm _naked_!"

* * *

"Everyone, I would like you to meet Yasmine! Yasmine, this is everyone!"

Yasmine thought that she would be spending the rest of her day in bed. Yup. She didn't remember _how _she managed to convince herself of that, since she was within a ten-meter radius of _Kouha_. She completely blamed fatigue.

Yasmine waved awkwardly at the crowd of curious faces while stubbornly keeping her gaze away from any eyes. "Hi."

(Kouha was an idiot for placing her in front of a crowd without her mask on. An idiot.)

Faster than she could close her eyes, Kouha's subordinates were right in her face. They wasted no time in immersing her with warm "hellos" and many, _many _questions.

"You must be Princess Yasmine!"

"Welcome!"

"Is it true that you are a Blessed Child?"

"Of course she is ya dimwit! Do ya think Kouha-sama would settle for anyone less? He's _Kouha-sama_!"

"You're prettier than I thought you'd be."

"How long will you be staying?"

Honestly, she was surprised. She thought that at least one of them would hold some wariness towards her, since she knew Kouha told them about her. But they only handled her as they would a newcomer to their ranks.

'_Well, all of them are a little like me in some shape and form.'_ She amended to herself when she remembered what Kougyoku told her about Kouha's band of misfits. Some were failed experiments. Others were armies led by executed generals who went against the emperor. Kouha even allowed people with statuses lower than even the slaves to join his army.

"Yasmine-sama!" A trio of feminine voices wailed her name. Within seconds, Yasmine found herself barreled over by JunJun, ReiRei, and JinJin. "We apologize for the misunderstanding!"

Yasmine blinked at them blankly. "…Misunderstanding?"

Did she forget something?

"It was not our intention to make you feel as if you are feared!" JunJun spoke up passionately. "It was _us _who were afraid that our presence would scare you away from Kouha-sama! We did not want to cause any strain on your relationship, since Kouha-sama is interested in-

Kouha's hands suddenly snapped out of nowhere and covered JunJun's mouth before she could finish her sentence. At Yasmine's raised eyebrow, Kouha laughed sheepishly. "Can't have people blabbing about Kou's secrets, right?"

Yasmine's eyes widened in understanding. "Ah. I see." She turned to the trio with a softer expression on her face. "Thank you. And on the contrary to what you assumed, I find the three of you very beautiful." She smiled at them, making them blush.

"Yasmine-sama!" They wailed and tackled her to the ground. "You are truly worthy of Kouha-sama!"

In the background, Kouha flushed and waved his arms angrily. "Oi, Oi! Stop saying things so carelessly, girls!"

The trio ripped themselves away from Yasmine and tackled down their master with a thousand apologies shooting from their lips. "We're SORRY!"

Yasmine shook her head and turned her face the other way.

"I'm not even going to ask."

Some things were better left unknown. Especially when it came to Kouha.

* * *

"Hey, Yasmine! Show us your djinn equip! Everyone is _dying_ to see it!"

"You mean _you _are dying to see it."

"Aw Yasmine _please_?"

"No. I just took a bath."

"_Pleaaaaaase?"_

"No means no,"

"I'll throw in a spar if you show us. I'll even battle you seriously."

"…_Fine_. But you better not hold back."

* * *

"_Spirits of Wrath and Battles, in the name of my magoi and my will for a greater power, I order you and your members. Come forth Gamigin!"_

There was something personal about putting on your djinn equip. Other than the fact that the thing practically leeched off of your magoi, it also served as a battle companion rather than a weapon. Every part of the battle armor almost _breathed_ and _moved_ with her whenever she put it on to fight. Yasmine didn't know whether anyone else felt this way, but she definitely did.

From behind her, Kouha whistled. "Whoa. That's a pretty badass equip you got there."

Yasmine felt her chest swell up with pride at his compliment.

"Thanks."

But in all honesty, her djinn equip wasn't much at all. Her clothing simply consisted of black robes and pants that would usually be found on some samurai warrior. The edges of her sleeves and her pants trailed into an unknown, dark substance that could only be compared to black ink trailing in the water. Sai had mentioned many times that her equip resembled _Shinigami _uniform, whatever that meant. ("…You really don't know your anime. I'm so ashamed." Sai had informed her before going into a long tirade about the amazingness of the anime series called _Bleach._ Yasmine honestly couldn't care less about what he said.) Her hair was tied back and was (dyed? How did the djinn equip even _change _her hair color?) black. She had no fancy jewelry handing from her body aside from a red ruby embedded into her forehead like a third eye.

Unfortunately, since Gamigin was male, Yasmine was stuck with an untied top, leaving her chest bared to the world. The only relief she had with this embarrassing aspect was that her chest was bound with black bandages, which protected what was left of her modesty.

Ah, the downsides of having a djinn of the opposite sex.

Though, speaking of different genders…

"Kouha, your djinn equip looks girly." Yasmine informed her friend bluntly. "Let me guess, a female djinn?"

Kouha scowled and kicked at the ground. "She was supposed to be En-nii's." He grumbled. "But she decided to be difficult and chose me instead. Said something about not liking cheaters."

Yasmine wasn't surprised. It mustn't have looked too good for the eldest prince when he came into the dungeon with three djinn already at his side.

"Hey, let's cut the chit-chat, Yasmine." Kouha sang while gripping his own scythe. "Let's fight already."

Yasmine almost didn't catch his swing. _Almost._

She grunted at the force exerted behind the attack. _'He's strong.'_

Kouha, on the other hand, looked impressed by her parry. "Oh? Still standing?"

"Of course," Yasmine replied smoothly as she countered all the other attacks the pink haired prince gave her, "I'm not like your other weak opponents. Don't underestimate my power."

Kouha laughed.

"Don't worry. I won't."

He lunged for her again. She met his strokes and fought back.

Kouha was strong, _really _strong. But Yasmine was strong too. Raja _had _been the one who trained her, after all. And the man had no understanding of the term 'going easy'. And she had speed and a clear head at her side. Unlike Kouha, who was giggling insanely at the thrill that their spar was giving him, Yasmine was running different scenarios and possibilities in her head. Should she block this one? Should she back away? Should she hold back in this attack?

"Amazing!" Yasmine heard Kouha cry as she sent him skidding in the other direction with one of her stronger attacks. "Amazing. Amazing. _Amazing!_ Yasmine, you're talented! You're strong! Let's fight some more! More! MORE!"

"…"

So Sai _was _telling the truth when he said that the Ren Family tended to get bloodthirsty during good fights. Yasmine knew that Kougyoku had her…moments, but she didn't really believe Sai's words until now.

Yasmine slapped him down with the flat side of her scythe. "You're insane." She informed him bluntly as he stood back up to strike her again.

Kouha lifted his own weapon with a glint in his eyes. Yasmine immediately tensed as his lips began to move in a chant that filled her with dread. He's not going to - no, he _wouldn't_ do what she thought he was doing. There was a crowd of _his _men beneath him. They would be crushed by whatever he was going to dish out on her.

Kouha wouldn't activate an advanced djinn equip attack.

…Right?

"…_Engrave her cruelty, disappear under the queen's crushing grief!"_

Dammit. He would.

"_Lelazzo Madraga!"_

Yasmine silently willed Gamigin's armor to stretch its darkness and encompass everyone below her as she met Kouha's attack head-on. "Whatever you do, don't touch the barrier! It rots whatever it touches!" She called down loudly as she felt her bones creak under the weight of the attack. _'Even attacks.'_ She added silently in her mind.

Yasmine would never admit it, but she blacked out for a couple of seconds when Kouha swung his weapon down. The moment she came to, all she could feel and process was **pain**.

Ow.

Just…ow. That hurt.

"Yasmine!" She blearily heard Kouha cry as someone lifted her from the ground. Whoa…when was the ground there? Wasn't she way up in the sky a couple seconds ago? When did she fall? Ow.

"Ow." Yasmine finally concluded aloud. "What happened?" _Why were there three Kouha's? Wasn't one enough?_

Yasmine slid her eyes shut and tried to regain her bearings.

"Um," Though she couldn't see him, Yasmine could _feel _the awkwardness rolling off of Kouha, "I sort of…went a little…overboard with my attacks."

'_You don't say?'_

"And," Kouha went on, oblivious to her sarcastic thoughts, "thank you."

Yasmine blinked in confusion. "Huh?"

"Yasmine, you're strong. You could have blocked that attack of mine easy. But you spent most of your energy on placing a barrier over my men. So, thank you."

There was something painfully _genuine _about Kouha's gratitude. It reminded Yasmine of how much he cared for his men. Not for the first time, Yasmine wondered why _Kouha _shouldn't be next in line for the position of emperor instead of his older, more selfish brother.

But then again, fate worked strangely.

It wasn't her place to decide what was right and wrong.

"They're your precious people." Yasmine told him simply, honestly. "Of course I would protect them."

Kouha took a shuddering breath.

"Yasmine…I-

"Because you're my best friend, after all. Aside from the other Blessed Children, you're the only one who overlooks my power. We…_are _friends." Yasmine finished hesitantly. "Right?"

"…Yeah. I knew that. We're friends. Best friends." Kouha hastily agreed. "I won't ever stop being your friend."

Before Yasmine could thank him, she was barreled over by Kouha's attendants.

"YASMINE-SAMA! Are you alright?"

"Thank you very much, Yasmine-sama! We are in your debt!"

"You're amazing!"

Warmth spread inside Yasmine's chest as she heard the worried questions and a content smile flickered over her lips. "I'm fine. Thanks for worrying."

"Oi! OI! Break it up! Give her some room, you rowdy bunch!" She heard Kouha shout in annoyance. "You're all just going to suffocate her with your worrying! Give her back!"

Kouha was completely ignored.

* * *

"You asshole." Yasmine realized an hour later when her wounds were being tended to. "I have to take another bath!"

"I'm sorry?" Kouha asked sheepishly.

"You better be. I'm supposed to have dinner with your father tonight!"

"Shit. Okay, let me help you with your clothes and hair. JunJun, ReiRei, JinJin, fetch a pretty dress and a brush, would you? Yasmine needs to be pretty for tonight!"

"Yes, Prince Kouha!"

Yasmine felt Kouha give her hand an assuring squeeze.

"Don't worry about a thing, Yasmine. I'll make sure that the dinner between you and him goes well."

* * *

"Your beautiful presence blesses my halls. It is an honor to have you, Blessed Child." The Emperor commented silkily as Yasmine dined across from him.

She lowered her head in gratitude. "Thank you, Emperor Koutoku. Your compliment is most gracious."

There was something very cold about eating with a king.

"Tell me, how is my grandchild? Learning well, I hope?"

Yasmine tilted her head upward as she spoke. "Princess Kohaku is very talented, your highness. She is learning by leaps and bounds." She informed him, knowing very well that the man had no true interest in his granddaughter. "Princess Kohaku is very well endeared in Sindria and they ask you to prolong her stay."

Something akin to laughter gurgled from the Emperor's throat. "Very well, very well, I will grant this request. If she is learning well then why should I bar her from her education?" He leaned forward with a greedy glint in his eyes. "Now child, let us speak about yourself. I am very curious. Am I right to assume that you are the same age as my daughter-in-law?"

"You are correct to assume so, your majesty. I am currently eighteen years old."

The Emperor hummed as he lifted his sake cup. Servants were at his side almost immediately to refill his cup. Yasmine hadn't even touched hers. "Are you betrothed to anyone, child? Any young, strapping men who are waiting to make you his wife?"

"They wouldn't dare." Yasmine murmured as she placed down her chopsticks. A rueful smile played at her lips as she quoted the words her sire told her when she brought up the subject. "Only a crazy man would bed a monster."

"Such bitter words." The Emperor stated, but did not say a word against Yasmine's statement. "Is it true that your gaze is as fatal as they say, Blessed Child?"

"Yes."

"And yet I sit here, alive."

There was arrogance that laced his tone. Yasmine knew that he was confident that it was his place on the throne and his so-called 'divine power' that shielded him from her ability.

But it was simpler than that.

Just like Raja and the other Blessed Children before him, it had been the mask that protected the kings from their poisonous gaze.

"You are the Emperor." Yasmine stated simply. She would allow the king to think what he would like.

"Yes." The Emperor mused as he took another swig from his sake cup. Yasmine took the chance to plop two pieces of meat and a pinch of rice into her mouth. As she chewed, the servants announced to the emperor that the empress requested for his presence. "Bah." He grumbled. "What does that fox want now? Doesn't she know that I'm busy with the Blessed Child?"

"Oh yes, I am aware of that dear Emperor. But I, as your wife, have been very lonely." A voice crooned from the doorway.

Yasmine kept her eyes on her plate as Empress Gyokuen strode into the room. Ice began to seep into her veins as the woman walked closer to the table.

"Oh? What is this?"

Yasmine tensed as the Empress stopped right beside her. Gamigin began to pulse erratically at her side as the woman placed a hand on her head. "My, are you the little girl who Prince Kouha is so enraptured with?" She inquired with sugar and syrup oozing from her voice. "What a pretty face. I wonder if your eyes are just as pretty, little tiger."

"Your highness," Yasmine forced her lips to move as she squeezed the hems of her dress underneath the table, "I am afraid that wouldn't be possible for the sake of your safety."

An almost imperceptible hiss came from Yasmine's scythe. It was a threat. Yasmine heard it and she knew that the witch heard it too. The cold hand untangled from her hair and rustled back into the sleeves that it came from, much to Yasmine's relief.

"Really? How _considerate_ of you." She said with a mocking lilt in her voice that only Yasmine could hear. "Beautiful, wild, and _considerate_. Now I can see how Prince Kouha became interested in you. Yes, so interested that he shirked his duties to visit Sasan."

Did he? Yasmine made a mental note to give Kouha a good whack on the head for that later. Impromptu visits that more bothered her than gave her pleasure weren't worth his duties as the third prince.

"Stop bothering the girl, Empress." The Emperor drawled from the other side of the table. "Just tell me what you want and go."

"I would like my daughter, Princess Hakuei, back in the palace where she belongs." The witch requested submissively. "Parading about with those vagabonds is not proper for a lady of her station."

Yasmine's self-control snapped at Gyokuen's request. Dragging a free-spirited, independent woman back into a constricting palace just because of some sexist belief that a woman had no place in the battlefield? Oh _hell_ no.

"If it isn't too bold for me to say," Yasmine spoke up softly (but she was angry, oh so angry), gaining the attention of the two powerful figures of Kou, "I believe that Princess Hakuei's mission in reforming these 'vagabonds' into citizens of Kou is a just mission that could only be achieved with a woman's touch. At least, this is what I believe, your majesties."

There was a moment of silent tension between Yasmine and Gyokuen.

'_You dare challenge me?'_ Gyokuen's silence seemed to entail.

'_I dare.' _Yasmine's barked back with just as much threat. _'Bring it on, bitch.'_

The Emperor laughed, interrupting their silent battle.

"How wise, Blessed Child." The Emperor said. "I will take your advice into account. I will allow Princess Hakuei to stay in the Tenzan Plateau territory. If I didn't know any better, I would have assumed you were a daughter of one of my governors! Don't you think she makes a sound argument with that witty tongue of hers, Empress?"

"What a little gem, she is." Gyokuen crooned in agreement as she angled her body away from Yasmine and to her husband. "We must add her to our family. We _must_."

Horror seeped into the Blessed Child's bones as she heard the Emperor hum in a considering way to his wife's suggestion.

"Perhaps. I will send an envoy to Sasan to make a request. What do you think of this potential marriage, Blessed Child?"

Yasmine kept her gaze on her plate.

(But her mind was a storm.)

"It would be an honor to join a family as illustrious as yours, Emperor." She said calmly, despite the turbulent thoughts raging in her mind. She bowed her head modestly. "But it will be for the better if my grandfather and…father have their say in a decision as great as this. I hope that you understand."

* * *

Yasmine hated being in a palace. She hated the walls, the dresses, and the whispers. She hated how all she could see were walls and ceilings. She always felt as if she was locked in a figurative cage that she couldn't claw herself out from.

"I hate it here." Yasmine confessed to Kouha that night in her room as he poured her a cup of sake. "It feels stifling."

"Is it really that bad here?" Kouha wondered as he gulped down a cup.

Yasmine snorted. "It's not home." She told him simply. "It's…stuffy, this palace. It's the same in every palace I wander into. I'm just glad that I never had to grow up in one." She turned her eyes toward the doors of the balcony that her room generously had. The sun began its slow descent to the horizon. "I prefer the battlefields and my little hut. At least I get to breathe once in a while after the slaughtering and the half-baked assassinations."

"What about the soldier's barracks?" Kouha asked in a strangely hushed tone. "Didn't you like it there?"

Yasmine's eyes softened at his question.

"I loved it." She told him honestly. "Everyone was so kind to me. I never had so many people accept me at one time. It was almost like a dream. I…I had fun, Kouha."

"Amani is here too." The pink haired prince added hopefully. "Wouldn't she be happy if you were here to keep her company? Mei won't be here all the time, so it wouldn't be as lonely for her if you were around. And Kou has lots of expeditions and invasions, so there's always a chance for you to spill some blood."

Yasmine sighed and took a sip. "You're making excuses, Kouha. I know that you like bothering me, but couldn't you do it as you always do with me in Sasan? Having you so close would only give me a headache."

"You don't mean that."

"Hm. You're right. I don't." She swirled the cup's contents and took another sip, enjoying the warmth that the alcohol gave her. "I actually look forward to your visits. Funny, right? I'm always scared when you leave, since there is a chance that you will never come back." Yasmine said sadly. Was it just her or was the world beginning to sway? "Raja was my most important person in the world and he never came back."

"Raja?"

"Yes, Raja. My knight in shining armor. He taught me everything I know."

"Everything?" Kouha asked with an unknown emotion in his voice.

"Everything." She confirmed.

He sighed. "Must've been some guy. Let me guess. He was your predecessor?"

"Yes. And he left me with this stupid mask of his and his stupid duty to my stupid country." She said bitterly. "Stupid. And he infected me with his stupidity too, since I can't leave that country of mine. No matter how much they hate me, I have to protect them until I die."

"Why **do **they hate you anyways? Aren't Blessed Children supposed to be honored figures?" Kouha asked her while pouring both of them another cup. Wait, when did she finish that? And was this really her second cup? Or was it her third? She couldn't keep count. And the ground was still swaying. It reminded her of the ship she had to take on her way here.

"Dunno. It was always like that. Raja told me they were just scared."

"That's no excuse." Kouha pointed out. "All of the Blessed Children in Kou were revered for their powers for years. How could they mistreat you? You're _blessed _with powers that millions would jump into a dungeon to get!"

Yasmine threw her head back and laughed.

"Blessed?" She asked when she recovered. "_Blessed? _Tell me Kouha, what part of my situation is blessed? My family hates me. My people fear me. And because of what? My _blessed _abilities that you and the rest of Kou seem to laud so much? You know _nothing_ about us! Amani hates her ability. She uses it, but that's only because of necessity! Do you know how it feels to be overlooked by your own loved ones? Do you know how it feels to disappear? And Sai. Sometimes, he loses himself. No, he's _still_ losing himself! Sai wears so many faces and voices that I think even _he_ forgets what his own face looks like! Do you know how _frustrating _and _scary _that is? He pretends not to care, but he does. He cries, Kouha. We can't see it, but he cries. And Kougyoku, she's scared. You heard about her status as a Blessed Child, right? Well, she has been seeing the ugly truths of human nature ever since she was born! I'm surprised that it hasn't driven her _crazy_ yet!"

Yasmine was ranting now. Kouha could only stare silently as she cursed at the skies for witnessing her birth.

"And you?" Kouha finally said as she paused to take a breath. "What about you?"

"Me?" She parroted him. "What about me? I'm just a sad woman who can never look a person straight in the eye and say hello. I-" She choked. "I'm just a woman who used to believe as a child that a prince would come and break this curse and carry me off into the sunset like in the fairytales I used to read. I used to believe that happiness was possible for me."

Kouha reached over and took her hand. "Can't it?"

"No." Yasmine took her hand back. "No, it can't."

He took her hand again.

"Yasmine." He begged. "At least…at least_ try _a little. You never know. It can still be a 'happily ever after' you know. A prince can still carry you off into a better day if you try _looking _a little harder."

Yasmine didn't know what Kouha was trying to say. He was trying to tell her _something_. She knew that. But what?

"Yasmine, _please_."

How many times had she begged whatever beings out there to give her a better chance with that same tone? How many times had fate trampled on her idealistic dreams and optimistic hopes?

Yasmine smiled at Kouha sadly and gave his hand a squeeze.

"Kouha, I'm sorry. I just can't believe in bedtime stories anymore."

* * *

_Harley loved Fairy Tales ever since she was a little girl._

_She loved how there was always a prince to the princess. She loved how the women were always the main character. She loved how, at the end, the monster was slain and the prince and the princess got to ride off into the sunset._

"_Why?" She remembered Phoebe asking one day. "They could have just ridden off at sunrise. That's much more logical."_

"_Silly, sunsets are more romantic." Harley answered with a smile._

'_And they lived happily ever after' Yasmine remembered Harley reading at the end of her book of fairy tales. It was her favorite line. It was her favorite ending._

_But she forgot that every story ended with the same line:_

_THE END_

_(Of what, exactly? Life? Happiness?)_

* * *

Nineteen years.

Tao had searched for his brother for nineteen years.

And just when he was about the give up on the search, the little bastard decides to literally crash-land at his temporary doorstep. The irony.

Tao recognized him immediately. He had his mother's face and his father's eyes, just like him. They even shared the same height. That fact filled Tao with joy and disappointment. What kind of older brother would he be if he couldn't best his younger brother in height? But then again, his brother was healthy, so that was good.

Really good.

More than good.

Well…Tao made his point. He was relieved that his little brother hadn't been chopped up and offered to whatever twisted god Al Thamen believed in.

But then, Tao actually _looked _at his brother. He looked at his appearance and clothes and recognized him as Judal, the hell-raiser magi who destroyed cities without a second thought.

Judal, servant of Al Thamen.

Solomon, how could he have been so _blind_?

His baby brother was a tool for their clan's murderers. Tao wanted to weep.

'_Isn't it better to put him out of his misery? He already brought so much pain and it isn't even his fault! It was because I wasn't faster, stronger. I could have saved him from this fate. But I'm too late. Shouldn't I, as his older brother, grant him this small mercy?' _He couldn't help but wonder as he looked down at the agony in Judal's expression. _'Kill me.'_ It seemed to say. _'Let this pain end.'_

Tao was about to. He really was. But…

"…Princess…sorry…"

Remorse.

His baby brother was feeling _remorse_. Maybe not for his past sins, but he could still feel remorse, right? Tao felt hope rise in his chest. Yes, his baby brother wasn't gone yet.

Tao could still save him.

And right then and there, Tao made his decision.

_Hey, kid, are you alive there?"_

* * *

And, as a treat, here is a chibi-Omake! Enjoy!

* * *

**Chibi-Omake: Puberty (or, How Jamal Ended Up Giving Hel "The Talk")**

Hel walked along the halls of Sindria's palace, looking from left to right furtively.

"Hel!"

The ex-gladiator wasted no time in scrambling behind one of the marble columns at the sound of his name.

"Oh Hel~! Hel, my man! Hel, ol' buddy ol' pal! Where are you~?" He heard Jamal's voice echo through the hallway. "I _really _need a victim-I mean, _a volunteer_ to help me out with my new invention! C'mon Hel, help out a friend, would ya? Oh Hel~!"

Hel repressed a shiver and stayed still as Jamal's shadow passed him.

He stayed like that for another ten minutes, just in case. You could never be sure when it comes to someone like Jamal.

'_Like __**hell **__I'll be your guinea pig…you crazy herbivore.'_

Hel continued his way through the palace cautiously.

'_I am in no mood to be crowded today.'_ The child ambassador thought darkly. _'If they crowd, I would have to end up revealing __**that. **__Those herbivores should __**never **__discover __**that**__. Never. Especially that other carnivore.'_ Hel imagined Shion's reaction and scowled. He wouldn't let the Sindrian Prince discover _that_. He wouldn't.

"…Hel?"

Hel froze and slowly turned.

_Dammit._

It was Shion.

Hel was about to reply, but thought better of it and nodded instead. He hoped that he wouldn't notice. Shion's eyes narrowed suspiciously, making the white-haired boy pale. He noticed. He definitely noticed.

"Hel?" Shion asked again suspiciously. "Why aren't you talking?"

"HEL! There you are!" Jamal cried out, popping out of nowhere. Hel jumped about two feet into the air and let out a startled yelp. Jamal took a second to snicker at Hel's reaction before grabbing him by the collar. "Let's go, Hel! I need a test subject- I mean, _an extra hand_ for my experiments- I mean, _inventions_."

"Herbivore!" The ex-gladiator snapped angrily. "I have no intention of helping yo-" His voice cracked.

The trio froze at the sound.

"What was that?" Shion finally asked.

Hel blushed. "Shut up, Carnivore! It was nothing! No-" Another crack.

"…"

"…"

"…So," Jamal began awkwardly, "puberty problems? Do you want me to start going over the 'birds and the bees' talk with you?"

Hel glared at Jamal. "No."

"Are you _sure_? The Al Thamen Organization isn't exactly the best people to go to when you need to be filled in on the details of growing up." Jamal broached carefully.

Shion nodded at Jamal's side. "Jamal is right. Are you sure you don't need the information? We're here to support you, you know."

"No."

"Hel~" Jamal whined. "We're _worried _for you. Hormones are scary, Hel. What happens if a pretty girl catches your eye and BOOM, you're stuck with a little bundle of life? Huh? And all that could've been avoided if you listened to us."

Hel scowled and crossed his arms. "I know about" *crack* "those things, Herbivore!"

"…Oh, thank Solomon. Good. So you are completely aware of the women's 'monthly's'. It would be a sad thing if you accidently angered them during that time period. Especially Opal."

"…"

Shion and Jamal paled.

"Hel," Shion said slowly, "you _do _know what we're talking about…don't you?"

"…" Hel turned away.

"He doesn't." Jamal said in horror.

"So what?!" Hel snapped in embarrassment. "That's" *crack* "a problem for _females_. Why should I" *crack* "know about something" *crack* "like that?"

"You have _no_ idea." Shion stated flatly. "_No_ idea."

Jamal cleared his throat uncomfortably. "So, come again about your knowledge of how babies are made?"

Hel gave Jamal a blank stare. "Something about a man and a woman climbing to the top of a mountain together and a crane delivering the baby."

"…"

Shion and Jamal shared a _look_.

"I'll leave him to you, Jamal."

Jamal wrapped an arm around Hel's shoulder. "Hey buddy. Let's go for a walk, okay? This is going to take a while."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So...no Yasmine/Kouha?: Oh no. The ship still sails. This is just Yasmine being dense and angsty. Yasmine doesn't like the idea of being hitched to a stranger, which was why she had that negative reaction. Besides, her being added into the Kou Family would hint that the majority of the Blessed Children were connected to Kou, giving them more power. Her rant was pretty much her telling Kouha that she gave up on her "childish thoughts" she used to have when she was Harley. It wasn't her rejecting him in any way, though he could have taken it that way. Who knows?
> 
> Possible Fiance Choice?: Kouha, obviously. But Yasmine and her family in Sasan won't let her join the Kou Family without a fight, unlike Amani.
> 
> The Gui Clan: So, you know the whole seeing ghosts thing with Koumei? I was planning on making that an ability a long time so I hinted at it during their wedding. "Gui" means "Ghost" in Chinese. The word itself has negative connotations so Judal was actually born into a family that was cursed in the first place. The ability to "see" ghosts is dormant, not unlike the Sharingan in Naruto. Only after seeing a death of a loved one (or loved ones, in Tao's case) would they be able to see ghosts. So yay! Tao is a ghost whisperer! But the downside to this ability is that Tao would never be able to see the rukh since the two things are in completely different "planes" of existence. Same thing with the other way around. Since he is a Magi, Judal cannot see ghosts but can see the rukh.
> 
> Overall Theme in This Chapter?: Fairytales. Since Harley loved Disney so much, I decided to focus on Cinderella. This whole chapter is loosely based on the tale and the scenes aren't chronologically in order. Also, I wanted to make it clear that Yasmine still has a storybook thought process when she views the world. Sadly, she views herself as the monster or dragon in the story, not the princess. Kouha is the prince who she believes must "slay her" to achieve his "happy ending". (Shakes head). She's really dense. Obviously, Empress Gyokuen is the scary and evil stepmother. Kouha also plays "fairy godmother" when he helps Yasmine get ready for the dinner. So you can squint and make up your own fairy tale allusions. It's not limited to just Cinderella. The Gui Family itself is something that sounds like it came from some fairytale.


	25. Chapter 24: Hello, My Name Is

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sai trolls Reim as a whole before reuniting with a family member.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Onwards

"Hey, kid! Come over here! There is something that I want to show you."

They had spent the next days talking. Just…talking. Like they usually did. But this time, there wasn't the same restraint and caution that used to lace their sentences and comments. Tao freely told Judal about his travels and his unique ability. Judal, in turn, confided to his brother about his experience and…sins he committed while being under Al Thamen. It was a relief to Judal that Tao – his _brother_ who was _alive_ – didn't hate him for who he was and for what he had done.

Judal's strength slowly returned to his limbs and he was able to walk on his own. The two began venturing out of the cave to improve his stamina and health. By the time Judal was able to walk long distances without help, Tao led him down the small mountain by hand.

"Slow down." Judal complained, stumbling after his excited brother. "What's getting you so excited anyways?"

Tao beckoned his brother over impatiently. "Stop whining. Your bad leg should be better by now. Now come on! I want you to see this!"

Judal shot a look over Tao's shoulder and grunted, unimpressed by what he saw. "…It's a hut."

"Ah-ah-ah, don't go bored on me yet, kid. I made it myself! It's ours!" Tao said with a grin. "It's not much, but there's only two of us, right? Besides, it's only fitting for the last survivors of the _Gui _Clan to come back home."

"Come…back…?"

Judal blinked and walked over to Tao's side to see the complete view of the scenery around their new hut. He swallowed heavily when he realized that he was middle of a burnt down village. Yes, the remnants of the buildings that once stood on the ground were nearly long gone, but Judal could still _see _it. This…

This used to be their home.

Judal, without knowing it, came back home.

"Uncle's house used to be over there." Tao murmured and gestured over to the patch of land at the far right. "I used to visit him with our sister to get a sweet treat or two from him. That man spoiled all the clan children rotten with those things, I swear." He chuckled. "And over there was Old Man Wang's house. He was the oldest elder in the village. I think he was about ninety-eight when everything was burned down."

"And ours?" Judal couldn't help but ask. "What about ours?"

"Right here." Tao pointed at the lone hut that he made – _for them_ – and shook his head sadly as if he was trying to disengage a terrible memory from his mind. "I thought that you would like it that way."

Judal opened his mouth then closed it. He was at a loss in what to say and it frustrated him. He was happy, more so because of the thoughtfulness his brother poured into the gift. But he didn't know what to say.

("Thank you." He wanted to say. But the words seemed to stubbornly stick to the edge of his tongue when he tried.)

Tao smiled understandingly. "Don't worry, kid. I know. You don't have to wear yourself down over something so simple. We'll work this out together in small steps, okay? Don't stress it."

And just like that, the problem didn't exist.

Judal couldn't help but feel jealous of his brother's more empathetic nature. It was a dark, twisted emotion that Tao didn't deserve. Judal hated himself for even feeling something like that towards his brother. But it was something that he couldn't control. Darkness was like second nature to him. Destruction was natural.

He was twisted, _very _twisted.

And it was all **Al Thamen's fault**.

Bitter thoughts quickly trickled into Judal's consciousness as he silently hated himself and the organization that made him so. He cursed them. He cursed their reasons. He cursed their fates.

He cursed _his _fate.

_If Al Thamen hadn't taken him from his family…if he grew up as a normal person…could he have been…?_

"Whoa there. I know that expression. Don't you go thinking dangerous thoughts when I'm around, kid." Tao interrupted his thought process with a firm flick between his eyes. "It doesn't matter if some things in life didn't happen the way you wanted it to. Fate is shit. But it has its reasons. Don't curse your fate. That route tends to backfire on you."

"How do **you** prevent yourself from falling into depravity then?" Judal spat, too bitter to even feel bad for lashing out at his brother.

Instead of retaliating, Tao seriously considered Judal's question. "Well," he began slowly, "I vent. I cry. I complain. But I always, _always_ remind myself that the scenario could have been worse. I remind myself that, if I fight hard enough, I will be able to choose a better fate in the future."

"A better fate?" Judal repeated.

Tao smiled at his little brother sadly. "The past can never be unwritten. But…the future is still a blank sheet. Focus more on how to make your life _better _than on the 'what if's' and the 'what could be's'. It's easier that way, believe me." Tao chuckled. "I had some close calls myself before I found you. Hell, I think I was already halfway there until you landed here. You saved me, kid."

"Really?" The magi asked with a small voice.

"Really." Tao patted Judal comfortingly. "Now, come on in. I already have lunch cooking in there. Hey, are you a fan of chicken soup?"

Judal followed his brother into the small house. "No." He told his brother bluntly. "It's bland."

"Well, too bad. Suck up and eat it like a good little boy. It's supposed to be healthy for you." Tao teased as he approached the fire pit to fetch the food. Judal stopped at the doorway raked his eyes over every detail of the inside.

"Well?" Tao asked with a grin. "What do you think?"

_Do you like it?_

It was simple, small. Honestly, it was nothing compared to the intricate interior of the palace. The walls were slightly cracked, the floor was practically bare earth, and the roof looked ready to fall in any second.

But…

"It's warm." Judal stated in surprise. The palace was never this warm.

His brother scoffed. "Well _of course_ it's warm! The fire's been going for hours so the soup would by ready by the time I brought you here. Don't worry about the temperature. The wind will cool everything down in no time."

Judal wanted to correct him, but thought otherwise when a bowl full of steaming chicken soup was shoved at his face. "Eat it when it's hot." Tao stated wryly as he dug into his own bowl.

Tentatively, the magi slurped up his portion.

"It's too salty." Judal deadpanned after he swallowed.

Tao whacked him over the head playfully. "Ungrateful brat. That soup took hours to make, you know!" He scolded without any real fire behind the statement. "Besides, it's how Mom used to cook her chicken soup. It's _supposed _to be too salty."

"Really?"

"Mn. Whenever I had enough money, I would buy a chicken so I could make a soup like this. Mom would stand over my shoulder and tell me what to do. There are some perks in being able to see the dead." Tao refilled his bowl and downed it all in one gulp. "She's right beside you, kid. Dad, too."

Judal glanced at his sides excitedly. Really? His parents? Maybe he could-?

Nothing. Not even a rukh.

Seeing his disappointed expression, Tao sighed and set aside his bowl. "Kid, Ghosts are a lot different than those rukh-birds you magi are used to. Their rukh are already converged with the rest of the flow by now. Those souls just can't stay here. It's not in their nature. But their regrets and memories? They're still here and that's what I can see. Sorry."

Well that was disappointing.

Judal sulked a little at the newfound knowledge. Tao casually picked up a stick and began scraping at the ground. To Judal's surprise, the ground gave way into a rough image of a man and a woman. Tao pointed at each image individually. "That's Mom and that's Dad. See? This is how they looked when they had you. I think you were about…that big." Tao drew in a little bundle into the woman's arms. "Yup, you were pretty tiny."

"Well, what about you? How big were you?"

Tao's eyes wandered over to the empty space beside Judal before returning his attention on the crudely made family portrait. "Dad says that I was about…yea big." Judal chortled when he saw that Tao only reached their father's knees. "Hey now, that's a pretty normal size for a five-year-old." Tao defended himself but he was chuckling too.

As the laughter died away, Judal expression grew a little somber.

"You said you had a sister."

"_We_ had a sister, kid." Tao corrected him gently. He drew the smaller figure of his little sister with care. She was noticeably shorter than Tao's five-year-old figure. "Mei was three when Mom and Dad had you."

"Mei." Judal repeated slowly.

"Mei _Gui_." Tao affirmed quietly. "Because she died young, our sister died without any regrets. She does not walk with our parents. Mei is with the rukh now."

Judal took a little comfort in that.

A thoughtful silence fell between the two, only to be briefly interrupted by the crackling of the fire that ate away from the small pile of wood or the quiet muttering of Tao speaking to specters that Judal could only hope to see. The soup was completely consumed by the time they spoke to each other again.

"Did…did they name me?" Judal finally asked after Tao finished his conversation. "Before I was taken by those bastards, I mean."

Tao chuckled. "Of course they did."

"Tell me." He demanded.

"I'll do more than that." The older stated with amusement while picking up the stick he had discarded a while before. "Here. I'll show you."

As he scraped the characters onto the ground, Judal peeked over his brother's shoulder with undisguised curiosity and excitement.

Of course, the excitement was quick to dim into disbelief.

"You're joking." He said flatly. "_Please_ tell me you're joking."

"I kid you not. This was the name Mom and Dad agreed on."

Judal's expression fell flat.

"No."

"Yes."

"Really? This is my name? _Really?!_"

* * *

When Sai came to Reim, he came as a shy, Sindrian messenger. After a little bit of thought, he dubbed himself 'Amir' and donned the form of a sandy-haired, green-eyed man with no eye-catching features other than his charmingly bashful smile.

As 'Amir' clumsily stumbled into Reim, Sai slowly formulated a backstory on his character. Yes, there must be a proper excuse for his awkwardness and newbie aura. No need to bring the Princeling trouble for making it seem like his daddy was underestimating Reim.

Hm.

…

A relative always worked in these sorts of situations. Cause pity in the onlookers by making it seem as if there was a senior who always accompanied this Amir before this mission. A father would be too predictable. No. Someone closer to his age. A cousin, maybe? Yes. That would work. No name or details since it would seem too suspicious to give out _too _much personal information.

Yes. A more experienced cousin who was sent with him to Reim but was injured when a storm hit the ship. That part, at least held truth. The ship was in shambles by the time it reached shore. It must be a leg wound, caused by the flying splinters from the broken mast. Since the physician was inept, his leg was too infected to carry out the mission, leaving poor, inexperienced Amir on his own.

'_Perfect.'_

Now…to see how effective this mask is.

"Hello there! You're a messenger from Sindria, right?" A voice warmly called.

_Lights, Camera, Action!_

Amir whirled around and looked almost ready to fall over in relief when he caught sight of the imperial symbol of Reim on the guard's armor. "O-Oh! Yes, sir!"

Sai, on the other hand, was cackling in his mind. Oh, how priceless. Not even an hour inside Reim and he already bumped into an important character! Muu Alexius, otherwise known as Scheherazade's lapdog and Hel's stepfather-to-be, was personally greeting Sindria's messenger.

Muu chuckled good-naturedly at Amir's jumpiness and raised a comforting hand. "Be at ease, soldier. I am Muu Alexius and these are my most trusted men from the Finalis Corps, Myron and Lo'Lo. Say hello guys!"

Myron sent Amir a cursory glance while Lo'Lo sent him a scary grin.

"Welcome to Reim." They chorused as if they rehearsed it. Knowing their personalities from his past life, they probably had.

Amir offered them a modest smile while dripping into a respectful bow. "A-An honor to m-meet you all. I am Amir. Please be patient with me!"

"Relax. We aren't as high-strung as the other soldiers here, so don't worry about being too polite." Muu assured the young messenger as he began leading him towards his destination.

The Finalis general began a casual conversation that Amir quickly grabbed onto. Quickly, Amir became enraptured by Muu's charisma while proving to the Finalis that he was a modest and good-intentioned young man. Sai, on the other hand, laid in wait behind the mask for his cue for the performance to _actually_ start.

"Hey, I've been wondering about this for a while, but are you new?"

There was his cue.

Amir's expression crumbled. "N-No. But it's my f-first time coming alone. My cousin usually comes with m-me, you see. He's better at talking to people. A-Actually, he was supposed to be here right now, b-but…" He bit his lip in worry. "He got injured so he couldn't be here with me."

Muu gave him a sympathetic look. "I'm sorry about your cousin. Is he alright?"

"His leg is terribly infected. Ships aren't the cleanest of places so we couldn't get help quick enough. O-Oh, I _do _hope they don't have to cut his leg off." Amir fretted.

"Oi, it's just a leg. Doesn't mean the guy's going to die, right?" Lo'Lo interrupted rudely.

Myron jabbed him roughly in the stomach. "Don't shame my brother with your rudeness, idiot!"

"Well, I can't help it. That guy is being such a wimp!"

"Have some compassion at least, you brute! Apologize so my brother won't have to do it for you!"

"Eh, what did you say, bitch?"

"Apologize, I said! Or are you deaf as your are stupid?"

"N-No, it's f-fine." Amir interrupted shyly, gaining the pair's attention. "He's right. My c-cousin is not dead. I should be thankful for that no m-matter what happens." With a determined gleam in his eyes, the messenger straightened himself and began walking with more confidence. "I should perform our duty well in his place!"

Muu laughed encouragingly. "That's the spirit, Amir! I'm sure that your cousin will be fine! Now, come on. We can't keep Lady Scheherazade waiting, right?"

* * *

The Magi of Reim appeared younger than Sai had expected.

(But he was not fooled. He knew what she was capable of doing. He knew the years of experience the old woman had over him. He had to be careful.)

"Thank you for delivering this message, young soldier." The child-like magi said graciously after the messenger successfully relayed Hel's choice to stay in Sindria a while longer to her. Amir blushed and bowed his head modestly as if he was awed to be in her presence. "It w-was an honor High Priestess-sama."

Scheherazade laughed lightly. "Come now. I am not that frightening, am I child?"

Amir blushed.

Sai bristled.

"N-No!" Amir cried out desperately. "I-It's not like that a-at all! It's just that…I never thought that a l-lowly servant like me w-would ever have the fortune of m-meeting a powerful person l-like you." He stammered shyly. "Any c-common man like m-me would find himself j-just as overwhelmed."

"I see. Child, raise your head and tell me your name."

Amir did so.

"I am Amir, my lady."

Scheherazade smiled. "Sinbad is a lucky king to have such a modest and hard-working man as you, Amir. You can tell your king that having Hel stay in Sindria is no trouble." The smile wavered, causing Sai to mentally ready himself for whatever the woman was about to throw at him. "Though, I am concerned about little Hel. How is he? Is he getting along with the little prince? He _is _behaving himself, isn't he?" The blonde asked with a tone that could easily be equated to a worrying mother. "Muu is also worried about Hel's health. Isn't that right, Muu?"

Muu nodded obediently from his position. "Yes."

_Well, _Sai wryly thought as he inspected the Finalis, _there is __**some **__truth to that. This man and that woman genuinely care for Hel's wellbeing._

_But, there is some ulterior motive behind this question. I must tread this subject with care._

"Y-Young master Hel?" Amir asked hesitantly. "He looked h-healthy the last time I caught sight of him. He seemed to be very talented with the sword. Even knocked some of Sindria's best off their high horses. Energetic, that one." He said carefully.

Scheherazade appeared pleased with his answer. "And the young prince?" She asked curiously. "I was unable to personally meet the young one because of some pressing concerns, so I sent Hel to meet him instead. Unfortunately, he isn't here right now to tell me about the young prince. Can you tell me in Hel's place, Amir?"

Amir's expression took a brighter turn, surprising both Scheherazade and Muu at the sudden change of expression. "Oh, the young prince!" The soldier exclaimed. "He is the spitting image of his father, the king! He is a bright young boy too, despite his common upbringing. And brave! Prince Shion is a kind boy, so don't worry about Hel being uncomfortable, m'lady. Actually, the two are already as thick as thieves! Young master Hel is also getting along with Shion's group of friends. Quite a rowdy group they are." Amir chuckled fondly as if recalling a certain memory.

Sai cackled at the memory of a sheepish Shion trying to explain to his father how the soldiers' barracks ended up looking like a giant hurricane blew through the place. It was Hel's fault, of course. He had lost his temper with one of the soldiers, then BAM! Instant destruction.

"Are you sure about that?" Muu suddenly spoke up. "Hel tends to be a bit…anti-social when it comes to children his age."

Amir blinked in confusion. "But he seems to be getting along fine with the other children."

"Is that so…"

"I-I am not sure if this is true." Amir approached tentatively. "But I heard that our prince bought young master Hel and his mother from s-slavery. If th-that is true, then it must have given young master Hel a r-reason to be a little more…open with our prince."

Mou frowned contemplatively. "Yes," he said quietly, "that would do it."

Yes, that _would _do it. There was no one Hel loved more than his mother.

But that wasn't why Hel joined Shion. Oh no.

"Prince Shion sounds like a kind little boy. It is such a pity that I couldn't meet him. Perhaps, when his father feels lenient enough, he will send his son over to Reim so he can spend time with little Hel."

Amir nodded hesitantly. "I am sure that King Sinbad would consider that offer after spending a little more time with his son. They were separated for eight years."

"Yes, yes, a very long time. I understand."

Sai, already feeling bored of his little trick, decided to wrap things up.

"M'lady, there is something else that King Sinbad sent you as an apology for holding back your bright young soldier." Amir said suddenly, gaining both the attention of the Priestess and the Finalis General.

"What is it then?" Scheherazade asked kindly.

Sai was all too eager to rip away his Amir mask to reveal his own.

"A Blessed Child to personally send the message, _m'lady._" A smirk curled on his lips as he savored the expressions of pure shock on their faces. "Nice to meet you, Magi of Reim. I am the Blessed Child, Sai. Pleased to meet you~!"

As expected, Scheherazade's guards attacked.

* * *

"So…how did you like my show?" Sai drawled when things settled down. It was no hassle for the Blessed Child to take down the common guards (_without _harming them, of course), but the Finalis soldiers who took their place were a _little _trickier.

Okay, maybe a lot.

Sai's wrist was still broken from a lucky grab by a Finalis soldier, much to his chagrin. And if Scheherazade hadn't stopped them on time…well, he would've ended up with more wounds than he already had. The wrist itself was already painful enough. Not that he showed this on the outside, of course. He still had to look strong if he wanted to stay in Reim.

"Your visit is…surprising, Blessed Child." There was an edge to the woman's voice, much to Sai's glee. So she was wary of him. Good.

Sai lounged back in his seat and smirked lazily. "It was supposed to be." He drawled, causing many teeth behind helmets to clench at his impertinence. "I got to test many potential kings today."

Everyone in the room perked up at his announcement. Even Scheherazade sat straighter in her chair. "Oh? So your visit was a test? Is this Sinbad's doing?"

"For King Sinbad, my presence is merely a balm to the wound of snatching away your prodigious soldier for another three months." Sai said bluntly. "But for me…it was an opportunity to see if I could find a king in Reim."

Many heads snapped up at that. Even Scheherazade's pose straightened when the announcement left his mouth. "A king?"

"Well~, I was thinking of balancing the scales since Kou already has two and the Seven Seas Alliance, perhaps, has one." He explained patiently. "Besides, this country is the training ground of my people."

"…Training ground?" Muu repeated in confusion.

Scheherazade, on the other hand, understood immediately. "I see. So you are from the Yambala Tribe!"

"Wha-? This kid? Part of such a powerful clan?" Lo'Lo spoke up incredulously from his position.

Sai sighed heavily as if burdened. "Unfortunately…yes. I am somewhat related to that insufferable bunch. I don't really have that much love for the Yambala Tribe as a whole. But! The Yambala Gladiators residing here are an exception."

"What do you mean by that?" Scheherazade asked curiously. "If you don't mind my question, that is."

"I do mind actually. Wow, you're pretty nosey, aren't you?"

Sai relished the enormous killing intent aimed at him. They made the teasing all too easy. Even Yasmine didn't react as strongly as this. This was so fun~!

Scheherazade held her hand up. "Stop. It was wrong of me to ask in the first place. He is right. I was too aggressive with my questions." She leaned forward. "Your relationship with your tribe is a sensitive spot, isn't it? I apologize for not realizing it sooner."

"No. I'm actually impressed that you got it so quickly." Sai allowed with his interest perked. "Hel was right when he said you were wiser than you looked."

"Oh! Little Hel said that?"

"Not exactly in those words, but yes he did." He told her, chuckling. "Teensy weensy Hel also wants Muu over there to know that he hates his guts~!" He called over to the leader of the Finalis Corps.

Said leader appeared extremely depressed to hear it. Comically so in Sai's eyes.

"Oh…did he really say that?"

"Brother! The impertinent Blessed Child must be lying to you!" Myron cried out desperately as she tried comforting her brother. The rest of the Finalis Corps glared openly at Sai. The dark-haired man shrugged.

"Believe what you want. Hel honestly seemed to mean it too."

Muu sunk even further into depression.

"My, my, you _are _a troublesome one, aren't you? You're not even making an effort to befriend any of them." Scheherazade commented wryly. "Will you be staying in Reim?"

Sai shrugged.

"It seems that I am. I have lots to do here."

Scheherazade tilted her head and regarded the Blessed Child's too-innocent expression with a weary eye.

"Is it Muu you are testing?"

Sai pretended to think it over. "May~be?"

If Scheherazade was any less of the powerful woman she currently was, her patience would have snapped a long, _long _time ago. But she had centuries of experience. She had even encountered many of Sai's predecessors, so she knew how to generally deal with his sort.

She had to entertain him to keep his attention and watch him to keep her head.

But this Blessed Child…he was a strange one. Maybe even more dangerous than the ones she had encountered and they had been _lethal._

"…I have encountered your kind before, Blessed Child. Your kind is a pitiful one that hides behind skins and voices. Do you even recognize your own face anymore?"

"I never have. Not once." Sai admitted without any shame. "My face was one that even made a terrible human being like my father throw my away in disgust. Why would I want to recognize it now? Hmm? Tell me, Magi."

"What…_darkness_ you have. Even for your kind. It makes me wonder what horrors you had to endure in your life to make you this way. Why haven't you fallen to depravity?" She asked him curiously.

"Well, that would require me to curse my fate." Sai confided to her as he ignored the other people listening in on his answer. "I'm not that weakling who blames such a ridiculously broad concept. Oh no, no, _no_. I'm a simple man, you see. What I blame would be the people who _did this to me_. Why would I blame my fate, Magi? You can't destroy your own fate. It's something that just _is._"

Sai swung his silver eyes to meet Scheherazade's.

"But people? _That _you can destroy."

"And the people of Reim?"

_Are you a threat to my country?_

"A-re? Did your country ever do anything to offend me, Magi? I don't think so~! And as long as Reim doesn't threaten me, I won't be a threat to Reim." Sai told her soothingly.

Scheherazade frowned. "How simple."

"My lady," the Blessed Child crooned, "didn't I say that I am just a simple man? Just know that and you will find this little game we're playing _very _easy. So what do you say? Brave enough to put your king candidate under my test?"

Sai dangled the bait and waited.

"….Muu, can you alert the servants to prepare the guest room? The Blessed Child will be staying here as a guest. And please, escort the Blessed Child over to the Colosseum. I'm sure that he would like to reunite with his family."

Scheherazade took it. Hook. Line. Sinker.

* * *

Sai repressed a sigh when Myron jostled him for the fifth time.

That didn't even include the thirty other jostles he got from the other members total. They switched systematically in their physical bullying and Sai was beginning to get annoyed with them. He had enough bruises from their little skirmish _thank you very much._

_Really_. Those annoying Finalis Soldiers weren't going to let him off easy for teasing their leader, were they? How immature.

"Sorry." She apologized sarcastically. The other Finalis snickered amongst themselves. Muu, who was leading in the front, continued being oblivious to his surroundings.

_Or, _Sai thought wryly, _he's purposefully letting them do what they want because of my sass towards his 'honored priestess'._

If Sai was _actually_ looking for a potential king to serve, Mu would've quickly fallen from his list for his steadfast loyalty towards Scheherazade. He was looking for a _king_, **not** a puppy nipping at an old lady's heels.

_His _king wasn't like that. _His _king was no follower.

Sai caught Myron by the hand and gave her an understanding smile. "Mou~ don't worry about it. Myron, right?" He pretended not to see her glare. "One of my fellow Blessed Children has a tendency of being clumsy too. She's pretty strong, like you. But she has difficulty being…_graceful_."

Myron froze at his words.

Sai knew that he was being _very_ mean right now for picking at her main insecurity, but…well, when had he ever considered the feelings of anybody else? In his mind, Myron started it. She was too stupid to keep her paybacks subtle.

"It's a bit of a problem when it comes to honoring her family's reputation." Sai went on explaining with a sad shake of his head. Mentally, he sent a small word of an apology to Yasmine for using her as an example. The only reason why _she _was clumsy during fancy occasions was because she wasn't used to being in a pretty dress. Besides, _she _could care less for her family's reputation. "Well, it can't be helped. They hate her guts anyways. You're pretty lucky to have such a nice brother who loves you for who you are, right?"

Sai finished his sentence with a bright smile.

(But anyone who knew him well would call it his "shit-eating" smile.)

Myron trembled and backed off while muttering a more genuine "sorry". The other Finalis soldiers shot Sai suspicious looks while they tried to comfort the suddenly disheartened Myron.

And so, the rest of the trip continued with Sai dressing down each, individual soldier with comments and statements disguised as efforts of being friendly. Personally, Sai thought that he was doing them a favor by doing this. Yes, he was pouring salt into their wounds, but he was making them more _aware _of their setbacks. The faster they fix themselves, the faster they would be able to be more confident in their abilities.

Muu seemed to notice that there was something amiss too, judging by the frequent glances he shot over his shoulder. Every time, Sai would put on a bewildered, 'what-just-happened' expression to make himself seem innocent.

"…We're here." Muu said tersely as he stopped at the entrance of the Colosseum.

Sai looked at the structure and whistled. "Beautiful. An exact replica to the one in Italy." He muttered under his breath, piquing Muu's curiosity. Italy? What was this…Italy? "A pity that blood should be spilled here."

"You do not like the gladiator games?" Muu asked politely.

Sai wrinkled his nose. "I might not be _nicest _Blessed Child, but even I knew when not to cross that line between morality and atrocity. _Slavery,_" he spat out the word as if it were poison, "for one is a _despicable _practice that I look down on."

"Reim allows slavery." Muu cautiously reminded the Blessed Child.

"So?" Sai tilted his head and looked at Muu searchingly. "Do you like the idea of any of your men in chains? Or even…Hel's mother? _She _actually experienced those chains once. _She _used to be one of those slaves, you know."

"I know." Muu said, pain flashing across his eyes at the mere idea of it. "And I _don't _like slavery."

That was a true statement and there was conviction behind it too.

_Not bad._

Satisfied with what he saw, Sai turned away and began his strut toward the entrance. A figure suddenly blocked his path.

"Who are you to carelessly cross the Yambala Training Grounds?" A feminine voice spoke.

Sai really did sigh at the interception. _Now _what? He was in no mood to deal with another annoyance. His patience was already at its wits end.

"To whom am I speaking to?" The Blessed Child asked with forced politeness.

The person scoffed. "To not even recognize me, you truly must be an intruder. Do you even have a letter of recommendation to enter these training grounds?"

"_Actually_, I'm here to speak with Shambal Ramal. I'm not a potential fighter." Sai gritted out slowly. "So please…_let me through._"

"No! You are obviously a suspicious person!"

Sai knew that Muu and his soldiers were purposefully staying out of the little conflict because they still held a grudge against him, but if they didn't intervene now, they were going to clean that annoying girl's guts and blood from the floor.

"Toto will never let a suspicious person like you to gain entrance!"

Toto? Wait…that sounded familiar.

"Toto?" Sai repeated slowly. He looked at her face searchingly. "Wait. I know you. How do I know you?"

"Well Toto does not know you!" She said haughtily, angling herself away from him.

"Where, oh where, did I see that face…?"

It took a while, but Sai finally got his answer when Toto began waving her sword around like some madwoman.

"Oh wait! Yeah! Toto! You were that chick who liked to fight a lot! You're gramps' disciple now, aren't you? Ha! You haven't changed a bit!"

Yeah, Sai remembered her from his second childhood. She was _really _annoying. And her constant use of the third person was even more annoying! The whole world didn't need to know her name, thank you.

"How dare you speak of my master in such an uncouth manner! And Toto still does not remember you."

"Of course you don't." Sai said mockingly. "You never saw anything past that sword of yours, Toto."

Toto raised her blade. "Why you-!"

"_Steal,_ Barbas."

Toto's eyes widened as the top half of her blade suddenly…disappeared, leaving Sai unscathed from her attack. Toto held her half-sword to her face. "What?!"

Sai held up the sharper end of the blade. "Hey~! Looking for this?"

Toto advanced aggressively, only to be stopped when Sai raised his hand again.

"_Ah._ Be careful now. Imagine if I…oh, I don't know…aim for something that isn't as_ replicable _as your sword next."

Toto paled at the implication.

Mu finally decided to intervene at this moment.

"Now, now, no need to fight. Toto, this young man is a guest and a Blessed Child." The leader of the Finalis Corps soothed. "His name is Sai. He says that he is part of the Yambala Tribe."

Toto jerked back at the name and looked at Sai with horrified recognition. "You! Blessed Child!"

"Oh _now _you remember me. And only by my title. Thanks a lot." Sai scoffed. He advanced towards Toto, causing her to stumble aside. Mu raised his brow at her obvious fear. "Now…get out of my way. I need to meet with Shambal."

Sai began advancing forward, but was stopped once again when he felt a blade pressed to his back. Ignoring the sting of the sharp metal piercing his flesh, the Blessed Child turned his head over his shoulder to look at his attacker.

"Toto…never knew that you would be one to resort to such…underhanded tactics." Sai hissed. His fingers twitched in irritation.

Toto scoffed. "Nothing is underhanded when dealing with monsters like _you_. Toto will strike you down before you reach Shambal!"

Sai hummed. "I remember now. It was one of your brothers who made the killing blow that night, wasn't it? I wonder how they would react if I send them their precious sister's head as payback?"

The blade dug deeper into his back, making Sai hiss lowly in pain.

"You _monster_! Toto will slay you before you can!"

"_Steal_-

"**Stop."**

Both Toto and Sai froze in their positions at the command.

Shambal stepped out of the Colosseum training ground. "I was wondering what all the racket was. And now I see that it was you, Sai."

"Gramps~" Sai drawled in greeting. Toto's blade slid in further at his disrespect. "Ouch! Seriously, woman! Didn't he just say stop?"

"Toto will give you stop, you monster. Toto will stop your shriveled heart by stabbing it!"

"Toto!" Shambal barked and Toto immediately withdrew her sword, making sure to yank it out as painfully as possible. Blood began dribbling onto the stone floor. Again, Sai hissed in pain.

"Master…"

"Toto, I am disappointed in you. How could you attack a person from behind?"

"But-!"

Shambal shot her a look that caused her expression to crumble with guilt.

"I'm…I'm sorry, master. I'll fight more honorably next time."

"See that you do, Toto."

Sai coughed, interrupting their conversation. "Very lovely master-student talk you're having here, gramps. But…do you mind? Sort of bleeding to death here."

Shambal strode toward Sai with a stormy expression. "And you! Why didn't you contact me? Do you know how worried I was when I didn't hear from you for a whole four years?"

"I got busy." Sai said shortly. "_Really_ busy."

"And you didn't find the time to contact me at least _once_ to show that you were alive?" Shambal scolded as he began to lead Sai inside. "I was worried _sick_! How could you do such a thing to your grandfather?"

Everyone froze when the last word left his mouth.

"GRANDFATHER?!"

Sai sent everyone an irritated look. "What? I said 'gramps', didn't I?" He raised his brow at Toto's shocked expression. "And why are _you _surprised? I thought you knew, backstabber."

"Sai, be nice." Shambal scolded.

"She _stabbed me _in the _back_!"

"She's young. She'll learn that doing things like that is wrong."

"She's_ older _than me, old man!"

"Haha, that's right! Sorry. I ran out of excuses. Just forgive her this once, Sai." Shambal said good-humoredly. "Think of it as payback for the years you left me worrying about you. Now, stop moving around so energetically. You'll lose more blood that way."

Sai scowled, but obeyed.

* * *

"So…Sai Ramal?" Muu asked in amusement as Shambal tended to the Blessed Child's wounds.

Sai, who had calmed down by then, shrugged indifferently. "Nah, I'm Sai Shambal. Yambala Tribe Members don't do names the same way people usually do. Since Shambal is the head of the family, we take his name as our own. Don't we, old man?"

Shambal chuckled affectionately. "I'm still upset with you, young man."

Not.

"Oh! That reminds me." Sai turned to Shambal with an excited expression. "Gramps, I would like to add someone into our family. Her name is Selene."

Shambal appeared moved. "Sai…are you saying that…you finally settled with a woman? Am I going to be a great-grandfather now?"

"Nope~!" Sai grinned devilishly. "I found a cute little sister in Artemyra."

"A sister?" Though a little downtrodden that it wasn't a potential wife, Shamal appeared thrilled with the news. "How wonderful! Is she here with you?"

"Unfortunately, my adorable sister in under the care of King Sinbad at the moment. She befriended his son, so she won't be visiting for a while. Mou~ I wanted to surprise her so I couldn't bring her without telling her the real reason for my trip." Sai pouted.

"Of course she is welcome to join our family." Shambal said warmly. "But how did you know? Were you able to meet your real parents?"

Mu leaned forward in interest. _So he was adopted?_

Sai froze and frowned.

"Her mother was not my mother."

Shambal nodded. "Yes, we already knew that. We already found her body after Marius took you in. Your mother died giving birth to you and-

He left the last part unsaid, though Muu knew what he was talking about. He felt sympathy toward the Blessed Child. _A dead mother and a dead sibling right after birth. Poor guy._

"Well, she looks like me. We share the same face." After a pause, Sai added. "My real face. Her mother…well, she had connections with my dead mother, so she proved that Selene is my sister."

Shambal nodded. "I see. And her mother?"

"Didn't want her." Sai said shortly. "So, can she call herself 'Selene Shambal' now?"

"Of course, of course."

"Is having Shambal's name that important?" Muu spoke up from his position beside Sai.

The Blessed Child nodded firmly. "A name means everything in Yambala culture. It's important to a warrior's identity. Without a last name, you are friendless, powerless. Names give power. Just like your own, Muu _Alexius._"

Muu nodded, comprehension dawning on his face. "I understand."

Sai looked at Muu. "I don't really like you." He told Muu bluntly. "But, for some reason, a Magi and a djinn chose you. It means _something_. So, I'm going to be nice for once and give you advice on your relationship with Hel."

"Wha- really?"

Sai nodded.

"Adopt Hel."

Muu stared at Sai disbelievingly. "Adopt?"

"You love his mother, don't you? So you'll marry her anyway in the future. But Hel isn't your flesh and blood so he feels distant with you. Not only that, he never knew his father. Give him your name. Make him your heir. You people of Reim do that a lot anyways, right? Adopting people not of your blood?"

Muu blinked in wonder. "Why didn't I think of that?"

Sai sniffed. "Alexius or not, you're still a peasant to my more superior mind. Finished with the bandages, old man?"

"Almost done." Shambal laughed as he quickly finished bandaging Sai's wound. "Done. Will you be staying in Reim? You can stay here at the Colosseum!"

Muu suddenly felt _very _conscious when silver eyes landed on him.

"Yes. I will be staying in Reim."

* * *

_Kido Gui._

_Kido._

It meant "brightness" and "clearness". Tao said that their parents gave him this name because of the influx of rukh that gathered around them during his birth.

"How bright those birds are! How they gather around him!" They had said, according to Tao. "He is a child filled with luck!"

But how untrue it was.

His birth brought their death.

'Kido' never got to learn or use his own name. Instead, he used Al Thamen's 'Judal' everywhere he went.

That was Judal's real name.

"So…this whole time…you called me by my name?" Judal whispered in wonder. "This whole time?"

Tao smiled. "You deserve to be called by your own name. I never thought of you as a 'Judal' anyways. And even if you keep using 'Judal', I'll keep calling you _Kido_, little brother."

"Th…_Thanks_."

_Finally._

It took a bit of effort, but he finally said it.

Tao took Judal's hands and gave them a squeeze.

"For you, Kido? A thousand times. Always."

* * *

**Chibi-Omake: Everyday Problems of a Single Father (or, How Julius and Hinahoho became Good Buddies)**

"You pervert! You scoundrel! _Get out of my shop!_"

For what seemed like the thousandth time, Julius was thrown out of a clothing store. Usually, he would leave the store himself, steaming in anger, but today was an _important _day. His precious darling Opal…needed new clothes, _pretty _clothes.

Why?

She was going to be turning thirteen soon.

Now, Julius usually would just go and make his daughter an expensive weapon or armor and be done with it, but he had promised his late wife that he would buy her more…feminine gifts when she reached her teen years so she could 'look pretty for the boys' as his wife had said it.

"_No way in hell am I going to __**encourage **__those little bastards to touch __**my **__little angel!"_

…was what he _would've _told his wife if it weren't for the fact that she asked him this on her deathbed. So he promised her and Julius _always_ kept his promises, especially the ones he made to his wife.

Unfortunately, buying a new wardrobe for his daughter also meant that he had to get her undergarments.

"Away with you!"

Which led to the current situation.

"Please, I'm only shopping for my dau-

"AWAY with you, I said! Do you want me to call the soldiers on you?"

Julius silently fumed. The owner didn't even stop to listen to his reason! How was he going to be able to buy something for his daughter now?

A giant hand landed on his shoulder, interrupting the blacksmith's thoughts.

"Hey now. The man only wants to shop for his daughter. Didn't you hear him? It's nothing suspicious, shopkeeper. Also, I know him. He is the father of Opal, the talented young blacksmith Prince Shion befriended." The giant man defended Julius.

The blacksmith gaped.

Wasn't he…General Hinahoho?! He was defending a lowly blacksmith such as him? How generous of him! What an honor!

Hinahoho patted Julius on the back comfortingly. "This is your first time doing something like this, right? I have a daughter in her teens myself, so I know what to do. Let me help you."

And as expected of a man of his position, Hinahoho was able to convince the shopkeeper to gather up all the clothing, supplies, and accessories for Julius. All free of charge because of the misunderstanding.

"Thank you." Julius said to the Imuchakk Warrior when it was time for them to part. The blacksmith was currently backpacking a _life's worth_ of supplies for his daughter and he still couldn't compute that it was all _for free_.

"I understand what it is like to be a single father." Hinahoho empathized as he patted Julius on the back. "If you need any advice when it comes to your daughter, I'll be more than happy to help!"

"O-Of course, General Hinahoho! Thank you!"

"Just Hinahoho. Julius, right?"

"Yes! I'll be in your care!"

And thus, on that day, a pair of single fathers became very good friends.

_A couple weeks later…_

"And _why exactly _are you in my room?" Opal asked crankily as Kikiriku paled and raised his hands up in defense.

"It's not like that! My dad and I were out fishing and he decided to come over to your house. It was _his _decision. And then, your dad just shoved me into your room since 'I wasn't an adult and this was a time for adults to spend time together'. I swear!"

"I believe you."

"…Really?"

Opal shrugged. "Yeah. This is the thirteenth time your dad dropped by. Recently, he and dad have been having 'adult' play dates. They get like that a lot. I know." Ignoring Kikiriku's baffled expression, the raven-haired girl went for her bed. "Now shut up and go to a corner or something. I'm tired."

"…Why is this room so _girly_?"

"This was dad's birthday present to me. If you don't like the room, get ready to have your ass dumped outside." Opal stated calmly.

Kikiriku gulped nervously.

"I mean - what a beautiful room you have!"

"That's better."

* * *

**Chibi-Omake: A Day Out with Big Brother (or, How to Care)**

"Wakie, wakie, Selene. The sun is up!"

Selene opened her eyes and yawned. She rose from bed and tilted her head inquiringly as if to say _'what?'_

Sai chuckled and patted her head. "We're spending the day together, remember? Or did it slip your cute head, Selene?"

Selene's eyes widened when her sleep-filled brain finally remembered what her older brother was speaking of. She jumped out of bed in excitement and began to dress. Sai left the room to respect her privacy, not that she was paying any attention to that.

Yasmine, Amani, Kougyoku, and Shion were downstairs, eating breakfast at the inn.

"Are you sure you two will be fine without us?" Shion fretted.

Sai appeared a little miffed by Shion's concern. "Maa, maa, it's been four months since we saved her from that terrible place. Selene is healthy. She is ready to venture out. Can't you trust me? I'll take good care of her."

The sound of footsteps interrupted their conversation. Selene ran over to Sai and pulled at his sleeves impatiently.

"See? She's dying to go."

"…Fine." Shion said reluctantly. "But be back with her before sunset."

Sai gave the group a wave and made his way out with his little sister at hand.

"Hmf. Mother hen." He muttered under his breath.

"I _heard _that!"

"Good-bye!"

Picking Selene up, Sai ran out of the inn and jogged over to the market. When he was finally convinced that Shion wasn't following him, he slowed down. Selene kept her arms wrapped around her brother's neck.

Sai continued carrying Selene as he made his way through the market.

Trinkets, food, and spices filled Selene's sight and she found herself blown away by everything she saw.

"Pick whatever you like. I'll buy it for you." Sai told Selene. When she stared him in bewilderment, Sai chuckled and patted her head. "Point and I'll buy. Today, big brother is going to spoil you, okay?"

Selene liked it when she and her brother were alone. He acted differently without the others around. He didn't speak in that strange way. He was nicer too.

Well, her big brother was _always _nice to her. But this sort of kindness was different. More real.

For the rest of the day, Selene and Sai wandered through the market. He bought her lots of things. A shawl for her neck (Selene tried to pretend the ugly scar wasn't there), a couple of shiny baubles since they caught her eye, fruits, snacks, and even dresses in various sizes so she could wear some when she grew out of the ones that fit her now. They were all beautiful.

"For my beautiful sister." Her older brother told her.

At the end of the day, Sai rented a small, magic carpet to fly for the remaining two hours. They weren't as big as the ones that Kou had, but it was big enough to carry the two of them.

They flew.

Selene cried.

"Selene? Are you afraid of heights? We can stop now, if you like."

She shook her head.

"…You never flew before? But don't Artemyrians fly on birds? Oh." Sai's eyes landed on her covered throat and his expression darkened. "Your ability prevented you from speaking to birds, didn't it?"

Selene's expression became downcast.

Sai brought her over to him. "Sorry about bringing up bad memories. Who needs birds, anyways? We have a carpet. Now look down! Doesn't everything look so small from up here?"

It did.

Selene enjoyed it. She spent the two hours marveling at the sight and relishing her time with her brother.

Her _brother._

Family.

"Almost time to go down, Selene." Sai said quietly. Selene turned and gave him a sad look. "What?" He laughed. "Want to stay up in the sky longer?"

_Yes, _she wanted to say. _Yes._

But she knew he couldn't. So she remained silent.

She could do nothing but remain silent.

Sai patted Selene's head. "Hey, don't look so down, Selene." When she didn't brighten her expression, Sai sighed. "What about this? Big brother is going to show you something that no one alive has ever seen. Wanna see it?"

Selene tilted her head curiously and nodded.

Her big brother's face shifted. It became…different. Not bad. Just different. And a little more like her own. Her silver eyes took in the image of her brother's face and imprinted it into her mind. She lifted her hand and traced the…mark over his left eye. Then, with her other hand, she traced the scar over her neck.

The exchange was silent, but both siblings understood completely what the other said.

'_I trust you.'_

'_I accept you.'_

When Selene returned to the inn, she returned on Sai's back, sleeping with a bright smile on her face.

(What happened in the sky stays in the sky.)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Why Reim?: Sai came to Reim to officially bring Selene's name into the Shambal family. That, and he's preparing for the later-coming Magnostadt Arc. Someone has to do it.
> 
> OOC Sai?: Actually, irritated Sai is a small taste of Sai's true character. Look back at Chapter 3. You'll see. This sudden show of true character is because of Shambal's presence and Sai losing his patience. Sai is a bit weak when it comes to family or innocence. For Selene, it's a bit of both.
> 
> Yambala Last Name: It's a thing I made up. I liked the sound of "Sai Shambal" better than "Sai Ramal".
> 
> Toto: Sai knew her when they were little. Really, it was more of him watching her train from afar and her having brief conversations with him. Toto never knew that Sai, the Blessed Child was Shambal's grandson. Really. Toto's attitude towards Sai will represent the prejudice of the Yambala Tribe as a whole. This isn't me hating on Toto or anything. I actually like her character. But I knew, from the moment I created Sai, that those two just won't get along. Period. Their current relationship might improve but they currently can't stand each other.
> 
> Kido?: If you pronounce "kid" in a Japanese accent, it will sound like "kee-do" or "Kido". Tao had been calling Judal by his name the whole time.
> 
> Overall Theme in This Chapter?: Names. Sai, as a shifter, carries many names. All represent an intent or a mask. (I just realized that Sai himself brings a buttload of OC's with him XD) Names are also important for the Yambala Tribe Members since it gives them a sense of identity and belonging. The Alexius Family name is influential in the Magi Universe, so it means a lot when Sai tells Mu to adopt Hel into the Alexius Family. This decision would give Hel a lot of power. We also learn Judal's real name.


	26. Chapter 25: The Mistakes They Made

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Political intrigue happens after a slumber party gone wrong. Meanwhile, Judal starts to think about his past actions.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Onwards

Lately, Judal had dreams of being in a dark place filled with screaming and howling. Always, he would be alone with these screaming shades in the darkness. Then, there would be fire (always fire, never ice) that would cover the whole dark space and obliterate the shades.

After that, the fire would go out, leaving Judal in the dark.

Then he would wake up with an empty, unexplainable feeling in his chest.

Judal didn't tell Tao about his dreams. It was more out of habit than distrust. Judal was used to keeping his weaknesses hidden and close.

Judal thought he could deal with the dreams on his own.

But, as the dreams tormented him during the night, he found that other voices tormented him during the day.

_His_ own voice to be exact

"_Fine, stay in Sindria and be Sinbad's whore for all I care."_

Those words he said to _her_ replayed over and over again in his mind when Tao left him alone to gather food and firewood. He backtracked, replayed, and imagined all the different ways that scene could have gone.

Better.

Always, the scenes in his head were better than what he actually did.

_I'm sorry._

Would she ever forgive him if he apologized?

(Does she even _care_?)

"Not sleeping well?" Tao finally asked him one day. That day, he caught trout for lunch. Judal's stamina was improving and he could cast small spells with his wooden staff. But even Tao could see the dark shadows under his little brother's eyes and notice the restless movements he made at night.

Usually, Judal would snap at anyone who pointed out his weaknesses. He still did.

(The tiny voice in the back of his mind would always push him to appear strong, push down the weak into the dirt. Judal listened to it. He always listened to it. Even now, it was telling him to push Tao away. _'He'll laugh.'_ It would say. _'If you tell him, he'll only laugh at you. It's silly. Don't tell him. Just ignore the dreams. You're strong enough to figure it out on your own. Don't tell him.'_)

But he was tired.

And this was Tao. He could trust Tao.

So, Judal told him. He told Tao about the dreams, about his insecurities, and about his Princess. He told Tao what happened and what he said. And the whole while, Tao listened intently.

(He didn't laugh.)

"It seems," Tao spoke slowly when Judal finished, "that the best way to deal with a situation like this would be to go over to Sindria and apologize to her." When Judal opened his mouth to protest, Tao held up his hand. "What you said to the poor girl was cruel, yes. Some would even call what you did unforgiveable. But that's all the more reason to make amends. You don't want to lead the rest of your life regretting, do you?"

Judal shook his head.

Tao clapped his hands together.

"It's settled then! We're going to Sindria."

* * *

"Princess Kougyoku, please wake up. It's morning."

Kougyoku blearily opened her eyes and turned up to her new maid. Sinbad kindly lent her a maid to replace a currently unavailable Koubun to help her around Sindria. Real nice of the man to do something like that.

Too bad that it was mainly to keep an eye on her.

But Kougyoku preferred this alternative _way_ more than the Zepar route. Yup. She liked her privacy and control, thank you very much.

It was comforting that the maid was…tolerable, at least. She didn't nag at her like Koubun always did when she did something 'indecent' and practically allowed her to move about everywhere with Shion.

In return for the maid's tolerance, Kougyoku completely ignored the vision of the rich fabric and gaudy jewels hanging off of the maid. So what if the woman was a bit ambitious? So what if she aimed to become queen? As long as she didn't touch Shion in her quest for the position at Sinbad's side, Kougyoku was fine with turning the other way.

"Mmgh? Already, Camilla? Are you sure?"

Camilla nodded stiffly. "Yes, Princess Kougyoku. I am _certain_ that it is morning. The sun is almost up."

Which meant that it was about six-ish in the morning.

Kougyoku buried her head into the pillows and moaned. "_Ugh_. Shoot me."

"…Yes?" Camilla's clipped voice came out a little confused at Kougyoku's complaint.

Mentally Kougyoku cursed at the little slip up. There were no guns in this world…yet. Kougyoku waved Camilla away. "Never mind, Camilla."

"Princess." Camilla cajoled. "Please wake up. You have many things to do today. I also heard that King Sinbad would like to have a meeting with you."

"_Again?"_ Kougyoku moaned in annoyance. "What did Shion do _now_?"

"…I don't think it's about the young prince."

Kougyoku grunted and propped herself up. She stretched and rubbed her eyes. "Y'sure about that?" She asked the maid skeptically. "Shion's been causing bunches of trouble lately."

Camilla couldn't argue with that.

Kougyoku critically eyed her maid as thorns began to grow at Camilla's feet at the mention of Shion. _'Oh dear,'_ she thought tiredly, _'she really __**doesn't **__like Shion, does she?'_

Thorns represented dark feelings. For them to grow at Shion's name…well, she would have to give Shion a heads up on this one.

Kougyoku promptly hopped out of bed and grabbed her clothes. Camilla rushed over to her side and began to fret. "Princess! I can-

"I'm fully capable of dressing myself, thank you." She informed the maid curtly. "Besides, it would be faster this way. I need you to make other preparations while I dress to save time. Do you mind bringing over a light breakfast, Camilla? Thank you."

Camilla opened and closed her mouth like a fish.

"Camilla?"

Snapping out of her shock, the maid nodded. "Yes. Right away, Princess."

As she hurried away to do as Kougyoku ordered, the Blessed Child sighed to herself and glanced out of the window wistfully.

This new lifestyle was a little disconcerting. Koubun never dared to wake her up during the mornings because of her infamous temper. Kougyoku was nicer when females woke her, so it was the duty of the maids to rouse her from her sleep. But even that alternative took a long time.

So, Judal would take it upon himself to wake her every morning by throwing fruits at her face or just simply crawling into her bed.

He always came through the window.

Kougyoku couldn't help herself. She peered outside.

No Judal.

'_He isn't supposed to come until the Zagan Arc is over, remember?'_ Kougyoku tried comforting herself as she left the windowsill to dress for the day. _'Don't worry. He'll be back.'_

Yes. He _will _be back. He _had _to come back. It was how it went in the storyline, so it had to be true. Besides, Judal always came back to her. Always. No matter how many times she rejected him. So…he would come back this time too, right?

…Right?

* * *

"Good morning, Princess Kougyoku. I hope that you rested well." Ja'far greeted Kougyoku kindly as he accompanied her to Sinbad's location. "I'm sorry for having Camilla interrupt your sleep, but Sin said that it was urgent."

Kougyoku smiled. "No harm done, Ja'far. Do you happen to know what he needs me for?"

"Well…it will be a little easier if we showed you the situation instead of explaining it." The advisor spoke carefully. Kougyoku's eyes flickered up to his side at an image that only she could see. "…I see."

And she really _did _see. The presence of the bandaged form of what Kougyoku assumed was Ja'far's alter ego showed just how dire the situation was. He only appeared during violent situations, which involved something or someone threatening his king.

…or his prince.

Kougyoku hurried her pace and linked her arm with Ja'far's. "Let's hurry to him then." She said professionally. "Is Shion okay? He's not injured, is he?"

Ja'far shot Kougyoku a surprised look. "Yes, Prince Shion is fine. How did you know?"

Kougyoku tapped at the corner of her eye. "I saw it."

"Right."

So she was being brought into an interrogation. Someone tried to assassinate Shion, but they wanted to keep it quiet. Maybe so the true perpetrator wouldn't be alerted of the failure. They needed someone to interrogate the assassin quietly.

Well. They came to the right person.

"He's still in Shion's room?" She asked Ja'far when they stopped in front of a pair of doors. At his nod, Kougyoku stepped into the room and zeroed her gaze on the assailant.

Completely tied down to a chair in chains, covered in bruises (and Solomon knows what other un-seeable injuries he had under his clothes), and gagged.

Kougyoku felt a small thrill of satisfaction at the to-be murderer's state. Good. But honestly? The guy deserved to be _flogged_ for trying to kill a nine-year-old, prince of a country or not. (Not that he would've been successful. Shion was pretty good at evading death.)

Sinbad and Shion looked up from their board game at the Blessed Child's entrance.

"Princess Kougyoku. Good morning." Sinbad greeted distractedly before turning his attention back to the board game. "Thank you for coming at such an early time."

"It's no issue, King Sinbad." She responded politely with a slight tilt of her head.

"Oh." Shion blinked in surprise. "Good morning, Kougyoku. You're up early. Did you eat breakfast?"

Kougyoku nodded slowly. "Yeah, I did." Her eyes wandered over to the assassin. "Are you okay? He didn't hurt you, did he?"

Shion shrugged. "Nah. The others took care of him when he walked into our slumber party. I might've been poisoned a _teensy _bit by the dart he shot at me, but Selene handled it. Opal and Hel beat him up." He paused to throw the assassin a sympathetic look. "Sorry about that, man. They really don't know how to hold back on their punches."

The assassin grunted behind his gag.

"_Well _then. No need to be all huffy about it. You brought it upon yourself, you know." Shion scoffed, seeming to understand the assassin's muffled words. "If you hadn't tried poisoning me, Father might have gotten you a medic for those wounds. "

The assassin grunted again.

"Mind your language. There's a princess in the room." Shion scolded him. He moved his piece with an air of satisfaction. "Oh, and I win, Father. That makes it eleven wins for me. Want a rematch?"

Sinbad gaped at the board. "But…but…but…_how?_"

"…Wait, you threw a slumber party?" Kougyoku exclaimed incredulously after processing the information Shion threw at her. "And you didn't invite me?"

Shion looked at her sheepishly.

"You were tired?"

Kougyoku huffed. "I _can't_ believeyou didn't invite me. Why did you summon me here anyways? I'm sure that your slumber party buddies would have been _more than happy_ to do the interrogating for you."

Shion winced at her tone. "Kougyoku," he tried to calm her, "we really wanted to invite you. Really. But you went to bed early last night, so we didn't want to disturb you." Lest their heads be chomped off by an irate, tired Kougyoku. And no one wanted to be at the bad end of an irate, tired Kougyoku. No one.

"Again, why didn't you leave it to your friends to wrangle the answers out of this guy? I'm sure that Hel and Opal would have been more than happy to do it for you."

Shion shifted uncomfortably under her accusing gaze. "Well…you see…Hel already had plans. Masrur offered to give him some tips in hand-to-hand combat. You know, Finalis stuff. Opal's dad wanted her back by the morning so she could help out at the forge."

"And Kikiriku? Selene?"

"Kikiriku promised his siblings that he would go fishing with them. He left last night during the middle of the slumber party," Shion trembled underneath the glare that Kougyoku shot him, "so he's currently unavailable. Selene…well…she can't really _interrogate _people. You know?"

Right. She couldn't talk.

"…And Jamal?" Kougyoku asked reluctantly.

"He's working on his inventions. He claims that he's almost successful in re-creating the toaster. And the paintball gun." Shion stated flatly. "I thought that it was wise to leave him to play with inanimate things."

Kougyoku agreed. Jamal, though he was a complete sweetheart to her, had a unique way of viewing things. His thought process was borderline insane. And that was him when he's interacting with the people he _liked. _She was almost afraid to think about what he did to the people he didn't like so much.

"Aren't we getting a little sidetracked?" Ja'far spoke up from his position beside Kougyoku. "Princess, do you mind interrogating our…guest here?"

Sinbad cleared his throat and smiled at the pink-haired girl charmingly while taking her hand to his. "Yes, yes, Ja'far is right. We apologize for waking you at such an early time, but it would help us very much if you give us this favor. Please."

"_Fine._ I'll interrogate the guy._"_ Kougyoku sighed as she took her hand back, completely ignoring Sinbad's 'charm'. She gave Shion the stink-eye. "Don't think I'm done with you yet. You owe me."

"Noted."

Kougyoku brushed past the king and the prince and placed herself in front of the assassin.

"Who are you?" She asked smoothly. "Who sent you here?"

As she had expected, the assassin was silent.

That was fine. She didn't need his answer anyway. The vision dancing across his skin and around his body was a good enough answer for her.

_Okay_, she thought as her eyes wandered on the assassins pale skin, _so this guy's from a place that's not so sunny. But due to a lack of excessive sweat, he's used to the humidity of Sindria. So there's a high possibility that this guy is from the east. Maybe…Al Thamen? Wait. No. This is too simple. It can't be them. They would use one of their own grunts to do the deed. Besides, assassins take jobs from everywhere, so that little tidbit about where he comes from is useless…_

_Wait._

Kougyoku's eyes traced upon the inky marks that suddenly appeared on his skin. Though they were faint, her eyes could still see them. Kougyoku's eyes widened.

She recognized those symbols!

"Why would Heliohapt send you to kill Shion?" Kougyoku voiced in confusion.

The assassin reacted violently at her question, confirming her statement. Though she had no knowledge of the written or spoken language, she had visited enough museums as Sydney to recognize the picturesque letters flickering on and off of the assassin's skin.

Ancient Egyptian.

"Heliohapt?" Sinbad repeated in disbelief. "They have no reason to harm Shion."

"No, they don't." Kougyoku agreed. "Which doesn't make sense."

'_A ninja must look underneath the underneath.'_ She remembered hearing from Kakashi Hatake from the classic manga _Naruto_. Sydney wasn't truly a fan of the series, but the quote stuck with her even after her rebirth.

Kougyoku wasn't a ninja, but the lesson the words held was still valid.

"A woman sent you." She said suddenly when her eyes caught the sparkle of an elegant, gold bracelet meant for women of noble birth on his wrist. "A very, very important woman. Royal."

"Amazing." Ja'far breathed. "Just a glance and she could see everything."

Sinbad nodded alongside his vizier with an interested sparkle in his eyes. "Yes, the ability of a Blessed Child truly is an amazing thing."

Something else caught Kougyoku's eye. It was shackles. But they weren't _on _the assassin. They were _next _to him. Almost like how a police officer would have handcuffs at his side.

She recognized them almost immediately. How could she not? Slaves were common in Kou.

'_He's a slaver. Why would they send a slaver as an assassin? The goal was to kill, wasn't it? That doesn't make any sense! Then why…?'_

Kougyoku turned to Shion with a pensive expression. "Shion…are you sure that the assassin was targeting you?"

The young prince blinked. "I'm…not that sure, really. I did think it was strange. We had our slumber party in one of the guest rooms, since it would bother Father if we used mine."

"But Shion was poisoned!" Ja'far interjected. "He must have been the target. He was the only one in the room who got hurt!"

"Actually," Shion spoke up, "the assassin _wasn't _targeting me when he shot that dart. He was targeting someone else. I just got in the way."

In front of Kougyoku's eyes, all the images finally fell together.

"It was Hel."

* * *

Judal discovered that Tao was used to traveling.

In mere seconds, his older brother had everything packed and ready to go for their impromptu trip to Sindria. Tao didn't even give him the chance to retort at his snap decision and, in a blink of an eye, Judal found himself being dragged to the nearest port.

He fought against Tao at first. Judal would never admit it out loud, but the prospect of facing his princess again after everything he had said and done scared the shit out of him.

What would he say?

What could he say?

Fuck, he wasn't good at these sorts of things. Usually, if he had a problem with something, he'd just blow it up or stab it.

Obviously both options did not apply to his princess, so Judal was completely lost for what to do.

But Tao, with his magic words and his eternal patience, convinced Judal enough to stop struggling. Though he was still reluctant, there was an air of resignation around the dark magi when Tao finished talking.

"…You do know that people don't like me." Judal stated dryly as the two made their way toward civilization. "And Sindria _really _doesn't like me. At all. What makes you think that they'll allow me to take a step on their land?"

"They won't." Tao calmly responded. "We'll just have to break in."

"…What?"

"We're breaking into Sindria." Tao repeated patiently.

Judal blinked, not believing his own ears. This was something that _he _would do if he was still Al Thamen's Judal. Wasn't Tao supposed to **not **encourage him to do these things?

Not that Judal was really complaining, of course. This just made his life much easier.

"Okay."

Tao's mouth quirked upwards at his little brother's easy acquiesce to his suggestion. "What? No arguing, Kido?"

Judal scowled, knowing that he was teasing him for what happened earlier.

"Shut up, Tao."

* * *

When Hel walked into the room, the assassin immediately began to struggle in his bindings. He looked just about ready to move _far _away from the child. Hel, in return, had a predatory gleam in his eyes.

Hel never failed to impress Kougyoku with his imposing presence. Though his aura was somewhat similar to Shion's when it came to strength and leadership, Hel's aura had a more savage edge to it. If Kougyoku didn't know any better, she would have assumed that Hel was a full-blooded Finalis, what with his close connection with his animalistic side.

It baffled Kougyoku how the two completely _different _people could be so close. They shared almost nothing when it came to personality.

While Shion was wise, Hel was passionate. While Shion was careful, Hel dived headfirst. While Shion took the feelings of others into account, Hel didn't give a shit.

Well, his mother was an exception to the last one, but good mothers were _always_ exceptions when it came to 'tough guys' like Hel. Especially Hel.

But back to the subject, Hel and Shion were so different that it wasn't even funny.

Yet here Hel was, working on Shion's side and having slumber parties with him.

(Yes, she was still sore about not being invited. _Really._ The nerve of Shion!)

"_Herbivore."_ Hel drawled as he advanced toward the tied up man. The assassin whimpered and sunk into his seat and Kougyoku felt a brief flash of sympathy for the guy. The killing intent that the white-haired boy emitted was so powerful that it almost made her knees buckle a little. And it wasn't even directed at her. "I heard that you were hunting me. Now that can't be true, _could it?_"

The assassin flinched and shook his head furiously, reeking of terror.

"Yes. That must be right." Hel murmured. "Since the idea of a herbivore hunting a carnivore is a _pathetic_ notion," he tilted his head to the side, "right?"

Another nod.

Without any warning, Hel flicked a dart at the assassin's direction. The assassin flinched when the tiny weapon nicked him lightly on the neck, barely missing a vein, causing a thin trail of blood to drip down his neck. Only seconds after, Hel followed. He roughly grabbed the tied assailant by the collar and pulled down his gag. "You see this thing here?" Hel held up the dart in front of the assassin's face. "It still has leftover poison. If you tell me who sent you, I will give you the antidote. You have about ten seconds to tell me who sent you before I leave you here to die. Ten…nine…eight…"

"QUEEN EIRENNE!" The man shrieked and burst into loud sobbing. "SHE sent me to kill you. SHE wanted you dead! I'm just a lowly servant! I had no choice!"

Hel regarded the assassin carefully before turning to Kougyoku, who was watching the interrogation with everyone else with interest. "Is he telling the truth?"

She nodded.

Kougyoku didn't need to use her abilities to see that this man was desperate to keep his life. So desperate that he was willing to spill everything he knew to get the antidote. _'Not such a loyal henchman, after all huh? He spilled everything the moment Hel was in the picture.'_ Kougyoku thought wryly. _'But that's to be expected. It's Hel.'_

Hel turned back to the crying man.

"I told you what you wanted to know already so please…please…"

Hel shrugged and released his grip, causing the assassin to topple over. "There." He said to both Sinbad and Shion. "You got the information that you wanted. Do what you want with the prisoner."

"Um…aren't you going to ask more about this Queen Eirenne?" Shion asked hesitantly.

Hel shot the purple-haired prince a blank look. "She is from Heliohapt and she is queen. What more is to know?"

"…Like, aren't you curious about _why _she wanted you dead? Do you even _know_ the lady, Hel?"

"I have no interest in the female's reasons. This 'Queen Eirenne' is an enemy to both you and me. She needs to be eliminated. That is all I need to know." Hel stated simply. Shion sighed at his friend's simplicity. "Hel…she's a _queen_."

"And?"

"She's royalty."

"_And?"_

"What Shion is trying to say is that you can't just go killing queens and kings when they make you angry, Hel." Kougyoku clarified when it became obvious that Hel was clueless about the boundaries and limits that came when hierarchy was involved. "Besides, Heliohapt is part of the Seven Seas Alliance. For you to disrupt the peace would only cause problems for Sindria." '_And for Shion.'_ She silently added with a firm look at the child.

"It would be a bit problematic if you attacked any of my allies." Sinbad agreed.

Irritation crossed Hel's face. _"Fine."_ He gritted out. He turned to Sinbad and glared. "Next time, pick out allies who won't stab your back by sending pathetic herbivores to assassinate you or the people under your care, _Carnivore_."

Sinbad honestly was more surprised at the child's bluntness then offended by his lack of manners.

"Hey! I know you're huffy that you can't cause chaos and destruction without adult supervision, but you don't need to take it out on my father!" Shion defended.

Hel turned his glare to Shion.

"I don't listen to little carnivores." He sneered.

Much to the amusement to most of the people in the room, Shion balked at the comment on his height. It really was a sore subject to the young prince and Hel knew that, which was exactly why he brought it up.

Shion sulked.

"Low blow, Hel. Low. Blow." He whined miserably as he mentally compared his height to Hel's. Of course, Hel was more than a head taller than him, that smug bastard.

Sinbad comforted his son with a light pat on the head. "You're only nine. Just wait until you hit twelve. You'll be growing a lot by then. Believe me."

"…That's too long."

Another pat.

"I know."

Hel shook his head in disgust at the interaction between father and son. "I'm leaving." He stated shortly.

"Wait! _Wait!_ What about the antidote? You didn't hold your end of the deal!" The assassin demanded from his position on the floor. Both Kougyoku and Hel looked down at him in surprise.

Oh. She forgot about him for a second there.

"Um…Hel? A little help on this one? I don't have the antidote. I used up the bottle Selene made for me." Shion said sheepishly.

Hel shrugged.

"No need. The dart I threw at the herbivore wasn't poisoned in the first place."

The whole room fell into a shocked silence.

Then, both Sinbad and Shion bursted into loud laughter, breaking the silence.

"Oh. My. Solomon! I didn't expect that!" Shion wheezed. "Wait until Jamal hears about this!"

Hel shot Shion a nasty look. "Don't."

"Well." Ja'far spoke up, impressed. "A simple trick, yet it was well-executed. Even I was fooled. Well done, Hel."

Kougyoku stifled a giggle at the pride, embarrassment, and annoyance that wafted off of Hel. Really, the kid could have his cute moments despite being so scary.

The assassin wasn't as amused to hear about Hel's little trick though.

Kougyoku almost jumped at the onslaught of rage and humiliation that poured from the assassin. He had spilled all his information for a bluff, so he felt extremely cheated.

"You little-! You little BASTARD!" Completely forgetting his fear of the little gladiator, the assassin spat at Hel's feet. "That queen was right to order your death when she realized that you were alive. And here I thought that it was a waste to kill off you and that Demon Whore when I could've sold you for a pretty penny like the last time around-

CRACK.

The assassin let out a pig-like squeal as blood poured from his smashed-in nose.

Hel wrinkled his nose at the blood that now covered his footwear. _"Filthy."_ He sneered at the downed man. "So you are involved in slave trading, herbivore? _Filthy._" His expression darkened exponentially. "But how did you know my mother? And _don't _call her by that title. She is no demon." Hel added with a defensive hiss.

Kougyoku paled when she saw the images flickering over the assassin's head.

Blood, whips, death, chains, blood, scars, money, death, death, chains, gold, blood, blood, death.

And, oh Solomon, the _**screams.**_

"He was the one who sold you and your mother in the first place." Kougyoku found herself saying distantly, not ripping her gaze off of the images surrounding the man. "And this 'Queen Eirenne' was the one to hand your mother over to him." Her eyes traced the faint silhouette of a chained woman being handled by royal palace guards. "Somehow, your mother became involved with Heliohapt politics. I don't think Queen Eirenne took her involvement very well."

Hel snarled. "So they sold her off like cattle to get rid of her."

"Yes." Kougyoku said as she took a whiff of satisfaction rolling off the assassin. Her stomach curled in disgust when she saw the bloodstains appearing on his clothes and the gold piling at his feet and the-"Urgh, I'm going to be sick."

_Screaming, begging, vindictive glee, sadistic pleasure._

Kougyoku shuddered.

This assassin…this _slaver trader_…was a terrible, _terrible _man. He killed people for money. He sold people for money. Men, they became slaves for labor. Women, they became slaves for pleasure. Children…well, they were either useful or useless. If useless, they would be thrown away.

But even worse, he _liked _his jobs. He _liked_ feeling in control of the lives of others. He _liked _crushing their faces into the dirt and making their lives miserable.

Kougyoku tried to calm herself by looking at Hel instead. The assassin followed her gaze. When he realized just who she was looking at, he immediately shied away.

_Huh._

How the assassin view Hel was different compared to the other people he killed for money. There was apprehension and fear. Kougyoku originally thought it was because of the beating that he gave him. But now, she had an idea that this fear had a deeper meaning.

'_Those gold coins,'_ Kougyoku realized, _'it covers the whole floor. Just how much did this queen offer him to kill Hel? And why __**only **__Hel? Why not his mother too?'_

'_And why now? Shouldn't she have killed Hel before he came to Sindria? If he was younger, he would have been easier to kill. Why now when Hel is known as Shion's friend? Why-? Oh.'_

'_Oh.'_

An idea, more like a theory really, flashed across Kougyoku's mind. It was a bit far-fetched, but once she thought of it, she couldn't help but think that _it made sense_.

Everything, the clues, the situation, the visions, snapped into place.

But the big picture, Kougyoku realized, wasn't really pretty either. No. It was horrifying, heart-breaking, and it made her wonder, not for the first time, if saving humanity was really worth it.

Kougyoku swayed where she stood, overwhelmed at the onslaught of information she just gathered.

'_I really need a Tylenol.'_

Ja'far was at her side at the right moment to steady her. "Would you like to sit down?" He fussed as he led her toward the nearest chair. "You don't have to push yourself anymore, Princess Kougyoku. I think we gathered enough information to close this investigation. Leave the rest to us."

"No." Shion suddenly spoke up from his seat, surprising Ja'far. "She can't rest. Not yet. There's something else she saw that's important. What was it, Kougyoku?"

"Shion!" Ja'far admonished. "Be more thoughtful for your friend! She's shaking!"

Kougyoku waved the advisor's concern away. "No, no, it's fine. I'm used to seeing things like this. Shion is right. I need to finish this for Hel. He deserves to know. This man…well, he didn't do very nice things to your mother. Or any of the women he sold for that matter."

Hel's face turned red.

The assassin's face turned white.

"And," Kougyoku continued in a quieter voice before Hel could make a move to snap the assassin's neck for what he had done, "I think I know who your father is."

Hel was quiet. Everyone in the room fell quiet. Even the assassin was quiet, disturbingly so.

Finally, Hel spoke.

"_Who?"_

* * *

By that afternoon, Tao and Judal managed to catch a boat to Sindria.

Judal had wanted to keep things simple and fly them both there, but Tao reminded him that they didn't want to draw negative attention to themselves. "We're breaking into a high-security country, Kido. We need to be smart about it. Besides, who would even guess that you would enter into Sindria through boat?"

Since Tao's logic was sound, Judal had no choice but to travel by boat.

So that was why, Judal, the great, terrifying Magi of Kou, was currently sitting in a crowded, old boat.

Judal shifted uncomfortably under the cloak Tao gave him. It was a dull, brown color and the fabric was a little scratchy. Sitting beside him, Tao wore the same cloak and looked absolutely comfortable in it.

"I hate you." Judal informed Tao grouchily.

Tao laughed. "You'll get used to it. I know that you're uncomfortable right now, but you have to bear with it if you want to apologize to that girl properly."

Judal grumbled and shifted again.

"Oh, how adorable!" An old woman commented cheerfully at the two brothers. "Both of you are wearing the same clothes. You two look exactly alike! Did you plan to travel this way?"

Judal opened his mouth to say something to the old woman, (probably something very rude,) but Tao beat him to the punch.

"Well, of course!" He responded cheerfully. "Thank you for noticing. My brother and I tried really hard to appear this way."

The old woman smiled widely. "Such cuties!" Judal made a face. "Oh! But there are some differences! Your brother's hair is too long and you have that red scarf on you, young man."

Tao sighed regretfully. "Alas, I tried talking my brother into getting a haircut, but he refused. He likes his hair long." Tao leaned in and whispered. "Personally, I think he's going through a phase. Just yesterday, he was wearing _makeup_."

The old lady gasped. "Oh dear!"

"Right?"

Judal growled. "Oi! That's **not **why I keep my hair long and you know it, Tao!"

"I know, I know. I'm just teasing you." Tao told him soothingly. He turned back to the old lady. "Actually, he's going through some girl troubles. There's a girl he likes, you see. And he's going to Sindria to chase after her, sweep her off her feet, and carry her off into the sunset."

"TAO!"

The old lady laughed and patted Judal on the head. "Don't worry too much about the girl, dearie. You have a handsome face. I'm sure that she won't reject you!"

Except she had.

Many, many times, in fact.

Judal's face fell, making Tao and the old lady share a look.

"Did I say something bad?" The old lady whispered to the older brother.

Tao shook his head. "No. He's just…nervous. That, and he was rejected by the girl he likes quite a few times. But he's still going after her despite all that."

"How romantic!"

"Well if you're so concerned about my hair and love life, what about that stupid scarf?" Judal grouched, trying to change the subject. "Why are you always wearing that thing? It's not even cold!"

Tao's expression softened at the mention of his scarf. "Ah. This thing? It was a gift I received during my travels from an old sweetheart."

Judal's eyes widened in surprise as the old lady complimented the style and the stiches. This scarf had a connection to Tao's mystery woman? Judal had asked many times for her name, but Tao was determined to keep it a secret. "She and I separated a long time ago. She most likely found someone new." He would tell him every time. Judal took a closer look at the scarf.

Well. It looked like a piece of crap that a child tried to make with mediocre knitting experience at best. Judal wisely kept his opinion to himself, seeing how proud Tao appeared of the scarf.

"Is it homemade?" The old lady asked curiously. Tao nodded with a fond smile. "Yes. She made it herself before I had to leave her. She wanted me to keep warm wherever I went."

The old lady clapped her hands together and sighed. "That was very kind of her to do. And you're still wearing it! How sweet! Did you ever meet her again?"

"No. I had…other things to do. Important things." Tao worded carefully. With a lurch of horrified realization, Judal knew that it was _him _that his brother had prioritized over the mystery girl.

"Oh, that's too bad. Will you ever visit her again, young man?"

"Right now, my brother's problems come first. I'm sure that I will meet her again in the future. Just not now." Tao answered honestly. "But I'm sure that she met and married another by now."

"Then why did you leave her?" The old woman demanded in almost a scolding manner. "I'm sure that your other business could have waited just a little longer."

Inside, Judal crumbled over in guilt.

'_He left her for me.'_ He thought numbly in disbelief. _'For __**me**__.'_

Tao subtly reached over and squeezed his hand.

"No," he informed the old woman in a louder voice, "I don't think that it could have waited. And I'm thankful that I didn't or I would have missed my only chance." _To happen upon you._ Tao seemed to say to Judal personally.

"Would you do it again?" Judal blurted out. "Leave her for your…business…I mean."

The old woman sent Judal a curious look.

Tao huffed out a sigh and patted his brother's head. "Why do you ask? The answer is obvious. Of course I would, Kido. For you, a thousand times. Always."

"Really?"

"Really."

* * *

"There you are."

Shion casually walked into the training area where Hel was demolishing a training dummy with his bare hands. Hel looked up for a moment and grunted at Shion in acknowledgement before turning his attention back to the training dummy.

Shion leaned against a nearby tree casually. "That was an impressive amount of restraint you showed back there. I thought you would've blown your top or, at least, denied Kougyoku's theory."

"Why would I?" Hel asked rhetorically. "She has good eyes and a smart mind, exactly how she was when she was Jin. I trust her judgment. It fits." He gave the dummy a hard punch. "I know how to restrain myself, Carnivore."

Shion smiled.

"I'm proud of you, Hel."

Hel kicked the dummy with extra force, startling a flock of resting Papagoras birds from their trees. All except one.

"Why are you still here?" Hel asked after a few moments of comfortable silence. Shion struggled internally before blurting out, "Heliohapt representatives will be coming to visit Sindria."

Hel froze and hissed under his breath. "Is _she _coming?"

"No." Shion assured his friend. "But…_he _is. I'm sorry, Hel. The visit was planned beforehand, so we can't cancel it. Would you…would you like it if we told him about your identity?"

"No."

Shion started in surprise. "No?"

Hel spat at the ground. "I don't need _that man's _acknowledgement. Don't waste your breath. I don't need him. Mother doesn't need him. I'm better off depending on that Herbivore than him."

Shion nodded. "Yeah, I get where you're coming from."

Hel looked up in surprise.

"Hey!" Shion stated defensively. "It's not like I viewed my father in a good light at first either! I used to hate him for leaving Mother and me alone with only Uncle Yunan as our support."

"But he didn't know." Hel reminded him.

"Yeah, he didn't. Which is why I don't hold anything against him." Shion's expression darkened. "But if he _had _consciously left us, I would have never forgiven him. I mean, Mom didn't look so good the last time I saw her before Uncle spirited her away to Solomon knows where," he laughed bitterly, "I don't even know if she's still alive."

"Ask that Herbivore Uncle of yours the next time you see him, then."

"That, I will. But that really isn't the point." Shion turned to Hel. "People make mistakes, Hel. Mom did for not telling Father. Uncle did for not telling me. Heck, even _Father _made the mistake for not even considering the _possibility _that I…"

"Existed?"

"Exactly."

Hel growled. "I'm still not telling him."

"I'm not forcing you to. It's just…give the guy a chance, okay? Don't hate him right away. He might be just as oblivious to the situation as Father was with me."

Hel rolled his eyes. "Fine."

Shion gave Hel a firm pat before jumping up onto his feet. "Okay! Now, that's all finished and done, want to spar?"

Hel looked at Shion critically. "With your small size?"

"Don't count me out so quickly. Just give it a try. I'll show you how much my body improved under Sharrkan-nii's guidance."

* * *

"…-inbad? King Sinbad? Hello?"

Sinbad jerked himself from his mini-daze and focused onto the speaker. "Ah, Princess Kougyoku! I apologize for not answering sooner. I was…thinking. Your theory about young Hel really surprised me!"

Kougyoku nodded. "Right. You must be very distracted." _Distracted with what's going on between Shion and Hel, you mean._ She thought critically. On the outside, Kougyoku met Sinbad's charm with a charming smile of her own.

"Thank you very much for your help this morning. I owe you a favor now, right?" Sinbad asked pleasantly.

That…was surprising.

Favors were a big thing in this world of politics. If a king or a noble were caught up in one, they had to fulfill it, not matter the request.

'_He took my demand for a favor from Shion seriously.' _She realized. _'So he's taking responsibility in his son's stead.'_

The idea that Sinbad was doing this to protect his son from the possible hurt that this 'favor' would bring caused Kougyoku to consider the King in a different light.

Kougyoku's eyes went up to the gigantic tsunami that followed Sinbad wherever he went. During her time in Sindria, she became accustomed to the great size and the murky waters.

She had always viewed it as a dangerous thing. But what if it wasn't? What if it was there to protect too?

(Well, he _did_ do those terrible things to the original Kougyoku for Sindria.)

"Actually, about that, I would like to make a request now." Kougyoku announced, separating herself from her musings. "It's not too grand." She quickly assured the king when the tsunami behind him seized up in preparation. "I would like you to pardon my guards and my vassal, Koubun."

Sinbad blinked in surprise. The water behind him rippled with him, showing that the emotion was genuine.

"That's all?"

"That's all."

The tsunami calmed.

Kougyoku smiled. "King Sinbad, you will come to see that us Blessed Children don't want much in this world. We are actually very simple. You may think of me as a Princess of Kou, but I place my position as a Blessed Child first. Always."

"Really?" Sinbad asked with interest. "I thought your alliances were with your brother, Kouen."

"I love my brother, but that does not make him my chosen king." Kougyoku stated flatly. "Just because Amani is married to Brother Koumei, does not immediately make Kouen hers either."

"Are you testing me?"

It took Kougyoku a moment to understand what he meant.

"Oh. Oh! I think? We do it unconsciously sometimes, so I can't be completely sure. But it's a high possibility. So, can my servants be pardoned?"

"Of course." Sinbad leaned back. "Though…I'm curious. You had originally asked Shion for a favor. My son doesn't have any power over the freedom of criminals, so you wouldn't have requested this if it were him fulfilling the favor. What would you have asked him?"

"Honestly? I didn't really mean it the way you thought I did." Kougyoku informed Sinbad with a laugh in her voice. "I just wanted him to remember to invite me the next time he threw a slumber party."

Sinbad stared at Kougyoku in shock before a deep, throaty laugh escaped his mouth. He stopped immediately, sharing Kougyoku's surprised expression.

Then, he laughed again. Harder, this time.

Kougyoku found herself laughing along with him, since his laugh was so infectious. The tsunami fell away into a wide expanse of sea that covered the floor and beyond.

"I see. I'll be sure to remind Shion for you if he forgets again, Blessed Child."

_Blessed Child._

Not _Princess_, not _Kougyoku._

Though Sinbad may not regard Kougyoku as a close friend at the moment, she knew that she had just gained his respect.

* * *

"Princess Kougyoku!" The guards wailed at her feet upon their release. "Thank you so much for this mercy! We will never betray your trust again!"

"Of course you won't." She assured the pair. "I'm confident that you have learned your lesson. You confessed at the end, right? I forgive you two. Just don't betray me again or I'll know. Am I understood?"

"Yes!"

"Good. Now leave me alone with Koubun."

The pair immediately obeyed. After they were gone, silence filled the room. The hunched-over figure of Koubun was prostrated in front of her in shame.

"Princess-

"_Don't."_ Kougyoku stated sharply, silencing the man. "Don't." She repeated in a softer voice. "I trusted you. I _believed _in you. I thought that after everything we have been through you would have never tried to-" _Set me up with Sinbad without confiding in me. Marry me off to some stranger without considering my feelings._ "-betray me, shame me. I expected better of you."

The peacock behind Koubun trilled in heartbreak and shook its now-dull feathers.

Koubun himself remained silent.

"I think it is better this way." Kougyoku confessed. "As a Blessed Child, I no longer need the presence of a vassal. I was reluctant to let you go and sever ties with you when the time came but," she laughed bitterly, "you did it very well on your own. Though, I had envisioned our parting as me partitioning you for the seat of a high official and allowing you to start a noble family for your own."

Koubun's head snapped up, shock written over his features.

"I should order your execution for what you did. Your stunt caused me to lose my friendship with Judal. He thinks that I'm a whore now." She marched on, making Koubun's eyes brim with genuine regret and horrified realization. "But I won't. Because, even with what you did to me, I still have you to thank for always supporting me and teaching me in the past. I still have you to thank for being loyal to me, even if it was misplaced."

Kougyoku and Koubun looked at each other.

"I won't take you back." She told him bluntly. "I'm afraid that I _can't _take you back, not with what you did. That would show me as a weak and sentimental fool."

Koubun didn't protest as she had thought he would, nor did he throw himself to her feet with crocodile tears streaming down his face. And for that, she was thankful. It showed her that he genuinely cared for her.

Holding back her tears, Kougyoku gracefully stood and turned away.

"Goodbye, Koubun. You are no longer mine."

She didn't wait to hear his reply, but the cat-like shriek of pain from the peacock was enough to know how her advisor and friend truly felt about their parting.

Kohaku received her from the other end of the door.

"Take care of him for me?" Kougyoku asked her quietly.

"Of course, Auntie. He's in good hands."

* * *

Judal dreamed about the darkness again. But this time, he could hear what the shadows were screaming at him, loud and clear.

"_You killed us."_

"_You caused us to suffer."_

"_What did we do to you?"_

"_How could you do this to us? You monster."_

"_It's your fault."_

"_It's YOUR FAULT!"_

Judal wanted to cover his ears and escape from it all. He didn't like it in the darkness. He didn't like hearing these voices accusing him for the sins that he already knew that he committed.

_Clink._

Judal looked down in surprise when he found his old wand in his hand again. He had lost it during his fall. Yes, with it, he could be safe. With it, he wouldn't have to-

_Thunk._

Judal turned and saw that his staff was in his other hand. It wasn't as strong or light as his wand was, but he saw that it was emitting a warm, glowing light.

"_For you."_ Judal remembered Tao said with a grin on his face. _"I know it's not fancy, but I heard that things like this help magicians channel their rukh, so I made this for you!"_

Judal gripped the staff tightly and threw his wand away, despite how terrified and raw it made him feel. Ironically, this action caused the shadows to fall into murmuring instead of screaming.

Their silence unnerved Judal. For a reason unknown to him, he wanted them to continue their screams. He wanted to hear what they had to say.

Then, the fire came as it always did.

Judal raised his staff defensively and, to his pleasant surprise, a barrier of ice shot out and doused out the flames.

The shadows fell silent.

Judal dropped his staff.

"What do you want from me?" He demanded. "I get that I did things to you. Terrible things. Hell, I probably even enjoyed it while I did it! So? What are you waiting for? I'm defenseless! I'm weak! Strike at me! Have your revenge!"

The shadows didn't move. Some even looked at him strangely, making Judal angrier.

"See? You're just like him! You're just like Tao! I don't get it. How can you restrain yourselves from tearing me apart? How…how…" Judal screamed. "How can you all just look at me like that?"

Those shades were all looking at him the same way now.

(Pity. They were all dead and they were looking at him, their murderer, with pity. How could he understand this? How could they look at a monster like him with that sort of emotion? He couldn't understand.)

"I'm sorry." Judal suddenly said hoarsely to the shades. "I'm…sorry."

There was no answer. There was no 'I forgive you' or 'I will never forgive you'. It was as if the shades lost their voices.

One by one, the shades trembled, fell apart, and turned into a flock of bright, little birds. They flew away from Judal and left him alone in the dark with his staff.

And then he woke up.

* * *

Since I feel bad for ending this chapter in such an empty note, here is a lighthearted chibi-Omake for you!

* * *

**Chibi-Omake: Bonding Time with Father (or, How Alibaba Gained Fans)**

"Hey, Alibaba. Are you paying attention? Don't slack off on me now."

"O-Of course not, Sharrkan-sensei! It's just that…"

"It's just that what?"

"Never mind. It's nothing."

"Then you wouldn't mind having another hour of extra training to make up for your slacking, right Alibaba?"

"…Right, Sensei."

Lately, Alibaba felt as if he was being watched. Usually, it would happen during his lessons with Sharrkan, but the feeling was becoming more frequent in his days.

'_Is it Al Thamen?'_ Alibaba thought worriedly. _'Are they after me now?'_

Sinbad informed Alibaba about Al Thamen's existence and how they were the indirect cause of Balbadd's fall. Alibaba's interference in their plans almost made them fail, so he was currently on their bad list. "They might go after you too, so be careful." Sinbad had warned him.

But Sindria was supposed to be a safe place…right? So the feeling of being stared down must be in his mind…

The bushes on his right rustled a little, making Alibaba jump and drop his sword. Sharrkan had left him alone to take care of some things (cough*wentdrinkingwithPisti*cough) so Alibaba was currently on his own.

"W-W-Who's there!" He cried out defensively while fumbling to pick his sword up again. "Come out from where you're hiding and show your face!"

A squeak was heard within the bushes before a small figure stumbled from the foliage. Ren Kohaku, the youngest member of the Ren Family, looked at Alibaba fearfully.

"I'm sorry!" She whimpered. "I was only trying to watch! Honest!"

Alibaba almost sagged in relief to see that it was only Kohaku. "Oh. Um. It's no problem." He sheathed his sword and came up to the trembling child. "Sorry for scaring you. You surprised me a little there."

Actually, she scared him shitless, but there was no need to tell the child that. Alibaba still had an image to uphold.

"Oh. Sorry…" Kohaku mumbled while looking down.

"Shouldn't…shouldn't you be with Yamraiha and Aladdin?" Alibaba asked curiously.

Kohaku shrugged. "We finished our exercises so she let us leave two hours early today."

Alibaba mentally cried at the unfairness of it all.

"Oh. That's…nice." He choked.

Kohaku nodded. "Yamraiha-sensei is very nice to me. I'm very lucky to have a teacher like her to help me with my magic. I think Selene is thinking about asking to join our lessons."

"Selene?" Alibaba parroted, confused. "You mean Sai's sister? She has magic too?"

Kohaku nodded, eyes still on Alibaba.

"Oh…so why were you in the bushes? Aren't you supposed to be spending time with Shion and his other friends?"

"They're busy." Kohaku said shyly. "And I wanted to watch you train, Alibaba-san. Auntie Amani told me that you were good at fencing, so I wanted to watch. You're really good." She added quickly. "So…I sort of…watch you train when I have the time. I'm sorry if it bothered you!"

Wait…_she_ was the one who was watching him? Alibaba found himself feeling silly for being afraid. He was being admired from afar!

Thrilled at the prospect of having a fan, Alibaba puffed himself up. "Ohoho? An admirer? A fan? It's no problem! It can't be helped that you were impressed by the Great Alibaba! You can come and watch me whenever you like!"

Kohaku's multicolored eyes widened. "Really? I can?"

"Of course!" Alibaba laughed, feeling very accomplished. "Actually, you can sit over there and watch me whenever you like!"

Kohaku took him up on his offer the next day, much to Alibaba's delight. She came to his trainings almost daily. By the next week, Shion joined her with his other friend who made strange things. (Jahal? Jermie?)

Alibaba beamed.

His popularity was growing!

"Thanks for taking your time off your break to come with me to watch my father train." Kohaku told Shion while holding his hand. "It means a lot to me."

"It's fine." Shion assured her. "Anything for you."

"Dude, you are so whipped." Jamal commented cheekily. Shion backhanded him over the head. Jamal avoided it with ease and stuck his tongue out. "Don't deny it!"

"Thank you for coming too, Jamal." Kohaku added.

"Hey, as your friend and future best man, I'm all for supporting you two in this." He replied with a crooked smile. "I can see it's pretty important to bond with him."

"Besides, Alibaba looks pretty excited to see us here. He must be pretty happy that we're here to watch him." Shion noticed. "Wait…is he posing?"

"Oh my Solomon, he really _is_." Jamal gasped. "He looks ridiculous."

Kohaku glared at the pair. "Stop it you two."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What was Kougyoku's theory about Hel's Father?: You tell me. Though, I think this one would be easier than the Shion's hair and Zhuge Liang question.
> 
> Wimpy Assassin?: Technically, he's a slave trader whose side-profession is assassination. He's not good at it, though. Amani would definitely take him down in a heartbeat.
> 
> Slumber Party: I thought that it would be funny. Besides, Shion and his friends are aloud to be kids sometimes, right?
> 
> Sinbad: Okay, I want to make this clear that Sinbad is not a bad person. Yeah he did a couple of shady things, but that is expected from a king like him. He's not heartless. He genuinely loves his people as if they were his own. And the fact that Shion really is his own makes him even more determined to protect what he's got. He doesn't trust Kougyoku since she is from enemy country, but he holds her with a certain amount of respect. I'd like to think that this is showing Kougyoku's growth when she realizes this part about Sinbad.
> 
> Theme?: Mistakes. Kougyoku, though she has the aid of her truth-seeing abilities, made mistakes in her interpretations. It shows that she is flawed and not all-knowing. She even confesses in making a mistake in her evaluation for Sinbad. Hel's unknown father made a mistake. Shion's mother and uncle made mistakes. Hell, even the assassin made a mistake. But I personally think that Koubun's and Judal's mistakes are the most important. Okay, scratch what I said before. The theme is about realizing and fixing mistakes. It's about becoming stronger from your downfall.


	27. Chapter 26: All the Small Things

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Amani's dungeon shenanigans continue.
> 
> Judal and Tao break into Sindria. It was more romantic in his head, he swears.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Onwards

Alibaba was hyperventilating.

Amani – _his sister_ – was just kidnapped by a masked weirdo djinn who was also possibly a pedophile.

Oh, and that little Toran girl was taken too.

But Amani! Strong, reliable, indestructible Amani was just kidnapped right in front of Alibaba's eyes. And she had been defeated so quickly too, even though she was in her djinn-equip. Alibaba had been confident about conquering Zagan's Dungeon before. But now, with Amani kidnapped…it seemed impossible. Alibaba couldn't process what was happening. He couldn't -

"Alibaba-san?"

Morgiana's soft voice brought him back to reality. Both Morgiana and Aladdin were looking at him with mirroring expressions of concern.

"Are you okay, Alibaba?" Aladdin asked gently. Behind him, Hakuryuu was having a mental breakdown of his own. The scarred boy was still staring at the ceiling where Zagan had disappeared with Amani and the Toran girl.

Alibaba's fists clenched and he mentally hit himself.

'_Stop being pathetic!'_ He scolded himself. _'Not everything rides on Amani's shoulders every time there is trouble! Right now, she needs your help! You had your training. You're capable of doing this without her help. You need to be strong for her and the others. That's why you trained with Yasmine-sensei and Sharrkan-sensei, right?'_

"I'm fine." He assured his friends.

Alibaba made his way over to the trembling Hakuryuu and placed his hand on his shoulder. The Kou Prince flinched at the unexpected contact and stared at Alibaba in surprise.

"I know that it seems frightening now that Amani is gone," Alibaba told the other boy, "believe me. I'm scared too. I've always depended on her whenever there is trouble. But now, she needs our help! We need to get our act together and conquer Zagan's Dungeon without her so we can get her back!"

Hakuryuu's eyes slowly lost their panicked glaze as Alibaba spoke to him.

"R-Right." He stuttered, still a bit unbalanced by the sudden turn. "I apologize for losing my composure in such a dangerous place, Alibaba-san."

Alibaba offered him an understanding smile. "Me too."

"Let's save Miss Amani together!" Aladdin encouraged the pair. Morgiana nodded along with the young magi with a determined gleam in her eyes. "I will help Amani-san too."

Hakuryuu and Alibaba shared a firm look and advanced forward together.

* * *

Shion lazily watched the sun rise from his position on the balcony attached to his room. Beside him, Jamal yawned tiredly and leaned against his shoulder for support. "Shion~" He whined sleepily. "You woke me up wicked early to watch this stupid sunrise and I'm not that impressed. Can I go back to bed now? I want to get more sleep in before I cause some form of chaos today."

"Yeah, sure." Shion replied distractedly. "Sorry about that. Just wanted some company."

"Then why did you wake _me_? Couldn't you have woken up Kohaku or Hel or something? I'm _tired_, man! I pulled an all-nighter to finish the plumbing system. Shouldn't you be _thanking _me for creating showers and sanitary toilets for Sindria instead of being punished like this?" Jamal blearily opened his eyes. The moment the light hit his eyeballs, the Sasan Prince hissed in pain. "The light! It _burns!_"

Shion winced apologetically.

"Sorry. I didn't want to wake either of them."

"So you went to little ol' me because you were afraid that one would attack you for waking him and you didn't bother to wake the other one since you're too whipped to even try to take any of the precious hours of sleep she has." Jamal summarized with a deadpan expression.

Shion shuffled a little. "Yeah."

"…You are so lucky that I consider you to be my best friend."

"I know."

Jamal grumbled something under his breath and walked away from the Sindrian Prince. "I'm going to sleep now!" He shouted over his shoulder. "_Don't _wake me until it's afternoon!"

"Uh huh."

Shion smiled after his friend fondly before turning back to the sun. He used to do this every morning with his mother back when she could still walk around. When she became too weak to do so, his Uncle would accompany him to watch the sun rise. They would pick flowers for her as they waited for the sun to rise. Shion remembered how beautiful the flowers looked when they bloomed in dusk.

"_Shion, does it bother you that I don't speak about your mother?"_

Shion frowned when he remembered the question his father brought up the night before. What was with his father asking that all of the sudden? It wasn't as if either of them came even _close _to breaching the subject lately.

(Though you _did _bring it up with Hel, didn't you? He must have been listening into the conversation then.)

Shion had answered his father's abrupt question as honestly as he could.

"_Sometimes. But I can wait."_

But was that really the right thing to say?

There was _so much_ that Shion didn't know about his parents. How did they meet? What was their relationship? What was his mother like when she was younger? What was his father like when he was younger? Was Shion similar to either of them?

Or…

Did Sinbad not know Ranya at all? Was there truly no relationship between the two and he was too ashamed to admit it?

(Did he love her?)

Shion groaned and covered his face. "Good job, Shion. Great. Now you'll never know."

He wished that he was bolder.

* * *

Tiare looked around her plant like prison in terror. There was no door, no openings, and the little girl could only curl up inside her prison.

Where was she? And what happened to the strange monster?

Tiare could only remember the monster taking her to where her parents and the other kidnapped Toran members were to taunt her with the horrific sight. He even whispered in Toran in detail how he was using her parents. _"They're being used as birthing chambers," _he had explained to her with glee,_ "they are __**so **__useful in creating my stylish dungeon creatures! Don't you cry your little eyes out."_ He pretended to comfort her as she began to bawl her eyes out at her parents' pitiful, tree-like state._ "You will be joining them after I finish with your companions."_

Monster, this creature was truly a monster.

And then, after the monster had his fill of dangling her in front of Alibaba, Morgiana, Hakuryuu, and Aladdin, who had all made it far into the dungeon despite the small bumps and cracks in their teamwork, he took Tiare to this strange, plant-like structure.

She had been struggling futilely against his grip one moment, much to the monster's amusement, and in the next, he was sucked into Amani's little gourd.

One moment he was there, and in the next, he was gone. Just like that.

Which left Tiare in her current predicament.

Tiare looked at the small, glowing gourd warily beside the unconscious Amani. Amani _had _used it many times, but how could she trust the thing? It had eaten up the blue monster without any problems. Why wouldn't it eat her up too?

Tiare decided that it was safer to stay away from the glowing gourd. Just in case. She backed away from the object warily, unintentionally tripping over an unknown object.

"Hey, you! Watch where you're going!"

The young Toran girl looked around, startled by the sound of the tiny, high-pitched voice.

"Down here."

Tiare jumped when she saw the smaller form of what undoubtedly was the monster that had been sucked into the gourd before. She blinked at the mini-monster owlishly as it began to babble.

"I can't believe that Foras pulled something like that!" He complained squeakily. "I mean - it's not even her dungeon! I thought that she would just sit back quietly for once but _no~!_ She _had _to intervene like always! I don't understand how the original Zagan could bear to be in the same dimension as her."

Tiare backed away from the creature slowly, only half understanding what he was saying. All she understood was that the monster was significantly weakened by Amani's gourd, which was something that she should take advantage of.

'_I need to get out of here with Amani.'_ She thought resolutely as she gripped her little knife. _'Should I try to kill the little monster?'_

Tiare immediately crossed that idea off. _'No. That's too risky. This creature is not a normal creature. I should put more energy into escaping with Amani.'_

Tiare looked at her little dagger with consideration. It was sharp, but it was small. It didn't dull easily, but she needed to be close to cause any damage. It was almost useless in a fight against a monster…

But what about the walls of their prison?

"What are you doing?" Tiare heard the little monster ask, suddenly wary.

Tiare lifted her dagger.

"No! Wait! No-!"

_Sttck._

Tiare's eyes widened at how easily her blade was able to sink through the plant flesh of her prison. She tugged the blade out. Green puss oozed out of the wound she inflicted on the wall.

The little monster shrieked.

Satisfaction ran through Tiare as she stabbed the wall again. And again. And again. In time, she managed to take a large chunk of the wall off. Light filtered into the prison.

'_Yes!'_

* * *

Yasmine clung onto Kouha desperately as the horse jostled her for what seemed like an infinite time. If Kouha hadn't insisted so strongly that she traveled by horseback with him during their trip to Sasan, she wouldn't even _be _in her current situation!

Animals tended not to like her because of her ability, so it was a given that horses were skittish around her. But her riding one? It was a nightmare. Kouha's talent of controlling the animal was the only blessing that she had or the horse would've thrown her completely off by now.

'_Breathe in and out, Yasmine. In and out. It'll be over in a couple of hours. Just hold on a bit.'_

"Enjoying yourself?" Kouha asked in amusement.

Yasmine glared at the back of his head. "Not. Funny." She gritted out.

"You've been as stiff as a board ever since you got onto the horse. You should relax a little." Kouha insisted. "Are you afraid of horses or something?"

"Actually, it's the other way around." Yasmine muttered sourly. "It your damn fault that I'm in this situation in the first place. I'll knock you off this horse when I finally get off of it, Kouha. I swear."

Kouha laughed and encouraged his horse to go forward.

"Onwards to Sasan!"

Yasmine grimaced and clung on tighter. "Kouha, I'm going to kill you!"

In her anger, she completely missed his smug smile.

* * *

Jamal sat up sharply from his bed.

"My Nee-chan senses are tingling."

And that only meant one thing.

"…Some bastard is hitting on my Nee-chan!"

Oh _hell_ no.

* * *

When she came to, Amani found herself inside an empty, white room.

She recognized it as the place where she met Foras after she was sucked into Zagan's dungeon. Could dungeon capturers contact their djinn whenever they were unconscious within a dungeon?

Hm.

Amani shelved that question away within her mind and decided to focus on the issue at hand. She was in her djinn's domain. But where was her djinn?

A shout brought Amani's attention upwards where she found Zagan and Foras floating above her with mirroring expressions of displeasure.

"Woman! How dare you interrupt me? This is my test! Keep out of it!"

"How dare I? How dare YOU! I can't believe that you are stooping so low as to bully a child! It's bad enough that you're doing those cruel things to the poor Toran people and giving my Mistress grief!"

"Grief? **Grief?** I saved her from my test. And I'll have you know that it's my _creatures _who are causing all the mischief and bullying. It's a good thing that they at least know well enough not to attack your Mistress. I could have very well left her to the mercy of my dungeon if it weren't for her little problem."

"Don't say it like that."

"Like what?"

"It is **not **a problem."

"Oh, for all the - Don't be so sensitive over small things! All our fights started because of your sensitivity."

"My sensitivity? Oh, so it's **my **fault now?"

"Oh for the love of – Fine. Be difficult. Even after the things I did to protect your King Vessel since I was **worried **-

"Worried about what?"

Zagan and Foras paused in their little squabble and turned to the now awake Blessed Child. Foras gave Zagan a dirty look as if to say 'now look what you did' before gliding down to her wielder. "It's nothing of real concern, Mistress. Zagan and I are having a…disagreement."

Zagan looked completely irritated by Foras' words. "'Nothing of real concern'? Foras, are you _listening _to yourself? What is the point of keeping this a secret from your master? She has the right to know!"

"She is in a dungeon. _Your _dungeon!" Foras almost shrieked. Amani winced at the volume of her djinn's hysterical voice. "My Mistress has enough to worry about. The stress of knowing may cause more damage."

"And if she _doesn't _know, that little life in her womb won't have the chance to survive!" Zagan retorted, making Amani breath in sharply. Her hands automatically went to her belly. The two djinn immediately fell silent and watched her quietly as she stared down at her flat abdomen.

"I'm…pregnant?" She asked breathlessly. "I…"

_I'm pregnant._

Thinking back to it, there had been obvious signs that she should have caught that pointed to her pregnancy. This whole time there was a tiny, fragile life in her body and she didn't notice it. Or perhaps, she had been too stressed and distracted to notice it.

_I'm pregnant._

Then, the whole situation finally hit Amani. She absorbed her situation and found that she was left with a warm feeling in her chest. Slowly, Amani began to smile. A child. She was going to have a_child_.

"I'm going to be a mother." She finally said, practically glowing. "I'm going to be a _mother_!"

Foras shared her joy while Zagan allowed a small smile to flicker across his lips.

"Congratulations, Blessed Child." He said as dignified as he could. "And I apologize for all the troubles that my dungeon creatures have caused you."

Amani took a closer look at Zagan and found, to her surprise, that this Zagan appeared very different to the Zagan that kidnapped her and Tiare. He wasn't wearing that ridiculous mask, for one. Amani was also thankful for the lack of a hat. Now, an extravagant cape covered his shoulders and beautiful jewelry decorated his neck and chest. He no longer resembled a jester. Now, his appearance reminded her of a peacock.

"Oh," Amani commented in surprise, "you look very handsome! Now I can see why Foras is so taken with you. You shouldn't wear a mask, Zagan. It doesn't suit your appearance very well."

Both Foras and Zagan spluttered at Amani's straightforward comment for different reasons.

"As expected from a Blessed Child," Zagan laughed weakly after he recovered, "you have blindsided us with your…honesty. Thank you for the compliment." He then sent Foras a sly look. "Taken with me, eh?"

Foras flushed and looked away indignantly.

Zagan frowned.

'_Oh dear', _Amani thought with mild concern. _'I have a lot to work with between these two, don't I? They're acting so childish.'_

So, that was how Amani spent the rest of her time within her mindscape: acting as the middleman for her djinn's relationship to salvage whatever was left between the two.

(The pair ended up settling their differences in the end, much to Amani's immense relief.)

Later on, Amani would realize just how much she placed her unborn child's life at risk by jumping into Zagan's dungeon. Later on, Amani would worry about Al Thamen's presence within and outside the dungeon. But that would be later.

Now, all she could think about was how she was going to clear up the misunderstanding between Zagan and Foras and how she was going to tell Koumei that he was going to be a father.

* * *

Koumei sneezed, dropping all the scrolls he had been carrying.

"Prince Koumei, are you getting sick?" Chuu'un fussed as he helped his master collect the fallen scrolls. "I _told _you that sleeping outside would do that to you! You shouldn't overwork yourself, my prince." He scolded him with frustration tinting his tone. "I'm sure that your wife would be displeased if you ever fell ill!"

Chuu'un immediately regretted mentioning the Blessed Child when Koumei visibly deflated. He has been worried about her ever since he received word that Amani went dungeon jumping with her brother.

"Chuu'un…do think that she will be fine?"

"I do not think that I have the power to ascertain that she won't be hurt, but I am sure that your wife will come back to you." _'Alive or dead, young Hakuryuu will do at least that much.'_ The soldier thought grimly. Dungeon jumping was dangerous. But the Blessed Child was talented with her djinn and weapons, so she _should _be fine.

Koumei groaned into his hands.

"Solomon, keep her safe. _Please._ Let her be _safe._"

* * *

Tiare worked hard on widening the hole that she made with her blade.

_Sttk. Sttk. Sttk. Sttk. Sttk._

"_Don't worry, _Amani_! I'll get us both out of here!" _She assured the comatose Amani in her own language as she scraped at the walls quickly. _"I will be strong for both of us!"_

The tiny monster shrieked again at the next stab. "Stop it, you brat! Don't you know that hurts? You're ruining _everything_!"

With a sharp gesture of his chubby hand, the little monster summoned small vines that wound around Tiare's waist and leg. She wiggled out of most of her restraints and continued hacking away. The vines didn't do much to her, but it did slow down her progress.

"_Let go of me, little monster!"_ Tiare snapped at the tiny creature, surprising even herself at her sudden courage. _"I will not let you continue to hurt my family and _Amani_!"_

The little monster stared at her in shock.

Then, the shock turned into anger.

Tiare squeaked in surprise when bigger vines wrapped around her body, restraining her arms. Despair filled her stomach when she realized that this meant that she couldn't use her knife. The little monster strutted up to her and snatched away her weapon. _"Naughty girl,"_ he sneered at her restrained form in Toran_, "not so strong without your dagger, are you, brat? What are you going to do now?"_

Tiare struggled against her bonds.

"You better give up. It's useless-

CRUNCH.

"…What?!"

Tiare grimaced at the bitter taste that filled her mouth. She spat out the chunk of the plant-wall that she bit off and went to bite another piece out. Amani needed her. The others were giving their all to save her.

The best Tiare could do was to _fight_.

CRUNCH.

"Hey, hey, don't be so hasty now!" The little creature said nervously. "You have no idea what that could do to you! Just give up!"

CRUNCH.

Tiare rebelliously spat a chunk at the little monster's face. "Tiare…won't… 'give up'." She accentuated slowly in the common language. "Tiare…will never…stop. Never." And, for a greater measure, she added. "Fuck off."

The little monster gaped.

With satisfaction at silencing the monster, Tiare went back to work.

CRUNCH.

* * *

"Hakuryuu, I have your back!"

"Hakuryuu-san! I will take care of these creatures. Stand behind me!"

"Haru-haru infigaru!"

"_**Go away! All of you! I don't need your help!"**_

…That would have been what Hakuryuu would have said if he had been the same boy he was two years ago. He had been determined to do everything _himself _back then to prove to his…that witch that he wasn't the weak, little boy she had claimed he was. Hakuryuu used to believe that only _he _had to bear all the weight and knowledge of the evil that was Gyokuen.

But…

"_You idiot. Do you really think that you can do it all on your own?"_

His stepsister was all too eager to knock all useless thoughts like that out of his mind. She was relentless in spending time with Hakuryuu, wherever he went. She even joined him in his spars, knocking him down a few pegs with her more superior fencing ability. At first, he thought that she was annoying. But, as time went on, Hakuryuu came to accept and even respect Kougyoku.

It came as quite a shock when she told him her not-so-small secret.

"_Haku-chan, I'm a Blessed Child."_

It changed things when he realized that he wasn't quite alone in his mission to defeat Gyokuen. His stepsister could see the horrors of Al Thamen and acknowledged that they and their witch-leader needed to be brought down.

Then there was the other Blessed Children and the little boy, Shion, who turned out to be the long-lost son of King Sinbad. They knew of Gyokuen and they were powerful in their own right.

So, in the end, Hakuryuu wasn't fighting Gyokuen alone. He didn't need to be.

An unexpected attack shook Hakuryuu from his thoughts. He jumped away from the feral dungeon creature and beheaded it with his spear. Morgiana kicked away a feral pair that was aiming to take Hakuryuu down from the back. Alibaba and Aladdin burned the remaining creatures.

"Hakuryuu, are you alright?" Alibaba asked him.

He nodded.

"Yes. Thank you for fighting with me and protecting my blind spot Alibaba-dono, Morgiana-dono."

Alibaba cheerfully thumped him in the back. "Hey, we're a team! It's a given that we're on your side, Hakuryuu!"

Morgiana nodded resolutely at his side.

'_She's so strong…'_ Hakuryuu marveled. _'All of them are so strong.'_

He looked at his own hands. _'I still need to improve myself, but I'm doing very well so far for someone without magic, a djinn, or Finalis blood.'_ He thought optimistically. _'I never held any of them back.'_

Hakuryuu suddenly felt _very_ thankful for the little training sessions he had with Kougyoku and Amani. They were painful, yes, but they had improved his fighting style by bounds.

"…Hakuryuu? Did you hear me? Are you okay?"

Alibaba's concerned face filled his vision.

Hakuryuu shook himself. "Yes? I'm sorry. I didn't hear you."

Alibaba smiled understandingly.

"That's fine. We're all a bit tired from all that fighting. Let's take a little break. It doesn't seem as if Zagan will be sending any more of his monsters soon, so it's a good time to rest up and eat." Alibaba held out a piece of fruit. "Don't worry," he assured him, "It's food that Amani packed for us before we came into the dungeon."

Hakuryuu accepted the food gratefully. He waited for everyone else to get their piece before he bit into the fruit.

As the group ate and rested, they began sharing stories and experiences with Hakuryuu. He found himself dumbfounded by the honesty and openness from everyone in his group despite him being practically a stranger.

He was dumbfounded…and happy.

Hakuryuu learned about Alibaba and Aladdin's meeting. He heard how Morgiana was saved from slavery. He listened attentively to Alibaba's recounting of his failure in Balbadd and the death of his friend, Kassim.

Hakuryuu even learned about the group's shared weariness towards Al Thamen.

And just like that, Hakuryuu found himself telling the others about himself. Personal things like his close relationship with Hakuei and Kougyoku, his grief in the sudden deaths of his older brothers, his animosity toward Kouen, and his feelings of inferiority when he was compared to the deceased Emperor Hakutoku. Though he occasionally felt a prick of unease for sharing such things so freely with the group, Hakuryuu found that he felt lighter when he talked.

(Well…not all things were told. Hakuryuu still kept silent about Gyokuen. Some things should be left untold. He didn't want his new friends to get tangled in Kou's most nasty secret.)

Then, the conversation eased into lighter subjects.

"You're pretty good with fighting, you know that?" Alibaba praised him earnestly, causing Hakuryuu to blush. Then, a thoughtful expression crossed his face. "Hey, Hakuryuu? What was that glowing thing you did with your spear when Zagan grabbed the little Toran girl?"

"Magoi Manipulation." Hakuryuu corrected him.

"Magoi Manipulation?" Alibaba repeated in interest. "Amani said something about that back in Balbadd. Do you mind explaining the concept to me?"

So, for the rest of their break, Hakuryuu ended up explaining the concept of magoi manipulation to Alibaba, while Morgiana and Aladdin listened on the sidelines with interest.

* * *

Sai played with his chakrams with a far-off look in his eyes. The circular blades spun 'round and 'round his finger almost hypnotically. He paused in his spinning for a moment to tilt his head to the side.

A spear barely missed his face.

"Nice try, Toto-_chan_." He drawled and begun spinning his weapons again. "How many times have you tried killing me again? Fifteen?"

"Seventeen." Toto corrected him through gritted teeth. "Just because you are Master Shambal's grandson does not change that you are a monster. Toto will prove to her teacher that he is being fooled by your trickery."

"Funny, I don't remember fooling him even once in my life." Sai noted with a giggle. "Gramps always got me. He's a smart person, unlike _some _people."

The Blessed Child watched with a distant sort of amusement as Toto continued to fling other weapons at him. Ah, how amusing little Toto was. She was definitely annoying at first but he learned to appreciate how she kept him on his toes when it came to training.

It was as if Yasmine was still here with him.

As he danced away, Sai wondered how the Princeling was doing.

* * *

On the training grounds, a clashing of metal filled the area. A group of servants and some guests looked on in interest at the sight of their most renowned swordsman coaching their prince.

"Swipe your blade higher, young master Shion. Because of your height, you won't be able to reach your opponents as easily as Alibaba." Sharrkan instructed, guiding the young prince's blade with his own. "Remember the basics!"

Shion dodged a swing from his teacher and maneuvered himself around the man. He used a column at the side as leverage and pushed his body up to Sharrkan's height to swing at him more properly.

Sharrkan reared back in surprise at the attack and just barely managed to counter it.

"Good! That's it! Take advantage of your surroundings!"

Shion swung his legs under Sharrkan's, causing him to lose his balance for a brief moment. Taking advantage of the opening, the young prince struck.

Much to his disappointment, the attack was easily parried with a distracted swing, causing Shion to loose his balance and topple over. Instinctively, he dropped into a roll away from Sharrkan before righting himself and falling into a defensive position.

Before Shion could retaliate, loud clapping filled the training ground.

"Good job, Shion! I'm happy to see that you've improved with your swordsmanship!"

'_Father.'_

The child in Shion cried out with joy at Sinbad's presence while the Veteran could only regard him with reproachful weariness.

The King remained indifferent.

Sharrkan bowed respectfully at his king while Shion smiled happily at his father's presence. "Father! I didn't know that you were coming!" Then, his expression became suspicious. "…You're not skipping out of paperwork again, are you?"

"No, no, I'm just taking a break. Ja'far already knows." Sinbad assured his son with a chuckle. "I just wanted to see you in my spare time. I thought that you might need help with your training. You still need help achieving your djinn equip, right?"

Shion brightened at the prospect of learning something from his father. He turned to Sharrkan expectantly. "Can I, Sharrkan-nii?"

"Of course, Young Master. I need to prepare for my brother's arrival anyways." Sharrkan assured his student. He quickly left the training area to leave the father and son alone. The spectators also scattered away upon the swordsman's departure.

Shion jumped a little in excitement (and nervousness). "I think I almost got it. I'm having a little trouble with my control over my magoi, though." He informed his father honestly and his heart leapt at the pride that flashed across Sinbad's eyes.

"Already?"

Shion nodded bashfully.

"So, when do we start?"

Sinbad chuckled.

"Now, of course."

* * *

CRUNCH.

_Swallow._

**Tug.**

It was going like this for a while now.

CRUNCH.

_Swallow._

**Tug.**

The vines were trying to drag Tiare away from the opening again. She knew that they would eventually overpower her so she chewed faster. It came to the point that Tiare took no time in spitting out the plant chunks and swallowed them instead to save time.

CRUNCH.

_Swallow._

**Tug.**

By now, the whole process had became a sort of unconscious rhythm to the young girl.

CRUN-

_ **Tug.** _

Tiare's teeth gritted at the particularly strong tug. Her legs strained against the pull as she leaned in to finish her work. The vines tugged at her even harder. Tiare tried to push through the resistance, but her feet slipped.

Her stomach dropped. _**'No.'**_

The little monster let out a shout of victory as the vines successfully pulled the Toran girl away from the wall. Fat tears rolled down Tiare's face as she struggled against her binds. _**'No. No. NO!'**_

"Give up." The little monster informed her bluntly with a malicious sneer on his face. He dangled her dagger in front of her face. "It's useless. You're too weak to do it without this weapon, anyways. What the hell were you thinking? Don't you know it's bad to eat strange things? You better be grateful that my main body isn't lethal to you humans."

Tiare's whole mouth stung. She couldn't understand what the little monster was saying and she didn't care. Defeat hung heavily on the girl. She threw an apologetic glance at the still-comatose Amani. _'Sorry, Amani. I'm so sorry. I couldn't save us. I was too weak. I'm sorry. I'm sorry.'_

The face of the scarred prince flashed across the Toran girl's eyes. The older boy really was right. She _was _a hindrance to everyone. Why didn't she listen to him? Why didn't she stay back? If it weren't for her, Amani would still be with her friends. Amani would still be safe. As she immersed herself with thoughts of self-pity, the burning sensation in Tiare's mouth began to slowly spread through her body.

If only she was stronger. If only she was more prepared. If only she was _better, faster, _and _powerful._ If only she was more like…more like…

Tiare's gaze zeroed in on the dagger in the little monster's hands.

'_If only I was more like that dagger.'_

That was the last thought that crossed Tiare's mind before her body burst into blue flames.

* * *

A triumphant grin spread across Shion's face as he saw the familiar sight of Andromalius' djinn equip on his young body. Though he was smaller now, Shion thought that it felt _right_ with the djinn equip. He felt whole again. Across from him, Sinbad reared back in surprise at the sight of the djinn equip. For someone so young to achieve such a feat…

"I did it!"

_Finally._

* * *

"Is there something wrong, Hakuryuu? You look a little troubled. You know you can tell us anything. Right?"

Hakuryuu bit his lip at Alibaba's offer.

'_Should I?'_

"_You should."_ He could hear Kougyoku encourage him. _"What did I tell you? The key to every problem is always teamwork, even taking down insane witches. And from what I can see, you and them make a great team."_

He looked at everyone's concerned and supportive gazes.

'_They are trustworthy people who won't even hesitate to help me.'_ Hakuryuu believed completely. _'They won't even think twice about aiding me in my problem.'_

But.

'_I can't just place this burden on them. What if they get hurt too? Like-_

The image of the fire and the figures of his dead brothers filled Hakuryuu's mind.

'_They could get hurt too. I can't do that.'_

He was torn.

Alibaba's hand landed on his shoulder comfortingly. "You don't have to force yourself. Just know that we're always here to listen to you, okay? We're friends and that's what friends do."

"Alibaba's right!" Aladdin chirped from his side. Morgiana nodded in agreement.

Hakuryuu felt his chest warm at the support he was receiving from his friends.

"Thank you." He told them genuinely and made up his decision. "If that's the case, there is something that I would like to tell all of you once we defeat this dungeon."

Alibaba grinned back at him.

"We'll be waiting. Now, let's go and save Amani!"

* * *

"Welcome to Sindria, guests! We hope that you enjoy your stay on the island!"

Judal looked at his feet in disbelief.

Is this how it felt to be looked at without fear or apprehension? Is this how 'normal' people were treated? This was so…unfamiliar to Judal. Tao seemed to be taking things with a stride. He nodded and thanked anyone when necessary. He led Judal by the hand through the streets of Sindria.

"It's beautiful here." Tao noted cheerfully. "King Sinbad did a pretty good job. Don't you think, Kido?"

"Yeah…" Judal agreed slowly as he watched the people bustle about in the streets. "It's…something."

Yeah, something that he wouldn't have thought twice about destroying a few months ago

"Hey, do you want some squid? I heard that it's a specialty here." Tao suggested as he ruffled through his ratty wallet. "I have enough to get one pack to share."

Judal opened his mouth to answer, but he was interrupted when someone crashed into Tao, knocking him over.

"Gotta get to Nee-chan. Gotta get to Nee-chan. Gotta- Oh! Sorry about that, man. I didn't see you there." The boy, who had rudely barged into Tao, paused in his rant when he noticed the toppled over man. "I was a little busy thinking up plans for causing the ultimate demise of the mortal who dared to even consider my sister as their significant other. But that's just me. Let's focus on you. I knocked you over. You okay?"

"No, no, I'm fine." Tao assured the child.

Judal, on the other hand, scowled at the child. "Hey, watch it, brat!"

The child looked up at Judal's face to retort to the insult only to freeze at the sight of Judal's face. Recognition flickered across his eyes, causing Judal to curse loudly.

"Oh my Solomon, _Judal _is here! I can't believe it!"

(Wait, did he just _squeal_?)

Judal took no time in grabbing Tao's hand and dragging him away in a full sprint. He had no doubt that there would be guards that would follow. He was confident that they were conditioned in attacking at the mere _mention_ of his name.

"Halt!"

Dammit. He hated that he was right.

"Wow, you really weren't kidding when you said they didn't like you." Tao noted when he saw the number of soldiers chasing after them. He sped up his pace. "So, I'm going to take a guess and say that the big building over _there _is the palace."

"Right."

Tao smiled. "Well? What are you waiting for? You're the magician here. Let's fly over there to save time, then."

Judal mentally hit himself over the head for forgetting such a thing._ I can fly._ _Right.  
_

He took flight with Tao and made his way towards the palace.

"Quick! Hide the peaches before he eats them all!" Judal thought heard the boy shriek out but was too busy to pay any mind to that. He probably misheard him.

How would the boy even know that he liked peaches?

* * *

Kougyoku watched with relief as Kohaku dragged Koubun around the palace with her other friends. It was good to see her vassal up and about doing what he did best: watching over rambunctious princesses.

"Come on, Koubun! Hurry up!" Kohaku laughed as she ran ahead with Opal and Selene. "We can't wait for you forever, you know!"

"Princess! Please, slow down!" Koubun panted.

Selene smiled and silently giggled at the vassal's struggle.

Opal scoffed. "Palace pansy."

With a satisfied smile, Kougyoku left the window. Now, what to do today? Maybe she could drop by the training ground to see how Shion was doing…

"Kougyoku!"

Speak of the devil (well, prince). Shion came barreling into her side. Kougyoku was about to laugh, but stopped at the urgency in his voice.

Shion lifted his head and met her eyes with his. Then, he spoke a sentence that stopped her breath short.

"It's Judal. He's here."

* * *

Morgiana launched herself forward into the pit with the help of her newly attained djinn vessel. Her eyes were focused completely on Zagan's real body.

"I see you! Now, for the finishing blow!"

But Morgiana never got to strike properly. Something fast crashed into her side, completely making her miss. The Finalis violently pushed away from her attacker and landed on the ground roughly.

She fell into a defensive position.

The creature that attacked her was about the size of two horses and was completely pitch black in color. The creature reminded Morgiana of a lizard. Though it did share some characteristics of its smaller counterpart, the creature had _wings_ and Morgiana was sure that lizards usually didn't have those_._ The creature even had odd markings on its head. Some which were a little familiar…

A low, primal growl rumbled through the creature's throat.

She stiffened in defense when it turned its piercing, green eyes on her.

Much to Morgiana's surprise, it ceased its growls at the sight of her. Its slitted eyes became wide with wonder and it began to come toward her with eagerness. Instinctively, Morgiana flinched back. Seeing her weariness, the creature stopped and pulled back its ears almost submissively.

Morgiana took a tentative step forward.

The creature stood still.

"You…are not Zagan's creature?"

The angry snort that the creature gave at the mention of the djinn's name assured Morgiana that its alliance was definitely _not _with Zagan. This also told her that this creature was intelligent.

"Are you my ally? Please nod or shake your head if you understand my question."

It nodded.

Morgiana relaxed her guard. The creature turned its head away from her and growled. Morgiana turned to the direction of the creature's sight and reared back in shock.

It was a hideous, giant plant with multiple eyes and a large row of teeth. In its mouth was a giant vat of boiling acid.

It was Zagan's real body.

"You saved me." Morgiana realized, thinking back to when the creature pushed her away in mid-fall. "Thank you."

The creature chirped in acknowledgement and shuffled closer to Morgiana to butt its head at her side gently. Morgiana patted its head.

"Ano…Lizard-san, can you please take me up to my friends?"

The creature angled itself to the side as if to invite Morgiana onto its back. The Finalis understood and did just that. The creature reared back and took flight, bringing the Finalis with it.

Morgiana marveled at the feeling of being in flight. It was amazing! The creature began its ascent to the upper level to her friends.

Unfortunately, the original body of Zagan did not seem to like the fact that Morgiana was leaving. One of the vines shot out and wrapped around the creature's legs, jerking the creature back. With a roar of annoyance, it whipped around and spat out a bright, condensed ball of light at the djinn.

Morgiana watched in horrified amazement as Zagan's original body went alight into flames with an unholy shriek. The vine loosened and the creature continued its single-minded track toward the light.

Everyone was shocked at the appearance of the creature, but Morgiana's presence soothed them enough to not attack.

"Morgiana-san, what happened? All the Zagan clones shriveled up suddenly." Hakuryuu spoke up, giving the creature a few cautious looks. "Did you defeat it?"

"Lizard-san did, actually."

'Lizard-san' puffed up its chest proudly. Alibaba bravely approached the creature and patted it on the head. It crooned appreciatively, encouraging the others to approach it too.

"Amazing. I never knew that dungeon creatures could fight against their djinn." Alibaba commented with wonder as he traced the creature's scales.

Aladdin looked at the creature with confusion in his eyes. "This creature has familiar rukh. Where have I seen this rukh before?"

"Let's not bother with that for now." Hakuryuu stated firmly. "We need to go to Zagan's original body so we can find clues in finding Amani-dono and the little Toran girl."

"Lizard-san, do you mind helping me bring my friends down?"

As an answer, the creature plucked Hakuryuu by the shirt and promptly flew down into the pit.

(He would later on completely deny that he shrieked like a little girl. But he totally did.)

* * *

With Morgiana bringing Alibaba and Aladdin down with her awakened household vessel and the creature flying Hakuryuu down, the whole process was quick.

"This creature brought down this thing by itself?" Alibaba commented with admiration. Then, his expression sobered up. "With Zagan dead, how are we going to find Amani? Or even get out of here?"

Aladdin touched the smoking remains gingerly. "Don't worry, Alibaba. This thing isn't a djinn!"

"What do you mean by that, Aladdin?"

"_That's right!"_

Zagan, considerably smaller than he originally was, walked up to the group from behind the carcass. He caught sight of the creature and pointed at it accusingly. "You! You little troublemaker! Do you know how much damage you just did?"

The creature appeared completely unrepentant if its actions.

Actually, it looked a little smug.

Realization crossed Aladdin's face. "I remember now! You're that little Toran girl!"

"What?!"

Both Alibaba and Hakuryuu whirled around to face the creature – no, the _girl_.

"What did he do to you?" Hakuryuu whispered.

Tiare pulled her ears back and whined pitifully.

Alibaba unsheathed his sword and pointed it threateningly at the mini-Zagan. Hakuryuu followed after with his spear. "What did you do to her?!"

"Wait, WAIT! I wasn't the one who did to her. She did it all on her own by trying to eat through my original body! Strange things were bound to happen!"

Tiare reluctantly nodded in agreement to the mini-Zagan's claims.

But Alibaba was not easily calmed. He didn't lower his sword.

"What about my sister?" He demanded.

The mini-Zagan snapped his fingers and a group of vines brought Amani's sleeping body over to the group. Alibaba let out a shout of dismay at her unconscious state and ran to her side. "She's alive." He confirmed after checking her pulse.

Aladdin and Morgiana simultaneously sighed in relief.

Hakuryuu kept his spear pointing at Zagan. "If I hear that you did anything to Amani-dono…" He threatened lowly.

"You should be grateful that I took her!" The mini-Zagan creature squealed indignantly. "That girl was in no condition to be wandering around this dungeon and fighting the other creatures with that kid she's carrying!"

There was a moment of complete silence before-

"Wait, WHAT? She's…She's…WHAT?!" Both Alibaba and Hakuryuu screamed simultaneously.

* * *

Congrats you two! You're going to be Uncles! XD

And now, to the unusually short chibi-omake because of the authoress' poor, poor fingers worn out from all that typing.

* * *

**Chibi-Omake: What Every Tourist Visiting Sindria Should Know (or, How Jamal Became a Tourist Attraction)**

"Do not ever, _ever _give the young boy with red hair any attention. Pretend that he isn't even there."

When the tourists first heard this, they were completely confused by their tour guide's strange warning. Why should they be concerned about this red-haired boy? They would have understood if the tour guide spoke of a _purple-_haired boy since he was obviously the prince.

"Oh my Solomon! It's _tourists!_ Hello, people!"

Then, they met Jamal. After that, they completely and utterly understood the warning and wished that they had obeyed it.

Like now, for instance. The tourists were currently watching with a mixture of horror and interest at the sight of Jamal riding on a gigantic sea monster.

"Look at me! I'm surfing on a sea monster, bitches! YAHOO!"

It was an understatement to say that the kid had a few screws loose.

"Oh my Solomon, I think it wants to eat me. Do you want a piece of me, buddy? Well, try it, ya big bastard! I'm practically skin and bones, so the jokes on _you_! HA!"

(Shion: "Jamal, get away from that thing. You're scaring the citizens! Now come back to shore! Don't make me and Kikiriku come over there with his ship!")

(Kikiriku: "Can't we just leave him there?")

The tourists immensely regretted not listening to their tour guide. No matter how much the tourists tried, they couldn't get Jamal out of their experience of Sindria. Wherever they turned, Jamal was _everywhere_.

So, when the tourists left Sindria, all they could tell their relatives was about the strange red-haired boy.

"You gotta believe me! The kid was actually riding on the thing and was _laughing."_

"No. Really?"

"Yeah. It was _crazy._"

"Huh. Sounds interesting. Maybe I should tag along on my family's annual visits to Sindria."

_In the end, Jamal's presence in Sindria actually attracted three times more of tourists than usual that year._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You Guessed It: Amani is pregnant. Yup. Good eye, all of you. This was planned for a long, long time though I brought this on a little earlier so I could give the other characters some development. Now, I know that this move is slightly cliche (getting married = automatically pregnant) but I didn't just put this on for the family feels (though writing the reactions from every family member are going to be hilarious). I wanted to see how the other characters would react in being without Amani. I began to notice that Alibaba relied heavily on Amani, like some support-crutch. Hakuryuu too since Kougyoku isn't with him. I want the two of them to grow as they should during the Zagan Arc.
> 
> Why No Crying Scene?!: I know, I know, a lot of people wanted the crying scene. Even I wanted the crying scene. But it just didn't fit. Kougyoku and Amani's influence in Hakuryuu's life fixed most of the issues that he had in canon. He changed. That's the funny thing about characters. It just takes one to influence them to act differently. I wanted to show that Hakuryuu isn't as against the whole 'teamwork' concept in this universe. He even lets Morgiana do some of the work (Kougyoku made sure to beat every sexist belief he had out of his brain). Again, I'm trying to change this guy. I hate the Sauske-route he's going into right now. He annoys the heck out of me. Don't worry, I'll sneak something similar to that in the future in a different scene.
> 
> Sinbad and Ranya: The details of their relationship is pretty much a mystery in the story. Sinbad's tendency of avoiding the subject also fuels the mystery. But Shion won't be staying silent about her for so long. It's bound to be revealed in some way or another.
> 
> Tiare: To those who are confused in what Tiare has become, shame on you. If you didn't recognize the description, she is a dragon. Her appearance is completely based off of Toothless from How to Train Your Dragon (Go Google it.). I wanted a Night Fury in this story so I'm going to have one. I told you before that I was going to have small crossovers in this fic.
> 
> How did she become this dragon, you ask? Well, it's mostly by consuming Zagan's real body. There was obviously going to be some side-effects. I really didn't think that turning her into some plant monster was going to be attractive so I went with saying that it was Tiare's connection with the people of Alma Torran that manipulated her change. I'd like to think that she had a little magic in her bloodstream. She wished that she was like a dagger: sharp, ruthless, and quick.
> 
> Well. Dragons have claws, sharp teeth, and fire-breathing abilities. Being a Night Fury just adds to the punch.
> 
> Another reason why I made Tiare go through this transformation: Hakuryuu needs an honest-to-god proper household member. I kid you not, the guy needs an actual human being who isn't screwed up in the head to support him. She's my fail-safe to prevent him into going to the dark side. She might be just a little kid without experience now, but I'm planning on expanding on this kid's character and how she's going to interact with Hakuryuu.
> 
> That, and dragons are totally awesome. Imagine making an entrance with one.
> 
> Jamal's Knowledge of Judal's Peach Obsession: He's actually a pretty big fan of Judal, affiliations with Al Thamen aside. That's why he recognized him almost immediately. He also know's Judal's birthday, Zodiac Sign, Blood Type, Favorite Color, Height, and Favorite Food.
> 
> Jamal's Nee-chan Senses: All characters with a sibling-complex has it. Jamal's is just...more sensitive. Watch out, Kouha.
> 
> Koubun: He now serves Kohaku, which also put him in charge of the rest of the Chibi-Generals. May Solomon have mercy on his soul.


	28. Chapter 27: Could Shatter and Break

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Judal and Tao's break-in goes a little south. Just a little.
> 
> Al Thamen are also jerks, but that's old news.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Onwards

The moment Judal and Tao landed, soldiers were upon them with their spears pointing at the brothers. Judal, on instinct, almost laughed and jeered at the soldiers and their puny weapons. But then he remembered that he wasn't exactly well armed himself, so he swallowed the words back up.

Judal was here to make an apology, not play around with the Sindrian military.

"Kido, watch out!"

Tao suddenly pushed Judal to the side. Judal realized why just a second afterwards when a pair of familiar rope darts whizzed past his face. His face contorted into an instinctive sneer when he realized just who tried to attack him. "Oh. It's _you_."

Ja'far pulled his weapons back with a disappointed grunt. "Dammit. Wrong one."

'_What the hell is that advisor yapping about now?'_ Judal wondered.

"K-Kido. Now is not…the time to butt heads with…old enemies…" Tao wheezed out between pained pants.

Judal whipped his head around and realized with a panicked pang that _Tao was hit_. His horrified gaze landed on the bleeding gash on his brother's side. "T-Tao?"

'_Tao was hit. Tao was hit. His brother. His brother. His __**brother.**__ Taowashithisbrotherwas__**hit**__.HemightdiedieDIE!'_

Noticing his quickly rising panic, Tao gave Judal an assuring smile and touched his shoulder. "I'm fine. It's not that bad, just…stings. But I've faced worse. Clumsy…remember?" When he was sure that his little brother had calmed down, Tao turned to Ja'far and flipped the hood of his cloak off. "I…apologize for the ruckus we…caused, but is there really a…need for physical violence? Can't we…talk it out like…normal people?"

Ja'far appeared taken aback both by Tao's similar appearance to Judal and his politeness. He paused in his attacks to consider the older brother warily. "I don't think that we have ever met."

"I don't think so either." Tao agreed good-naturedly. "Though, I am willing to overlook the accidental injury and make peace with you if you take the time to hear us out."

Ja'far lowered his weapons slowly. "Fine." He agreed reluctantly. "But if you make any threatening movements…"

"We won't." Tao promised agreeably as he gave Judal's shoulder a warning squeeze. "Ki – I mean, _Judal _came here to Sindria to speak with… 'Princess'?"

Judal blushed brightly when Tao used the affectionate nickname. He never really got to telling Tao her real name. It was more out of forgetfulness than conscious withholding of information.

"Kougyoku." He muttered under his breath.

"Kougyoku." Tao repeated in a louder voice. "Erm…can he meet with her? Or her with him? Really, he's not that picky. Just desperate."

Judal shot him a withering glare for the last comment, but didn't say anything against his statement. Tao was right. He _was _getting desperate. He just…didn't like admitting it to others.

Especially to that small-fry, loser vizier

A very amused laugh sounded throughout the courtyard, gaining everyone's attention. Judal bristled at the familiar voice. "Idiot king…" He muttered darkly under his breath.

"Is Judal really? Well, that's a first."

And there that idiot king was with that stupid smile on his face.

Tao's gaze landed on Sinbad's form and his eyes widened in recognition. He bowed as deeply as he could with his wound. "Your majesty."

"None of that." Sinbad waved his action away. All pretense of being cheerful was completely wiped away from the king's face. Judal grimaced. Now _this _was a face he knew very well. "Who are you and what is your true intention in being here in Sindria?"

"Ah, well," Tao rubbed the back of his head sheepishly, "my name is Tao Gui and I am here as…moral support for Judal. We are honestly just here for Princess Kougyoku. We really didn't mean to cause such a ruckus here."

Sinbad's eyes narrowed coldly with distrust.

"Is it _that organization_ who sent you to do this?"

Confusion flittered across Tao's face while Judal's expression exponentially darkened. "Stop talking shit, idiot king." He finally spat out venomously. "Tao is not part of Al Thamen."

Sinbad's expression remained scornful. "You shouldn't even talk, Judal. You're part of that organization. Did you forget what you did to us…during that time in Partevia?!"

A heavy stone dropped in Judal's stomach at the mention of the atrocities he committed during his past. All those lives. All those fates he sullied and stained with his own hands. Shame and anger settled in his heart when he realized the weight of his crimes. Those things he did because it was 'fun'…well, they weren't really that funny, were they?

"Kido?"

It was whispered, but he heard it. Tao was calling to him.

And just like that, Judal suddenly felt a rush of red, hot anger. There was shame, yes. But Judal couldn't help but feel _wronged_.

"I fucking get it already." He gritted out. "I massacred your people. I screwed up fate. I did wrong things my whole life. _Every_. _Part._ I _know _that. Those annoying shadows have reminded me almost a thousand times already. But just when they leave, you lot take no time in replacing them."

He raised his red eyes to Sinbad and his guards.

"**Don't **give me that look,** Sinbad."** Judal snarled. "It's not like you're the only one fucked over by that organization! At least you knew what they were doing to you! Oh yes," he sneered when he saw the comprehension seeping into Sinbad's eyes, "I, too, was one of Al Thamen's victims!"

Judal didn't even take a second to look at Sinbad's reaction.

Honestly, he didn't even want to.

"That Chibi showed me my past through some unknown magic." Judal let out a humorless laugh. "I was chosen by the rukh and was born in a small, eastern village. But…but my father, my mother, _everyone _were immediately killed by that organization." Well…not quite everyone. But Tao only got out of it alive through sheer, dumb luck. "They took advantage of me before I could understand _anything_. Ever since I was an infant…"

Judal trembled violently.

"I never knew. They…they were the ones who taught me to curse my fate. They were the ones who taught me about war and bloodshed. How was I supposed to know that I was doing terrible things? How was I supposed to know that I was doing wrong? You know, I could've grown up normally as you did, with parents that taught me the right things. I wouldn't have had to kill your people as I did or cause wars. I could've been the good guy who did his fucking job right. I didn't have to be some screw-up."

Angry tears began welling up in his eyes.

"If it weren't for them, I could've been more…more…" Judal threw his hands up and sent an explosion of rukh upwards. "BETTER!"

Sinbad looked at him in shock. "Judal…"

"I…just wanted to live a normal life." He finished weakly. "I just -

Silence filled the courtyard after Judal finished his rant. The magi didn't even bother to rip his gaze away from the ground.

Drops of water splattered onto the ground, alerting Judal that it was going to rain. He really, really hoped that he could get his apology to Kougyoku over with. He already knew now that she wouldn't forgive him anyways. But still…he had to tell her. He wouldn't be able to live the rest of his life peacefully not telling her. Even if he was a monster -

Warm arms wrapped around his shoulders. "Easy there, Kido. Easy. I'm here with you, yeah? I'm here. You don't have to cry."

Cry?

Judal hadn't even realize that he was crying. Now he realized that the growing wet spots on the ground were his tears. Hot, fat, big tears were rolling down his face and he could do nothing about it. Judal buried his face into Tao's scarf to hide his crying face from everyone else.

"This is humiliating." He muttered into the woven material as the tears continued to stream down. "Why am I crying?"

Tao shushed him. "This is a normal thing. It's called an emotional breakdown. All humans who have gone through a lot of stress experience these at least once in their lifetime." He murmured into his ear quietly. "I'm sorry that I didn't notice your inner struggle, Kido. It must've been hard, huh?"

Suddenly, Tao stiffened. Judal opened his mouth to question his brother's abrupt unease, but cut himself off when he felt small hands on his leg. The rukh around them began going crazy at the newcomer's presence. He looked down in surprise, recognizing the reaction in the rukh. "Chibi-er Chibi?"

Shion looked up at Judal with a small smile and took a step back. "Hey. Long time no see. I know it's kind of late and all, but welcome to Sindria. If it's Kougyoku you want to see, I can take you to her. Don't worry. Father gave me permission."

Then he turned to Tao.

"Um…who are you?"

Tao blinked.

"I'm Tao." He said simply. Then, he gestured over to Judal. "I'm this troublemaker's older brother."

Shion's eyes opened a little wider at Tao's proclamation. He looked back and forth between Judal and Tao. Then he took a moment to think about what to say next. "Ah…twins?"

"I'm older." Tao corrected patiently. "Though, we _do _look a lot alike. I think it's our mother's strong genes."

"Okay." Shion nodded. "You…do know that you're bleeding, right?"

Tao looked down at his side as if he'd completely forgotten about the wound.

"Well look at that. You're right. You don't think your father would mind sparing me a bandage, do you?" He began swaying. "_Actually_, forget the bandages. A bed would be even more appropriate. Please."

Tao then proceeded to pass out, causing another round of chaos.

* * *

"A baby…a _baby_…my sister is pregnant with an honest-to-Solomon _baby _and we let her come with us into the dungeon." Alibaba moaned while rocking himself in place. "I'm such a failure of a brother."

"Don't be like that, Alibaba. You didn't know." Aladdin tried to soothe his friend.

Morgiana and Tiare, meanwhile, were trying to bring Hakuryuu back to life. He was all but dead to the world by this time.

"Hakuryuu-san! Please, Amani-san is safe, so you do not need to be like this!"

Hakuryuu whimpered and curled up into a ball.

Tiare waddled up to the little Hakuryuu-ball and nudged him, making him roll away a little before stopping. Tilting her head to the side, she stared at the Hakuryuu-ball intensely. Then, reaching to some unknown conclusion, Tiare proceeded roll Hakuryuu all around the floor.

"No, Tiare-san! You shouldn't do that to Hakuryuu-san." Morgiana scolded the once-Toran girl. "It's not nice."

"No, Morgiana-dono…let her continue. I deserve it." Hakuryuu insisted, depressed. "I have completely failed Amani-dono. How would Hakuei and Sister Kougyoku think of me if they heard about this?"

The mini-Zagan stared at the sight blankly.

"Wow. You lot are all so hopeless, especially the blondie and the one with the scar."

"SHUT UP, YOU MASKED WEIRDO!" Hakuryuu and Alibaba chorused angrily.

Mini-Zagan sulked. "Fine…I guess you two don't want to know how to get to the treasury, then." He smirked when everyone centered their attention on him. "Now _that's_ more like it. Listen closely. I arranged with the original Zagan to reverse the magic we placed on the Toran people once you get there."

"…And Amani-dono?" Hakuryuu asked with eyes narrowed suspiciously.

The mini-Zagan sighed. "I told you before. She's fine. The girl simply is trying to recuperate from the toll of using her djinn equip while being pregnant. It's for the best if she doesn't use Foras too much until after she gives birth to the child."

Alibaba nodded. "I understand."

"Okay, so this is how you get to the treasury…"

Everyone listened raptly to the mini-Zagan's instructions, completely unaware of the dark silhouettes eavesdropping on the conversation.

"…Got it?" Mini-Zagan finished. "That's how-

SPLAT.

The whole group stared with horror as a sharp rock rose from the ground and impaled the dungeon creature. Tiare instinctively turned around and growled at the newcomers.

"Who are they?" Alibaba asked as he and Aladdin turned to face the attackers.

Alarmed recognition flashed across Aladdin's face at the sight of the silhouettes. "Everyone…hurry up to the treasury. We can't let _them _get there before us!"

Alibaba asked no questions. He scooped Amani up and began to run toward the treasury. Aladdin followed after on his heels at full speed. Tiare took Morgiana and Hakuryuu onto her back and began flying toward her destination.

'_Don't worry, Amani! We'll be out of this dungeon soon!'_

Unbeknownst to Alibaba, Amani began to stir in his arms.

* * *

Amani's inner mindscape shook a little, causing its inhabitants to look up in alarm.

"…Mistress, I think that you are waking." Foras commented after a moment of silence. Beside her, Zagan nodded in agreement and wrapped an arm around Foras' waist. "I think that it is time for us to part. Thank you, Blessed Child for listening to our troubles."

Amani shook her head. "No problem. As long as Foras is happy, I'm happy."

"Isn't she the most amazing master, dear?" Foras cooed with pride. "My Mistress always places my well-being above all others! Well…aside from her brother, of course."

Zagan hummed. "It's such a pity that she couldn't take my test. I would have _loved _to have her as my Mistress."

Amani shrugged as her form began to fade. "If the thought counts, I would have loved to have you as my djinn too, Zagan. But I think that Foras is enough for me."

"Mistress!"

Zagan sighed. "A pity. Well, good luck to you, Blessed Child. I will be seeing you in my treasury. Oh, and please be careful. Your comrades are currently fighting against people from Al Thamen."

Amani blinked. "Wait, what?"

But then she was gone.

* * *

When Amani opened her eyes, she found herself being carried by Hakuryuu and…they were on the back of a dragon?!

"…Hakuryuu? What's happening? Where are Alibaba and the others?" Amani asked drowsily. She looked back down on their supernatural steed. Was she hallucinating? "And why are we on a dragon?"

Hakuryuu looked down at Amani with surprise written over his worried features.

"Amani-dono! You're awake!"

"Indeed I am." Amani informed him dryly. "It seems that you got into a bit of trouble while I was out. What happened? And why are we on a dragon?"

Hakuryuu seemed taken aback by her last question. "A dragon?! You don't mean the ancient creatures that decorate the emperor's robes do you, Amani-dono? Amazing! Is that what Tiare is?"

Amani was about to remind Hakuryuu that he needed to focus on the main issue, but paused at his last question. "Tiare? Are you saying that this dragon is _Tiare_?"

The dragon rumbled in acknowledgement, confirming Hakuryuu's claim.

"Oh, you poor girl." Amani said pityingly. She felt the small respect she had for the djinn diminish greatly at the sight of the little girl's state. She patted Tiare's back consolingly. Then, she turned to Hakuryuu. "Was Zagan the cause?"

Hakuryuu nodded grimly. "Zagan wasn't exactly clear about how she came to be this way. He promised that he would revert her back to normal once we reach the treasury." He patted Tiare consolingly. "Don't worry. Alibaba-dono, Morgiana-dono, and Aladdin-dono are taking care of things with the Al Thamen members."

Amani's gaze slid toward the battlefield. It seemed that the trio was holding their own pretty well. "…I see. Hakuryuu, did you stay here to protect me?" At his nod, she patted his head. "It must've been hard to hold yourself back from fighting with them. That was mature of you, Hakuryuu. I'm proud."

Hakuryuu blushed brightly at her praise.

"I-I-I-It was nothing, Amani-dono!" He denied vehemently. Then, a shadow cast upon his face. "Really, I don't deserve your praise. I have failed in protecting you. To do that…especially in your current state…"

Comprehension dawned on Amani's features. So, Zagan had told them about it and Hakuryuu was feeling responsible. Then, her eyes narrowed. She flicked him across the nose. "Don't blame yourself over something so silly. If there is anyone to blame, it should be me for not seeing the signs." She sighed and rested her hands on her abdomen. "Zagan purposefully took me to protect this child. I wasn't harmed at all. On the contrary, I was safe. Again, don't blame yourself over something that is obviously **not **your fault. _Is that understood?_"

Hakuryuu swallowed and nodded. "Yes."

"Good. Now, turn Tiare around. We're going to help the others fight."

"What?"

Amani sent Hakuryuu a look that sent cold shivers down his spine.

"You heard me. We're going to fight. I'm tired, frustrated, and hormonal. You don't want to argue with me. Turn the dragon. _Now_."

* * *

It took a while to calm Judal down from his fit of panic at his older brother's sudden fall, but Shion got through to him eventually.

"Relax, Judal. He just passed out from a bit of blood loss. We have a great medical team here in Sindria, so he'll be patched up in no time. Trust me." Shion soothed the dark magi on the ground clutching the unconscious Tao protectively. "And if you don't feel comfortable with the medic team, I can just summon Selene to look at him for you personally. She's my friend, you see."

He wisely left out the fact that she was Sai's little sister.

"…He'll be alright?" Judal asked hesitantly, holding Tao closer.

"Yes. If you let her treat him immediately, he'll be up and awake in an hour. He won't be harmed. I promise." Shion assured him genuinely. "I'd sooner die than let that happen to your brother. He seems like a nice fellow."

"He is." Judal agreed, calming down.

Shion patted his shoulder. "Someone fetch Selene!" Shion called out to the soldiers. "And please, someone prepare a bed and some medical supplies!"

Some soldiers, who felt enough sympathy for the magi's situation, obeyed the young prince's instructions. In no time, Selene was there with bandages and ointments in her arms.

Selene's hands paused for a moment before the wound and her eyes widened.

"What?" Judal asked sharply, though the worry in his voice was obvious.

"Easy, Judal." Shion soothed. Then, he turned to Selene. "Is there something wrong with his wound? There wasn't any poison on Ja'far's blades, was there?"

Selene shook her head, assuring the pair that it wasn't anything of the sort, and began to work on Tao's wounds. After she was done, Judal offered her a slight tilt of his head in thanks, which she returned with a small smile.

Sinbad slowly made his way up to his son and the Magi. "Judal, the maids have already prepared a room for your…brother. Can you trust us to move him there?"

"…Yeah. He'd like that." Judal said in a subdued tone. Then, with a bit of hesitation, he added. "Thanks."

Sinbad was quick in hiding his shock in the voiced gratitude. The others, including Ja'far, however, were open in their surprise.

"Not a problem." Sinbad answered after a pause. Then, after a thought, he patted Judal on the shoulder. "You've been through a lot." He explained simply when Judal whipped his head up to his direction with wide eyes. "We'll take care of him. Go with Shion. It's not good to keep a lady waiting."

Judal turned to Shion with a somber expression.

"Can you take me to her?"

* * *

There were no words that could describe the moment between Kougyoku and Judal when they were reunited. Really, there was only a tense silence that Shion didn't dare break in fear of causing either one to turn away or worse, run away.

It was easy to see why both were so tense. They had changed so drastically during their time apart. Judal, with his pride and rich garments stripped away from him, and Kougyoku, with her change of clothing supported by the newfound strength in her eyes. It almost seemed as if they were strangers who accidentally walked into the same room.

It was Kougyoku who spoke first.

"Judal?"

The tentative question in his name spurred him into action. He lurched forward and threw himself at her feet where incoherent apologies and ramblings spewed from his mouth like a river. Shion watched silently as the image of the once powerful magician – _Magi_ – deteriorated into a common, _desperate_ man. It was as if he had gathered up the scraps of his pride and laid it all there at Kougyoku's feet.

The scene was both painful and heartbreaking.

(How did it look through her eyes?)

Kougyoku seemed to agree with his thoughts as there were tears streaming down her cheeks as she knelt down to gather him up into her lap. She did her best to put him back together with murmured assurances that he didn't hurt her and soft 'shhhh's' that bubbled from her lips in between his racking sobs.

(_"I'm sorry, Princess. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have said those things. I didn't mean 'em. Not a word. Don't believe them for a second. You're worth more than a thousand kings. I'm sorry. You don't have to forgive – Kougyoku, I'm so sorry."_)

"There's nothing to forgive." She had assured him somewhere in between the sobbing and the apologies while running her fingers through his matted hair. "Oh, Judal. What happened to you?"

After a while, Judal's sobs and tears ceased. He willingly unraveled into Kougyoku's arms. Shion could see by the steady rise and fall of his body that he was asleep. All the stress and exhaustion finally caught up with the magi.

Shion sent her an inquiring look. _'Should I stay?'_

She shook her head. _'No, I'm fine here. Leave us.'_

Shion left the two be. He was sure that they needed the privacy to talk everything out once Judal woke up.

* * *

Yasmine let at the familiar sight of Sasan fill her eyes. Every building, every person, none escaped her eagle eyes.

Which was why she knew to expect the assassins.

"Grandfather never gives up. Stubborn old fart." She sighed as she removed her scythe from the corpse.

Behind her, Kouha giggled as he decapitated four heads simultaneously. "Wow, look at all the blood!" He crowed giddily. "Yasmine, did you see that?"

"Yes, yes, I did. Don't let it get on you. We need to meet with Grandfather, you know."

Kouha scoffed. "It's not like we need to make a good impression or anything. It's your _grandfather. _You know me, Yasmine. When have I ever impressed the King of Sasan? He hates my guts, period. Why try?"

Good point.

"Because blood is hard to wash out." Yasmine stated flatly, speaking her true reasons. She knew this struggle very well. And without the help of soap? It was a nightmare. "Come on, Kouha. Let's make this whole thing quick. I have business with the old man."

"Business other than the whole engagement thing?" Kouha asked curiously, eyes glinting with an emotion that Yasmine couldn't put a finger on. Not that she bothered to try. Kouha was always strange to her.

But the consistency of the emotion was a bit troubling. Was she missing something?

"Yes," she answered slowly, "honestly, it's the least pressing issue on my list. He'll probably say no. He's part of the Seven Seas Alliance, after all."

"…Right."

Why did Kouha seem so downtrodden at her answer?

Yasmine placed a hand on Kouha's shoulder awkwardly. "Look, don't take Grandfather's rejection personally. He just…doesn't want the political mess that would be on his hands if I ever accidentally kill my husband by staring him down. You know? Besides, us Blessed Children were never really the family types." She winced. "Our abilities tend to…hinder any possible romantic relationships."

"What about Amani?" Kouha asked curiously. "She seems to do fine with Mei. And they're happily married now! So why-?"

"Amani is a rarity." Yasmine cut in shortly. She nodded sharply at the guards at the entrance into the city. They immediately turned their eyes away from her with sweat pouring down their temples. Without a word, they let her and Kouha in. "For the last couple of centuries, the Blessed Children always died alone. Whether it was because of reverence or fear, they never really got to 'settle down' with the person who loved them, if they had any."

Yasmine kept her gaze upwards. The crowds made an obvious gap for her to walk through. She strolled through the streets with the fingers and whispers all aimed at her. The sting of the actions had long since dulled.

"I see. But Amani managed to find happiness, right? So it should be possible for you too." Kouha said optimistically. Yasmine smiled a little sadly at the hope in his voice.

'_Raja thought that way too…'_ She thought wistfully as they entered the palace. Kouha had become silent when it became obvious that she wasn't going to continue the conversation. Then, her expression darkened. _'But what did he get out of hoping for something like that? Nothing. Just a sword on the back.'_

Yasmine gritted her teeth as she reached the great doors of the throne room.

'_But I won't be hoping like he did. I'll just __**act**__ before those bastards shove a sword down my back.'_ She vowed to herself determinedly as she pushed the large doors open, disrupting whatever conversation the Knight King was having with his other fellow knights.

"Granddaughter." Yasmine could hear the surprise in her grandfather's voice. Surprisingly, there wasn't the usual displeasure in his tone. Yasmine was almost tempted to check the windows to see if there were any winged pigs flying about since that _never _happened.

Darius' eyes wandered over to Kouha and his eyes narrowed.

"And…you brought a guest." Ah. There it was. That displeasure. The universe was in balance again. Now, Yasmine could comfortably converse with her grandfather.

She tilted her head. "I, Yasmine, have returned from Kou to hold audience with you, _my king_." She announced with the right amount of sarcasm so to not appear too rude, but enough to show him that he _wasn't _her king. "Prince Kouha has accompanied me back to Sasan as a Kou representative. He has a personal message from the Emperor."

Kouha came up and bowed respectfully.

"As a representative, I bring news from Emperor Koutoku. An offering of peace with Sasan through marriage with one of his sons." He relayed clearly. "The Emperor is willing to gift Sasan with a generous amount of money and no bridal price. Trade and protection from Kou's army are also offered in this exchange."

The other knights in the room began to murmur amongst themselves in disbelief at the amount that was offered. Yasmine, on the other hand, bristled. She was no cattle!

"You want Yasmine, I suppose?" Darius stated dryly. At Kouha's nod, he sighed. "Though the offer is generous, I'm afraid that it is impossible. No, I will not give my granddaughter to Kou."

Yasmine started in surprise at the heat in Darius' voice. For a moment, she thought that it was aimed at _Kouha_ specifically but that couldn't be, right? She knew that he didn't like her friend that much, but that feeling didn't really deserve that much of a negative reaction.

No, she was just hearing things. Darius simply didn't like Kou that much since they were contenders to the Seven Seas Alliance.

"Why not?" Kouha asked, breaking from his formal speech. "It's a generous offer, more generous than any offer you would ever have." He argued. "Kou and its Emperor is willing to give anything to Sasan for this marriage."

Kouha shouldn't even bother. Yasmine knew that her grandfather would never allow her to be paired with another man, no matter the offer.

"Don't bother convincing me, boy." Darius scoffed.

See?

"Because I have already accepted a different engagement offer."

Yasmine's mind screeched to a halt at his words. She gaped at her grandfather. Beside her, Kouha looked ready to kill at the news. Whether it was Darius or the fiancé himself, Yasmine didn't know.

Darius looked pleased at her baffled reaction.

"Yes, Granddaughter. It's true. I have made an agreement with King Sinbad. Since your status and power would aid this young man very much, you are now engaged to Prince Alibaba Saluja."

"WHAT!"

* * *

Alibaba winced as Isaac's attack went through his guard yet again.

'_He's strong!'_ He thought as he struggled against his opponent's attacks. He smiled almost instinctively when Morgiana swung a kick at the man, giving Alibaba the perfect opening to cut one of his legs off. _'But we can take him!'_

It was truly a fortunate thing for Morgiana to activate her Household Vessel before the battle. If she had activated it any sooner or later, Hakuryuu wouldn't have been able to warn her of the dangers of using too much of her magoi. And being a Finalis, she had a small amount of magoi.

Morgiana was doing wonderfully in switching between using her Household Vessel and simply using her brute strength.

Alibaba changed Amon's sword into a dagger. He had always fought more gracefully with the Royal Fencing style. _'I should give it my all too!'_

On the other side, Aladdin was battling with a djinn-equipped Princess Dunya of the fallen Kingdom of Musta'sim. He shivered at the grotesque form of the dark equip. What haunted him even more was how she came to achieve it.

'_Stabbing herself without hesitation…Al Thamen is truly a horrifying group.'_

Amani, who had awoken, joined the battle. She chose Ithnan as her opponent. Alibaba noticed that she used her djinn to the barest minimum, depending more on her athletic prowess to lash out at the masked member of the organization. Hakuryuu and Tiare remained in the sky, aiding Aladdin in taking down the dark monster however they could with blasts of fire or magoi.

Ithnan danced away from Amani's kunai knives only to be caught in her little sand trap she made with Foras' ability. "Tch. It seems that you truly are the apprentice of the late Blessed Child Fatima. She has taught you well. Did you know that she used to be part of our organization?"

Alibaba was surprised with the revelation.

Amani wasn't.

"Yes. Teacher told me." She assured her opponent as he somehow managed to wiggle out of her sand's fatal grasp. "But she was smart enough to change her alliances when she realized she was on the wrong side."

Ithnan sent small blasts Amani's way. She nimbly avoided them. He was forced to stop in his attacks when Tiare sent a concentrated plasma blast his way.

"It is _she _who was the fool!" Ithnan snarled. "And you. You love getting in our way, don't you Blessed Child? It was exactly the same back in Balbadd! If it weren't for your meddling, I would have made the perfect dark djinn out of that foolish Fog Troupe leader."

Alibaba almost didn't defend himself properly at Ithnan's last sentence.

'_Kassim?! He could've been…that thing?!'_

He felt sick. Had his brother-figure been that close to using such power?

Amani's grim expression confirmed his suspicions.

"Kassim could have died fighting for your twisted cause as a depraved creature like your Princess Dunya. I didn't want such a dark fate for him." She told Ithnan angrily. "A fate that _your organization_ almost drove him into!"

"Yet he still died!"

Amani's teeth gritted as she let out a barrage of magoi-covered senbon needles in Ithnan's direction. He sneered when all of them missed their mark and imbedded themselves in the ground. "Don't let your temper get in the way, Blessed Child. You missed."

Amani tilted her head.

"Did I?"

Ithnan's eyes widened as the needles on the ground all simultaneously exploded, burning him in various places. "What?! How? You're not a magician!"

"No, I just have a very clever inventor as a friend." Amani informed the Al Thamen member with a satisfied smile. "He likes making things explode."

Ithnan growled under his breath and renewed his attacks with more fervor.

"It's a pity that your kind was deluded into serving the arrogant King Solomon. If they had just _listened_ to reason-! No. They wouldn't have. They were too loyal to their king." Ithnan spat bitterly. Then, he turned to Amani. "But…I suppose it's a good thing now. You're too dangerous to keep alive now, especially with that child. I suppose accidental deaths are common in dangerous dungeons like this one."

Alibaba took his eyes off of Amani's battle to give the final blow to his opponent. Rage flowed through his veins. That man dared to threaten his sister's life right in front of him! And the child too!

No.

It was Al Thamen who threatened his family! They killed Kassim! They almost destroyed Balbadd!

As Isaac fell into pieces from Alibaba's last attack, he rounded about, focus set on Ithnan.

Alibaba could have lived his whole life simply fearing Al Thamen. Really, aside from them being Sinbad's enemies, he wasn't exactly motivated to cross blades with any of them, so to speak.

But now…with what they could've done…what they were going to do…

_It's personal._

* * *

When Judal came to, he found himself still on Kougyoku's lap. She was no longer stroking his head and back. Instead, she was leaning back comfortably while whistling a small, strange tune.

Noticing that he was conscious, Kougyoku stopped in her whistling and focused her attention on him.

"I was planning to be angry with you." She told him conversationally. "You were really stupid to run away without hearing out the whole story."

Judal blinked slowly. Kougyoku spoke on.

"King Sinbad really didn't touch me, you know. It was all Koubun's fault. Apparently, he wanted me to marry a powerful, Sindrian King. Pfffft. As if that would happen."

"But you're in love with him." He blurted out unintentionally.

Kougyoku stared at him incredulously, making him feel somewhat stupid. But that was the case, wasn't it?

"You thought – Oh my Solomon, I can't believe it." Kougyoku rose from her sitting position with a dark expression on her face.

"I'm not even attracted to the guy this time around! Yeah, he's handsome…sort of, but that doesn't automatically mean that I should be attracted to him or anything! Why do people think that? I didn't even give a single indication that I liked him and people still think that!" She said irately, flinging her hands up. "The man is almost old enough to be my _father_. And he's Shion's dad." She turned to Judal. "No. Just no. It's wrong. Stop assuming things."

"But you defended him." Judal argued weakly, shying away from her rage.

"That's because I already knew that he was innocent! I can't just allow an innocent man to be framed for a crime that he never did!" She screeched. "_And _he's Shion's father!"

Judal sunk even lower.

"How did you even know?" He asked almost meekly, as Kougyoku continued her angry rant. "You can't read minds."

Kougyoku paused in mid-rant, eyes widening in realization. "Oh right, you didn't know. I'm a Blessed Child. Um…surprise?" She winced after she finished her confession. "That sounded a lot better in my head. I was about to tell you about it, but you sort of flew off before I did my whole reveal."

Judal groaned in frustration and buried his face into his hands.

Of course. _Ping. _She had always been around Ping. It had been so obvious and he missed it!

"I'm a fucking idiot." He wanted to say. But being Judal, he didn't. Instead, he peeked up from his hands to see Kougyoku wringing her hands in worry. She obviously thought that he was going to react negatively over not telling him sooner. Actually, he _would have…_months ago. Before Tao. But now, he could only feel relief that Al Thamen didn't know about her.

He didn't even want to _think _about what they could've done to her if they knew.

But they didn't, so Judal could rest easy on that topic for now. His current concern was the nervous girl in front of him.

Judal found himself at a loss to what to say. What should he say to assure her that he wasn't angry? What would Tao do? Comfort her, probably, but Judal knew that he would screw that up royally without even meaning to.

"I have a brother." He said instead and regretted it almost instantly. _'Idiot! What kind of reassurance is that?'_

But it seemed to do the trick. Kougyoku's eyes widened with surprise and she sat down in front of him. "Really? Is he here too?"

Judal nodded. "Yeah. But that small fry- I mean, _Ja'far_," He corrected himself, much to her surprise, "scratched him a little, so he's being treated. He's fine."

"Do you mind telling me about him?"

No. Actually, he didn't mind at all. Judal perked up and began talking animatedly about his older brother.

"His name is Tao…"

* * *

Instead of the hard floor, Tao woke up on a nice, fluffy bed.

'_Huh. So the prince humored my request.'_ The dark-haired wanderer looked at the bandages wrapped around his sides and whistled in appreciation. "They did a pretty good job patching me up there."

"I'm glad to hear you say that."

Tao looked up at the owner of the voice and blinked in surprise at the sight of his visitors. "Ah! Your majesty! And…um…I'm sorry. It seems that I don't know your name, Advisor-san."

"It Ja'far." The freckled man answered with a small smile on his lips. He visibly appeared less antagonistic toward Tao. "I hope that the wound isn't too bad. I apologize for attacking you earlier."

"Oh no, Ja'far-san!" Tao assured Ja'far quickly. "It's fine. It's understandable. You were only trying to protect your country and your king from a possible threat. It's just a relief that you stopped long enough to hear us out!"

Ja'far regarded Tao curiously. "You're really not like Judal."

"It's the difference of the environment we were raised in. You'd be surprised how much it influences your character." Tao told him cheerfully. Then, he turned to Sinbad. "I really do hope you two weren't waiting for me to wake up. I tend to sleep for a long time."

"Not at all. We just dropped by to check on you." Sinbad answered amicably. "How is the wound?"

"Not painful. Your healers did very well." The wanderer assured the king. "Kido didn't throw a fit, did he? He tends to overreact when I hurt myself, silly boy."

"Kido?" Sinbad asked.

"Judal." Tao corrected himself. "Mom and Dad named him Kido before the organization came and took him away." His expression darkened. "I prefer not calling him by the name _they _gave him."

Sinbad nodded in understanding.

"I see. I'm sorry for your loss. But, if you don't mind, can you tell me about your family – _Gui, _is it? – and how you came to meet Judal? It must be quite a story."

Tao didn't care that Sinbad was suspicious. He was completely willing to tell the Sindrian King. He had nothing to hide.

"Of course, your majesty. Though, you will need to take a seat. It's a bit of a story."

King Sinbad took a seat while Ja'far remained standing.

Tao cleared his throat.

"Only a day before Kido's birth, I had a conversation with my Uncle. He's one of those crazy relatives, you see, but he had a knack of knowing things without being told. So, on that day, I asked him…"

* * *

Ithnan was decapitated by Alibaba.

Isaac was destroyed due to Dunya running out of magoi.

Dunya was saved by Aladdin's Wisdom of Solomon…temporarily.

Sai had told Amani that these events would happen. And they did.

Usually, Amani would feel disappointed at the lack of change she made in this event, but she couldn't help but not care. Everyone who was important to her was safe and alive. She was finally going to make it out of the dungeon.

The whole group rushed into the treasury, eager to have the whole dungeon-jumping all done and over with. Amani, slightly exhausted from the battle against Ithnan and, subsequently, against Dunya's extreme magic, had to be carried in by Morgiana. Hakuryuu, on the other hand, was in charge of carrying Dunya's unconscious body.

Aladdin and Alibaba immediately began to desperately shuffle through all the objects. Tiare joined in on the search by checking the objects in higher places. "Which one is the djinn? We have no time to wait for any other Al Thamen members to attack us!" Alibaba wondered aloud in frustration.

Aladdin rubbed his flute. "If Ugo was here I could search for him, but-!"

Amani took no time in lifting up her gourd. _'Please, Foras! Help me find Zagan!'_

Almost immediately, the symbol on the gourd glowed. On the other end of the treasury, a small box lit up. "It's there!" Amani called out, pointing at the object. Aladdin, Alibaba, and Hakuryuu rushed over to the box and touched the symbol.

The whole treasury lit up as its djinn was summoned into existence.

"**Who will be King?"**

* * *

I found this in my folder and thought it suited this chapter. This was what was _supposed _to happen if the whole Sinbad-Kougyoku incident didn't go all sour. But then I had to change everything since my characters took control of the story. Not that I'm unhappy with that. I was able to create and introduce Tao that way :)

I'm in a chibi-Writer's Block so I'm completely open for some suggestions from all of you. What do YOU want to know about the chibi-Generals?

* * *

**Deleted Scene: If Judal Didn't Come with Kougyoku to Sindria, Kougyoku Still Wore a Dress, and Everything was Still Canon**

"What are you talking about Judal?"

Though spoken in a subdued tone, all eyes fell on the Princess and Blessed Child of the Kou Empire.

"Princess!" Judal's cruel look abruptly left his face, shocking many of the onlookers who were far used to the magi's evil personality. Now, he looked…besotted, cow-eyed, and, for a lack of a better description, love struck. "It's just as you heard it! We're going to fight Sindria, so there's no reason to stay on this tiny island. Now, you can become a general just like you've always wanted! Let's leave this place and go back home. How about it?" He said excitedly while stretching out his hand.

"You…" The Eighth Princess of Kou purposefully strode up to the dark magi, ignoring the cold looks shot at her. She stopped right in front of him. Her hand darted out and, instead of grabbing Judal's hand, harshly grabbed his ear. "…You IDIOT!"

Judal yelped at the unexpected pain and stumbled to his knees.

"You are waging war against Sindria? _War _against **Sindria**? Have you lost your mind, Judal? And don't you spit out more crap to me this time, since I _know _brother Koumei wouldn't do such a thing without consulting me. _What _were you thinking? Are you even _thinking?_ Do you know how much of a mess you have made for me now? Not only you have antagonized Sindria, but you antagonized the Seven Seas Alliance as well! I came here partially to visit Amani and also to fix the rift between Sindria and Kou! This isn't some game that I'm playing here! Now what am I supposed to do with Ja'far and Sinbad? Apologize a thousand times? Do you think apologies will work after the stunt you just pulled _right in front of me?_ Is this supposed to make me _happy? _Now all my hard work in befriend the people of Sindria is for nothing! Think about all of the apology letters I have to send because of _your _carelessness! I expect our magi to be more responsible, but **nooo**. You just _had _to make my life harder, didn't you? Now I won't have time to spend with you here like I had planned to do after I finished up with my duties! You STUPID IDIOT!"

Kougokyu panted heavily after finishing her enraged rant while Judal dizzily tried to process what his love interest was yelling.

"Wait…you planned to do something with me?" Judal repeated incredulously.

The princess rolled her eyes. "I hate repeating myself, Judal."

"But you…and that idiot king…together…"

Kougokyu scowled at what Judal was implicating. "Listening to rumors again? Like hell I'd leave Kou to marry a man I just met. And he's too old for me. No offense, your majesty." She added.

"It's fine." Sinbad assured her. "Non-taken."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Judal's Confession About His Situation: I loved writing this part. It gave me the ability to expand on the depth of Judal's struggle. This was how I envisioned what Judal actually felt when he told Sinbad and his soldiers about his situation. Did anyone notice that I mostly used the exact lines Judal used in the manga? His sentences could be used and interpreted in so many different ways. I hope that this scene broke your heart because it definitely broke mine.
> 
> Pseudo-Crying Scene: See what I did there? That's right. I placed one of my favorite insults that Hakuryuu threw at Zagan at his infamous crying scene.
> 
> Warning: Since her hormones are out-of-whack, prepare to face Amani's mood-swings and the people who are going to be unfortunate enough to face the brunt of it.
> 
> Kougyoku and Judal Reunion: I always thought that this was the most natural reaction between friends (not really) who have been separated for a long time. They changed. Judal isn't as rude and violent as he used to be and Kougyoku is stronger and more independent. But there was one thing that didn't change: their passionate characters. I thought that a reunion with little words and more emotion suited the pair more.
> 
> Surprise! I'm a Blessed Child!: I had no idea how else she could've broken the news. Though I liked writing Judal's reaction. It shows both his growing maturity and obliviousness to the obvious.
> 
> Alibaba X Yasmine (not): So yeah, that happened. I will patiently wait for the indignant screams from all you KouYa shippers. (Whisper: Alibaba doesn't know...)
> 
> Whole Battle in Zagan: I didn't write out the entirety of it since everyone read/watched the whole damn thing. I didn't want to go into a whole repeat, narrating the things we all already know. So, I just focused on how Ithnan's words and actions kick-started Alibaba into becoming totally against Al Thamen. Hey, it's his pregnant sister that they're threatening.
> 
> #2...or #3 On Al Thamen's Hit List: It's unclear why for now, but Al Thamen wasnts Amani (and her baby) dead. Of course, Sinbad and maybe (?) Shion are before her.


	29. Chapter 28: If Not Treated Carefully

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Onwards

"**Who will be King?"**

Amani knew that she could never get used to the appearance of the djinn. She had already jumped through four dungeons before this one, but it still didn't dampen that awe and apprehension that she always felt when the djinn appeared to choose his or her king.

"My name is Zagan, the Djinn of Loyalty and Purity!"

Zagan, in his magnificence, towered over the whole group in his original form. At first, he looked down at the group dispassionately. Then, at the sight of Aladdin, he bent down on one knee and bowed with reverence.

"Magi, I apologize for the trouble that my dungeon creatures caused. Since the djinn cannot leave their treasury, I was unable to do anything when I lost control of my dungeon creatures. For your troubles, I will immediately release the spell that was cast on the Toran Villagers. Also," Zagan's gaze landed on Tiare, who pulled her ears back defensively when his powerful gaze landed on her, "I will…try to reverse what happened to this little one."

Small plants grew from the ground and wrapped around Tiare's legs. At first, she shifted uncomfortably in her weak bonds, but stopped at Amani's look. _"It's for your own good, Tiare."_ The Blessed Child told her. _"Zagan is trying to find a way to return you back to your original form."_

Tiare relaxed and waited.

"Strange." Zagan mused. "I've never seen anything like this before. The pieces of the dungeon creature that she consumed have assimilated their rukh to hers. It's as if her very rukh is being enhanced by the cellulose that she swallowed." He frowned apologetically at Tiare. "I'm afraid that I won't be able to fix this completely."

"W-What do you mean 'I can't fix this'?" Alibaba spoke up. "Weren't you the one who turned Tiare into this?"

Zagan completely disregarded Alibaba. Instead, he turned to Aladdin and Amani to answer the question. "This was not my dungeon creature's doing. This child had willingly consumed the skin of the true body of my dungeon creature in her desperation to help the Blessed Child escape. Though admirable, her actions had strange consequences…as you can see."

"But you can do something about it, right?" Amani asked with a knowing glint in her eyes. At Zagan's nod, everyone sighed in relief. "You said that you couldn't help her 'completely'. What did you mean by that?"

Zagan smiled at the pale blonde. "How insightful, Blessed Child. Though I cannot permanently reverse this strange magic, I can bring the child back to her original form."

At Amani's inquiring look, Zagan heaved a great sigh and waved his hand.

Immediately, Tiare began to writhe, shrink, and change. Everyone cried out in relief at the sight of Tiare's human form. The young girl looked at her hands with wonder and extreme relief. Then, she turned to Amani and threw her arms around the older woman, babbling incoherent sentences in Toran.

Alibaba turned from the heart-warming scene. So Zagan wasn't such a bad person after all! "Thanks, Zagan!" He called out. Zagan pointedly ignored the blonde and stared ahead as if he didn't hear him. Unfortunately, Alibaba didn't get the message and continued trying to gain the djinn's attention. "Hey Zagan!"

"…Bleeeeegh!"

Amani watched Zagan's antics with a degree of amusement as he revealed his true colors to Alibaba. Well, the dungeon creatures _did _say that their personalities were based on the original, so her brother really shouldn't be so surprised. She patted Tiare's hair comfortingly as the girl clutched at her dress. She paused in her affectionate actions when her sharp eyes caught sight of something faintly glowing on the child's collarbone.

"Zagan?" Amani called out, putting a pause in the small exchange between Alibaba and the said djinn. "Why does Tiare have an eight-pointed star on her chest?"

"Ah. About that…" Zagan cleared his throat uneasily. "As I said before, I couldn't reverse the strange affect _completely_. So, I made the child a…Household Member of a sort, so she could retain a human form. Unfortunately, since her rukh is already affected, she will be required to shift into her altered form at least once every day."

"So it's like more advanced version of Assimilation?" Amani asked.

Zagan nodded. "Though I wouldn't advise it for anyone else. The girl is very lucky that her rukh is compatible with mine or she would have imploded."

Well. If he put it _that_ way…

"_Tiare, never eat strange things again. Make sure you know what they are before you put them in your mouth."_ Amani told the young girl. _"You don't know where they've been."_

"Yes, Amani. Tiare won't." Tiare chirped obediently in the common language.

"Good. Now that's settled," Zagan's gaze sharpened, "I will choose a King among those who are in the treasury!"

After a tense silence, Zagan pointed a finger at his choice.

"My master is…you! Ren Hakuryuu!"

Hakuryuu stared back at the djinn in shock.

Alibaba and Aladdin, on the other hand, both lit up and cheered. "Great job, Hakuryuu! I knew that you could do it!" Alibaba congratulated the scarred boy while patting him on the back supportively.

Hakuryuu shot Alibaba a confused look.

"A-Alibaba-dono?"

Her brother offered him bright smile. "Just accept it. You've probably been chosen for a good reason, right? Don't doubt yourself."

Amani knew that in reality Alibaba was somewhat disappointed that he wasn't chosen despite his exuberant congratulations to his comrade. But he pushed away his disappointment to offer encouragement to his comrade. (Solomon knows he needs the support. Sometimes, Hakuryuu tended to underestimate his own abilities.)

Pride swelled in Amani at his show of maturity.

"Alibaba is correct." Zagan agreed. "You are most suitable for me out of the rest because of your magoi manipulation ability. It has a good compatibility with my life magic."

"But…I think that there are other people who are more suitable than me." Hakuryuu claimed with a doubtful look on his face.

"Ah…" Zagan's eyes flickered down to Alibaba. "You're talking about your comrade, Alibaba, right? Hmm…well…"

Alibaba tensed.

"Totally out!" Alibaba flinched at the immediate rejection. "I'd hate to serve under the same master as that old fart Amon. And above all," Zagan pointed accusingly at her brother, "you weren't even able to completely master Amon!"

Alibaba was taken aback by Zagan's proclamation. Amani even more so than her brother. Sai had told her about the little problem Alibaba had with controlling his rukh because of his spiritual battle with Kassim in the canon timeline. Kassim's rukh had mixed with Alibaba's, causing a small disruption to the magoi flow.

_But that didn't happen this time._

Alibaba didn't need to save Kassim from depravity. Their childhood friend had died shielding her from an incoming dagger. Amani knew this more than anyone.

So why did Alibaba still have trouble with his control over his djinn?

_Why?_

* * *

"Dwell in my body, Andromalius!"

'_No, I did it wrong. Again.'_

"Dwell in my body, Andromalius!"

'_Wrong. Again.'_

"Dwell in my body, Andromalius!"

'_I have to try doing it again. It's the consistency and speed of summoning your djinn equip that reveals your talent.'_

Shion grunted in annoyance as only _half _of his djinn equip appeared on his body _again_. Andromalius' telltale dark blue robes hung off of Shion's waist. But, the monstrous, claw-like arm that Shion always had when equipping was only halfway-formed, looking less threatening than it should be. His other arm lacked the snake tattoo that usually wrapped around it.

Well, at least the gray feathers that always sprouted from his back and hair were still there.

Shion fingered the feathers entangled in his hair with his clawless hand. "Not quite." He muttered to himself in disappointment. "Why can't I do it again? I did it before…"

"That's normal. Retaining your whole djinn equip takes time and practice. It took me a while to get the hang of it myself after I captured Baal." Sinbad assured him from the sidelines.

A bit startled by his father's sudden appearance, Shion accidentally dispelled his equip. "Ah man. And I almost got it too."

Sinbad chuckled and came over to his son. "You should take a break. You've been working on this all morning. If you're not careful, you might exhaust all of your magoi and worry me."

Shion sighed and threw himself onto the grass. He stared up at the sky for a long moment before wailing, "This. Is. So. Hard!"

Sinbad sweatdropped and took a seat beside his wailing son. "You do know that people older than you took longer in achieving their djinn equip, right?"

Shion sat up and pouted. "But I had mine ever since I was five, Father. _Five_."

"…Normal five-year-olds wouldn't be able to conquer dungeons, Shion."

Shion hung his head.

"_Well I'm not normal"_ was what almost left Shion's lips, only to be held back at the last second. His father didn't know about what he knew. He didn't know how old, how _experienced _Shion truly was. So instead, he reluctantly agreed with his father. "I guess…"

Sinbad patted his son's head affectionately. "Shion, I know that you're working hard to be a strong prince and I love you for that. Sindria loves you for that. But I want you to know that it's fine to act your age. You shouldn't act so independently. Honestly, Shion, you act so much like Ranya sometimes."

Shion stiffened at the mention of his mother.

Sinbad did too when he realized his little slip.

"…Really?" Shion spoke up tentatively after a beat.

His father swallowed thickly and took his hand off of Shion's head. "Yes." He said with much difficulty. "I see a lot of her in you. We were good friends when we were younger, so I knew her well."

Shion looked down at his lap shyly. "I don't know much about Mom." He confessed quietly. "She was always there for me for the first two years, but then some Al Thamen's goons caught wind that I was born, so they tried to take me."

"Al Thamen almost-?"

"Yeah. But it wasn't because they knew I was your kid. They didn't. It was because I was related to Uncle Yunan." Shion assured his father, but that didn't seem to be the main subject of concern for his father.

"Did they do anything to you?"

"Did they-? Oh. Oh! No, no, they didn't even have the chance to lay a _finger _on me. Mom was on them before they had the chance." Shion recounted proudly. Then, his bright expression darkened. "But one of them managed to shoot a nasty spell on her before she took care of him." What was his name again? Shion swore that his mother had called the Al Thamen Member by name. Etha-something.

Sinbad winced. "How is she? You said that she was still unwell. The spell that he cast on her must've been quite nasty."

Shion nodded in agreement.

"It was terrible. Mom was completely weakened after she was hit with that spell. Even Uncle was at a loss for what to do. Sometimes, she would wake up long enough to talk to me or just hug me, but most of the time, she would be…sleeping." Shion didn't even want to consider the alternative.

Sinbad twitched. "Sleeping?" He repeated slowly.

"Well, yeah." Shion said uneasily. "Isn't that what you do when you feel sick? Sleep? Uncle always told me that sleeping made the dark bruises all over her body hurt less for her."

"…Shion, what exactly is Ranya sick with?"

The Veteran, who had lain dormant since the reappearance of his friends, reared up his ugly head in defense of the intensity in the king's voice. The Child, too, cried out in alarm. "Why?" Shion asked sharply, expression morphing into horror. "Do you think that she's…she's…?"

"No." Sinbad said quickly.

(But there's a flash in his eyes that said that maybe, _maybe-_)

"Uncle never told me." Shion confessed tensely. "He just said that it was some sort of magical illness that was too difficult for me to understand."

Shion silently prayed that his Uncle didn't lie to him yet again. His mother _mustn't _be dead. He would know. She had been breathing. He made sure of it.

But that was back before he left home. That was before his Uncle carried his mother off to Solomon-knows-where.

"_She could be dead."_ The Veteran informed him glumly. _"Our Uncle could have lied about her being alive. She could be dead."_

Shion knew that this could be a high possibility, but he didn't want to think about it.

"How are Judal and his brother?" He asked suddenly, changing the subject.

Sinbad took Shion's obvious attempt in stride and easily switched over to their new topic. "Judal is behaving. Surprisingly. Tao's health is also improving, which is a good thing. Though I'm not sure what to take from this new development, I'm going to let those two stay here for the time being."

"That's good." The young boy said, relaxing as their conversation transitioned to the trouble-making magi. "I think you should give him a chance."

"Really?" His father's expression turned doubtful. "Shion, I don't think you know what he did. Judal performed many terrible acts. Some weren't even under Al Thamen's orders. He just wants war."

"Wanted." Shion corrected. "Judal just _wanted_ war in the past. I agree with you, Father. He was a bloodthirsty, amoral monster. My encounters with him were less than pleasant. But why was he that way in the first place?" His blue eyes traced the clouds in the sky. "Judal was chosen by the rukh for a reason. His fate wasn't meant to be like this. He wasn't supposed to destroy. He was supposed to help creation move along like Uncle and Aladdin does."

Sinbad sighed. "Still. I can't risk the safety of my country on an assumption."

"Well, can you at least wait until Aladdin comes back?" Shion suggested. "I'm sure that Judal won't be acting up any time soon as long as Kougyoku is there to keep a close eye on him. His brother is under our care too."

Sinbad nodded slowly. "Yes…yes, that is true. But what if he acts out before Aladdin comes back? Shion, why are you so insistent on keeping him here?"

Shion paused before he answered carefully.

"As a Prince of Sindria, my intentions are aimed more towards his potential usefulness. If we treat him and his brother kindly, Judal's knowledge of Al Thamen's workings and secrets would be useful if he turned to our side, right? Also, if he decides to revert back to the light rukh, Judal would be a powerful magi, maybe even more powerful than he ever was. Wouldn't it be advantageous for Sindria to have him _and _Aladdin?"

Sinbad nodded as Shion listed his reasons. "Yes, I can see where you're coming from. But what is your personal reason, Shion?"

"Um…well…" Shion shifted uneasily. "…If Al Thamen really did manage to take me and brainwash me, I think I would've done lots of terrible things too. So, I can emphasize with Judal's current situation. A lot, actually." Shion raised his face to his father's. "If it was me, what would you have done?"

"…"

Sinbad found himself at a loss for what to say. Then, he let out a defeated sigh.

"Fine. I'll let the two of them stay in Sindria for now."

Mentally, both Shion and the King smirked victoriously.

'_Judal will be staying here in Sindria. Without doubt, Tao's influence and Kougyoku's presence will convince him to change sides. This will definitely be another significant 'pull' to the rubber band. It's our victory.'_

(Checkmate.)

* * *

Screw the alliance. Kouha wanted to kill something. Now.

Usually, he would've gone right to it the moment the smug, Knight King rudely rejected the official proposal. But Kouha held back the natural urge since he really, _really, _needed the approval from her grandfather. Without it, the chances of Yasmine being married into his family would go down to _zero_. So he haggled even more. He even raised the price, which was high to begin with!

But it would've been all worth it. For Yasmine? Anything.

It was a known fact back in Kou that Kouha was enamored with the Blessed Child of Sasan. Hell, it wasn't as if he tried to hide it! He would drop by Sasan whenever he could. He all but harassed Amani for information about Yasmine.

But even _when _he got enough information to feel confident enough to pursue her, Kouha didn't seem to do anything right.

Gifts, visits, and even the flirty lines that Kouha dropped from time to time were either cast aside or shot down. But Kouha continued to persevere. It came to the point that the servants were comparing him to Judal. _Him_ to _Judal!_

(Okay, fine. So he was getting a little obsessive during that stage of their friendship. He couldn't help it! How was he supposed to know that Yasmine hated extravagant things?)

It wasn't until Yasmine accepted the small, simple hairpin that Kouha got it.

Simplicity. Yasmine enjoyed simplicity.

So, Kouha pulled back on his advances a little bit and focused on building upon their friendship. _'Start simple.' _He had decided. _'Friendship first. Then…' _But it hadn't been that simple. It took a lot of time, experience, and effort until Kouha managed to earn that "close, best friend" title.

(What did he expect? It was _Yasmine_, not some boring, palace girl.)

During his years knowing Yasmine, Kouha learned to be patient. Patience was never his strong point. If it was any other girl, he would've whisked her away to his bedroom and done away with it. But then again, those relationships were more of a one-night thing that Kouha had no issues with leaving and forgetting the day after.

(Not that he would _ever_ do that to her. If it was ever her, he would stay until she woke up and come right back the next evening.)

Yasmine was the more romantic sort, Kouha found out. She liked taking things slow and making things meaningful. It was hard to slow down his normally fast pace, but Kouha learned. Problem was, Yasmine didn't open up easily. Her trust came slow. And her reciprocating his feelings? Even slower. Almost nonexistent. Minimal at best.

It was frustrating. But Kouha was willing to wait for her for ten more _years _if he had to.

Well, that was how he thought until the Emperor came up with the suggestion of hitching him with her so Kou could gain another Blessed Child.

Honestly, Kouha didn't care about Yasmine's Blessed Child status. Even if she didn't have her unique abilities, Yasmine _still _would have caught his eyes with her macabre sense of humor and her rare actions of kindness that drastically contrasted the former. Well, Kouha had to admit that her title as a Blessed Child would help his beloved brother En, but that was just a bonus in his eyes.

No, the true prize was Yasmine's affections. Surely, if they were married, she would realize…

"_Don't bother convincing me, boy." Darius scoffed. "Because I have already accepted a different engagement offer."_

Kouha's already little patience snapped when that old fart revealed that he had given Yasmine away to some…some _scamp_ under that Sinbad's influence!

"WHAT!"

But no one was as shocked as Yasmine.

"You…you arranged a marriage behind my back with that bas- Shion's father? Without considering the consequences or even my feelings? _How could you?_"

Or as angry.

"Granddaughter? You are displeased with this arrangement?"

And the old fart had the gall to look and sound _surprised _at her reaction.

"Shame on you!" One of the knights shouted out, immediately annoying Kouha with his sneering tone. "It's an honor to have a marriage offer from King Sinbad himself! For once, you would be useful, you little monster! Just accept the marriage like your mother and thousands of other women did with theirs and leave the room!"

Yasmine shook.

"Kaveh, at ease." The Knight King ordered sternly. "Don't be so harsh on her. Yasmine is your daughter. Have some compassion for the girl's confusion. It was a surprise, after all."

Kouha was momentarily taken aback by Kaveh's revealed identity. _'Yasmine's father? That smug asshole over there? Really?'_ He thought first.

Then.

'_No wonder she hates it here.'_

Despite Darius' reprimand, Kaveh continued to talk down to his daughter. "Disappointments you and your brother are. First, there's you, the abomination. Then, there's your brother, the crazy one. Can't you see how much of an embarrassment you two cause to this respected family? I'm always in a state of disbelief that both of you are my kin!"

"You're not the only one." Kouha heard Yasmine mutter under her breath. "Bastard."

"What did you say?" Kaveh demanded, storming up to Yasmine's face.

Yasmine promptly knocked him over with a sweep of a foot. "Oops." She mocked at his downed body, feigning concern. "I apologize for the act of disrespect _dear father,_ but you were about to make eye-contact." Then, she lifted her gaze up to her grandfather.

"Grandfather…"

Yasmine stepped over her father's body and made her way toward Darius. Instinctively, the other knights shied away from her presence, giving her a clear path to her grandfather.

Kaveh sat up, face turning an interesting shade of red. "You dare-! What are the rest of you fools doing? Restrain that monster! Can't you see that she's trying to kill him?" Kaveh made a move to stand back up, but Kouha subtly knocked him back down with a quick, well-aimed kick at his shin. The man hissed in pain. "You bloodthirsty Kou heathen!"

Kouha pulled his eyelid down with a finger and stuck his tongue out.

Beginning to feel uneasy, Darius turned his spear on Yasmine as she reached a foot in front of him. Yasmine paused and looked down at the sharp end of the weapon with an air of bemusement.

"Really?" She seemed to say. "Is that the best you can do?"

Incited by her silent challenge, Darius' spear made a jab at Yasmine's side. It grazed at Yasmine's side, drawing blood. The Knight King immediately drew his weapon back when he saw that his granddaughter didn't dodge the threatening move as he has expected her to.

Kouha began making a move to grip at the hilt of his sword, but Yasmine beat him to the punch by unsheathing a dagger that had been hidden in her boot.

"Knight King Darius," Yasmine began as she lifted the little blade, "because of all the mistreatment your country has done to this Blessed Child and all the ones before, because of your negligence to the health and desires of your own blood, because of what you did to Raja, I will…"

Yasmine brought her blade down, eliciting a gasp from the onlookers and making Kouha's jaw drop. Darius, by then, had closed his eyes with weary acceptance.

The soft sound of a 'thunk' opened the Knight King's eyes. His eyes widened as his saw a brown braid at his granddaughter's feet. Kouha watched as the considerably shorter-haired Yasmine bent over and picked up the braid. Then, she tossed it at her grandfather, giving him no choice but to catch it.

"…leave Sasan. Permanently." Yasmine finished after a moment of silence.

King Darius stared at the braid. Then, he turned to his granddaughter. "Only men can leave Sasan."

Yasmine gestured over to the braid. "Did you not see this? This is my femininity and I am more than happy to throw it away for my freedom. Burn it. Chop it up. Throw it away. I don't care. Until my hair has grown back to its original length, I am no longer a woman. And even when my hair grows back, I am no longer part of your family. It is one of the laws of our religion, is it not?"

"Are you saying that you would forego your own gender and family to leave this country? Are you that adverse to the marriage proposal?" The Knight King demanded.

Yasmine shook her head. "I had planned on doing this even before the whole proposal. King Darius, not once, since its founding, has Sasan used the power of the Blessed Child. In actuality, they fear it. Too long has this country repressed me and my predecessors! King Darius, I request you to let me go from this country and from this family. Please."

Darius let out a heavy sigh.

"…Fine. You have my permission. From this moment forward, you are no longer the Princess of Sasan." The Knight King raised the braid. "Let it be known to all of you! This woman is now a common Knight. This woman is now a man. 'He' is no longer my blood. And for 'his' imprudence to me, the Knight King, this common Knight hereby shall be banished from Sasan."

And, as tradition went, Yasmine was stripped from her Sasan uniform, leaving her with her tiger pelt, her pants, and her chest bindings. Some of the knights blushed and averted their eyes at her state.

Yasmine took a step back and tilted her head respectfully. "Thank you. I will escort myself and my friend out now."

She calmly made her way toward Kouha. On her way there, she paused at the still-downed Kaveh. He sneered as he got to his feet. "What?" He snapped sharply. "Are you here to-

Yasmine cut him off with a swift kick between his legs, making all the males in the room wince.

"That," she stated as he went down howling, "was for my brother. Jamal is not an 'embarrassment'. Frankly, he's worth a thousand of you plus infinity."

Then, she proceeded to kick him in the shin at the exact spot that Kouha kicked him at just a few minutes before.

"That," she continued, "was for my friend. He's not a 'Kou heathen'. He is Prince Kouha, a person far above your status. Call him by anything but his title again, I'll hunt you down and flay you alive, father or not. _Understood?_"

Kouha felt warmth swell in his chest at her words.

At his weak nod, Yasmine strode away from him. "Let's go." She told Kouha quietly as she passed him.

Without answering or asking any questions, Kouha followed Yasmine.

* * *

"Ah! So this is the Princess Kougyoku my cute little brother has been talking about! It's an honor to meet you! My name is Tao. I hope that we will get along!"

Kougyoku's eyes flickered from Tao's outstretched hand to the bandages wrapped around his side to the area over his shoulder.

'_There's a Shinigami behind him at his right. Death..? But he isn't dead? So…half-dead? Or did he cheat death somehow? Something's not right.'_

Another figure at Tao's left caught Kougyoku's eye. Wait, no…there were two of them. Those figures seemed to have noticed her gaze. They waved in tentative greeting, surprising Kougyoku.

'_None of the visions had ever interacted with me before. Could their subconscious even be…conscious? Of me?'_ Kougyoku thought as she inclined her head slightly at their direction. _'Just who is this guy?!'_

"Nice to meet you." Kougyoku answered almost absent-mindedly. At his confused expression, she shook herself from her thoughts and took his hand. "Thank you for taking care of Judal. He is a very precious friend to me, so thank you for brining him back to me safely. I hope that we can get along as well."

Tao laughed.

"Kido, you found a good one! Don't let go of her, you hear? These only come once in a lifetime."

Judal blushed brightly. "OI! Don't say things like that in front of her!"

"Ah! My bad, my bad." Tao chuckled with good humor. He tossed Kougyoku a small wink before breaking into loud coughing. "Sorry…Kido…but do you mind getting me some water? The pitcher is empty and my throat is a bit…"

Judal sighed and took the pitcher. "Yeah, yeah, I got it. I'll go get it myself. Just wait a bit." He glanced at Kougyoku. "You mind if I leave you two alone?"

"Don't worry, Kido! I'll entertain her. Thanks!"

Tao smiled cheerfully as Judal walked out of the room.

"Wow." Kougyoku commented. "That's…wow. Judal actually doing something…selfless. He could get one of the maids to get the water. He knows that, right?"

"Oh yes. King Sinbad made it very clear that his staff would be available to help me with my needs. He's a very pleasant man." Tao informed her. "Unfortunately, Kido doesn't seem to trust the staff…or King Sinbad. So he does everything for me himself."

"That's sweet of him."

Tao nodded with enthusiastic agreement. "Isn't it?" Then, he leaned in with a peculiar smile. "But…that's not what we should be talking about, is it? You must be curious about my little problem."

Kougyoku blinked. "What…are you talking about?" She asked uncertainly. "Can you clarify that for me?"

Tao smiled pleasantly.

"You must be wondering about the ghosts over my shoulder, yes? Blessed Child?"

Kougyoku laughed uneasily.

'_Oh Solomon. What have I gotten into?'_

* * *

"_Mother! Father!"_

The whole group watched with smiles on their faces as Tiare was reunited with her family. She babbled quickly to her parents before dragging them over to the group. She introduced Amani and Hakuryuu to them.

"_This is Amani. She is brave. She kept me safe!"_ Tiare said happily. _"And this is my new master!"_ She gestured over to Hakuryuu. At her parents' strange looks, Hakuryuu laughed nervously. "Amani-dono, what did she say?" He whispered to Amani urgently.

"_Tiare, maybe we can talk about that later?"_ Amani suggested gently to the little girl. _"Why don't you tell your parents about your little adventure."_ She looked up at the parents. _"You have a brave daughter, Ma'am, Sir."_

The parents nodded to her respectfully and said their thanks.

Amani turned to Hakuryuu and patted his back. "They don't know about what happened to Tiare yet. Make sure to take care of her after this is all over. You're her Master now, remember? Take care of your Household Member well or I might get angry."

Hakuryuu blanched. Making a pregnant woman angry? That was suicide.

"Y-Yes, Amani-dono…"

Alibaba patted Hakuryuu on the back and laughed at his friend's expense. "Don't worry. Since Morgiana activated her Household Vessel, I'm in the same situation. Don't worry. I'm sure that you'll be great!"

"Ah, Alibaba. That reminds me." Amani turned to her brother. "The same applies to you when it comes to Morgiana."

Alibaba blanched.

'_I-I'm dead!'_

Amani whisked past her brother and clapped her hands sharply. "Now! Let's help out with the packing. We shouldn't leave all the hard work to the Toran Villagers, right?"

Hakuryuu and Alibaba immediately snapped into attention.

"YES!"

* * *

"Ach!"

Hakuryuu hissed in pain and ripped off the snake from his hand. He flung the creature away and rubbed his wound.

Alibaba looked up from packing. "Ooh. That looks bad. Do you want Amani to look at that? She's pretty handy when it comes to injuries."

"Oh no, no," Hakuryuu assured Alibaba quickly, "I don't want to trouble Amani-dono over something so insignificant."

Alibaba grabbed his friend's hand. "Are you sure? The snake could have been poisonous, you know."

"It's fine, Alibaba-dono." Hakuryuu assured the blonde. Then, he hesitated. "Well…how about I ask her to check it after we get out of the dungeon? She seems to be busy with the packing."

Alibaba smiled and patted Hakuryuu's shoulder. "Don't strain that hand too much, okay?"

"Understood. And…Alibaba-dono?"

Alibaba looked up.

"Hm? Yeah?"

"Thank you. For encouraging me back in the treasury."

"…No problem, Hakuryuu."

* * *

Alibaba sat awkwardly across from Amani in their mindscape. It seemed that they were stuck in the same dimension mid-way through the transition from the dungeon to the surface. Their respective djinn took up the opposite corner and spoke to each other in low voices.

"So…" Alibaba started slowly. "I'm going to be an Uncle."

Amani nodded with a proud glow in her eyes. "Yes." She wrapped her arms around her stomach gently. "It should be about…three months old? Almost four?"

"Ah, so…it was…the wedding ni-" Alibaba choked in mid-sentence and flushed brightly.

Amani continued nodding. "Yes."

"So that Prince Koumei really did put his hands on you." Alibaba muttered darkly. "The nerve of the guy. Before he even got my approval!"

"…Alibaba, you do know that he's my husband…right? And this is a given when a man and a woman are married-

"Ahhhh! I don't want to hear it!" Alibaba shouted while covering his ears. "I get that it's supposed to be normal, but can't I react like every brother would in this situation? I don't even know what the guy looks like! Solomon, this is so annoying!"

Amani giggled and placed her hand on her brother's. She squeezed it.

"Then why not just feel happy for me? It's less complicated."

At her words, Alibaba sent his sister an apologetic look. "No! I'm happy for you and the baby. Really. And," his eyes softened when his gaze landed on her stomach, "I think you'll be a great mom."

"Really?"

"Yeah. But I'm still going to give that husband of yours a what-for once I meet him." Alibaba promised.

"Alibaba please…hold back your punches. My husband isn't that strong."

* * *

When Alibaba and Amani arrived at the surface, they came to the worst possible scenario.

People were strewn about left to right. Some faces Amani recognized from the packing of the magical items and the treasures. Some faces were completely unfamiliar.

They were all either running, screaming, or…dead.

_Dead._

Foras pulsed uneasily at Amani's side.

"What's going on here?!" Alibaba shouted, panicked. He wrapped his arms around his sister protectively. "Amani, you should go back down. I'll handle this."

"No, they'll have an easier time getting to me if I let them have the higher ground." Amani insisted with a sharp shake of her head. A small body was thrown back from the magically made tornado and skidded to Alibaba's feet. "Aladdin?!"

"Alibaba, it's bad! We were ambushed outside of the dungeon! It's Al Thamen!"

As Aladdin filled in the details, Amani's sharp eyes assessed the situation. _'Hakuryuu and Morgiana are still fighting, but they're battle-worn. Tiare is in her dragon-form. That's good. But she seems to be tiring too. Aladdin is completely out of stamina.'_ Her gaze swept up to the enemy. _'Three of them. Just as Sai said. All of them have some sort of dark djinn equip. We had such a hard time with Dunya. Now there are three? We're completely outnumbered. Since so many things happened in the dungeon, I couldn't prepare for this incident ahead of time. Dammit.'_

"Alibaba, I think we should-

Amani was cut off when Alibaba sharply pushed her down back into the pit. A blanket of sand cut off her sudden fall and gently deposited her onto the ground.

Above her, a violent whirlwind raged, throwing people about. Amani caught sight of a mop of blonde hair before it disappeared into a sea of black and red.

'_Thank you, Alibaba. I'll take this opportunity to strike back at the enemy.'_

Amani immediately took account to the remaining weapons that she had. Three kunai knives, a ball of cutting wire, a pack of Jamal's homemade exploding senbon needles, and a spare pair of Ja'far's rope darts.

'_Jamal's invention could cause a smoke screen for me to safety carry my friends away to a safer place. I'll make a trap out of the remaining cutting wire I have. Then, I'll use each kunai knife for those three. Ja'far's gift…just in case.'_

With a plan in mind, Amani activated her misdirection ability and slowly began to climb her way up, stopping mid-way to wait the magic-induced storm out. As she waited, she listened to the cries of the Toran people and imprinted the sound in her mind. This was what Shion was trying to prevent. What happened in his future would not happen in this one. Not this time.

But still…

The cries Amani heard now were deafening. She squeezed the vine she was hanging off of and bore it.

When the winds finally died down, Amani slowly finished her climb and paused at the edge. She held back a horrified gasp at the sight of her brother's beaten body. Amani was sure that one of his legs were twisted and rib or two were broken from the violent attack.

"…Already broken." She heard one of their attackers say. "They're a little too fragile…right? For Dunya to lose to these weaklings, she's really incompetent. She should've brought me along after all…right?"

"Ithnan is partial to Dunya, so it can't be helped." Another one commented.

"That's not fair!" The first speaker whined. "That's sexual discrimination…right? Apollonius?"

Another voice, Apollonius, Amani assumed, answered the first. "That's right. By the way, have you seen Ithnan anywhere? ...Oh well, let's eliminate these two. Just as planned…"

Amani had a plan. It was a plan that possibly could have worked immediately after it was executed.

_But she couldn't risk Alibaba or Aladdin's safety on that 'possibly'!_

Amani struck out with a dozen senbon needles, aiming for the enemies' vital points. She managed to hit the old man on the thigh, but the bulkier man and the swordsman were able to deflect her attack at the last moment.

They exploded.

"Dammit!" Apollonius howled as the senbon embedded at his side exploded. "That person got me! Zurmudd! Byoln! Get him!"

Amani quickly slinked away into a group of bushes to make her next attack.

'_They used up a lot of power from that extreme magic attack they used earlier, so they won't be recreating that attack soon. I have to make this quick. I'll set up a trap over here for those two.'_ A smile crept across her face. _'Let's see how well they can put up a fight against a weapon they can't see.'_

After Amani finished putting up her cutting-wire trap, she moved herself to a different part of the mass of trees and tossed a stone at the trap's direction to draw her opponents there.

"Ack!"

"What is this?!"

Just as expected, the bulkier man got caught up in her trap. His many arms were sliced off by the wires. Amani was surprised that they were easy to cut, but accepted it as it came. Unfortunately, the swordsman was smarter, so he was able to avoid being caught in the trap.

"The bastard! Byoln, help me out of here!"

"Ah fine, fine."

And so, the hide-and-seek game commenced for the next ten minutes just like that. Amani watched with amusement as they fell for her wire-traps again and again. Just to be creative, she used Foras to weaken and stir up certain areas of the earth to put her enemies off balance. It was very useful in hindering Apollonius, who had to navigate himself around with his wheelchair.

As they struggled to find her, Amani began moving her friends to safer places. Tiare, Aladdin, and Alibaba were moved to a safe, hidden area near the groves.

…She was at Morgiana when they finally caught her.

It was the bulky man with many hands. He had stayed behind, probably noticing the disappearing bodies. He held her up by her foot and inspected her thoughtfully as his companions came over. "So _you_ were the little sneak causing us so much trouble. It's no surprise that you're a woman."

"Ah, yes. Us women tend to be very sneaky, you see." Amani said quite agreeably. She angled herself away from an angry swing and wrapped her arms around her abdomen protectively. "Mouthy bitch."

The swordsman looked at her before his eyes widened in recognition. "Oh! You look exactly like that blondie we beat up! You must be that Blessed Child we have been hearing all about."

"Sneaky one. Sneaky one, she is." Apollonius muttered spitefully. "But didn't you two hear how important it is to eliminate her? The higher ups would praise us if we brought her pretty little head in."

The bulky man tilted his head. "I also hear that killing that child in her is important…right? Then we should kill that first. I don't discriminate, you see."

'_No.'_

The swordsman appeared a little conflicted at his accomplice's words. "Hey…that woman is pregnant, right? You should go easy on her. Make her death quick. The baby naturally dies with its mother, so you shouldn't go that far, Zurmudd."

"I don't discriminate." Zurmudd repeated as his other hands forced Amani's arms away from her abdomen. "Whether it is males or females."

Amani's horrified eyes watched as a fist swung back and snapped forward.

"NO!"

* * *

CRACK.

"Look at this mess. I hope the document wasn't important."

Koumei clicked his tongue as he lifted the wet document. Chuu'un was at his side immediately, cleaning up the spilled tea and saving the other scrolls from getting wet. After Koumei set the wet document aside, he lifted the broken teacup and gave it a betrayed look.

"And you were working so well." He muttered.

Chuu'un looked up from his cleaning and hissed. "That looks like a deep crack, Prince Koumei. I hope this isn't a bad omen."

"Ridiculous." Koumei said duly as he threw away the shards. "I don't believe in those things."

* * *

"YOU STUPID OLD MAN! WHAT GAVE YOU THE IDEA THAT MARRYING ME OFF WOULD MAKE ME HAPPY?"

Four crows were startled from their perch as the scream pierced the air.

Yasmine panted heavily. Kouha, on the other hand, had fallen over from the unexpected emotional reaction. He slowly got up onto his feet and raised a placating hand. "Yasmine? You okay now?"

"Don't come over." Yasmine ordered sharply. "I'm at an unstable state right now. I can't really control my abilities when I get like this. Just _don't_… don't look at me…okay?"

Kouha nodded slowly. "Alright." He said. "Alright, I won't look. Take your time, Yasmine. Let it all out."

Yasmine took deep breaths and closed her eyes. She knew that it wouldn't really do much, but the action gave her false sense of control. Her eyes burned behind her eyelids.

"Hey," She heard Kouha say quietly, "you okay? Do I have to go back to teach those guys a lesson? What did they do to make you cry? Yasmine?"

…Crying?

"Ridiculous." She scoffed. "I don't cry."

"Oh, I must've been seeing things then."

"Yeah. You were."

Kouha chuckled and peered up at Yasmine. "You know…I only thought that you were because it looked like you were about to cry back there. But that must've been my imagination too. Right, Yasmine?"

"…"

"Yasmine?"

Yasmine kept her eyes on the ground. "Kouha, do you remember that time when you were surprised at the number of assassins that were sent for me?"

Kouha nodded in affirmation. "I didn't like it when I found out that your own family was trying to kill you. It's not right."

"Yet it has always been like this for me…and Raja…and the others…" Yasmine trailed off. "Did you know that Raja was actually a cousin of mine? I think he was a cousin from my mother's side, whoever she was. And the Blessed Child before him was connected to the royal family in some way. But that didn't stop them from trying to kill him either. So it doesn't matter if the Blessed Child is related to an influential person in Sasan. At the end, they're always treated as a dangerous animal. Even by their family members."

"Ah."

"But Kouha? It's a little funny. I've been planning on leaving Sasan ever since my stay in Sindria. And just when I made up my mind on cutting ties with my family…" Yasmine's eyes watered behind her mask. "That Knight King…that old man…actually did something for me as a grandfather would for once." She barked out a bitter laugh. "He actually set up something for me and I practically threw it right back in his face. It's disgusting that I'm actually feeling guilty about this after all the things he did to me, but…"

Yasmine finally let out a sob.

"Grandfather actually…_cared_…about me…even a little this time."

Kouha was silent.

"But…I'm free."

Yasmine almost jumped when she felt a hand land on her shoulder.

"Then that should be all that matters. Don't let that old man get you down. You're free. And that's what counts, right?" Kouha gave her shoulder another pat before retreating.

The moment the words left Kouha's mouth, Yasmine suddenly felt her shoulders lighten. No, everything was light now. Her much shorter hair and her armor-less shoulders made everything seem so…light.

'_Raja, wherever you are, are you happy for me? I'm free.'_

'_I'm finally free.'_

* * *

Kougyoku felt a cold chill run down her spine.

'_What was that?'_ She wondered as she stared at the man lying in bed across from her. _'It was such an ominous feeling. Was it my ability at work or shock from what this guy just told me?'_

"I would appreciate it if you didn't tell Kido about this." Tao calmly informed Kougyoku. "He already knows about the ghost part. The other…well, I'm thinking of telling him at a later time."

Kougyoku nodded in agreement. "I think Judal already faced enough surprises in such a short time. Don't worry. I'll keep it a secret." Then, with a brighter voice, she gestured over to the ghost pair over his shoulder. "Are they Judal's parents?"

"Mn. That's Mom and Dad."

"I see." The Blessed Child smiled at the couple sadly. "I'm sorry for your loss."

"It's fine." Tao assured her. "I can still talk to them, so it's like they were never gone. Usually, people would be afraid of my abilities. Thank you for being so understanding."

Kougyoku knew he wasn't talking about his ability to see ghosts. Then, something on Tao's person caught her eye.

"That scarf-" She started to say, but was interrupted by a loud announcement.

"_The Pharaoh of Heliohapt has arrived!"_

* * *

_Snap._

"Ai, why did the sandal strap have to break? That's always a bad sign."

Normally, Sai wouldn't be one to trip. Actually, he never did. But because Reim got crowded easily, the shape-shifter was bound to bump into some people. One just happened to knock him over with her groceries.

_His sandal strap had snapped._

"Oh, I'm so sorry! Are you alright, sir?"

At the woman's genuinely concerned tone, Sai smirked slightly and got right back up. "Maa, maa, no troubles~ It was my bad!" He assured the lady.

She was a pretty thing. If Sai had been back in Balbadd, he would have mistook her for a prostitute. And he meant that in a good way. Prostitutes were always very pretty. They wouldn't be able to attract any customers if they weren't, could they? But since she wasn't throwing herself at him, Sai safely assumed that she was a woman of a stable household. Mentally, Sai whistled appreciatively. Black hair, wide, golden eyes, and a good body, the lady could be the ideal woman for any man in this world.

Too bad she wasn't Sai's type. And she was too old for him. Was she somewhere around her late twenties? Yup. Too old.

But…something about her was familiar…

"Oh, your sandal!" The woman continued to fuss. "Why don't I fix that for you since it's my fault? My house isn't far from here." She gave Sai no chance to answer. Instead, she gave him one of her bags and took him by the arm, taking him completely by surprise. Seeing his surprised expression, the lady laughed.

Sai allowed the woman to drag him into her home. He helped her put away her groceries as she quickly fixed the broken strap of his sandal. The mundane task of putting away groceries gave him a sense of nostalgia of his old life. He used to bring home the groceries for his mother every day.

"Ma'am, should I put the fruits with the bread or put them away separately?"

"Separately, please." The woman answered as she finished up fixing the sandal. "All done! Thank you very much for your help. I don't think I could've carried those groceries all on my own! My son usually helps me, you see, but he is away at the moment."

Sai nodded. "I see. Thank you for fixing my sandal strap, Ma'am."

"My name is Maya. And you?"

Sai considered lying to the woman like he always did when he bumped into strangers. But then, he decided not to. He was going to stay here for a while, after all. He would bump into her again sooner or later and telling her wouldn't hurt, right?

"My name is Sai."

"Well, it is nice to meet you, Sai." Maya said. "Why don't you stay over for dinner? I have lots of food to spare and you did help me."

Sai was about to politely decline the invite, but was interrupted by a familiar voice.

"Maya, honey? I'm home!"

Muu Alexius stepped into the house with a broad smile on his face that was immediately wiped away at the sight of Sai.

"…Muu! Welcome home!" Maya came over to him and pecked him sweetly on the cheek. "This young man helped me bring my groceries back home. So I invited him to eat dinner with us. Will you stay over for dinner, Sai?"

Taking one look at Muu's face, Sai gave Maya a sweet smile. "Why, I would _love_ to, Miss Maya. And what a coincidence! I actually know Muu very well since he is an associate of my grandfather's!"

"Oh, really? We must talk about it over dinner!"

* * *

"Pharaoh Armakan! Welcome to Sindria! I hope that you are well. This is my son, Shion. You've heard of him, yes?"

"King Sinbad, of course I have heard of your talented son. Bring him closer so I can see him."

Shion smiled charmingly at the Pharaoh and respectfully bowed to the ruler. "Your majesty, as my father said, welcome to Sindria. I hope you enjoy your stay here."

The Pharaoh nodded to the young boy in acknowledgement. He caught sight of Jamal. "You, you're Kaveh's boy, aren't you? Prince Jamal?"

Biting back a grimace at the mention of his father, Jamal bowed. "Yes, your majesty."

Hel bristled when the Pharaoh's eyes landed on him. "And you are?"

"I am Hel, a representative of Reim…your majesty." He introduced himself stiffly, eyes flashing as he dipped his head. The Pharaoh nodded with disinterest and turned his attention back to Sinbad. "King Sinbad, I hope that you don't mind that I brought my sons."

Sinbad laughed and patted Armakan's back good-naturedly. "Of course not! I'm sure that Sharrkan would be thrilled to see his nephews after he returns from his mission."

"Mission?"

"Yes, just a small problem back at the nearby Toran Nation, nothing that your brother can't handle." Sinbad assured the Pharaoh. "Shion, why don't you show the Pharaoh's sons around Sindria?"

"Of course, Father." Shion agreed as two figures emerged from behind the Pharaoh.

"This looks like an interesting place. Right, Askan?" A youthful voice drawled. "Say your greetings to the king and prince, shrimp."

"I-It's nice to meet you, King Sinbad, P-Prince Shion. Thank y-you for your hospitality. I am Prince Askan." The smaller boy stuttered shyly.

"Welcome. I'm Shion." Shion nodded at the younger prince with a friendly smile before moving his gaze to the older one. His friendly greeting froze at his lips once he fully had a look at the older sibling's face. Behind him, he heard Jamal choke and Hel hiss quietly.

"Eh? No greeting? How boring."

"O-Oh, sorry. Welcome to Sindria." Shion held out his hand. "I'm Prince Shion."

The boy looked at Shion's hand disinterestedly and scoffed. "Name's Hakkan, _Prince _Hakkan. Try to remember that once I become Pharaoh. I guess you already know that since we're going to have to become allies when we grow up…or something." He sighed. "How boring."

Hel growled lowly under his breath.

"_Snake."_

Things just got a little complicated.

* * *

XD And here I must stop. Now, onto the Chibi-Omake that sparked my muse.

* * *

**Chibi-Omake: Not Sai's Fault…For Once (or, How Selene Became Interested in Poison)**

'_Good morning, Snake-san. How are you today?'_

Selene can't talk. That was a given fact.

'_Good morning to you too, child. I am well. Where is that annoying, bigger two-leg that follows you around everywhere?'_

"Mou…what is my cute little sister doing here? A-re? Is she playing with her snake friends again?"

'_Ah, never mind. Here he is. Speak of the devil and so he comes.'_

Selene looked up from her kneeling position to smile brightly at her older brother. Sai kneeled down beside her and stared at the little snake. "Mou, Selene, shouldn't you be a little more careful? Some snakes could be poisonous and their bites hurt."

Selene shook her head.

"A-re? So the snake isn't poisonous? Okay, if you say so." Sai got up to his feet. "Come back inside when the sun is at its peak. Amani will have lunch ready by then. Happy playing~!"

Selene waved her brother goodbye and turned back to the snake.

'_Is it really that dangerous if you bit me, Snake-san?'_

Selene couldn't talk. That was a given fact.

But somehow, snakes would understand her just fine while the humans, birds, and fish didn't. _Couldn't._

It was her little secret.

'_Yes, child. Though, you must be careful of the poisonous ones. Their bite can be painful, maybe even lethal if they aren't the friendly sort. Why, I knew this snake who managed to take down a __**bird **__with her venom.'_

'_A __**bird**__?' _Selene repeated with wonder.

'_Yes child. So be careful.'_

Selene was in deep thought for the rest of the day and couldn't really pay attention to what her snake-friend babbled about for the rest of the morning. By the time she came back inside, Selene had made her mind up about something.

For the coming days, Selene began to spend time with the more vibrant and poisonous snakes, asking them questions while keeping a safe distance. She also visited the town's healer, watching him as he worked with certain herbs.

"That's a poisonous plant, young lady. It might look pretty, but it's lethal." The healer warned her one day when she brought in a pretty flower. "Don't put that it your mouth or you'll die within an hour."

Selene began to bring in many different flowers and plants to see the healer's reactions. She had to be careful to wear gloves while handling the plants just in case, but the knowledge she received was worth it.

'_That's it. I'll use these plants as my venom, just like those snakes.'_ She thought with determination. _'Who needs to fly? If I can learn to defend myself, Sai will be proud.'_

'_I'll show all of those girls back in Artemyra. Even snakes can bring down a bird!'_

Somewhere else:

"Sai, what did you do?" Yasmine demanded suspiciously as she eyed Selene wearily. The little girl was avidly reading a book about poisons.

Sai looked up from eating. "What? My cute sister wanted the book, so I bought it."

"That's why you're such a bad influence! Now you're going to give her bad ideas!" Yasmine accused him. "Just know, if Selene becomes some poison user instead of a healer when she grows up, it's your fault."

"But…but…but…"

"Your fault, Sai."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hair: I actually based the whole 'cutting hair' thing on Asian culture. I read somewhere that the action of cutting one's hair was an act of being 'cut' away from one's family. I noticed in the Magi universe that there was almost no short-haired girls. Only Artemyra was an exception with Pisti. Since Sasan is such a religious country, I made up this stiff culture of treasuring the hair. Since Yasmine cut her hair short, she is now considered a male and an exile by her people.
> 
> I also found this pretty nice chart in pinterest on how the anime hairstyles correlate with their personality. According to the chart, a braid hairstyle is considered "mature" while a short hairstyle is considered "rebellious". What do you think?
> 
> Maya (27): Finally, Hel's mother makes her entrance into the story. Maya is going to be shown as the stay-home mom of Hel's and sweet girlfriend of Muu's in the beginning of the story. But her connection with the Pharaoh will reveal a little more depth in her old character before she was broken during slavery and her history.
> 
> Hakkan (12) and Askan (9): They are brothers who share the same mother, Queen Eirenne and half-brothers to Hel. And, as you can guess, Hakkan is the "snake". The question up there about the new enemies has been answered.


	30. Chapter 29: So Treat Them Well

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shion and co. do their best to NOT kill an enemy from a past life since he's technically never done anything wrong to them. 
> 
> Hakkan being a little shit doesn't help things. At all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Onwards

"NO!"

_Swish._

A blood-chilling scream cut through the air after a long, tense moment of silence. It took Amani a while to process that the scream…wasn't hers. Yes, she was a little sore, but that was because she had been so abruptly dropped onto the ground. The pale blonde had to _shake _herself from the shock and terror to realize that the fist never made it to her.

(The baby was _fine._ She was _fine_.)

But then…what happened?

Amani's eyes flitted around to asses the situation and found that Zurmudd was howling out in pain while gripping his handless wrist. The other two Al Thamen goons were staring at their companion with shock written over their faces.

Then, her gaze traveled to a blade that was positioned between her and her enemies.

"How _dare_ you lay your filthy hands on Amani-dono?"

_Hakuryuu?_

The scarred prince stood defensively in front of Amani with shaking legs. He looked just about ready to pass out again, but the dark expression in his eyes seemed to reinforce him. The symbol on the blade of his spear glowed ominously as if backing up the threat in his voice.

"How dare you?" He repeated again. "For you to intentionally treat a pregnant woman in such a rough manner, you are all scum!"

Zurmudd managed to recover from his pain enough to whine. "KYAAA! You bastard! That's sexual discrimination!"

Obviously, Hakuryuu didn't care. He gave off a warning shot of condensed magoi at the trio's feet.

"Back off! If you take another step closer to Amani-dono, I'll…I'll…!"

"You'll do what, brat?" Apollonius sneered, completely unimpressed by Hakuryuu's threat. "You're almost completely out of magoi. I can tell! In no time, you will collapse in your weak state, making you and that Blessed Child easy picking!"

It was true.

As much as Amani hated to admit it, Hakuryuu was at the end of his line. Him defending her from the punch was completely driven by adrenaline.

"Shit!" Hakuryuu cursed as his legs gave out. Amani cushioned his fall with her arms. "Amani-dono…I'm so sorry…"

"Hush. You've done more than enough, Hakuryuu. Rest now." She soothed him as she prepared Foras to shield them from whatever their enemies were going to try. Reluctantly, Hakuryuu's eyes slid shut.

"See?" Apollonius crowed. "What did I say?"

Byoln prepared his sword with a sigh. "I guess I would have to get my hands dirtied after all." He sighed. "I'm just doing my job. I hope that you understand. No hard feelings, right?"

"You give swordsmen a bad name." Amani shot back coldly, making him glare viciously back at her.

"Let's make this quick. We dragged this out too long, right?" Zurmudd sneered as he prepared another set of arms and picked the Blessed Child up.

Amani was almost out of energy. She wouldn't be able to make an offensive attack with Foras with the magoi that she had left. Amani's hand slithered around Ja'far's gift. Maybe she could-?

"I will not allow you to hurt my friends." A voice suddenly spoke up, diverting everyone's attention from Amani. The pale blonde was surprised once again by the strength of her comrades.

_Wait, no! Sai told me about this! Because Alibaba shielded her from the hurricane attack, Morgiana was able to make a last stand. It might have not happened because he was focused on me, but I gave her enough time to recover. This was what was supposed to happen!_

Amani's eyes narrowed.

_Again, the Rubber Band has snapped back to its original form and so quickly, too. Was this because my actions didn't pull it back enough?_

Morgiana stood up with shaky legs and went into a defensive stance.

"I can still fight!"

The Finalis attacked Zurmudd first. Amani watched as the women-discriminating man caught her friend by the leg. Instinctively, Amani sent Foras' sand to wrap around Morgiana's abdomen._'Knowing this guy, he would aim for her stomach so she wouldn't be able to have any children.'_

And Amani was right. The bastard really did strike her there.

Despite Foras' sand, Morgiana still vomited from the pain. Amani could tell that there were a few ribs broken from the violent impact.

"Morgiana!"

Zurmudd sneered at the Finalis' pain. "Oh my, oh my, you almost escaped from me there thanks to your sneaky friend. But I'm stronger than her flimsy sand. What should I do to you next?"

Morgiana kicked one of his arms in retaliation.

_Here, Zurmudd snaps and tries to crack Morgiana's head with his bare hands._

"Die, you bitch!"

Morgiana let out a piercing shriek.

_And then…_

A flash of red whisks Morgiana away from harm, gently setting her down onto the ground.

"…M-Masrur?"

_And then…_

"Allies? Well, that doesn't matter. The Blessed Child's head is mine! She will die!" Zurmudd claimed arrogantly as he raised Amani up like some rag doll.

"Well, that would trouble us since this girl is a sister and friend of our beloved disciples!"

With sword strikes almost too fast for Amani's eyes to even follow, Sharrkan and Yamraiha followed. Amani was freed from the grip of the hand thanks to Sharrkan's blade. Thankfully, Aladdin's teacher was kind enough to catch her before she landed onto the hard, unforgiving ground yet again. Amani nodded to the woman and man in thanks as she was gently set down. Yamraiha smiled back while Sharrkan shot her a hasty wink.

All three generals looked at their opponents with a large amount of killing intent rolling off their bodies.

"We will make you regret what you did to them until you beg to die!"

* * *

"What the heck is this place, pipsqueak?"

Prince Hakkan looked around the area with a critical eye. A maid at the far right silently gasped and whispered to her friend beside her.

Shion completely ignored his guest's blatant insult and complied to answer his question. "This is the Green Sagittarius Tower. This is where the guests stay. I hope that it is to your liking."

Askan, who had been paddling at the back, shyly spoke up. "The rooms look very nice, Prince Shion."

The firstborn of the Pharaoh, on the other hand, sniffed distastefully. "These rooms could serve as the servants' quarters back in Heliohapt!"

The said servants that were lined up in the hallways discreetly shot incredulous expressions at each other. Whether it was because of Hakkan's claim or his rudeness, Shion had no idea.

"Really?" Shion feigned interest. "That sounds impressive."

"Of course you would think so," Hakkan sneered, "you used to be a _peasant._ I heard all about it you know. Are you really his son or are you just lucky to have his hair?"

"Big brother! You shouldn't-!" Askan said, almost horrified, but was cowed by the look that his older sibling sent him. "Y-Yes…"

"Our country's magician checked just in case. I am his son." Shion assured Hakkan as he passed another corridor. "Father even knew my mother, which helped a lot."

"Oh, really? So was she a wh-

"Here's the Great Bell!" Shion interrupted the boy's sentence hastily as he pointed at the giant, metal object from the window. _Don't attack him. He didn't give you a legitimate reason yet. Don't attack him. He's a guest. Don't attack him. _Shion mentally chanted to himself. "It rings every two hours to keep the time. It's pretty grand since it's one of the only few contraptions in the world that keeps time." _Well, until Jamal turns his interest to clocks, that is._

Hakkan's eyes narrowed at the purple-haired prince interruption.

"That's stupid." He said bluntly.

Some of the staff, who had overheard the conversation between the princes, shot dark looks at Hakkan and pitying expressions at their prince.

"Well, I suppose some people could think of it that way." Shion said agreeably as he moved along. "But the people here in Sindria like to know what time it is during the day."

Hakkan paused at a window to point at a certain area. "What's that place over there?"

"Oh!" Shion appeared pleased that his most troublesome guest was finally taking interest in something. Askan looked just as relieved. "That's our newly made greenhouse. It's part of the Amber Virgo Tower, which is for our medical division. It was specifically created for a friend of mine who's interested in herbs and…other things. So it isn't that big."

Well, it had been the only solution for the whole poisonous plants and snake infestation. The upside was that Sindria's medical division was better than before thanks to Selene.

As if summoned, Selene came around the corner with a vial in hand. When the blonde caught sight of Shion, she came forward with a friendly smile on her face.

"Ah, Selene! I was just talking about you to the guests. This is Prince Hakkan and Prince Askan from Heliohapt." Shion introduced them. Then, he gestured over to the blonde. "This is Selene. She is a friend I met in Artemyra who's currently staying here in Sindria."

Selene nodded to the two in greeting.

"N-Nice to meet you, Selene." Askan greeted bashfully, blushing at the blonde's gentle beauty.

Hakkan nodded back to the blonde stiffly. "Hello."

"Is that for our other guest?" Shion asked, gesturing over to the vial. Selene shook her head. _"Actually, Tao would no longer need to remain in the sick room. He's just staying here for the time being because of the guests from Heliohapt. This is a new poison I created. It's potent so don't get too close."_

"Why is she waving her hands about without answering your question?"

Selene and Shion looked up from their 'conversation'.

"Oh, Selene can't talk, so this is how she communicates with us." Shion explained with a smile. "Since it's better to have a conversation with your friend, we formed a 'sign language' for Selene."

"Are you sure that you should put a dumb in charge of your Medical Division?" Hakkan asked critically, making Selene flinch back with hurt in her eyes. Askan, who noticed this, flailed his arms about. "Ano, ano, I think big brother meant that learning sign language must be hard for the rest of the staff! You must be really talented to create such a complex language, Prince Shion."

Shion chuckled at Askan's effort in calming the stormy waters.

"Thank you. It took a bit of time to create. Though, Selene prefers to communicate with the medical staff through writing since the 'sign language' concept is new even for her. It's easier both ways."

"Oh…that's really impressive! Women in Heliohapt aren't really allowed to be educated, so it's a bit of a new idea for me." Askan confessed while shuffling his feet. "But I still think it's cool that you can read and write, Miss Selene."

'_Thank you.'_ Selene signed.

"She says 'Thank you'." Shion explained.

Askan tried to mimic the sign that Selene made. "Ano…like this?"

"That's right! Wow, you're a pretty fast learner." Shion encouraged the younger boy.

Hakkan scoffed and walked ahead of the group. "Whatever. It's just a bunch of random hand movements. Even a baby can learn how to do that. Hey Pipsqueak, are you going to move on with the tour or what?"

"Of course."

"_I'll go and warn the others about the guest."_ Selene signed with a pointed look aimed at Hakkan's back. _"Try to lead him in areas that our friends wouldn't be first to give me some time."_

"_Roger that."_ Shion signed back.

"Okay! Why don't we check out the Silver Scorpio Tower? It's a tower devoted to the martial arts training. Our soldiers and even our guests use this facility to improve their strength and fighting style."

It was more than a relief that Hakkan seemed interested in this tower. Askan made sure to entertain Shion with some questions and information about his own country while his older brother explored through the training grounds with something akin to wonder on his face.

"I see that you're interested in the martial arts." Shion politely commented to the distracted Hakkan.

"Yeah. I'm mostly interested in swords, though. My swordsman teacher tells me that I'm prodigious in swordsmanship. He says that I'll be the best swordsman in the world by the time I grow older!" Hakkan boasted as he wandered off on his own.

Askan winced a little at his brother's antics. "This is a wonderful training area, Prince Shion. Since my brother is very interested in these sorts of things, do you mind telling us more about this tower?"

Shion was more than happy to do so.

_That younger prince is going to go places with his tact and social skills._ The King noted, impressed. _A pity that he wasn't the firstborn._

_Yeah, a pity that his screwed up older brother is going to take the throne instead. _The Veteran hissed. _Let's just snap his neck while he's weak. We can make it look like an accident._

_And risk a war?_ Shion asked, silencing both voices. _No. It'll just make trouble for Father. Besides, we don't know if Hakkan is on Al Thamen's side or not at this age. I'm not a fan of having him around, either, but he's not the same Hakkan who stabbed us in the back. We have age and experience on our side. Let's just watch him for now._

"Oi, pipsqueak!" Hakkan called from a random area. "This tower is pretty interesting and all, but I think we should get a move on with the tour. Isn't that right, shrimp?"

Askan nodded obediently. "Please." He added politely.

Shion patiently led the boys through the rest of the main towers, including the famous, Purple Leo Tower where Shion's quarters were. Even Hakkan was impressed by the architecture of the main area of the palace.

_Okay, Leo, Aries, Cancer, Scorpio, Libra, and Sagittarius Towers. Check. Harbor, Orchard, Bazaar, and Urban Area. Check. Now all that should be covered is…._

"Since these towers are very new additions, we call them 'sub-towers'. They aren't very grand, but they exist." Shion brought the princes over to their first 'sub-tower'. "You saw this one through the window, but I want to show you this one up close. This is the Amber Virgo Tower. We are currently harvesting rare herbs and even breeding new kinds right here."

Askan innocently pointed to the caged rats.

"Prince Shion, what is their purpose?"

"Ah…food."

"Food?!" Askan and Hakkan exclaimed.

Shion laughed. "They're for the snakes that we keep around for Selene. She is very fond of them, you see. And the snakes also provide venoms that could contribute to some of the antidotes that we create."

"Wow…"

Hakkan huffed and looked away. "Next."

Shion was silently thankful that Selene wasn't there. She would've been hurt by Hakkan's blatant dismissal of her hard work. _Hakkan had hurt her enough in their last meeting…_

"Well, here is the Orange Gemini Tower. Currently, it is being run independently by Jamal. Oh, please don't cross that red line on the ground." Shion warned Askan before he took an eager step. "Jamal usually works on experiments that could be a bit…volatile so you shouldn't peek your head inside without giving him a warning. Oi, Jamal! Is it safe in there?"

"Shion, buddy! Come right in!" Jamal called out enthusiastically from the inside. "I have this awesome new invention that I'd like to show you! I finally managed to put together an honest-to-Solomon _Taser!_"

"…Jamal, we have guests. Can't we do this later?"

Shion could literally hear the _pout_ that Jamal was making behind the door.

"Can't I try it out a little bit?" He begged. "Promise I won't traumatize the kiddies…too much."

"No."

"Party pooper. Come on in. Everything on the table is relatively harmless…in a harmless person's hands."

With those ominous words, Shion pushed the two Heliohapt Princes in. Askan trembled with a certain amount of fear as he scanned the unfamiliar objects lying around the tables. Shion didn't blame the younger boy's fear. The whole room looked like some demented, mad scientist's room with all the bubbling flasks and unknown objects covered with thick cloths, leaving their purpose to the imagination.

"This is the newly created Science Division. Its main purpose is to discover the unknown. While the Black Libra Tower is in charge of gathering knowledge from all around the world, the Orange Gemini Tower is in charge of _discovering ideas _what people all around the world would never consider." Shion explained with a hint of pride in his voice. "That guy over there is Jamal. He's the independent member of this tower."

Jamal was sitting on one of the stools, working on one of his newer, harmless projects. "It's okay. Come in. I'm not in a biting mood so you're all safe."

"…Isn't it supposed to be 'I don't bite'?" Askan asked nervously.

"Meh, too mainstream. Hey," Jamal broke off from his concentrated gaze on his project to scrutinize Askan, "I know Mr. 'I-am-mightier-than-all-thou-boring-peasants' but you're pretty new. What's your name again?"

"Um, it's Prince Askan, but the 'Prince' isn't necessary since it's too…um, 'mainstream'?"

Jamal cracked a smile at Askan's effort. "Hey, this kid got it. I like you."

"What's all this trash? Do these things even work?" Hakkan's impatient voice sounded from the other side of the room, making Jamal's smile vanish within a second. A repressed, stormy expression crossed the Sasanian boy's face.

"Him I don't like. Hey! Don't touch anything in here unless you want to set your hair on fire. If that's your intention, then feel free to touch anything and everything you like."

Hakkan stepped away from Jamal's older projects.

"That's what I thought." The inventor said flatly. "Now, shoo. If you're not here to serve as test subjects then you're all completely useless. Except you Shion, but you're currently their glorified babysitter so you have to leave with them."

After being kicked out of Jamal's lab, Shion sheepishly led the pair to the next sub-tower.

"Well, ever since Jamal came to Sindria, the security of this country needed a little bit of upgrading. So, the Teal Pieces Tower was created. Jamal drops by this division sometimes to test out the ideas from time to time, but Kikiriku is the main contributor."

At the mention of his name, Kikiriku looked up from his conversation with the other members of the Security Division. "Shion! Nice to see you here!" He greeted cheerily. Askan gasped at Kikiriku's size. "H-Huge!"

Noticing the child's anxiety, Kikiriku knelt down to his level. "Hey there, I'm Kikiriku, son of General Hinahoho. You?"

Hakkan puffed up his chest. "I'm Prince Hakkan. The shrimp here is my little brother, Askan."

Kikiriku sent Hakkan a scolding look. "You know, you shouldn't call your little brother that. Be more of a better role model for the kid, won't you? Just his name is fine." Then, ignoring Hakkan's red-faced spluttering, he turned his attention on Askan. "It's nice to meet you Prince Askan."

"J-Just Askan is fine, Kikiriku-san!"

Kikiriku laughed and patted the child on the head.

Hakkan finally regained his bearings and cleared his throat. "It's getting boring here. I'd like to go somewhere else where it doesn't smell of frozen fish, pipsqueak." He ordered Shion, obviously making a jab at Kikiriku's Imuchakk blood.

_Which dramatically limits the places we can go since this country is literally an __**island**__ that mainly serves fish._ The Veteran snarked. _Everyone eats fish here._

Obviously, Shion couldn't say that so he kept his mouth shut and led them out of the tower to their next destination.

"Here's the last sub-tower, the Maroon Capricorn Tower. It was founded by Opal. It's a Cultural Division, mainly focusing on the art, language, culture, history, and metalwork from many different countries. Since Kou has been taking away cultural identities from many of the countries that they invade, Opal is trying to preserve them through this division. It's also useful since some royals from Kou are visiting Sindria."

Askan gasped with wonder at the vibrant interior of the tower. The various different styles and characteristics of the different cultures looked almost dazzling to his young eyes.

"Amazing!"

Hakkan shrugged, but there was reluctant admiration in his eyes at the display. "Eh, could be better."

"What did you say about my museum?" Opal demanded as she came over to the little tour-guide group. Hakkan looked at the newcomer with a spark of interest that Shion barely caught. When her eyes landed on Hakkan, her eyes began to spit fire at the Heliohapt Prince.

"I said that it could have been better." Hakkan repeated simply with a superior smirk gracing his features. "You hardly have any Heliohapt culture in this place. And not only that, some of the metalwork from my country is rusted over. What kind of treatment of my country's weapons is that?"

Opal's eyes narrowed. "Well, why don't you take all your Heliohapt culture and metalwork and shove it up your-

"Okay!" Shion interrupted loudly. "This division is still going through its primary stages, so please excuse the small mistakes, Prince Hakkan."

Hakkan sniffed. "Whatever."

Before Opal could pounce on the arrogant prince, Askan spoke up. "Well, I think you did very well on our culture, Miss. The rust on the blade makes it look more authentic and used." He complimented quietly.

Opal's hard expression relaxed a little bit at the child's words.

"Of course _you_ would think that way. You're still a shrimp with no talent in the sword. Honestly, this is why mother scolds you. You read too much and you suck at fighting." Hakkan scoffed, immediately igniting Opal's temper once again.

Shion winced. He had _really_ wanted to avoid the confrontation between these two. Out of all the members, Opal held the deepest grudge against Hakkan's betrayal. The two had been lovers before the whole fall-out and she took his sudden change of sides to heart. Him stabbing her in the back didn't really help with her opinion of him. Hel came to a close second in the hate for the traitor.

"What are these Herbivores doing in here?"

Shion wanted to bash his head against the wall.

'_**Of course**__ he had to come.'_

"Hel," Shion didn't even make an effort to hide the weariness in his voice, "I thought you were supposed to be with Kohaku and Koubun?"

"Idiot advisor suddenly passed out from unknown circumstances. Kohaku had to stay behind to wake him up." Hel explained dismissively.

_Right, and you had absolutely no part in that._

Shion sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose as Hel rounded the two brothers and inspected them. Hakkan met his inspection with an once-over of his own while Askan shied away.

"This is Hel, the representative of Reim and an old friend of mine." Shion introduced with another sigh. "Please don't mind him. He does this with everyone who's new."

Hel quickly lost interest in Hakkan when he didn't find what he was looking for and turned to Opal. "Ah, I almost forgot. Here is an outline of Reim's history that you wanted."

Opal didn't relax from her aggressive pose when she accepted the sheets of paper, but she shot a grateful look at the normally violent boy. "Thanks. It must've been hard to scrounge up all that history in one sitting."

"Not at all. The fake herbivore loves to blabber about his beloved empire when he tries to spend 'quality time' with me so I have more than enough to share." Hel said dryly, making Opal give a snort in amusement. "Hey, give the guy a chance, would you? He might not be the most ideal father figure for you, but he makes your mom happy. That's all that matter, right?"

Hel grunted. "You're just saying that because the fake herbivore is useful for your museum."

"Guilty as charged." Opal admitted, holding her hands up with a cheeky smile, to which he responded with a crooked smirk.

Shion allowed himself to smile a little at the friendly banter between the two fighters. Though their relationship was a little shaky at first because of Hel's past alliance with Al Thamen, Opal warmed up to the Reim representative after he went through the lengths of acquiring a rare metal for her as a peace offering. Hel's blatant honesty also became a balm to the old wounds between the two.

Hakkan watched this exchange with a strange look in his eyes that set Shion onto an edge.

_That look is never good when it's on Hakkan._

"Hey, are you Uncle Sharrkan's bastard child by any chance?" Hakkan spoke up suddenly, halting the conversation between the two.

"No." Hel immediately answered.

"Well, you look a lot like him." Hakkan stated dubiously. "Are you sure about that? Hey, do you even know who your father is?"

"…No."

(That's a lie.)

Hakkan, not picking up on Hel's momentary hesitance, smirked knowingly.

"See? So there's a chance that Uncle Sharrkan might actually be your father! Just as I thought, your mother must've been a whore. Uncle always went for the whores."

Hel's body automatically seized up at Hakkan's insult to his mother and he began to advance the Heliohapt Prince threatingly.

At the last moment, Shion intercepted him and placed his body between Hakkan and Hel. He regarded his guest coldly. "That was a bit out of line. Don't you think, Prince Hakkan?"

Hakkan was momentarily taken aback by Shion's sudden aggression. "I-I…what?! Is this how you treat all of your guests, pipsqueak?" Regaining his bearings, Hakkan glared at the purple-haired boy with distaste. "As I thought, your peasant upbringing has made you just as barbaric as _him_. No doubt that your mother was a whore too."

The air crackled and snapped between them.

"…You said that you're pretty good with the sword, right?" Shion spoke up suddenly. "Why don't we test that out in the Silver Scorpio Tower?"

"Psh. You? Against me? You're just a little pipsqueak. A baby. What chance would you have against me, your senior, in a swordfight?"

Shion smiled wanly.

"I was trained by your uncle himself, so I assure you that I will be a good opponent."

Hakkan looked at Shion in disbelief. "Wait. You're actually challenging _me, _to an actual duel?"

"Yes." Shion affirmed strongly. "I, Prince Shion, officially challenge you, Prince Hakkan, to a duel for all the insults you have made to me and my friends."

* * *

Giggles filled the air outside the small tent as Yasmine struggled to change into her new clothes. From the outside, JunJun, ReiRei, and JinJin were standing guard so Yasmine could change in peace without the anxiety of accidentally being walked in on.

'_Not that there would be much to see.'_ The Blessed Child scoffed to herself as she tugged on a dark blue shirt that suspiciously resembled a turtleneck back in her old world over her head. _'My djinn equip and the state I was in after I was 'exiled' from Sasan left little to the imagination. I doubt that they'd see much even if any boy walked in on me.'_

But Kouha had insisted.

Yasmine roughly pulled up her black pants. The legging and the sleeves of her new outfit, kindly given by the nomadic tribe that Yasmine and Kouha bumped into on their way back to Kouha's band, were a bit too long but it wasn't anything that couldn't be fixed with a roll of bandages to secure them to her person.

The bagginess of the clothes was to be expected. This was supposed to be the clothes for men after all.

"Oh, this looks fancy." Yasmine whistled as she held up a fur-lined, black robe. "Nice. This will be suitable replacement for my tiger skin."

She had used it as trade for the clothes. She was sad to see it go, but it had been necessary.

Yasmine tied the ends of the robe together with a purple sash and nodded to herself with a small smile. "That'll do. It's a bit bulky, but it'll do."

As for the final touches, Yasmine somehow got her hands on a proper pair of boots and a pair of gloves from one of Kouha's men. Since she needed the mobility of her fingers, Yasmine expertly cut off the fingerings from the gloves.

Now she was completely covered from head to toe with clothing that she never had the luxury to wear before.

They felt…nice, even if they were supposed to be for men.

"Yasmine?" She heard Kouha call out from outside. "Are you done?"

"Mn. Almost finished."

Yasmine sent a cursory glance at Raja's mask before thinking better of it and tossing it over her shoulder and grabbing another roll of bandages to make a makeshift blindfold. The old thing had lost its meaning the moment she cut ties with Sasan. Now, it only represented her old life, the life she now was shedding.

'_Better.'_ She decided after she was finished. Her ability made it easy for her to see through the bandages, so it was no loss.

'_Out with the old, in with the new.'_

"Yasmine?"

Yasmine opened the tent flap and stepped out.

"Finished."

* * *

The Silver Scorpio Tower was in a buzz as the two princes stood across from each other on a clear fighting ground. A crowd of onlookers loosely surrounded the training ground to see the small face-off between the young princes. Some looked on with amusement at seeing _children_ sparring each other, while others appeared a little worried. Would the Seven Seas Alliance be threatened if this little spar went a little awry? Should they try stopping them?

In the end, they simply watched the whole event unfold. It was better not to butt into the business of royals. Just to be safe.

Hakkan smirked cockily at the Sindrian Prince. "So, the first person who gets three hits in wins?" He asked in a drawl. "We don't want to cover that girly body of yours with _too _many bruises."

Shion nodded curtly in return. "Right back at you, Prince Hakkan."

Hakkan's teeth visibly clenched at the subtle insult in his opponent's answer.

"Kick his ass, Shion!" Opal shouted loudly from the sidelines.

Hel nodded alongside her with a vicious glint in his eyes. "Teach that Herbivore a lesson. Show him your claws, Carnivore."

"Make sure not to hurt him too much, Shion." Kikiriku added as his younger siblings shouted in encouragement behind him. "We don't want to make too much trouble with Heliohapt."

"Win, Shion!" Jamal roared. "I put a lot of my money on you and I will be very disappointed and money-less if you lose!"

"..." Kikiriku turned to the Sasan Prince with a blank expression. "What kind of encouragement is that?"

"It's not. I'm just informing Shion that I have money riding on this fight like any good friend would." Jamal said simply. "And it's not like what you're saying is an encouragement, either."

"Touché."

Getting more and more irritated by the cheering of the people around him, Hakkan spoke up. "Hey pipsqueak, are we starting or what?" He challenged the younger boy.

Shion shrugged and gestured over to the weapons. "Please, choose your weapon. Since you are the guest, you can choose first."

"If you insist." Hakkan smirked arrogantly as he picked the finest blade from the pile, causing many faces from the crowd to murmur appreciatively at the craftsmanship of the weapon.

Opal hissed as if in pain. "That little shit is going to use one of my swords! My masterpiece deserves a better wielder than this one!"

Hakkan mockingly gestured over to the weapon pile. "You next, pipsqueak."

Shion calmly made his way toward the weapon pile. At the last second, he completely passed the pile and made for a decorative vase filled with plants and branches cut from the orchard. To the shock of the onlookers, he plucked one from the vase, quickly plucked any excess leaves and flowers from it, and turned to Hakkan with a cheerful smile.

"Here is my weapon."

There was a long, empty silence as Shion held up a palm-like branch. It was part of Sindria's most common tree.

"You – You're kidding…right?" Hakkan chocked out in disbelief. Then, his emotion quickly turned to anger. "Are you trying to mock me? _Me_? The Crown Prince of Heliohapt? You _brat._"

Shion was given no time to answer for Hakkan charged at the child without a warning. The purple-haired boy just barely dodged the sharp blade, but his good reflexes and mental experience saved him from gaining any cuts. The boy swiftly turned his body around Hakkan and his blade with the help of the momentum of his opponent's attack. During his fancy evasion, Shion gave the back Hakkan's ankle a little _push_, causing the older boy to lose his balance and give Shion an opening.

Before Hakkan recovered, Shion attacked.

_WHACK._

Hakkan was completely frozen, but an obvious, red flush covered his whole face as Shion took a few necessary steps back to put distance between him and his opponent.

"Did you know that the trees that grow here have sturdy, stem-like branches? Father calls them Southern Feather Trees because of their unique, feather-like leaves but I prefer calling them 'palm trees'. Their leaves leak a certain kind of oil used for perfume and lamps and their fruits and nuts are harvested for appetizers or snacks." Shion gave an amused smile. "But some families here save the flexible, oversized stems to discipline their children when they get naughty."

Some of the onlookers chuckled at Shion's last statement, sharing knowing looks at each other.

"Today, I will teach you three lessons, Prince Hakkan so listen well."

Shion pointed his 'weapon' at Hakkan.

"Lesson Number One," he started calmly when he was sure that Hakkan was listening, "don't underestimate people you consider weaker than you or beneath you. As you can see, I don't need a sword to defeat you. Point One to me." He added at the end.

Hakkan recovered from his shock and glared at Shion venomously. He expertly swiped at the Sindrian Prince, an attack that he fluidly danced away from. "Why you little-

_WHACK._

Shion had managed to duck under a swipe. Simultaneously while doing this, his right arm reached around his opponent to hit him – once again – on the behind with his makeshift switch.

As Hakkan stumbled forward a little in pain, Shion continued to talk.

"Lesson Number Two, watch your tongue. You have insulted so many people during the few hours of your stay here that even _I'm _baffled. What sort of King would that make you if you belittle every single ally you meet? A terrible one, that's for sure. Point Two to me."

"GAH! _Shut up!_ You don't know what you're talking about! You grew up as a _peasant_ your whole life and you're younger than me. What right do you have to humiliate me and preach things you don't even know?" Hakkan violently swiped at Shion, managing to cut Shion's cheek. The purple-haired boy barely flinched from the minor flesh wound and continued to dodge the erratic attacks. "From what I see, you have absolutely no pride in your own position! Taking in dumbs and barbarians, have you no shame?"

Finally having enough of the spoiled prince's ranting, Shion whipped his 'weapon' forward and hit Hakkan on the wrist, forcing the boy to drop his sword. Before he could move to pick it right back up, he was stopped by the palm stem that Shion pointed at his neck, forcing the boy onto his knees.

"Lesson Number Three…have some respect. Yes, I might be a little new to my position as prince, but Father and Ja'far are doing their best to teach me and I'm doing my best to learn. I'm actually very open to the useful criticisms that I receive from other nobles. But _you_," Shion's eyes narrowed, "have not only insulted my friends, you have insulted the _Prince of Sindria_, your _host, _which means you have insulted King Sinbad and Sindria itself."

Hakkan's eyes widened at Shion's words. "Wha…I-

"Well said, Prince Shion."

The two princes looked up with shock written over their faces as Pharaoh Armakan and King Sinbad stepped onto the training ground. Shion immediately withdrew his 'weapon' and bowed stiffly. "Pharaoh Armakan, Father."

Hakkan rose to do the same, but couldn't repress a wince while doing so.

"I can see that my little brother has taught you well." The Pharaoh drawled. "You have even bested my son, three years your senior and with a real blade, with this little…plant." He turned to Sinbad. "Impressive, Sinbad. Your son is talented."

Sinbad smiled at Shion proudly, though there was a vague hint of worry in his eyes as he inspected Hakkan's state. "Your son is talented with the sword as well."

"Not at all." The Pharaoh said immediately, dismissing his son's 'talent' with a wave of his hand. "Hakkan is inexperienced and rash, which is why he was easily defeated despite his skills." He turned his eyes onto the Sindrian Prince. "I apologize, Prince Shion, for his actions today."

Shion blinked.

Did…did the _Pharaoh _of Heliohapt just apologize to a little boy for his son's rudeness?

"Ah…" The prince swallowed thickly, but somehow managed to keep his ground, "…actually, I was hoping to hear an apology from Prince Hakkan himself to my friends. It was…sort of the point of the whole spar."

It was the Pharaoh's turn to blink.

"I see." He turned his sharp eyes toward his son, making the boy flinch. "Hakkan."

Hakkan shook a little as he turned to the crowd where the Chibi Generals all stood. "I…apologize for my words and actions today. They were unnecessary and…rude." Then, to the surprise to many, Hakkan bowed his head. "Please forgive me!"

Kikiriku was the first to accept the apology. Selene came next, signing her forgiveness. Opal and Hel shared a look and forgave the prince. Jamal, surprisingly, came last.

"He insulted my babies." Jamal would explain later. "_No one _says bad things about my beautiful creations within my workshop. _No one_."

Shion smiled a little as his friends reluctantly made peace with the spoiled prince.

It seemed that Hakkan had learned his lesson.

* * *

Hakuryuu sat across from his comrades stiffly. Beside him, Amani squeezed his shoulder supportively.

After the whole Al Thamen incident had blown over with the three of the Eight Generals rising victorious, Team Zagan packed their treasures and got onto the boat that Sinbad prepared for them. Tiare explained her situation to her parents and the Chief. With their blessings, Tiare left the Toran Nation with tearful goodbyes and well wishes following her.

When the ship was far from shore, Hakuryuu decided to hold true to his promise in the dungeon and tell his friends about his 'troubles'.

Well, he had to ask Amani for permission first, but she seemed completely supportive of his choice.

Tiare sat on Hakuryuu's other side in her dragon form and nuzzled his side comfortingly. He patted her on the nose and felt regret for pulling her into the mess. But with her being his Household Member, it was unavoidable.

"Everyone, I have something to say…"

Alibaba, Morgiana, Aladdin, and Tiare listened as Hakuryuu told them about his family, about his father's and brothers' death, his suspicion towards the current Emperor, and the horrifying reveal of the _true _mastermind behind the sudden deaths of his family members.

The Witch of Al Thamen.

Ren Gyokuen.

His mother.

As they listened, their eyes widened, sharing Hakuryuu's horror at his dark tale. They remained silent when he had to pause in certain moments and they gave their complete attention when he spoke.

"…and so, this is why I came to Sindria. I wanted to gain the support of Sinbad in order to defeat Ren Gyokuen and Al Thamen." Hakuryuu finished tensely. Amani murmured translations to Tiare so the dragon could understand.

Hakuryuu's hands gripped his knees tightly.

"I probably put all of your lives at risk for giving you this information." He confessed miserably. "Now, Gyokuen will go after all of you too because of your connection with me, especially you Tiare." He looked down in shame. "But I need your power to defeat that witch! Please! Help me!"

Their reactions were instantaneous.

"Of course, Hakuryuu! We're on your side! We promised to help you back in the dungeon, remember?" Alibaba assured the scarred prince. "Al Thamen is targeting us anyways so it's unavoidable to get into conflict with Gyokuen."

"Hai. I agree with Alibaba-san. You were right to go to us!" Morgiana agreed at his side. "Isn't that right, Aladdin-san?"

Aladdin was strangely silent after the tale, but he still nodded to Hakuryuu supportively. "Mn. I think so too."

With effort, Tiare shifted back to her human form to give Hakuryuu a tearful hug. "Tiare help Master." She promised fervently. "Master no need to be alone. Tiare…I am _strong._ So Master can depend on Tiare…me."

Hakuryuu trembled.

How could he have doubted any of them for a second? _Of course _they would help him.

"_We're friends."_ Hakuryuu remembered Alibaba telling him back in the dungeon.

"…baka…"

Everyone tilted their heads. Alibaba approached the trembling prince cautiously. "Hakuryuu? What did you say?"

"BAKA!" Hakuryuu finally exploded with tears visibly streaming down his face. "This is stupid! I'm stupid! And you're all stupid too! You should care about your own lives a little bit more instead of being so nice to me! BAKA! BAKA! All of you are BAKA!"

Hakuryuu broke down and cried openly.

'_You crybaby. You're so weak. It's no wonder that you need other's help.'_ A darker voice in his mind mocked him, but Hakuryuu completely ignored the voice and accepted the comforting embraces that the others gave him.

'_I'm not alone.'_ A light voice he hadn't heard in his mind since his brothers' deaths whispered hopefully. _'With their help maybe…maybe…'_

* * *

Maya was a wonderful cook.

Now, it wasn't that the food was better than Amani's. She could turn a plain flatbread and some herbs into food for the gods. But there was something nostalgic about the taste of Maya's cooking.

"I see." Maya was saying after Muu explained Sai's status as a Blessed Child and Shambal's grandson. "So _you _were the little troublemaker who got my Muu all flustered and out-of-balance." She sent him a wink. "Good job. It's about time that Muu got his act together. He's been getting rusty of late since it's been peaceful in Reim."

"M-Maya!"

"What? It's true." She giggled.

Sai chuckled along and took a sip from his cup. "Mou, I can see why little Hel is so protective of you, Miss Maya. You're a very beautiful woman. I wouldn't trust a guy like Muu alone with you if you were my mother."

Maya blushed. "My, my, what a flatterer! But don't worry about my boyfriend living here with me. Muu is a complete gentleman!"

"No doubt about it." Sai assured the woman, surprising Muu. "Muu is the loyal sort, politically and romantically, which is probably why little Hel hasn't mauled him over a thousand times yet."

"How is my son?" Maya asked with interest. "Is he eating well? Is he behaving himself? I heard that he made many friends in Sindria, which is a relief, but is he comfortable?"

Sai nodded at each question.

"Hel is eating and behaving fine, Miss Maya. As for his friends…do you remember Shion?"

"Oh!" Maya brightened visibly as she picked up her cup. "That sweet, little boy with the turban who bought us lunch. Yes, I do remember him. He freed us from slavery. Is he in Sindria?"

Sai chuckled at her question. It seemed that Muu forgot to tell her about this important tidbit.

"Miss Maya, he's the prince."

The spit-take that Maya did was impressive.

"The PRINCE?! That little boy, Shion…he…he…I had lunch with the Prince of Sindria?" The woman looked a little lightheaded and confused, much to Sai's amusement. In a quieter voice that Sai's sharp ears almost didn't catch, she added, "He's Sinbad's son? I can't believe it. But he looks so much like her so I thought..."

Sai's curiosity rose at her last statement, but he suppressed it. It sounded too personal for him to start asking now. Instead, he smirked and leaned forward furtively.

"Maa, maa, royal surprises aside, I think that Muu has something to tell you~! Huh? Don't you, Muu?"

Despite being called out by Sai, Muu smiled widely and took Maya's hand to his.

"I was hoping to tell you when dinner was over, but I guess it couldn't wait." Muu took a deep breath. "Maya, I'm planning on adopting Hel into the Alexius Family. As my son."

"Oh Muu! That's wonderful! But," a flash of uncertainty came across her eyes, "did you tell Hel about this?"

"About that…"

* * *

It was evening when the Pharaoh approached Hel.

Hel should've expected this. King Sinbad was very well known for taking situations into his own hands. Despite his promise, Hel sensed that the King had sneakily managed to hint to his fellow ruler about his…familial…connection with the Pharaoh.

It was to be expected.

"Hel. How is Maya?"

He was still _very _pissed.

"_What are you doing in my __**room?**__"_ Hel snarled viciously as he openly glared at the Pharaoh. The man – Hel _refused _to call him his _father _– met his glare full on without even a flinch. If he were any other man, Hel would have been impressed. But now, he just wanted the man _out of his room _and _out of his sight_. "And _don't_ talk about my mother. You have no right."

"Of course." Armakan accepted. "I just wanted to speak to you briefly."

"Then talk and go already."

The man let out a heavy sigh. "Such a rude child. Well, since I have apparently been neglecting the care of my own son," Hel bristled, "I would like you to join me in Heliohapt. I'm sure that my wife, Eirenne, would have no qualms with adopting you to make you a legitimate son."

Hel snorted scornfully at this. Queen Eirenne? Willingly taking Hel under her wing right after attempting to assassinate him? _Right._

"No." Hel stated flatly. "You are not my father."

Completely unsurprised by his son's answer, the Pharaoh calmly stated, "On the contrary, your appearance and my past connection with Maya are telltale signs that you _are _my son. You _will _come to Heliohapt with me, like it or not. It wasn't an offer. It is a fact. I don't like the idea of my own blood running around the world as a dog of Reim."

"No." Hel repeated, annoyance flashing across his eyes. "You are _not _my father. I am no son of a Pharaoh. I am the son of Maya."

Before Armakan could reply to Hel's strong claim, Hel held out a piece of paper with a triumphant sneer over his face. "Do you see this? It's an adoption offer from a fake herbi - a man from Reim. I already sent my reply."

* * *

"I already sent a letter to Sindria asking him how he thought about it and he said yes!" Muu told his girlfriend joyfully. "Hel said _yes_!"

And if that wasn't a form of acceptance, Muu didn't know what was.

* * *

After reading a few lines, Armakan started. Hel felt glee course through his body as the cold exterior of the ruler finally broke into disbelief and denial. "No…you can't do this. You're my _son_."

"I am an _Alexius_." Hel asserted forcefully. "Legally, I am another man's son. Didn't you hear me? _You are not my father. _I refuse to accept the man who turned his back on his unborn son."

"I had no knowledge that Maya was carrying you."

Hel exploded. "It shouldn't have made a difference if she was pregnant with me or not! You should have fought harder to keep her instead of letting that wife of yours put her into chains! Because of you, Mother suffered. Because of you, she almost _died_."

"You know nothing about what happened in that court all those years ago. Do you hear me, boy? _Nothing._" Armakan finally bit back with an uncharacteristic ire in his eyes.

Hel glared back at his sire with hate. If a stranger had walked into the confrontation at that moment, there wouldn't have been any doubt in that person's mind that Hel was Armakan's son. They looked alike when they were angry.

"Now leave." Hel finally snapped after a long moment of heated silence. "Before I bite you to death."

* * *

"Judal? Will you be coming back to Kou?"

Kougyoku hated to ask, but it was necessary. In Judal's current state, his return to the Kou Palace was unsure. Though, Kougyoku knew that, without a doubt, the Rubber Band Theory would somehow push him back into Al Thamen's lap. It was just how it worked.

Judal glanced at his sleeping brother. He and Kougyoku had spent the majority of their day within the healing room because of Sinbad's royal guest. Uncertainty flashed across his eyes. "I…don't know." He turned his red eyes toward her. "Would you?"

"Depends."

Kougyoku tried to not notice the Papagoras bird perching on the tree closest to her window, but lies never seemed to escape her eyes it seemed. _'Can't you butt out of a private conversation __**for once**__?!'_ She mentally complained to the King of Sindria.

"Princess?"

"Hmm?"

"Don't go back to Kou."

There was no need to ask _why. _Kougyoku's Blessed Child status would undoubtedly give her a major power-boost in Kou, but it would also leave her as a vulnerable target to Gyokuen's whims and manipulations.

"You know that can't happen. I'm Kou's Princess. They won't let go of me that easily. Besides, where would I go?" Kougyoku watched with interest as the shadows that used to taint Judal's aura were more than completely gone. Instead, he had a subtle glow about him. It wasn't as bright as Aladdin's glow, as Kougyoku had noticed during her interactions with the younger Magi, but it was still there, driving away the shadows that tried to touch her.

"Here." Judal suggested. "That idiot king – I mean, _Sinbad_ wants to secure a Blessed Child, doesn't he? He'll protect you if you decide to join him. Hell, I bet he'd be _thrilled_ to have you. You're chibi-er chibi's friend, right?"

"And you? Would you stay in Sindria if you could?"

Judal opened and closed his mouth, but no sound came out. His expression became conflicted.

"Let me rephrase that." Kougyoku sighed. "Will you go back to Al Thamen?"

"**No!"** Judal exploded, surprising her with the force behind his tone. He immediately calmed himself upon seeing her reaction. "Sorry." He apologized hastily while shifting uncomfortably at the end of Tao's bed. "It's just…_no_. I'm not – I wasn't lying when I said that they fucked up my life. They took everything that made me normal just so I could become their weapon. I can't go back. I don't care that I'm weaker now. _I'm not going back._ Ever."

Kougyoku stared at Judal with shock written over her face.

"Besides," he added weakly, "if I ever went back, what would they do to Tao?"

Kill him, of course. Al Thamen didn't like their weapons weak and Tao made Judal weak in a sense. They would undoubtedly do something horrible to Tao to throw Judal completely back into depravity.

But Kougyoku didn't say that.

"Well, even when Sinbad kicks me off the island, I won't return to them…or Kou. Al Thamen is my enemy now." Judal concluded. "I don't know how to use white rukh that well since that organization screwed that up since I was a kid, so I need to get a teacher first. The old hag in Reim is out of the question. The Chibi too, since he's also an amateur. Maybe…maybe I'll look for that other Magi…Yunan."

Kougyoku sighed. "Well, wherever you decide to go, I'll be supporting you. But don't get into too much trouble, okay? And…" She bit her lip. "I'll consider staying in Sindria. But I'm only considering it!"

That seemed to be completely fine with Judal.

(Actually, he was so relieved that he bowled Kougyoku over with a tackling hug.)

The Papagoras bird shifted slightly, reminding the Kou Princess of its presence.

(Kougyoku honestly didn't give a damn about Sinbad's terrible snooping habit anymore. She hugged Judal back with just as much strength.)

"Just stay safe, Princess." Judal mumbled into the crook of her neck. "As much as I hate to admit it, I'm not the biggest threat to this world anymore, so I can't protect you like I did in the past."

At that moment, a chilling realization washed over Kougyoku.

'_I'm not the biggest threat to the world anymore.'_

But Judal was the biggest threat in this universe. He was the dark evil to Aladdin's noble light in the canon storyline. He was the antagonist.

Well…he _had been._ Until Tao.

But then, if Judal wasn't the bad guy that the Blessed Children and Shion had to fight…

**Then who was?**

* * *

Fate binds lives together into a harmonious carpet made of rubber bands. It takes more than a small cut or a pull to unravel the grand image that is already there. Every life influences how the rukh will flow, even the ones that have never existed before.

But those lives are small. Breakable.

What chance did they have to actually achieve the feat of bending the rubber band without breaking themselves during the process? What would ensure their safety? For all they knew, they could destroy themselves by even trying.

_All the small things could shatter and break if not treated carefully._

But they still try.

_So treat them well._

* * *

A guest requested this one. Also inspired by the comic by jangirl183.

* * *

**Chibi-Omake: Always Knock First (or, How Kouha was ** _ **This ** _ **Close to Being Jamal-Attacked…** _ **This ** _ **Close.)**

_Before Bumping into Tao:_

Shion barged into Jamal's workshop with an excited expression. "Hey Jamal, guess what? I finally-

"KUKUKUKUKUKUKuKuKuKuKuKukukukuku…he must die. He must die no matter what." The Sindrian Prince heard his friend mutter under his breath as he ferociously scribbled onto the graph sheets in front of him. "Must…find…way…to…_kill_. Must…protect…Nee-chan's…purity!"

Jamal threw his head back and cackled.

Shion paled at the sound of Jamal's 'unhinged' laugh and shivered. "Um…did I come in at the wrong time?"

Jamal completely ignored Shion's presence and threw a balled up piece of paper over his shoulder. "Nope. Not flawless enough of a plan. Chances of him surviving this are too high."

Against his better judgment, Shion picked up the paper and smoothed it out.

"Urk!"

Shion hardly even _glanced _at the plans, but it was enough to send his mind reeling and stomach lurching at the graphic plans Jamal had for the unfortunate fellow who invoked his wrath.

…And this was the plan that Jamal had deemed unsuitable.

For Jamal to go through these extreme measures only meant one thing.

"It's Yasmine, isn't it?"

"_Yes."_ Jamal hissed. "SOMEONE is flirting with MY Nee-chan! Someone DARES to FLIRT with MY Nee-chan! Unacceptable. Unacceptable. Kukukukukuku….must destroy immediately…"

Shion had a pretty good idea of who it was.

"Jamal," he tried to sooth his friend, "Yasmine is more than capable of handling things on her own. I think she can handle a little flirting –

"NO!" Jamal exploded. "You don't know anything, Shion! For all I know, that bastard has my poor Nee-chan tied up and on a bed. Who knows what might happen if I leave it alone? You don't know the ugly nature of men!"

"…Jamal, _we _are one of the said 'men'. You remember that, right?"

"I don't count since I'm Nee-chan's little brother. You don't count since you're a weirdo who doesn't have any interest in anyone of the opposite sex except AMANI!"

"Kohaku." Shion corrected with a blush tinting his cheeks.

"Same person. She was Amani the last time, right? You were exactly the same then, you obsessed weirdo." Jamal sniffed. "But we're getting completely off track. Where was I? Oh yes. SOME BASTARD IS FLIRTING WITH MY NEE-CHAN!"

Shion rubbed his temple.

"Jamal, calm down-

"NO! I REFUSE!" Jamal suddenly slammed his hands onto the desk, spilling many papers containing horrors that Shion didn't even want to _blink_ at onto the floor of the lab. "That's it! I'm leaving Sindria! I'm going to save my Nee-chan!"

And just like that, Jamal stormed out of his lab and, eventually, out of the palace, leaving chaos and fear in his wake.

Shion paled.

"Poor Kouha."

_Somewhere with Kouha and Yasmine:_

Kouha shivered, feeling some unknown chill run down his spine.

'_Why the hell did it suddenly become chilly?'_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hakkan: As some people predicted, Hakkan is pretty much a little douchebag with an ego a mile wide and has absolutely no manners towards anyone he thinks of as insignificant. Funny enough, the Hakkan in the future is actually a charming, slightly dense character who purposefully hides his royal lineage from the group, which is why all of the Chibi-generals were so surprised to see him. He was actually really likeable until his eventual fall, sort of like a Yamamoto Takeshi from 'Katekyo Hitman Reborn' gone dark. Like...really dark.
> 
> Sub-Towers?: Funny story. I actually didn't mean to go into this much detail in the interior of the palace. Really. I didn't. I was just researching the different towers Shion could show Hakkan around in and ended up noticing that there were only six of the twelve zodiac towers mentioned
> 
> Six - Six
> 
> It was as if Ohtaka purposefully left the other six out for me to use for my beloved chibi-Generals. I wanted to call them chibi-Towers but I had to make it sound serious and professional-like for the tour's sake. But Shion and co. secretly calls them chibi-Towers.
> 
> I had so much FUN with these!
> 
> (Two were left out because Hel technically isn't part of the Seven Sea's Alliance because of his connection to Reim and Shion is too busy to form a tower on his own. But they will. They will.)
> 
> Yasmine's New Look: I actually took her new look directly from Shin-ah's outfit from 'Akatsuki no Yona'.
> 
> Palm Tree 'Blade': Yeah. Shion can be pretty mean when he wants to be. This scene was inspired by a Korean Drama called 'Ja Myeong Go'. I think the scene is from the beginning of episode 9. The drama itself was so-so but I thought that this scene was perfect for Shion and Hakkan so I had to use it. I was about to choose a hickory branch but decided that the thich stem of a palm tree leaf would suffice too and suit the scene better.
> 
> And so ends the Fragile Arc! Finally, the Blessed Children group is making a sucess in bending the rubber band. Yay!


	31. Chapter 30: The Pain of Politics

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sinbad, stop bringing politics into the dinner party. You're ruining the mood.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Onwards

"It is the dungeon conqueror! Blessings to our heroes!"

Sindria's harbor was in an uproar as the ship carrying the victorious dungeon capturers finally docked at their shore.

Bags upon bags of treasure were hauled onto land as the heroes were helped off the ship, looking a little worn by their most recent battle. Sinbad greeted the dungeon capturers with a bright, jovial smile that _almost_ distracted Amani from the shadow in the king's eyes when Hakuryuu informed the Sindrian King that Zagan had chosen him.

Deciding that she didn't need the headache, Amani turned her sights to Shion and his friends, who all greeted her with enthusiastic waves.

"_I achieved my djinn equip!"_ Shion mouthed to her excitedly.

Amani was pleasantly surprised by her king's recent achievement. Shion deserved it with his years of trying to train himself. It seemed that his hard work paid off. An uncharacteristically mischievous smile curled on her lips.

Well, she did have a pleasant surprise of her own…

Amani silently mouthed the news to Shion.

Shion's jaw dropped.

"You're WHAT?!"

(The chaos that was unleashed onto the port was catastrophic because of some misunderstandings that were caused by Shion's panicked shriek. Some thought it was a murder attempt. Others thought that it was a kidnapping. And the rest were just freaked out by the little girl who turned into a dark beast. Amani was promptly rushed to the nearest medical center with Kikiriku carrying her, Selene signing her medical questions about her health, and a panicked Shion at her heels.)

(Sinbad was once again left to take care of the mess.)

* * *

"_Aladdin, I understand that you are a bit tired from your recent adventure, but do you mind confirming something for me?"_

This…had not been what he was expecting.

Aladdin stared openly at the irritated Judal as Sinbad looked expectantly at the little Magi. "Well? Is he safe?"

"I'm _right here,_ idiot king." Judal grouched but he was completely ignored by both parties.

"His rukh isn't so dark anymore." Aladdin marveled as he reached out to touch the strangely colored rukh. "I've never seen something like this before! The taint seems to be peeling off the white rukh. Is this even possible?"

Judal appeared surprised by the direct question, but answered the smaller magi anyway. "Apparently, it is." He drawled sarcastically as he gestured over to his rukh. "Believe me, I was just as surprised as you are when I found them…molting like this. I think it was after I found Tao."

"Tao?" Aladdin questioned with a slight tilt of his head. "What's that?"

"Who." Judal corrected the young boy, being sure not to sound _too_ mean when he did. "Tao is a who, not a what. And he's my-

"KIDO!" A voice wailed in panic. "Help your brother! There's a madman after me and I didn't even do anything!" Much to the surprise of Aladdin, a man who looked almost identical to Judal, aside from some minor features, ran out towards them.

"Get back here!" An angry voice followed the panicked man. Alibaba came into view with his blade drawn out. "Don't you think that I forgive you for what happened in Balbadd! I had nightmares because of you! Nightmares!"

Tao appeared to be near tears. "I told you that I have no idea what you're talking about! Honest! This is the first time I've even seen your face!" He winced and slowed down to rub at the bandages at his side. "Ow. I shouldn't have run so much. Selene did warn me that it wouldn't be good if I opened my wounds again." Then, he caught sight of Alibaba's angry face and continued his original speed. "But I don't want to die~"

"**Oi."**

The pair stopped at Judal's voice.

"Cut it out. Tao never did anything. The guy you have a score to settle with is me, so leave my brother alone."

Alibaba looked from Tao to Judal and to Tao again.

"…Twins?" He asked.

Tao was the one to answer the blonde. "Actually, I'm the older brother. Nice to meet you. I am Tao Gui."

Alibaba appeared a little thrown off at his sudden politeness despite the misunderstanding from before. He had expected him to be at least a little upset at the mix-up. "Ah, to you as well. I am Alibaba Saluja. Sorry about…you know…that."

"No harm done." Tao assured him agreeably. "It was a misunderstanding. And you were upset."

Tao sent Judal a pointed look.

The younger brother sighed heavily. "Yeah, yeah, I get it. _I'm sorry_ for insulting you back in Balbadd and for almost killing you and Chibi." Judal paused and turned his attention to Aladdin. "And for punching you in the face." He added as an afterthought.

"You punched a little kid in the face? _Kido_." Tao scolded, completely scandalized.

"I was an asshole back then! What did you expect?" Judal snapped. His older brother sighed and patted his head.

"Well…if you understand that what you did was a bad thing…"

"Wow. They're so different." Alibaba marveled.

Sinbad nodded in agreement beside him. "I was a bit surprised too when the pair barged into Sindria. Though Tao appeared tame and innocent enough, I wasn't so sure about Judal. At least Aladdin confirmed one thing; what Judal said about defecting from Al Thamen was true."

"You defected?" Aladdin asked.

Judal paused in his small squabble with Tao to nod solemnly. "Yeah. They killed my family. They used me like some tool. No way I'm going back there. Besides, who's to say that wouldn't kill Tao if they found out about him?"

Aladdin nodded in understanding.

"Well, I'm glad that you found your family, Judal. You don't look so sad anymore."

Judal snorted and crossed his arms. "Yeah…I guess that weird magic you cast on me helped a little in finding Tao so…th-tha-thanks…I guess." He stumbled over his thanks awkwardly. When he caught the smile that crossed the younger magi's face, Judal regained his scowl. "But don't get the wrong idea, Chibi. This doesn't mean that we're going to be all buddy-buddy. I'm only doing this for Tao."

"Kido…I appreciate the thought, but you should really try making friends." Tao said with a sweatdrop. "Or, at least, keep a cordial relationship with the child – Ah, Aladdin, right?"

"Yes. I agree that we should hold a positive relationship since we will be on the same side from now on." Sinbad agreed with a broad smile, pleased by the new development.

Aladdin's smile widened and held out his hand toward Judal. "So, truce for now?" He offered brightly.

Judal took a glance at Tao's expression before gingerly taking the younger magi's hand. "Truce."

(Of course, Judal dropped the hand as quickly as he could after he shook on it. He still had an image to keep up in front of the idiot king.)

* * *

"Alibaba, I expected you to be surprised that Judal had a brother, but you hardly reacted at all!" Aladdin commented to his friend a little while later after Judal and Tao left.

Alibaba shook his head and sighed.

"With all the crazy things that happened so far, I'm just not surprised anymore."

* * *

"Amani, are you _sure _that you're feeling okay?" Shion fretted for the thousandth time. Beside him, Kougyoku rolled her eyes. She had rushed over to the Amber Virgo Tower when she heard about the uproar but immediately calmed down when she saw that it was just Shion overreacting.

But that didn't mean that Kougyoku wasn't overjoyed at the news of Amani's pregnancy. She was actually quite ecstatic that she was going to have a new niece or nephew.

"I told you. I'm fine." Amani patiently assured him again. Kougyoku was impressed by the pale blonde's infinite amount of patience. If it had been her, she would've snapped at Shion a long time ago. "I'm pregnant, not dying."

"But you _could have _if Hakuryuu didn't intervene."

"But I _didn't _since he _did_." Amani stressed firmly. "What happened, happened. There's no use in worrying over the 'what could have been'. But I will be careful from now on, Shion. My life is not only my own anymore." She assured her friend as she held her waist tenderly. "Unfortunately, that will mean that I will have to return to my husband's side in Balbadd. I'm sorry that I changed your plans, Shion."

Shion shook his head. "No! Take the quickest ship to Balbadd. Kouen and Koumei will keep you and the baby safe. It would be dangerous if you remained with us in your condition with Al Thamen after your head."

"But why?" Kougyoku mused. "From what I remembered, Al Thamen never really had any interest in the Blessed Children. They even ignored Amani's presence for four years. They seemed more concerned with killing Aladdin and Alibaba until now."

"They were focused on killing the child." Amani informed them with a haunted look in her eyes. "I don't know why, but…"

"Whatever their reasons, you should avoid Kou. Try to do what you can to stay in Balbadd." Shion asserted seriously, stopping Amani's line of thought. He turned his attention onto Kougyoku. "Since we don't know if they will do the same with the rest of the Blessed Children, you should stay away from Kou too."

"Actually," Kougyoku drew out awkwardly, "I was thinking of allying myself to your father as his Blessed Child for protection."

"…"

"…"

Kougyoku looked down in embarrassment. "Hey! It was just a thought! I know it's a dangerous move since your father would just send me back to Kou anyways to act as his little spy with that Solomon-awful djinn in my head…but I hate the idea of just walking right back into Al Thamen's hands without something or someone backing me up, especially at the eve of the Emperor's death. When that _witch_ snatches up the throne, that's it for me. She'll know about my status as a Blessed Child and babble it out to the public. I will be placed under a great deal of scrutiny from there on out."

"That is a problem." Amani agreed. "It's highly possible that Gyokuen will limit your movements when she comes into power if you remain in Kou. But I don't think Kou will let go of you that easily when they discover that you're Ping's successor."

Kougyoku buried her head into her hands.

"I know."

Amani patted Kougyoku's hand comfortingly. "Don't worry. We'll think of something. Right, Shion?"

"Of course." Shion assured Kougyoku calmly.

Contrary to his calm countenance, Shion's mind was in a buzz, moving pieces and scenarios around in his head for the best possible outcome. These pulls that they were making to fate were actually working, but the success came with the loss of prediction of the future.

'_I need to play my cards right with this scenario.'_ He thought deeply. _'Though it would be easy just to make Kougyoku stay here, cleaning up the political mess wouldn't. There would be a high possibility of war between Sindria and Kou if we keep her. And there's that problem with that little town being attacked by pirates. There is no way that I will allow Amani to take that mission like we had planned. And Hakuryuu being tangled up with that Solomon-awful dungeon object after all the influence we had on his character is an absolute no-no…maybe Yasmine could take care of it? But would Father be okay with Kouha helping her out since it would mean that the town would have to owe Kou?'_

Shion mentally groaned.

'_Damned politics.'_

* * *

Hel should've known that Sinbad wouldn't give up on trying to add him into the royal Heliohapt Family.

Much to his annoyance, Hel found that his lunch was in their room on the following day. He had been tempted to completely skip lunch and leave the food to cool in front of the empty seat. But, after much thought, he wisely decided to come anyways since the blatantly rude action wouldn't reflect well on Reim's relationship with Heliohapt.

Hel completely ignored Pharaoh Armakan that afternoon, completely content with tearing the meat from the rib steak, which the cooks had presented him together with the poached eggs, piece by excruciating piece.

Across from him, Hakkan glared balefully at the other boy for 'stealing' his father's attention. Hel even suspected that the Pharaoh had revealed his true heritage and their blood bond. He probably thought that Hakkan would react positively to the news and would try to convince Hel to come over to Heliohapt. _'Idiot.'_ Hel mentally snorted to the Pharaoh. _'I pose a threat to the Snake, age-wise. In what sort of situation would he react in a positive way, much less welcome me with open arms? Idiot.'_

Neither bothered to attempt a conversation with Hel.

Which was completely fine with Hel, he liked eating in silence.

"A-Ah, are the eggs any good?" Askan shyly chirped, very much aware of the tension in the room.

Hel stopped chewing for a moment to give the younger boy a nod. "Mn. It's good."

Askan's shocked expression told Hel that his verbal answer was completely unexpected. Something akin to guilt pulsed through Hel's veins. Though _that man _and _that snake _were unbearably annoying, Askan was tolerable, even slightly enjoyable to be around. It hadn't been Hel's intention to push Askan away like he was doing with Armakan and Hakkan. The faint mirroring of that same expression on the Pharaoh's face incited Hel to push the plate filled with eggs towards the boy. "Eat." He ordered Askan not unkindly. "It's supposed to be healthy."

Askan automatically complied.

"It's good!"

Content with Askan's positive reaction, Hel continued to keep his attention on his plate for the rest of lunch. When his plate was empty, Hel excused himself from the table and began to hightail out of the guest tower to rejoin his friends. He successfully left the room, but found himself stopped in the hallway by someone unexpected.

"U-Um!"

Hel paused in the middle of the hallway at Askan's voice.

"E-Even if you don't acknowledge Father, is it possible for y-you to think of me as your brother?"

Hel never answered.

(But he did backtrack to pat the little boy on the head. He had never really been one for words.)

* * *

**Dear Koumei,**

**I bring wonderful news! Hakuryuu has finally captured his own djinn! I assure you that I am safe and alive, ** _ **Anata** _ **, since I know that you were worrying. I know that Kouen will be thrilled to hear that Kou will be having ** _ **another** _ ** metal vessel user. Kougyoku is already helping Hakuryuu to achieve his djinn equip and he is improving by leaps and bounds.**

**Koumei, there is another reason why I am writing to you. Because of reasons I cannot state in this letter, I will be coming over to Balbadd soon. Hakuryuu will be coming with me.**

**Expect us in a month or two. Please do not worry. I promise that it is happy news.**

**Amani**

* * *

_Yasmine – The Pirate Mission is now yours because of certain events. Feel free to bring friends along._

* * *

Of course, that evening, Sinbad threw a festival for the dungeon conquerors.

(That idiot king would throw parties over _anything_ just for the sake of a party.)

Judal was forced out of Tao's room, courtesy of his older brother himself, so he could 'have fun' with the others.

He wandered around, looking for Kougyoku and Hakuryuu. Their familiar presences and aversion to anything Al Thamen offered a sort of sanctuary to the lost magi who felt very much like a bird swimming with the fish.

The dark magi ignored the suspicious stares boring into his back by the townspeople and tried to keep himself inconspicuous by keeping to the shadows. He made no attempt to join the festivities, not that he would have been welcomed anyways.

His moody thoughts were cut off by a wreath of flowers suddenly being dumped over his head. He jerked his head around to find a little girl in her mother's arms with many, many wreaths of flowers in her tiny hands. Her mother, recognizing him, began to shy away in fear of his possible ire, but the little girl giggled with genuine cheer.

"Cheer up, Grumpy nii-chan! It's a party!"

"…What did you just call me?" Judal asked blankly.

People would normally tremble at the question, but the child only laughed and repeated the nickname in a louder voice, much to the horror of her mother.

"Grumpy nii-chan!"

Deciding that they had stayed long enough in the magi's presence, the mother quickly whisked herself and her daughter away from Judal, sparing him only a fearful glance back to make sure that he wasn't following.

Judal blinked after the woman, not truly processing what happened until both mother and daughter converged with the crowd of dancers and drinkers, and glanced at the flowers around his neck.

He closed his eyes and breathed in.

_Peach flowers._

Judal kept the flowers on for the rest of his search for familiar faces.

* * *

The Chibi Generals all laughed and cheered as they watched the performance of the Zagan Team's adventures in the dungeon. Though it was no movie, the children still found it entertaining.

"Pffft! That guy portraying Aladdin looks so muscular!" Opal chortled as she hung onto Kikiriku's much bigger figure for dear life. The Imuchakk Warrior himself wasn't holding in his laughter so well. "This…this is just too much!"

"The director is a _genius_!" Jamal howled, near tears. "I gotta meet him!"

Only Hel and Selene seemed to be silent, though in Selene's case, it was obvious why. Hel was just good at controlling his emotions. Though the mirth dancing across his eyes was a clear sign that he was amused with the play.

Shion and Kohaku sat a little way back, not really paying that much attention to the play. They ate and talked in low voices so that Koubun, who was sitting not too far away, couldn't hear them.

"Pregnant? Oh! I'm going to have a little cousin!" Kohaku quietly squealed when Shion told her the news. "How far along is she?"

"She is about three months along, almost four. Selene confirmed it."

"A baby," Kohaku marveled with only a faint flicker of longing that Shion almost didn't catch, "Amani is going to have a baby."

It took longer than Shion would've liked to understand where that emotion came from. _Of course_. His Amani, his Kohaku, had always wanted a child.

But because of the war…

Shion reached over and gave Kohaku's hand an affectionate squeeze.

"I hope that we can be like that too in the future."

He meant every word.

Kohaku's cheeks flared red at his confession.

"D-Dummy! Don't get ahead of yourself! You have to get the approval of my uncles first, not to mention all the political mess that it would make if you got me pregnant before marriage! Y-You're really not thinking things through, you dummy!" She spluttered in pure embarrassment as she tried to hide her face with her sleeves.

Amusement colored Shion's features at Kohaku's reaction. "Who said that I wouldn't marry you first before we have children? I have every intention of convincing all your Uncles and your father that I'm a suitable husband for you."

Kohaku was immediately silenced. "Oh."

"That's right. Though," blue eyes glinted playfully, "if that was what you wanted, I have no qualms of having a shotgun wedding."

Kohaku slapped him. "Idiot!"

'_Cute!'_ Shion thought as he continued to smile unrepentantly.

"Prince Shion." A voice broke in before pausing abruptly. Then, it tentatively continued. "Am I…interrupting something?"

Shion recognized the voice immediately. Beside him, Kohaku stiffened after she took a quick glance at the newcomer.

Hakkan.

And just like that, his moment of happiness was completely and utterly destroyed.

Shion smiled welcomingly, successfully hiding the dark thoughts that swam under his skin. "Prince Hakkan." He greeted smoothly. "Are you enjoying the party?"

The Heliohapt Prince stood stiffly and awkwardly in front of the Sindrian Prince. Shion noted with pride that the older boy's stance was submissive, unlike his attitude from before.

"Yes, the feast and festivities in Sindria are as entertaining as I was told. Uncle Sharrkan is making sure that Askan and I are comfortable." Hakkan answered respectfully. Then, true remorse seemed to seep into the boy's green eyes. "Prince Shion, about yesterday –

"You already apologized." Shion cut in before Hakkan could finish his apology.

"Only to your comrades," Hakkan corrected, "I didn't apologize to you, though. I said…not so nice things about your mother yesterday."

Yes, yes he had.

"Yesterday's spar made me realize many things that I haven't even considered before. I was ignorant of many things about myself, including my actions." Hakkan continued, oblivious to Shion's dry thoughts. Then, he ducked his head shamefully. For a brief moment, Shion was suddenly struck by the fact that the movement was very…Askan-like. It unsettled him. And the change in Hakkan seemed so abrupt, as if some sort of switch was pulled in him. "I hope that my actions yesterday didn't destroy any chances of friendship between us and our countries."

"No, not at all." Shion found himself saying, keeping his tone polite.

Kohaku shifted at Shion's side, gaining Hakkan's attention.

"Oh, I'm sorry! I have ignored you this whole time. What a terrible job I'm making of refining my etiquette. I am Prince Hakkan of Heliohapt." Shion noticed that he had completely left out his 'first prince' status. "You are?"

"Ren Kohaku, daughter of Prince Kouen." The red-haired girl had covered her face with her sleeves and kept her eyes lowered, acting as a female of Kou royalty usually would. "Nice to meet you, Prince Hakkan." Her mismatched eyes caught Hakkan's gaze.

Shion stiffened in preparation of what came next.

"You have beautiful eyes." Hakkan blurted out, surprising both Shion and Kohaku. At their reaction, he flushed and turned his eyes away. "I apologize for being bold, Princess Kohaku. We consider different colored eyes beautiful in Heliohapt, so I couldn't help myself."

"I am not offended." Kohaku assured the older boy with a smile behind her sleeves. "Thank you. Unfortunately, it is not the same in Kou. They consider it as a flaw of my image."

Hakkan blinked with genuine shock. "No. You must be joking."

"I am not."

"But it makes you look so unique! You would be so popular back in Heliohapt!" Hakkan continued to insist.

Kohaku flushed and looked down bashfully at the compliment. "Not really."

'…_Is he actually hitting on her in front of us?'_ The Veteran asked after a tense pause.

The Child began throwing a tantrum. _'No! Kohaku-chan is __**ours**__! Get away from her, Hakkan-meanie!'_

'_Prince Hakkan is probably just trying to be polite and kind to her.'_ The King tried to sooth the Veteran and the Child. _'He's only a child. He's probably –_

"Okay, if you don't believe me, I'll prove it to you. When you're old enough, you can come over to Heliohapt and see how my people think. I'll even marry you so you can stay."

_'…'_

_'...'_

'_Let's kill him.'_ The Veteran suggested solemnly.

Kohaku's eyes widened with mortification at the second part of Hakkan's statement, making Shion relax a little bit. "Oh, um, that's not really necessary. I don't think my father would like that."

Hakkan frowned in disappointment. "No? That's a pity."

The air around Shion seemed to snap. He stood up with a strained smile. "I think that Sharrkan-nii is calling you over, Hakkan. You should go over and see what he wants. It was nice speaking with you." _'Not really.' _The Veteran sneered and Shion couldn't help but agree with him for once.

Then, he turned to Kohaku with bright smile and an offered hand.

"Kohaku, let's dance."

* * *

Sidney loved to dance. When she was younger, she used to take ballet classes. That was stopped when her parents decided it was useless compared to saving up money for her brother's college funds. In the later years of her life, she would join her classmates when they went to dance clubs or parties. She was no prodigy, but she enjoyed the thrum and thrill she would feel as the music guided her feet around the floor.

Kougyoku danced.

Some people stared at the pink-haired princess who seamlessly weaved through the crowd of other dancers with unique movements that seemed both alien and beautiful to them. Others just accepted her into the fray, too immersed with their partners or the music itself.

In mid-spin, Kougyoku suddenly stopped by a pair of hands landing on her shoulder. Though the movement of jarring, she found that she wasn't too upset of the interruption. It was Judal, after all. She recognized the feel of his hands.

"What the hell are you wearing?"

_Peaches and relief tinted with a little bit of melancholy._ Kougyoku thought that Judal's current emotion tasted bittersweet to her tongue. It wasn't bad. The usual violence and bloodlust weren't there, but she sensed a certain weight on the magi's shoulders that she wasn't sure that she liked.

She tilted her head to the side to meet his crimson eyes.

"Clothes." Kougyoku deadpanned. When she saw the impatience flashing across his eyes, she cracked a cheeky grin. "Okay, okay, fine. It's a dress that one of the maids here let me borrow. It's a common dancing dress that young, unmarried women wear during the festivals in Sindria."

Not all the maids looking after Kougyoku were as cold and thorny as Camilla. Actually, Kougyoku quickly befriended many of them during her stay at the palace. They were very excited to doll the Kou Princess up for the festival. Kougyoku was currently wearing a hand-me-down of one of the maid's younger sisters.

Judal grimaced. "Shouldn't you cover yourself up? You're practically naked in that thing."

Kougyoku rolled her eyes. "_Please._ This is practically modest clothing compared to my djinn equip. Besides," she ran her eyes up and down Judal's body, caught between being critical and appreciative, "you're not so modestly clothed either."

In the past, the tainted darkness that always accompanied Judal made it hard for Kougyoku to clearly see the magi's characteristics. It was a flaw of Kougyoku's abilities. Sometimes, the visions would completely block her eyes from seeing what everyone else saw. Just like Empress Gyokuen. Not once was she able to see her famed 'beauty'. Not that it was much of a loss. But Judal? The fact disappointed Kougyoku when he began growing on her. From time to time, she would catch glimpses of his face or see the shade of his skin.

But most of the time, it was like looking at a blurry picture in the dark.

Now that the darkness had left, Kougyoku could finally see Judal. And she wasn't disappointed with what she saw when they reunited.

_Very, very handsome_ was all that her mind computed when she took a proper look at his face after he fell asleep in her arms.

(Though Kougyoku ideally judged a person by their character instead of their appearance, she found it very, _very _hard to be attracted to a dark blob with a smart mouth and a tendency towards world-destruction. Not that she was attracted to her friend. Nope. No way. Not crossing that line.)

Instead of his usual clothing, Judal wore an informal, white tunic with a gold edge that came down to his ankles. His thick braid was now reduced to a casual, pulled back ponytail that was not unlike her own.

He was also shirtless, giving her an eyeful of his sculpted chest. If it were in any other situation, she would have looked away in embarrassment. But right now, she was more focused on making a point. Unless Judal got a shirt on, his argument was void.

Kougyoku purposefully stared at him for an extra long time to make him uncomfortable.

Judal turned red under the Blessed Child's gaze.

"Th-That's completely different! This was all they had for me!" He spluttered defensively. Kougyoku continued to stare at him intensely. Judal tried to put up a fight by glaring at her, (which was impressive, she had to say) but eventually gave up like he always did when it came to her.

"Fine. I'm not any better." He finally relented. "Just…let's just go somewhere else, okay? I hate how they stare at you."

And by they, Judal meant Kougyoku's audience admirers. Yes, she knew they were watching as she danced across the floor. Some of them were even bold enough to throw a wink at her way. But she just couldn't bring herself to care about them, so she let them be. Apparently, Judal didn't have the same brand of tolerance as her.

After Judal shot a particularly nasty look at a man who stared at her a little _too _long, Kougyoku decided that – yes, it was a good idea to leave now – and left with Judal without so much as a glance back.

Judal lead her around the darker part of the streets. Kougyoku didn't mind, since she knew that Judal's presence would undoubtedly drive away anything sinister.

The quiet the darkness brought was also comforting. She duly noted that this was the exact route that the original Kougyoku took with Sinbad in the canon timeline.

Her eyes traveled up to the moon. It was shining brightly tonight. The area untouched by the festivities bathed and reflected the faint light, almost washing out the stars.

Stars.

"_I've never seen so many stars."_

The memory hit her full on the face, abruptly stopping her movements. Sensing the pause in her movements, Judal stopped walking and turned around to see what held her up. "Hey, Judal. Do you remember that night in Balbadd?"

"…Which one?"

"You know, the night when you snuck me out of the hotel room to eat the peaches you stole from a vendor on the roof." A fond smile flickered across her lips at the memory. "You spat one of the seeds at a passerby, remember?"

"Oh, that night." The magi recalled, eyes misting over with the memory. He grimaced. "You were about to marry that pig king."

Kougyoku rolled her eyes. _Of course_ that would be the main thing he remembered from their time in that country. "Do you remember the conversation that we had there?"

Judal seemed to shift through his thoughts. "Not really." He said carefully, making sure that the woman wasn't too offended by his forgetfulness. Fortunately, she was in a patient mood so she laughed, making him crack a smile.

"You promised to take me away, remember? You promised that you would take me away to a place where I could eat, play, and act however I liked." She took a step toward him. "You promised that it would be a place where _they _would never touch us." She took another step. "And that it would be somewhere close to the sea." Another step. "And that it would be a place with an endless bounty of food and creatures." Another. "And that it would be warm."

At the last statement, Kougyoku was right in front of Judal with only a few centimeters separating them.

"R-Right." Judal choked nervously, causing Kougyoku to look at him curiously. "I remember now."

Kougyoku smiled. "You forgot to tell me when." She informed him almost chidingly.

Now it was Judal's turn to look at her curiously. "What are you-?" His eyes widened in realization. "Oh."

Both of them looked upon the majesty that was Sindria, showered with moonlight and distant festivities. This time, Judal looked upon the city with a sense of wonder and disbelief as he soaked in the sight.

"Well, I shouldn't have expected anything less of my brilliantly amazing best friend." She joked lightly to bring them back to earth. Her words seemed to have worked since Judal looked as if his mind was slammed onto the ground. When he recovered from the surprise, Kougyoku suddenly felt herself being pulled very, _very_ close to Judal. She was too surprised to resist and too proud to back away. She immediately regretted it when she found herself held in place by her shoulders.

"…Just a friend?" He echoed the question he had posed on the roof months ago.

Kougyoku opened her mouth to answer and found that her voice had conveniently lodged into her throat. Her mouth was completely dry and her face felt as if it was on fire. Kougyoku blamed this on Judal's warm breaths softly beating against her lips like waves and his hands producing some sort of electricity that sent shivers down her whole body. Somewhere in the suspended pocket of time that she found herself in, Kougyoku realized that Judal's hands fell away from her shoulders. But there was something heavy between them that was holding her in place so she remained where she was.

When she didn't answer, he pulled back to look at her in the face as if it held some sort of answer. Kougyoku still wasn't sure that she could produce an intelligent sound in her current state so she helplessly gazed into his eyes as he seemed to drink her in.

Then, he found his answer. Somewhere. She really didn't know.

"I'm going to kiss you right now." Judal suddenly said as if it was an epiphany. (To Kougyoku, it really was a wonderful, miraculous epiphany that her muddled mind couldn't completely process.) "So stand still."

Judal held her face with both hands tenderly as he leaned in. Kougyoku's eyes slid closed as he leaned in and trembled.

'_This is going way to fast! Stop him!'_ Her mind screamed but her body seemed completely content to allow what was about to happen happen. Screw the consequences. She was going to get kissed here and now to resolve the convoluted emotions she was feeling toward her not-quite friend.

"Princess Kougyoku?"

And then, with a soft call of her name, the moment was snatched away.

Judal immediately jerked away from her and placed a good amount of distance between them as King Sinbad stepped into view. His face automatically brightened upon finding her. "There you are. I was wondering where you've been. You suddenly disappeared before I could reach you." He smiled charmingly. "I must say that the Sindrian dress suits you."

"Thank you." Kougyoku somehow managed to say without stuttering.

Judal made a strange sound from the back of his throat, attracting Sinbad's attention.

"Oh, Judal." For once, he seemed genuinely surprised to see the magi there. "I didn't think you would be here. How are you enjoying the party?"

"It's great." The magi squeezed out with a forced smile that ended up looking more like a grimace. Then, his eyes flickered from Sinbad to Kougyoku, quickly realizing the situation. "I should…go. I left Tao alone for too long and all that stuff." He excused himself dismissively.

And then he left.

Kougyoku felt cheated.

Of course, Kougyoku had to pretend to act completely fine and dandy with Sinbad as he whisked her away to speak of…politic-y things and her future choices. She suspected that he was trying to broach the subject of her staying in Sindria as Judal had suggested the other night, but Kougyoku was too tired and too frustrated to meet him half way.

In the end, Kougyoku promised to give Sinbad her answer later.

"Stupid politics." Kougyoku grumbled to herself while kicking the ground huffily after Sinbad left her alone. "Stupid Magi. You were supposed to kidnap me so you could finish what you started instead of running away again."

* * *

On his way back to his Generals, Sinbad caught sight of Prince Hakuryuu and Princess Amani. He wasted no time in approaching them.

"Hakuryuu! Amani! How are you?" The Sindrian King greeted the pair jovially. Hakuryuu brightened at the sight of the king and immediately got onto his feet to acknowledge him formally. Amani's reaction to his entrance was more muted and distracted. She carefully dislodged the little Toran girl from her side to stand. "King Sinbad." She greeted him formally.

The little girl, surprised by his presence, automatically shifted into her reptile form, wrapping herself around Amani and Hakuryuu defensively. Sinbad watched this transformation with interest and awe. "Amazing." He marveled, inspecting her form. The young girl wouldn't even have to face the limits and strain that the usual Household Member would. It was simply amazing.

(A pity she was going to belong to Kou.)

Hakuryuu, on the other hand, didn't think so. "Tiare!" He scolded her. "This is King Sinbad! He's not an enemy."

Immediately cowed by Hakuryuu's disapproval, Tiare shifted back to her human form and floundered by Amani's side, shooting Sinbad a guilty look.

He held his hand up. "No harm done. She's only acting as a Household Member should." Then he turned his attention on Amani. "Congratulations. My son told me about your pregnancy."

Amani rested her hands on her belly and beamed. "Thank you, King Sinbad."

(Another pity. It would be harder to convince her to become Sindria's Blessed Child now that there was child tying her down to Kou.)

Hakuryuu garnered Sinbad's attention once again by expressing his gratitude. "Thank you, King Sinbad, for introducing me to Alibaba-dono. He has taught me so much during my stay here in Sindria."

Sinbad's smile didn't waver. "I'm glad to hear it."

"Also," Amani added demurely, "Hakuryuu and I are planning on going to Balbadd in the next day or so. I am excited to break the news to my husband as soon as I can, you see."

Sinbad nodded. "Of course. I understand." But that didn't mean that he was too happy about it. The two were leaving Sindria a bit _too _soon. Sinbad didn't like the imminent loss of potential pawns. "Shion will be saddened to hear that you're leaving so soon." He added as a subtle push on making her stay a little longer. "Are you sure that you cannot remain for another week?"

"I'm afraid not." The once-Balbadd Princess expressed her regrets perfectly through the slight downward arch of her lips though her eyes told a completely different story. "But Shion is a mature boy. He will understand. I'll be sure to write as much as I can."

Sinbad understood her message perfectly and backed down from their small battle of smiles and double-meanings, admitting his loss by nodding in agreement. "Please do."

(It really _was _a pity that Sinbad didn't snatch her away to his side when he had the chance. The woman really was like her father when it came to politics. She knew how to play the game too. He wondered if Kou was aware of what weapon was placed upon their lap in the form of the pale, Blessed Child.)

Hakuryuu suddenly clutched at his arm, grimacing in pain.

"Is there something wrong with your arm?" Sinbad asked with concern.

"It's from a snake bite I received from Zagan's Dungeon. So many things happened so I forgot to have Amani-dono check it." He glanced at Amani apologetically. "It's probably not serious, but I should go to the medical bay to have it checked out."

* * *

"_Mou…I feel like I forgot something."_

* * *

Hakuryuu stood up and, much to the shock of him and everyone else, his arm fell from his body with a cold, muffled 'thump'.

The scarred prince wasn't even given the time or chance to realize what just happened to his arm. Tiare reacted quickly. She shifted and bounded over to her master's side, wrapping her body around his protectively, growling darkly at the alien presence inside the appendage lying on the ground.

Black rukh began to pour out of the appendage, taking form of a human man.

"I-Ithnan…" Hakuryuu recognized immediately with horror.

* * *

"_What was it? I can't seem to remember… A-re? How uncharacteristic of me. Did I forget to tell the Princeling something?"_

* * *

"Magi, King Alibaba, Blessed Child Amani, and King Sinbad, I came here to invite you."

This was where Kohaku and Shion came.

Shion ran into the scene a bit too late. This event…this event he had completely forgotten about until the last second. If it hadn't been for Kohaku recalling the time from her father in her other life, Shion wouldn't have come over to the scene as fast as he did.

But he had been too late.

"I see…so this is the Kingdom of Sindria, huh?" The Al Thamen Member commented almost airily as he inspected the beautiful scenery and the dark glares of the people lazily. He smirked at the fear and hate his presence brought to the originally happy people. "I have trouble breathing here."

Before Shion could react, the masked man lashed out with his scythe in a random direction, causing a small explosion of magic to erupt in the crowd.

There was a moment of horrified silence.

Then –

"You bastard."

The insult was said dryly, almost bored. But Shion recognized the voice and the hidden anger in them.

Apparently, so did Ithnan, judging by the shock in his eyes as the smoke cleared away from his attack. "Oracle?"

Judal stood in front of the crowd with a defensive borg covering him and the people the magic attack was aimed towards. "Surprise, asshole."

"Grumpy nii-san!" The little girl in the woman's arms cheered.

"Yeah, yeah, it's me. No need to yell it to the world." Judal grumbled with a slight flush on his cheeks at the nickname. "Thanks for the flowers." He added reluctantly as he held up the garland wrapped around his wrist.

The little girl giggled and clapped her hands as her mother hugged her daughter closer and nodded gratefully to Judal.

Shion had heard the slight strain in the magi's voice and saw that he was shaking a little at the effort of placing up such a big borg. The Al Thamen Member seemed to have noticed too, judging by the growing sneer in his expression.

"Oracle, what _are _you doing in those clothes? And why are you using such pure rukh? Can't you see that it makes you weaker when you do that?"

Judal appeared slightly affronted by Ithnan's jibe, but clutched onto his staff even tighter. "Better weaker and free than under _her _influence."

Judal seemed to have hit a sore spot.

"I see. So you are no longer allied to Al Thamen anymore. That's quite problematic. Oh well. That just means that we will have to bring you back to Kou and 'rehabilitate' you." He smirked darkly as he raised his scythe. "You were lucky the first time, but how will you fare with the next?"

The dark magician lifted up his scythe, causing the crowd to instinctively lurch away. Judal, on the other hand, held his ground. Whether it was out of defense or pride, Shion didn't know, but he knew that the magi wouldn't be able to face this one.

Kohaku sent out a blast of magic to intercept the attack. She boldly walked out into the open and held out her hands defensively. "Don't even think about it. Leave Judal-nii alone."

It seemed to be a mistake on Kohaku's part to appear in front of the Al Thamen Member. He regarded the young princess almost gleefully. "Magic without the aid of a staff? Look at the untapped talent in this child! It's no wonder why she wants you. I'll be taking you back to Kou, along with our Oracle."

"Don't you dare touch her!" Shion cried out, gaining the attention of the masked man.

"Oh? Prince Shion? What a bounty I have discovered!"

Shion froze with some emotion akin to terror when he took in the complete image of the man's face.

"Y-You're…"

"Hmm? Oh my, now that I look at you, you look awfully familiar, little prince." The Al Thamen Member hummed to himself. "Where did I see that face? Where did I see those eyes?" Then, his eyes widened. _"Ah._ You were that turbaned child we tried to take away six years ago! To think that you are the First Class Singularity's son!"

Shion flinched and narrowed his eyes at Ithnan.

"Tell me, how _is _your beautiful mother? I left her with a gift when we parted._"_ He smirked at Shion's dark glare. "I see. I'm overjoyed to see that my curse is still in effect."

Sharrkan intervened before Shion could say another world by slicing Ithnan into pieces. He snatched Shion and Kohaku up and placed them with Sinbad.

"Are you two okay?" Sinbad asked with concern as he knelt down to the children's level. When Shion didn't react to his question, Sinbad shook him slightly. "…Shion?"

"No…cutting him into pieces was a bad idea…Sharrkan-san shouldn't have done that…" Kohaku fretted nervously at the side as the cut up pieces of Ithnan's body began to form into three clones. "It's like trying to cut the head off of a hydra. Three more heads would just grow from the neck."

The three clones simultaneously attacked.

Alibaba ran at one of the Ithnan-clones head on when he noticed that one of them was purposefully aiming for Amani. "Don't. You. Dare. Touch. My. Sister!" He enunciated each world darkly as he slashed at the particular clone again and again.

"Alibaba, NO!" Amani cried out in warning, but it was too late. Ithnan's blood splattered all over his arm, already slowly tainting his rukh.

Aladdin raised up his borg in defense at Amani's cry, realizing the threat of striking out at the clones.

At that moment, Shion snapped out of his shocked daze and, to Sinbad's complete disbelief, kicked his father away with all his strength as Ja'far lashed out at the Ithnan-clone that was coming in their direction with his rope-blades.

"Shion, _move!_"

But he couldn't move fast enough.

* * *

"_Ah well."_

* * *

In Kohaku's eyes, everything went in slow motion. She could only watch with a horrified gaze as Ithnan's cursed blood splattered all over Shion, engulfing him in black.

His small form trembled as the dark rukh quickly took root and began to bruise his skin. His pupils dilated with pain that a person could only imagine.

* * *

"_It couldn't haven been that important anyways."_

* * *

Shion screamed.


	32. Chapter 31: Splatter Splat

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ithnan pissed off the wrong dad.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Onwards

"_**Following the Will of Our Father, We bestow upon you a curse of death!"**_

Shion screamed.

And screamed. And screamed. And _screamed._

It wasn't like the shout he had made back at the port. It wasn't even like the shriek he made when Judal ripped the magoi-suppressor from his wrist and _that had hurt_. A lot.

But not as much as this.

Having your own rukh forcefully converted and twisted into something that it wasn't supposed to be was terrifying and wrong, wrong, **wrong**. So wrong. And it hurthimsofuckingmuch and it _burned_. Oh Solomon, it burned. Everything was on fire and he couldn't put. It. Out. He couldn'tputitout. No matter how much he tried to claw at his skin or roll around, the burn was still there, growing more and more under his skin.

It was torture.

'_Make it STOP!' _The Child screamed and he began to sob. _'No more, no more, please, please, no more! Why does it hurt so much?'_

'_Shion? Shion! You have to focus.'_ The King tried to soothe him, but Shion could hear the worry in his voice. _'Shion, focus. Focus. Try to push it away. If you panic, it will only make it worse. Can you understand me, Shion? Panicking will only make it worse.'_

The Veteran remained silent.

Shion's frantic breathing slowed.

'_Good. That's it. Calm down.'_

Slowly, Shion steadied his mind and somehow regained control of himself. He blinked blearily and tried to recover his sight and other senses. The pain was still there, but it was significantly dulled.

"My, my, isn't this a surprise? The young prince is more like his mother than I had originally thought." Ithnan's voice sounded in amusement above him. Though, there was a little bit of shakiness in the man's voice too. He must've not expected Shion's reaction. "Rukh-sensitive _and _a progeny of a First-Class Singularity. Unfortunately, that could mean that my curse could kill Prince Shion instead of converting him. He could already have died from the pain." Shion imagined Ithnan shrugging. "Oh well, better off dead than a threat, I suppose."

"D-Don't count me out j-j-just yet." Shion wheezed as he stood up shakily. Beside him, Kohaku made a move to steady him, but was stopped. "_No! Don't touch me, Kohaku. _The blood will get on y-you too. Everyone, don't touch me without something covering your skin. We can't have this spread." He ordered with a strained voice.

"Shion." He heard his father's voice behind him. Shion sensed his father's hands hovering over Shion's shoulders with worry. "Are you okay?"

"H-Hurts like hell." He confessed. Ja'far didn't reprove him for his language for once, though it could've been because he was too shocked from Shion's screams to properly react.

"I suppose you are stronger than I thought, little prince." Ithnan mused. He was impressed. Shion could hear it in his voice. But he honestly didn't give a damn to what the Al Thamen member thought. "This is Al Thamen's 'Invitation' to the vessel that was chosen by Solomon's Arrogance, King Alibaba, and the progeny of the "First Class Singularity", Prince Shion. Become black kings and surrender to Our Father!" Ithnan proclaimed dramatically and continued to explain the workings of the curse.

Shion's stomach became heavier and heavier with each passing word.

'_That means that…Mom…'_ He thought helplessly as he looked at the bruises all over his skin. At the depressing thought, he felt the dark rukh fluctuate and spread even faster. Shion immediately tried to calm himself and think optimistically.

"Well, it's time for me to take my leave. All this white rukh is stifling. I even had a bit of a hard time dwelling in your body, Prince Hakuryuu." Ithnan said with a disappointed shake of his head. He bowed mockingly to Judal. "Best regards, Oracle. I'll be sure to tell her about your change of alliance."

As Ithnan quickly made his escape, he made sure to throw his last taunt to Sinbad. "Oh and, King Sinbad? That invitation had been meant for you."

The wave of killing intent that followed after Ithnan was more than enough to knock Shion out.

* * *

What happened after Shion's collapse was almost…brutal. Sinbad didn't even wait for Yamraiha to prepare a transfer circle. He didn't wait for the whole area to clear out. He took Ithnan down right then and there.

Kougyoku had been too far from the scene to help out when Shion was tainted with Ithnan's 'curse', but had been close enough to see that the king's face had frozen over to an emotionless mask when he activated his djinn equip. She stared with fear and awe as the king pummeled the Al Thamen Member with attack after attack, only holding back just enough to keep the man alive. It was almost like seeing someone swat down a fly. She watched as he snatched Ithnan's almost lifeless body from the ground and whisked him away to a far away place where he perform unspeakable acts to wrangle out information about his son's current state.

(Kougyoku saw it all: Image by horrifying image, flickering across the sky behind the angry king. Some of what she saw almost made her hurl, but she knew that it was necessary.)

Kougyoku looked down at Shion's bruised, little body and became even more aware of how _young _and _fragile _Shion's body looked.

Then, someone picked his body up.

"Be careful." She told the person. "The blood might…at least put some gloves on or something."

The person snorted.

"Princess, you should know more than anyone else that I don't need to be careful around black rukh."

Kougyoku looked up into Judal's eyes, but couldn't bring herself to feel embarrassed or angry with the magi. She only felt worried.

Worried and helpless

_My king, oh, my king._

Kougyoku nodded numbly as she stared down at the growing blue-black patches of skin on Shion's arms and face.

"Let's bring him inside."

(Kougyoku couldn't blame King Sinbad for what he was going to do.)

(Since it was for Shion.)

* * *

When Shion came to, he found that someone was holding his hand.

"_Shion_. You're awake."

There was immense relief in Sinbad's voice. Shion's vision was still blurry, but he knew that there were other people in the room. Shion's whole body felt numb. Why couldn't he feel anything anymore? Shouldn't he be in pain right now?

Wait…yup, it was back.

Shion hissed as the pain traveled through his body once again.

"Shit. Shit. Shit." He took it back. He preferred not feeling anything to _this_. Why did it have to hurt so much? "_Fuck._ That hurts. Ow. Fuck. _Dammit all!"_

"Wow, if you're cursing that much, you really must be in a lot of pain there, buddy." Shion heard Jamal joke, though there was a certain weakness in his voice. "I'd offer you an Advil if I could, but that thing only works for physical pain apparently. Aladdin over there says that it's completely spiritual."

"Hang in there, Shion." Kikiriku's voice followed after. "We're going to find a way to fix this."

Opal made a sound of agreement from the other side. "That's right. Selene is trying to best to find something to alleviate the pain even a _little _bit, so be patient. But feel free to curse some more. I hear it helps."

"Carnivore, you _will _get better." Hel ordered.

Shion would've liked to think that the support from his friends helped. But it honestly didn't. Unfortunately. It was the reality of facing pain.

(Shion appreciated their words, nevertheless.)

"Father?" He called out tentatively, wincing as his throat stung. "Father? What about Ithnan? Is Ithnan still out there?"

"No. Don't worry, Shion. I got rid of him." Sinbad assured him soothingly. "He won't be coming back. Don't worry. I'll do whatever I can to get you better, just wait. Okay? Yamraiha, how is he?"

"My King, the bruise is still spreading." Yamraiha voice sounded at Shion's right. "Kohaku, how is Alibaba's state?"

"It's getting worse, Sensei." Kohaku replied with a shaky voice. "I…I don't know how to remove this taint without hurting Alibaba-san. The black rukh and the white rukh are all so mixed together that I can't tell which one is which. It's too complicated for me to understand! I'm sorry."

Shion saw Yamraiha shake her head from the corner of his eye. "No, this is high-level magic that even I can't undo. It can only be undone by the caster."

Shion let out a dry laugh. "Of course." He said to himself bitterly as his vision flickered. _"Of course._ So that was why Uncle couldn't fix her…but then again, he made me pick all those damned flowers, so he should've had _some _idea in mind to bring her back…but he didn't really succeed in…no, no, no, that's a bad, bad thought. Bad Shion. No bad thoughts when you're cursed. It'll only make it all worse."

"My prince," Yamraiha ventured tentatively, putting Shion's ramblings to a stop, "there is no such thing as curses. They don't exist."

Shion tilted his head in confusion.

"But…didn't Ithnan say that it was a curse?"

Shion felt his hair being smoothed back by a big hand. "He was only bluffing, Shion." His father's voice soothed. "Curses don't exist. It's just a fable."

Shion wanted to believe his father badly…but he knew that he was lying. Both his intuition and his firsthand experience with curses told him that Sinbad was lying to him.

"_Be careful around Sinbad, Princeling. Your daddy is cursed."_ He remembered Sai informing him seriously (for once) when Sinbad first brought him over to Sindria. _"His rukh…let's just say that what the curse does to his rukh is bad."_

And when Sai said something was bad, it was _bad_.

"Okay." Shion accepted verbally. "I guess it means that…this thing can be…broken, right?" He began breathing with difficulty.

"Yes," Yamraiha agreed, "but as I said before, this is a high-class spell that influences the rukh. Kohaku and I are doing our best to slow it down, but it won't hold the effects back for long. There's a high possibility that Ithnan could harvest the dark rukh and bring himself back."

"Let me…guess…" Shion wheezed as his began to nod off. "…My body will…rot away from all the…stress, right?"

"…"

Shion smiled ruefully.

"Thought…so."

Shion trailed off from the last word and slipped back into unconsciousness as he felt darkness pull him under with whispers of death and depravity.

_Thought so._

* * *

Amani turned away from Shion to check over the state of her brother.

Since the amount of blood that spattered over him was noticeably smaller, Alibaba seemed to be faring a little bit better than the suffering prince. Aladdin hovered over him with worry written all over his face that mirrored the one on Kohaku's.

Amani's attention went back to Aladdin.

Couldn't he help Shion and Alibaba with his Wisdom of Solomon? Though it would be dangerous for Sinbad to know about the ability, Amani couldn't think of any other solution than this. The secret was not worth Shion's life.

_Desperate times take desperate measures._ She thought as she opened her mouth to make the request.

"Aladdin –

"Oi, Chibi."

Judal walked over to the smaller magi from his personal corner. "Remember that spell you used on me back in Balbadd?" Then with a lower tone he added. "You know, the one that caught me off guard?"

And by 'off guard', Amani knew he really meant 'defeat'.

But Aladdin's eyes shined at Judal not-quite suggestion, completely understanding what he was getting at. "Yes, that could work. Solomon's Wisdom directly influences the rukh. But…" Aladdin faltered, "I don't think I'll have enough rukh to fight off the black rukh from both bodies _while _fixing the root of the taint."

"I'll deal with that." Judal said impatiently. Aladdin bit his lip, irritating him even further. "What is it now?! These two don't exactly have that much time, do they? Especially the Chibi-er Chibi."

"I can't perform Solomon's Wisdom at the same time for both of them. I only have one consciousness."

Amani tentatively stepped forward. "If you can, I can take care of Alibaba while you try taking the taint out of Shion." She offered. "No one knows Alibaba better than his own twin, right?"

Aladdin's expression brightened. "Yes! That will work! Thank you, Miss Amani!"

Though Amani shared his smile, she instinctively rubbed her belly anxiously. Since the trip would be completely spiritual, the child would be safe. But what about the…other rukh in Alibaba's body?

_Kassim, are you still in there?_

* * *

"W-Why are you here?"

Alibaba stared at the figure in front of him in disbelief. Kassim stared right back with the same amount of confusion and incredulity of the whole situation. It was…strange seeing his dead friend again. Alibaba wanted to feel happy (no, he really _was _happy), but there was something very, very _wrong _about this Kassim. As crazy as it sounded, Alibaba felt as if Kassim wasn't _supposed _to be visible to him.

_That's because he's dead._ The logical part of Alibaba reminded him.

"You can see me?" Kassim asked with a hint of panic in his eyes. Then, he shook his head. "No. This isn't how it was supposed to be. You weren't supposed to see me or even know I'm here. So why-?"

"That's because of my influence."

Both Alibaba and Kassim turned and narrowed their eyes at Ithnan's presence.

"Of course." Alibaba scowled aggressively, making a move to draw his sword. When his hand met thin air, he looked down in shock. "What?"

"This is your mindscape. Weapons like Amon do not follow you here." Ithnan lips curled up. "Which is a good thing for me. It makes it easier to take advantage of the weak state of your mind and your body."

"Why you-!"

Ithnan held up a hand.

"Now, now, let's not be hasty, King Alibaba. Are you sure that it is me you should be worried about? From what I remember, it should be _him_." He pointed at Kassim.

Kassim growled. "What the hell are you-?" He stiffened as black rukh began to surround his body, snuffing out his light. When the darkness fell away, Kassim still remained but he had a wrathful expression on his face.

"_You."_ He snarled at Alibaba. "Weak, soft-hearted, idiotic _coward_. Do you know how much of a pain you are? Do you know how _frustrating _it was for me to pretend to be all buddy-buddy with you in the Fog Troupe?"

Alibaba began backing away.

"Kassim? Kassim, snap out of it. You aren't thinking straight. That guy did something to you." He said nervously. "Kassim?"

Kassim struck.

Ithnan smirked.

* * *

In his mindscape, an older Shion looked over his 'body' with confusion. While almost everything was shrouded in a dark fog, Shion remained bright and glowing.

"What? I'm older? But that doesn't make any sense! Where am I?"

"_Your soul always stays the same, you __**idiot**__."_ A voice hissed from the darkness. _"Time travel changes nothing in the spiritual world. This is the real you."_

Someone stepped out of the shadows.

Shion stared at the darker image of himself.

"You're a disgrace." The Veteran informed him. "You let _that guy_ into our body." He pointed over to a hunched over Ithnan with distaste coloring his voice. "I can't believe that you sacrificed _our body _for that already half-fallen idiot king."

"He's our _father_." Shion stressed. "I couldn't just stand by and do nothing."

"Well, you could've just _let_ him get tainted. It wouldn't have done anything to him. Believe me. That nasty curse he has in his body would've swallowed all the dark rukh up without any trouble." The Veteran snorted as he crossed his arms.

Shion frowned. "It would've made it worse." He argued. "I couldn't risk it."

"_You _can't risk _that guy's _safety? What about _us_?" The Veteran snarled. "The King, The Child, hell, even me. _We _were the ones who kept your fucked up mind all organized and sane. Are you saying that we're _nothing_ compared to that royal prick?"

Shion took a wary step back as his alter ego began to tremble with rage.

"It's because of _you_ that I'm miserable!" The Veteran accused Shion as all the dark fog gathered around his hand to create a sword. "Because of you…I have to keep all these damned memories. Only me! And why? Because you were too weak to face the truth! So you created **me** to face and remember all that shit**.** And is this all the thanks I get?"

Shion had no time to ask what he was talking about since he had to dodge the Veteran's lunge.

* * *

"_**Wisdom of Solomon!"**_

* * *

"…Are you sure that this will work?"

Judal twitched as Sinbad asked the same question for the thousandth time since Aladdin activated his Wisdom of Solomon. He tried being 'polite', as Tao had requested of him, to the Idiot King by answering everything, but the worrying and repetition was beginning to grate on his nerves.

"Yeah, I'm sure that it'll work." He said for the thousandth time.

"It won't hurt Shion, will it?" Sinbad continued to worry. "He's rukh-sensitive. Would Aladdin's presence hurt him?"

Judal tried to tune him out and redirect all his focus to keeping the black rukh from spreading.

"It only hurts him if the rukh is black." He gritted out.

"What if it doesn't work?"

Judal snapped.

"Oi, Idiot King. The Chibi has _everything under control_, as much as I hate to say it." Judal cut Sinbad off roughly. "Just because I liked seeing you squirm when I was a kid, doesn't mean I enjoy it now. Actually, it's starting to piss me off. So can you shut up and let me concentrate? What I'm doing here ain't easy."

* * *

"Ah, so you finally decided to approach me. Yes, yes, I can see you. It's sort of a clan thing. What do you need to absolve your regrets? I'll try to help."

"…"

"Oh, so you're a friend of the scary blonde boy…Alibaba, right? My brother and his friends are already giving their all the help him and the poor, little prince. I'm afraid that I have no influence over his fate."

"…"

"…? Some of your rukh is inside that boy? Are you sure that was a good idea?"

"…"

"So your rukh was supposed to be for the _sister_. I see. Unfortunately, mingling rukh with the different gender could have some repercussions. It works better when you share similarities, which includes gender. I'm sorry that your attempt failed. But, I think that the young lady over there is more than capable of taking care of herself, don't you think?"

"…"

"Ah? Are you asking of me what I think you're trying to ask of me?"

"…"

"It's not an easy thing to do, you know. I can only guide you to the right path. You would have to fight the other contenders for that new life. Are you sure about this choice? It's not too late to take care of that regret of yours so you can rest in peace."

"…"

"I see. So it's like that. Well, I guess it means that I'll help. Would you like me to tell the young lady about our conversation?"

"…"

"No?"

"…"

"If that's your choice…but I think you suffered enough for your sins, young man. Try to forgive yourself. Believe me. It'll make the transition easier. For you and for her."

* * *

Amani looked around Alibaba's mindscape. Everything here was…bright. Simple. She briefly wondered if mindscapes reflected a person's characteristics as she quickly searched from her brother's presence. The source of the taint was bound to be where he was.

"Kassim, please! Talk this out with me!"

"SHUT UP! Don't you get it? Out of everyone, I hate you the most, Alibaba!"

It was surprisingly easy to find her brother, but…that voice. A chill went down her spine upon hearing it. Amani could recognize it anywhere. It was Kassim.

What did they do to Kassim?!

Amani silently watched as Alibaba and Kassim traded blows. She was tempted to intervene many times, but knew that it was better to let them settle this themselves. Eventually, her brother gave up on trying to convince his dead friend to "snap out of it" and began to retaliate in earnest with both physical and vocal blows.

"You were always the one who lived in radiance! Always!"

"You're wrong! It wasn't such a smooth path for me, you know. I'm not that noble person you think I am! Not once did I ever think about my 'royal blood' or shit like that! Everything I did back then was to survive! _Stop forcing your assumptions onto me!_"

Amani's sharp eyes caught sight of a slight shifting in the darkness at her left and narrowed her eyes dangerously. "Ithnan. Leave my brother's body."

Ithnan mockingly bowed at Amani upon her demand.

"As the lady wishes. My work here is already done. My other fragment in the young prince's vessel will be more successful in his endeavor. Well then. Farewell, Blessed Child."

Ithnan then disappeared without another word.

"Good riddance." She muttered to herself as she turned her attention back to her brother and Kassim.

They were still fighting.

Amani knew that this was supposed to be some twisted form of 'spiritual bonding' between them, but she still felt irritated with their childish actions. "I already gave them their time to vent to each other. What do they need, another hour? _Men._" She shook her head and rushed over to them before they could hurt each other more than they already did.

With swift movements, she quickly grabbed Alibaba and yanked him out of Kassim's punching range while pushing Kassim back with a well-aimed punch in the gut.

"No more fighting." Amani told them, pinning them both down with a _look _that both of them learned from childhood to never go against. "Both of you look foolish. I thought you two grew out of this years ago."

Alibaba blinked.

"Amani? What are you doing here?"

"Trying to save you." Then, she turned her gaze over to Kassim and felt a pang of disappointment.

Rukh.

The area where she punched Kassim dissipated into rukh. Now, he looked like a hollow doll that was just had a hole punched through it.

"Just as I thought. You're just a memory, aren't you? The real Kassim must have left a fragment of himself to look after us and moved on. That must be why you can't see me. You're here for Alibaba. Not me." Amani sighed heavily when Kassim made no indication that he heard her and turned back to Alibaba. "Stop fighting, Alibaba. It's pointless."

"Amani…all the things that he said…"

"They were true." Amani confessed, making Alibaba flinch. "But it was all under the influence of the black rukh. Kassim had reconciled that grudge against you back when he was alive. Believe me." She laughed bitterly. "I made sure of that the moment I noticed it. Kassim was…jealous of you. Of us. He despised the difference between our fates and lifestyles. He believed himself to be _scum._"

"But he wasn't." Alibaba insisted. Then, to the broken Kassim-doll, he repeated the sentence. "You aren't scum. We might be different, but…that doesn't make you scum. Our paths were just different, that's all. The difference between us, it's not shameful or despicable. It's just…sad."

Kassim tiredly raised his face as rukh began to pour out of the hole in his stomach.

"Sad, huh? I wonder…"

And then, Kassim fell apart into a thousand, bright birds, leaving the twins behind to watch their friend depart in peace. Just like that.

'_Just a memory. Just a memory.'_ Amani reminded as she watched the rukh around her and Alibaba began to return to its bright, untainted state. _'Just a memory. Just a memory.'_

But, even as she woke up and watched as Alibaba's bruises disappeared, Amani still felt like crying.

(He couldn't see her. He couldn't_ see _her_._)

* * *

Aladdin wandered through Shion's rukh, accepting the scattered memories that sometimes landed on his arm. The memories were all different.

Some were happy…

_A blonde woman stood in front of a very young Shion._

"_Shion! Say, 'Mama'! Say 'Mama' for me just once. Please?"_

Some were comical…

_A blonde man, who resembled the beautiful blonde woman from before stood in front of a dungeon's entrance with Shion clutching at his pant leg._

"_Shion, remember. This is a dungeon. Never enter one without my permissio - oh no."_

_The blonde man tripped in mid-sentence, causing the little boy to fly into the dungeon._

(Honestly, Aladdin didn't know how to react to that scene.)

Some were sad…

_Both Shion and his uncle stood in front of the bedside of Shion's mother. Her skin was blotched with the same bruises that Shion and Alibaba currently had but, unlike them, she was still. Almost alarmingly so._

"_Uncle, when is Mom going to wake up?"_

"_I don't know, Shion."_

"_Is she ever going to wake up?"_

"_I…don't know, Shion."_

But…some were a bit strange.

_A younger Amani and Shion sat across from each other, engaging a conversation._

"_What is this mission that you're speaking of?"_

"_Saving the world." The boy stated simply._

"…_Really?" The princess asked skeptically._

Yes. They were very strange. When Aladdin saw these scenes, there were times that he didn't even understand what was coming out of Shion or the Blessed Children's mouths. Was it some made-up language or was Shion talented enough to scramble up some of the dialogue in his memories to prevent any strangers from hearing the true conversation?

Aladdin's train of thought was interrupted when he suddenly bumped into someone.

"Hey! Watch where you're going, stranger!" A youthful voice whined. "That hurt!"

"Sorry!" Aladdin apologized genuinely. "I'm a bit lost so I didn't watch where I was…going…" The magi stared at Shion. "Shion?"

'Shion' made a buzzing noise while crossing his arms in an 'x' motion. "Wrong! I'm Child! The Shion you know is waaaaay over there with Veteran. I think they're having a little bit of an argument." Then, his eyes widened. "Hey, you're actually talking to me! This is the first time I got to speak with anyone other than King, Veteran, and Shion!"

"Really." Aladdin said uneasily. "Can you take me to them?"

Child shrugged. "Okay. But you have to talk with me more later, okay? It's lonely here and Shion doesn't like talking with us." He leaned in a whispered furtively. "It makes him feel like he's crazy so he pretends we aren't there most of the time."

Aladdin didn't fault Shion for thinking that.

BOOM!

The sudden tremor in the mindscape sent Aladdin and Child a little off-balance. Though Aladdin fell into a defensive stance, Child was completely unperturbed.

"Oh! There they are! Heeeey! Shion! Someone wants to see you!"

Aladdin looked to where Child was speaking and found himself bewildered at the sight. Two identical figures were fighting some battle. One was armed with a sword made of black rukh while the other was jumping and dodging from the attacks.

Shion himself was nowhere to be found.

The dodging man let out a sound of exasperation from the back of his throat. "Later, Child! I'm a little busy at the moment!"

"Butt out, brat! The grown-ups are talking!" His attacker snapped. "And _you_. Stay still. I can't make a clean cut with you jumping all around like some demented grasshopper."

"Well maybe I'm 'hopping around' because I'm – oh, I don't know –_ trying to stay alive? _And what part of this exchange is _talking?!_"

Aladdin turned back to Child.

"I think we have a misunderstanding. I don't see Shion anywhere."

Child tilted his head. "What are you talking about? Shion is over there." He pointed at the dodging man.

Aladdin shook his head. "The Shion I know looks exactly like you. He's not Shion."

"Yes he is!" Child insisted. "Just because he's using my body doesn't mean he's not who he is! Shion is Shion!"

Before Aladdin could speak, he was interrupted by another voice.

"How interesting. Who knew the young prince had such a chaotic mind?"

Both Aladdin and Child turned to face Ithnan. He was hunched over in his little patch of darkness. "Ithnan. Please leave my friend."

He smiled bitterly.

"Just pray for it. That alone will do the trick."

"Oh." Child said cheerfully. "Was that all it took to kick you out of Shion's mind? Then I should've done that _ages _ago. What you did to Veteran wasn't kind, you know."

Ithnan completely ignored Child in favor of Aladdin. "My real body was killed by Sinbad. I'm sure that I won't stand a chance against the willpower of a Magi. My other fragment certainly had no chance against the Blessed Child's demands."

Aladdin remained silent.

"…I don't like this place. Everything in here reminds me of too many things. _His _presence is also strong in here." Ithnan confessed. "So this is why the Blessed Children flock around this child so much. He is the inheritor of _his_ mission."

Aladdin appeared slightly confused at his words. Child remained silent. "_He_?"

Ithnan shook his head. "Never you mind, Magi. Well? What are you waiting for? Hurry up and erase me."

Resolve filled Aladdin's eyes.

"No. I have questions to ask you."

Ithnan's eyes widened as Aladdin stepped forward.

"Why do you despise this world?"

* * *

"Why do you hate me so much?"

Shion stood over his worn-out counterpart. He knew that his win in this battle partially contributed to Veteran's struggle against the influence of the black rukh while also giving into his rage toward Shion.

"You made me into this." Veteran gritted out. "I was created to lock all the nightmares and bad memories away. Even in our first life I was there to take care of all the bad things while you lived comfortably! Why do I have to suffer through this alone?"

Shion stiffened.

"I did that?"

The Veteran scoffed. "Ever since we were kids. And I meant the first time around, not this one."

"Then why did I never hear you?"

"That's because I didn't have a voice." The Veteran said simply. "Our experience in war and our uncle's memory suppressing seals gave me personality." He pointed at Shion. "And your failure to protect Amani and our comrades gave me my voice."

"…I see. I'm sorry that I did this to you."

The Veteran raised his eyes to Shion's searchingly as if to affirm that his apology was sincere. Then, he scoffed and threw away his sword, which dissolved into pure rukh the moment it left his hand. "Che. As long as you know, it's fine. Next time, don't do anything stupid like risking our lives or I'll be taking over."

"Wait, you can do that?"

The Veteran sent him a dry look.

"Why do you think your memories are so 'spotty'? I came out from time to time in our first life. I'm just not doing it now since our body is still a brat."

Shion sweatdropped.

'_Such a shallow reason…'_

"Shion~!" The Child whined. "Are you done yet? It's not nice to keep a guest waiting."

"A guest?"

"Yeah, his name is Aladdin! He just took care of that Ithnan guy and he's asking for you!" The Child pouted. "But he still won't believe that you are Shion!"

"That _idiot_." The Veteran quietly hissed under his breath. "_Of course_ he wouldn't recognize us. We both look older here! Quick! We need to leave or hide before he sees us!"

Shion glanced at his darker counterpart wryly. "Where? From my knowledge, Aladdin practically has access to all of the spiritual plane."

"Well we have to do _something!_"

"…Shion, is that really you?"

Both Shion and the Veteran froze at Aladdin's voice.

"We're _so_ screwed." The Veteran cursed, practically summing up their thoughts with those words.

* * *

Aladdin stared at the frozen figures. Their silence was enough to answer his question.

"Shion?" He called again, not fully processing that _Shion looked older than he should _and that _there were two of him_. "It's you, isn't it? At least…one of you is Shion. Right?"

When the pair remained silent, Aladdin took a step forward.

"Shion, I…-!"

He slipped in mid-sentence and staggered back, unknowingly stumbling into a large mass of rukh that was not his own. One of the figures – the one who had been attacking the other earlier - gave a shout while the other reached out to grab Aladdin.

"Shit!" The more aggressive figure cursed. "Don't let him see it, Shion! Drag him away from there! Don't-!"

But it was too late.

Aladdin stumbled into the mass of memories, pulling the person he assumed was the actual Shion down with him.

What happened next was a complete mess.

* * *

Both Shion and Aladdin's bodies convulsed at the same time, causing everyone in the room to panic. Yamraiha and Kohaku made a more active effort in stabilizing Shion. Sinbad reached out to Aladdin's comatose body to shake him awake, but was stopped by a hard look sent by Judal.

"_Don't."_ He said with such intensity that the king stumbled back. "Just…don't. It'll only make things _worse_ if you try waking the Chibi up, not that you would be able to wake him up anyways. Don't."

So Sinbad didn't. It pained him to listen to his old enemy, but what choice did he have? He had no clue on the spiritual matters or the workings of the unique ability that Aladdin had. But Judal apparently did.

_But was he really telling the truth?_ For a moment, the Sindrian King allowed himself to doubt. There was a chance that Judal was purposefully allowing these events to play out to have Shion harmed. Knowing Judal's sadistic nature in his past dealings with the magi, Sinbad wouldn't put it past him to do exactly that.

_But, _a logical voice in his head sounded, _Judal has so much more to lose now. He won't risk it. Not when his brother is under my care and mercy._

Sinbad always took measures of security, for his country and for the people most important to him.

So, in the end, Sinbad trusted Judal's attachment to his brother and stepped back.

"He will be fine." He assured the others. The words fell flat and sour even to his own ears. Sinbad grimaced and turned back to the eerily still form of his son.

His son would be fine.

Shion would be fine.

* * *

Aladdin helplessly struggled in the mass of rukh as memories streamed into his consciousness, making him feel as if he was about to burst into a thousand shards with the influx of information he was receiving.

"_My powers bring steep consequences to your world. I dare you to pay with your life in full and some more. If you do, I shall serve you, my king."_

"_Shion? You're alive? But you died in the dungeon eight years ago!"_

"_Mom. Uncle. I'm back."_

"_Hello Shion. I am Aladdin, a friend of your Uncle's and this is Alibaba, King and Representative of the Republic of Balbadd."_

"_-et away from her you monster! Mom! MOM! No! I need to help mom!"_

"_No, Shion! It's too late for her!"_

"_MOM!"_

"_My name is Amani Saluja. What's your name?"_

"_Sh-Shion. Just Shion."_

"_Uncle, I will destroy Al Thamen and the Black Bird once and for all. For Mom and for this world."_

Aladdin blinked and tried regaining control over his own mind, distancing himself from the rest of his memories.

_Aputsiaq…Opal…Jamal…Selene…Hakkan _ _ **that traitor** _ _…Hel…Yasmine…Sai…Jin…Amani._

_Amani._

Aladdin blinked in surprise at the tender emotions that came from that name and the way the rukh around him fluttered more softly, more _reverently _at the name. But how could that be so? It was so strange. Aladdin never saw the rukh acting like this before.

_Amani._

Curiously, Aladdin reached out.

He immediately regretted it. What he saw…Aladdin didn't want to remember it. He didn't even want to _believe_ it, but he knew that this…this was no nightmare. The rukh only showed memories.

"_I wish to change this fate."_

Aladdin was then abruptly dragged out from the memories. Dark, blue eyes met his own the moment he was free from the memories.

"Sh-Shion?"

"Wrong. I'm Veteran." 'Veteran' gritted out. "And I'm not as _nice _as Child or Shion." His grip on Aladdin's clothes tightened. "Tell anyone what you saw in there and you're dead, old friend of mine or not. It doesn't really matter with all the stakes stacked onto this." He gave Aladdin a rough shake. "Understand?"

Aladdin nodded. "Don't worry. I won't."

"Good." Veteran dropped Aladdin. "Now…"

"_Get. Out."_

* * *

"_My King! My King! King of All Kings, Solomon!"_

Shion was reeling at the influx of information that Aladdin's own memories were giving him. He supposed this was like an exchange between him and the magi.

It was an exchange that he didn't need or want.

"_You are a really despicable woman."_

"_This is Momo!"_

"_It's __**you**__ who are the real sinners here! You were the ones who committed the worst sin of all! __**You saved me!**__"_

"_Just like in the past, talk to me without honorifics when we are alone."_

"_Solomon! We will always be on your side!"_

"_Hey Sheba, marry Solomon."_

"_Please go out with me!"_

"_Solomon! Solomon! Please, become our King!"_

"_You're not wrong, you know."_

"_You're pregnant!?"_

"_I already decided his name."_

Shion shuddered as faces, memories, and events flashed across his mind as if they were his own. Some of the memories, he managed to ignore or gloss over, but the majority of them barraged his brain until he was completely exhausted with the overload of information. He wanted it to stop. He wanted it all to stop. Everything here wasn't his. These people, these places, these memories, this world…

It wasn't his. It all wasn't his.

"_Goodbye, King David."_

"_Tess! Tess…no…NO! Why did this happen? This is impossible…impossible! Tess! Tess!"_

"_Setta…"_

"_Why did I have someone like you as a father?"_

"_Farewell Solomon, my beloved child! No…actually, I never thought of you that way. Not even once…I guess?"_

"_David…for what reason did you do all of this?"_

"_Sheba, you were the one who understood me the best. Ugo, as long as you are around, creation will be possible, no matter what destruction there is to come. Arba, you are the one I trust the most. Continue to admonish me like you have always done and devote your power to me."_

"_No. Don't leave me! You don't have to become god…just stay by my side."_

"_Arba, __**no**__! Please, don't do this!"_

Shion paused in his struggles for a second at the voice and zoomed into the memories. He blinked as he saw an unfamiliar figure standing in front of the woman he came to know as "Arba".

"_Sammi." Arba calmly turned from the chaos raging around her to face the other person. Strangely, Shion couldn't see her face. "You have always been a very bright woman who I respect, but…your decisions are completely clouded by your bias and loyalty to Solomon. I knew you would be against me in my choice."_

"_Stop this." 'Sammi' insisted once again, pleading with Arba. "We endured too much to throw ourselves into another war. Il Illah is not gone! Can't you see? He's still here. He is in you, in me, in all of us! Just because you cannot hear his voice anymore does not mean that he is gone. Solomon has made it so that fate will run by individual choices. Please, stop this madness!"_

"_This is for Our Father. This is to stop Solomon's arrogance."_

_Sammi shook her head._

"_There is no getting through your head, is there? You will destroy this world by doing this. I won't let you."_

_Arba turned her gaze toward Sammi coldly._

"_Bold words for a woman who doesn't belong in this world. Why do you care so much?"_

"_Because –_

Shion wasn't able to hear the last part.

He woke up before he could.

* * *

Everyone in the room relaxed the moment the bruises on Shion's body receded and Aladdin woke up. The little magi was visibly exhausted and a little shaken by his spiritual trip into the prince's mind, but he assured everyone that he was successful.

As if to prove Aladdin's claim, Shion's eyes opened.

Sinbad was immediately upon him, fussing over his son and checking for himself whether or not Shion was completely stable.

"Don't _ever_ do something as risky as that again. Do you understand me? We almost lost you." Sinbad scolded Shion while pulling his son to him tightly. "Oh Solomon, I thought I almost lost you. Don't do that again."

"Sorry for worrying you." Shion rasped as he did his best to hug his father back. He noticeably avoided promising to 'never do that again'. Shion knew he would have to pull stunts like this in the future. But, for his father's peace of mind, he kept silent about that part. He licked his chapped lips. "Can I…have some water?"

Jamal shoved a cup into Shion's hands with a wink. "I gotcha, buddy. Way ahead of ya. Just don't stress yourself for the next couple of days. Aspirin?" He offered the pill to Shion.

"Wait, you actually made one?"

Jamal scratched the back of his head sheepishly. "Well, I had a lot of time on my hands."

Both Kikiriku and Hel snorted.

"Yeah right. The nutjob was scrambling to make that little pill while you were out. Managed to make Hel sick by making him act as a test subject." Kikiriku chortled, earning a venomous glare from Hel, who really did look a little green around the gills upon closer inspection.

Opal smirked. "Let's not forget all those other little re-inventions Jamal made in his spare time waiting for you to wake up. What were they again?"

"A toaster, a Rubik's cube, a portable stove, a paintball gun, a stronger Taser, and a ten-year bazooka…well, I was working on the last one. Didn't really finish that one." Jamal listed automatically before shooting Shion an even more sheepish look. "I thought you were never ever going to wake up ever…so I panicked."

"I'll say." One of the servants muttered as he passed by.

Shion slowly took the Advil and plopped it into his mouth. Solomon knows how much he needed it after everything he went through.

"Thanks guys for being there for me." He thanked genuinely with a warm smile. His eyes met Kohaku's from the other side of the room and they shared smiles. "Thanks."

Sinbad interrupted the tender moment by clearing his throat.

"Now that's all done and over with, you're grounded. No training with metal vessel for a week. Actually, no training in any form until you fully recover."

Shion's eyes bulged.

"Until I recover? But Father that will take _forever_." He whined.

"No buts. You're grounded."

* * *

From across the room, Kougyoku and Tao brought a heavily sweating Judal over to a chair. Apparently, the containment of the black rukh was harder than it looked despite his past experience with the tainted rukh.

"You did a good job, Kido. Impressive control." Tao applauded his little brother.

Kougyoku nodded in agreement. "Thanks for saving Shion, Judal. I really thought that…"

Judal scoffed while avoiding her eyes. "Chibi-er Chibi would've survived it without my help anyway. He's strong." He admitted the last part reluctantly. He shifted away from her, earning a raised brow from Tao and an eye-twitch from Kougyoku.

_Why that little –_

Judal should count himself lucky that Kougyoku could see what he was actually feeling or he would've been seven feet under the ground right now. The embarrassment and insecurity that he felt creating an obvious gap between them was clear as day to her eyes. Any normal girl would have backed away and allowed the invisible barrier to increase.

Fortunately, Kougyoku wasn't just any normal girl.

Kougyoku's hand snapped out and grabbed Judal by the chin, forcing his face in her direction. She smiled sweetly at him, making him shudder since Kougyoku _never _smiled like that. "Judal," she began slowly, drawing out every single syllable of his name, "Still. _Thank you_ for saving Shion."

Then, she kissed him.

It was simple and chaste, but it got the reaction that she wanted.

With a satisfied smile at Judal's gobsmacked expression, Kougyoku walked away from the magi with her head held high. As she exited, she called out to him over her shoulder. "And _that's _how you take the initiative. Come to me when you can do the same, Judal."

Judal gaped after Kougyoku, earning a snicker from his older brother.

"For generations, the men of the Gui Clan were well known for picking strong women. I suppose you inherited that aspect. You picked a very strong one, Kido. I'll give you that." Tao said before adding innocently. "Good luck, Kido. Our mother gives you her blessing."

* * *

Mommy Gui approves. XD

Now, onto the Omake!

* * *

**Omake: Unintentional Womanizer (or, How Kouha Suddenly Got More Competition)**

It was supposed to be a joke.

Since Yasmine had been so adamant about keeping the Sasan tradition of dressing and acting as a man until her hair grew back out, Kouha wanted her to experience _every single _detail of being a man. So, he made sure to drag her around anywhere he would usually frequent when she wasn't around.

Which also meant taking her to the brothels.

Honestly, Kouha had expected Yasmine to back out of his little dare and go back to being a woman, traditions from her stupid ex-country or no, but he had completely underestimated her stubbornness and shamelessness. She followed him and his male subordinates inside without a beat of hesitation.

"Kyaaa~! Mystras-sama, don't be so shy~!"

"Tell us about your travels!"

"Why do you wear a blindfold? Are your eyes hurt? Poor thing!"

"Mystras-sama!"

Both of them had agreed that 'Mystras' was going to be the name Yasmine would use in public since her name was completely feminine. For some reason, that name seemed to hold significance to Yasmine, but she didn't say anything when he asked.

But that wasn't important.

What was important right now was the fact that _Yasmine _somehow managed to become popular with all the women in the brothel!

Kouha pouted as all the women showered all their attention on Yasmine while completely ignoring him.

Yasmine, on the other hand, was completely comfortable with all the attention she was receiving from the prostitutes. She spoke to every one of them kindly and made sure to divide her attention on each equally.

"Ah, no thank you, Miss." She denied politely at a particular prostitute's advances. Kouha, on the other hand, immediately felt animosity towards a woman he had never met. A very _pretty _woman. It was baffling to the prince. "As a follower to the doctrines of my country's religion, I have to remain chaste. Though personally, I find that your company alone is enjoyable enough."

The woman seemed to melt at the words.

"Mystras-sama is so kind~!" The others squealed. "Compliment us too! Compliment us too!"

Kouha wondered why their voices suddenly sounded so irritating.

"Ah…" Yasmine sweatdropped at their reaction. "All of you are very beautiful women. Any man would be lucky to have you."

The women descended into another round of squeals.

"So sweet!"

"He sounds so sincere!"

"My, if I ever had a man like that –

"Mystras-sama, marry me!"

Kouha unconsciously let out a growl at the last cry, gaining Yasmine's attention.

"Kouha? Is there something the matter?"

"It's nothing." Kouha gritted out while standing up and grabbing Yasmine's hand. "It's getting late and we need sleep for the journey tomorrow. We're leaving."

All the girls began to complain.

"Mou~ but customer-san! Your time isn't up yet. Are you sure that you two have to leave so soon? And you're leaving town tomorrow."

Kouha was _this close _to cutting them all up with Leraje and be done with it, but it seemed that Yasmine had other plans.

"I apologize, ladies, but my friend here is right. I need to rest for the journey tomorrow. It was nice meeting all of you. I had fun." She said, silencing all complaints. "I'll be sure to come back in the future!"

"Don't count on it." Kouha muttered under his breath.

And just like that, the two were sent off tearfully with much hugging and waving.

"That was fun." Yasmine commented airily on their way back to the inn they were staying at. "All those girls were nice. I think I made many new friends in there." She said optimistically.

Kouha didn't have the heart to tell her that friendship was the last thing those girls had in mind. So, he just nodded along with her words instead.

"Though…they were a bit superficial." Yasmine added with a small frown.

"I thought so too." He said quickly. "Those sort of girls tend to be a bit troublesome."

She tilted her head slightly to the side. "Really?"

"Really. Now about the plans for tomorrow." Kouha veered their conversation away from the subject. "Let's leave this town by dawn." _And never come back._

Later, Kouha would realize that he was feeling _threatened _by the prostitutes (as baffling as the thought was)_._ Kouha never thought in his life that he would be jealous of _women._

Well, there were firsts for everything.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The Veteran: Now, it's a bit clearer now what he represents. Technically, he's Shion's other personality. He formed during Shion's dungeon experience. A five-year-old child could only take so much when his mind is strained to its limits. 'Veteran' is the one who takes over when Shion is under a lot of negative stress, which explains some of the 'spottiness' in his memories. He holds most of the answers to the mystery to Shion's past. He's pretty bitter and experiences the brunt of Shion's PTSD. That is why the dark rukh affected him out of all the other voices.
> 
> Ghost Kassim: Yes, he just had a conversation with Tao. What they spoke about is to be determined.
> 
> Rukh Kassim: Now, this Kassim was for Alibaba and Alibaba alone. That is why he couldn't see or interact with Amani. He also has almost no memory of Amani since he only has memories of his interactions and feelings toward Alibaba. He's pretty much Canon!Kassim.
> 
> Memory Exchange: I'd like to think of it as 'equivalent exchange'. Since Aladdin got access to Shion's secret memories, Shion gets to have access to Aladdin's secret memories. So yes, Aladdin does know about everything now concerning Shion. He and Shion will be talking about their respective epiphanies in the next chapter.
> 
> Who is 'Sammi'?: This will be the question that I will be exploring in the next chapter. She's pretty important, and yes, she's mine.


	33. Chapter 32: Taking the Initiative

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Important decisions are made as our heroes temporarily separate paths to get stronger.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Onwards

Amani slept next to Alibaba that night. Both twins held onto each other like there was no tomorrow, which was no surprise since they endured a stressful experience only hours before.

"…Amani?" Alibaba whispered, rousing Amani from her light sleep. "Were you asleep?"

"No." She lied as rolled over to face her twin. "What is it?"

"I've been thinking," Alibaba began with his eyes trained onto the ceiling, "with everything that happened so far…I should leave Sindria."

Amani's eyes widened in surprise. "Leave? What brought this along?"

Alibaba gestured over to his metal vessel with a sour expression on his face. "Remember what Zagan said back at the dungeon? I haven't even mastered Amon yet! What does that make me if I can't master my own djinn? How can I protect anyone who is precious to me if I can't even protect myself?"

Amani watched silently as her brother struggled with what to say next. "I foolishly promised Hakuryuu that I would help him without even considering the fact that I would just hold him and the rest of you back. I need to get stronger. So I can't stay here in Sindria."

"I see." She stated simply after he was done.

Alibaba gaped.

"Wait, you aren't going to argue with my choice?!"

"Why would I? Your reasons are sound and your choice is completely logical." Amani tilted her head to the side. "_Were _you expecting me to argue with you, Alibaba?"

He laughed sheepishly. "Sort of. I thought that you would want me to stay here in Sindria since Sinbad helped us so much."

Amani shook her head. "I think he would understand. Though Sharrkan is a very talented swordsman, I've heard that his control over magoi is atrocious. You need a teacher who knows how to teach you magoi control. You won't be finding any here in Sindria. Why don't you try visiting Sai in Reim? He is from the Yambala Tribe, a group of people who are talented in magoi manipulation. He can help you."

Alibaba shivered at the mention of Sai being his teacher. "A-Ah, I'll pass."

"Are you sure? Despite his attitude, Sai is actually a very good teacher. He'll be able to help you into your djinn equip within a month."

"Well…I'll think about it. Goodnight, Amani and…thanks." Alibaba muttered in embarrassment before turning over to cover his red face.

Amani smiled at her brother fondly.

"Goodnight, Alibaba. Sweet dreams."

* * *

"Hey, Shion buddy, you sure about this? I mean, your dad was pretty serious about the grounding thing last night."

Jamal carefully held Shion as the pair slowly made their way across a corridor. The prince gave his friend a weak smile of assurance. "It'll be fine. He only said that I shouldn't train. He didn't say that I couldn't wander around a bit." His eyes hardened as they focused on a pair of double doors. "Besides, I really need to make this visit."

Shion nodded politely to the pair of guards as they let them through. They were even nice enough to hold the doors open so the pair could hobble through.

At the other end of the door, Dunya looked up from her lap with cold, unwelcoming eyes. But when they landed on the two children, the negative emotions melted into uncertainty and softness.

"Hello." Shion greeted shyly as Jamal helped him onto the bed. Dunya, seeing the state of Shion's body, unconsciously moved over to give the child more room. "Ah, thank you. I'm sorry for intruding, Miss Dunya."

"That's fine." Dunya murmured. Inwardly, Shion was surprised that the woman even answered him. He had heard whispers about Dunya being closed-mouthed to everyone except Aladdin.

Shion blinked.

Maybe…it was because Shion and Jamal were just children?

It made sense. In the original timeline, he didn't think that his father sent in any other child than Aladdin to gently interrogate Dunya. They had all been soldiers, grown and trained men.

Shion, remembering his manners began introducing himself. "Well, as I already know your name, I should tell you mine. My name is –

"I already know what your name is, Prince Shion."

Shion flinched at her blank tone, but recovered quickly when he completely processed what she'd said. "Oh? Am I that well known within Al Thamen for every member to know my name?" He joked lightly.

"Yes." She confirmed bluntly.

Oh. _Well_. That was a bit of a problem. Shion knew that his situation was bad, but he didn't know that it was _that _bad.

Shion groaned and covered his face. "What did I _do _to deserve **that**?!"

"You conquered a dungeon at age five and you're King Sinbad's kid." Jamal stage-whispered from the side.

"Right." He bemoaned.

The Princess turned her gaze toward Jamal with an inquiring look. "I know of Prince Shion, but who are you? They never mentioned another child."

Jamal made an exaggerated bow towards Dunya. "Fair maiden, I am Jamal Leoxses, a gallant knight of Sasan and an unwavering ally of the prodigious Prince Shion!" He introduced himself with a dramatic flair and a charming wink. "I…also work part-time here as a scientist and comic relief. They really should give me a raise for the first one. It's practically child labor the way they aren't paying me for what I do!" He joked, making Dunya giggle.

"Y ou finally laughed." Jamal commented cheerfully, causing her to abruptly stop. When she did, he tilted his head to the side and frowned in confusion. "Why did you stop? You were doing just fine before."

Dunya remained silent.

"Huh." Jamal scratched his head. "Maybe I wasn't funny enough. Wait a second." He began to search around the room for something.

Shion sighed at his friend's antics and turned to Dunya. "Sorry about Jamal. He tends to be a bit…unique." Though this was the tamest he's ever been. At least he was behaving for once.

"I see."

Shion shuffled on the bed so he could sit up. "Out of curiosity, why is Al Thamen so interested in me? From what I heard, I was pretty high on their to-kill list."

"I don't know." Dunya confessed honestly. "I wasn't exactly a high member of the organization, so they didn't tell me much. Everything I learned about you came from Ithnan." A curious look crossed her face. "I noticed that he was interested in your actions and movements during the time I was paired with him. I didn't really think much of it then, but now…I find it strange. He was also very interested in the whereabouts of a woman."

Shion stiffened, but kept his expression smooth. "A woman?"

"Yes."

"I never pinned Ithnan to be a romantic type." Shion joked, trying to alleviate the seriousness from the conversation so Dunya would be comfortable enough to say more. This wasn't supposed to sound like an interrogation. He was just a young child who wandered into a strange guest's room to satiate his curiosity. Fortunately, Dunya didn't catch onto his ulterior motives and smiled. "I didn't think so either at first." She whispered. "But the way he tried finding her…" She trailed off, but the message was clear.

Shion swallowed thickly. He hoped that romance wasn't Ithnan's intention. If that woman was really who he thought she was…Shion didn't even want to think about it. "Do you know her name or what she looks like? She must be _really _pretty." He forced himself to blink at her innocently with wide eyes.

Dunya sighed regretfully.

"I never found out if she was beautiful or not. Ithnan wasn't the friendly sort, so he didn't talk about himself much. The only people I heard that he really interacted with were the people from that terrible school." Dunya's eyes narrowed in hate as she mentioned the 'school'. Shion made no comment on it. "It was only for business transactions, of course. Though I do know the woman's name." Her eyes brightened in pride for at least gleaning that little tidbit. "Her name is Ranya."

At the name, Shion slumped over with a grimace that he didn't need to fake.

"I _really_ hope Ithnan didn't like her that way."

"What's wrong? Do you know her?" Dunya asked curiously.

"Uh huh. She's my Mom."

Dunya gasped as if he just revealed a scandal. "Oh my!"

"Right?"

Shion dimly wondered _how _he ended up having a gossipy conversation with the ex-Princess of Musta'sim Kingdom. This whole visit was simply a blind grab for a possible cure for Ithnan's dark curse. How the heck did it end up becoming a conversation about a possible admirer for his mother?! Then, his brief incredulity turned into pity when he realized that she probably never really had anyone friendly enough to speak with her like this.

"Then, for the sake of your mother and yourself, I really do hope that Ithnan did not have that sort of intention towards her." Dunya said after she recovered from the new discovery.

"Thank you. But it doesn't matter now, Ithnan is long gone." Shion said with a smile before an idea hit him. "Hey, since I won't be able to visit you as much when my father finds out I left my room, would you mind if a couple of my friends dropped by to say hello for me? They would love to meet you. Three of them are girls so you can do girl…_stuff_ with them."

Dunya looked dubious about the offer, but her answer was completely interrupted by Jamal's triumphant bellow. "That won't be necessary! Behold!"

Shion found his sight being completely obstructed by something _pink_.

It was gone the next moment, but Dunya's giggles and Jamal's cackles alerted him that something went horribly wrong for him. With dread, he looked down and found himself wearing a dress.

A _pink _dress.

With laces.

To make things worse, Jamal had released his braid. Shion _knew_ Jamal knew that it made him look more feminine. To add more insult into the wound, both Dunya and Jamal decided to play _dress-up_ with him for the rest of the visit. Of course, Shion had to comply since Dunya appeared to be having fun with putting different dresses on him.

"You will pay for this, Jamal." Shion muttered mutinously as Dunya added on another bow into his hair. "You will pay."

* * *

"Okay, team! Buckle up and give me another twenty!"

Kougyoku stood in front of a serious Morgiana and an exhausted Alibaba. The Finalis girl, much to Kougyoku's pride, was only beginning to sweat. Not only that, she had an enormous amount of rocks tied around her arms. Alibaba, on the other hand, looked like he was about to keel over in a second. She mentally shook her head at the boy's lack of stamina.

Honestly, it had been _Alibaba _who approached her. He requested her help in achieving his djinn equip. And since he had asked so nicely, Kougyoku complied and trained him as best as she could.

But really, you could only do so much when you start this late.

Oh well, at least Morgiana seem to have no problems. Kougyoku had assumed that the presence of a household member would encourage Alibaba's djinn to react, but it was all for naught. Alibaba's rukh just wouldn't flow right. There was something strange about it that affecting its smooth flow.

Kougyoku's eyes narrowed as she inspected the visions swimming around Amani's brother. None of them showed her that her exercises were doing any good to the boy. She sighed.

"Okay, okay, that's enough." Kougyoku called out as she clapped her hands sharply. "Break time."

Alibaba wheezed in relief at her words and fell over. "Thank…Solomon…"

Kougyoku plopped right in front of her temporary apprentice and handed him a water sack, which he eagerly took. She tossed Morgiana the other. Kougyoku patiently waited for the two to regain their breaths. "Morgiana, good work. Thank you for staying here to train with Alibaba, but I need to speak with him alone now. Do you mind?"

Morgiana sent Alibaba a worried look. He returned it with a comforting smile. "Don't worry, Mor. It's probably just some training tips."

After a bit more hesitance, the Finalis left the training ground, leaving Kougyoku and Alibaba alone.

"Okay, Alibaba. After training you for three hours, one thing is clear: Your stamina sucks." She shook her head. "I'm sorry, but I don't think that I can help you."

Alibaba's head snapped up at her words. "What?! Oh no, no, **no**. I'll work harder, Kougyoku! I promise! Please help me!" He begged almost desperately. Kougyoku's brow rose at the amount of _desperation, self-depreciation, _and…_fear_ that was rolling off of the blonde.

"Um…it's not that you're bad or anything, Alibaba. I'm actually impressed that you managed to hold on so long for your first day." She informed him honestly. Kougyoku remembered Sai and herself having a harder time building up their physical strength during their two-year trip around the world. Alibaba was doing quite well for a beginner. "But that's not the issue here. Your problem isn't with your body, Alibaba. It's in your _magoi_. Sadly, though I _do _have some knowledge in the area, Sai is far superior to me when it comes to magoi manipulation."

At the mention of the shape-shifter, Alibaba sobbed.

Which wasn't unusual. Kougyoku had seen far older and far more powerful men have the same reaction when Sai was brought up. But the _way _he reacted raised some suspicions in her mind.

Kougyoku's eye twitched.

"Wait…you already knew that…didn't you?"

Alibaba nodded shamefully and covered his flushing face.

"And you _still_ went through all that training?"

Alibaba nodded again.

Kougyoku rubbed her temples and huffed. "If you didn't want Sai to train you in the first place, _why didn't you just say so?!_ I could've easily pointed you to other people who could help you with your magoi problem!"

"…Huh?"

"Sai used to be part of the Yambala Tribe when he was younger. They are known for their abilities in magoi manipulation. I heard that his immediate family and a select others diverged from the main tribe to train at the Colosseum in the Reim Empire." Kougyoku explained patiently, feeling slightly amused as incredulity crossed Alibaba's features. "I think Sinbad has a connection with Sai's grandfather."

"Oh." Alibaba said blankly. "I didn't know that."

"Now you do." Kougyoku sighed. "Sai is still in Reim so getting a connection with Shambal wouldn't be too hard since you know each other. That doesn't initially mean that Sai will train you." She quickly added before Alibaba could fall into another round of panic. "I know Sai scares you. Heck, I think he scares more than seventy percent of the people he meets, but he won't purposefully botch up your game if you ever come over for magoi training. If there's one thing he's serious about, it would be this. If you're not comfortable learning under his tutelage, he'll respect that and leave you in his grandfather's hands. Okay?"

Alibaba nodded, calming down. "Okay. Thank you. And sorry for wasting your time."

Kougyoku patted his back. "Nah, it's all good." She pushed him toward the main palace encouragingly. "Now go talk to Sinbad. Reim is calling for you."

* * *

"Are you really not coming with us, Hel-nii?"

Hel looked up from his packing and sighed at the sight of the downtrodden Askan. "Yes." He told his half-brother as gently as he could. "I need to go back to my own home. My mother is waiting for me to come back."

"Why can't you bring her over to Heliohapt with us?" Askan inquired innocently. "We have a lot of pretty rooms that are empty. I'm sure that we can have her with us too."

_And give your mother a chance to hurt her? No way._

But he couldn't tell his brother that.

"I'll think about it." Hel said instead. "But I'll be a bit busy with my duties when I get back home. I stayed here in Sindria longer than they thought I would, so I have to make up for the work I missed."

Askan's eyes widened almost comically. "You _work_?!"

Hel nodded. "Yes. I need to support my mother. So I work."

"_Wow._ Can I see you work when I visit you in Reim?" Askan asked hopefully.

Hel thought about the possibility of having his biological father accompanying Askan to Reim and shuddered.

"When you're old enough to travel without a guardian." Hel compromised.

* * *

"Dammit. _Dammit!"_

Hakuryuu dropped his spear as he stumbled once again. Tiare whimpered from the sidelines and rushed over to his side to help him up. Too frustrated to fully appreciate his household member's gesture, Hakuryuu tried once again to complete his basic _katas_.

It was humiliating how difficult it was.

Every single move felt alien. Hakuryuu was still in denial over the loss of his hand. He _knew _that he lost it, since he'd seen it fall off and spawn Ithnan, but his mind thought differently, tricking him in every turn that his hand was still there. Just invisible.

(But it wasn't invisible. It was _gone._)

Hakuryuu stumbled once again and his heart fell as he balanced himself with his spear. For the first time in a long time, he felt helpless and angry. All those years of training to strengthen himself for that fateful day was blown away. Just like that.

_How _was he going to go against that witch now?

"Master…look."

Hakuryuu glanced down at Tiare as she tugged at his sleeve. She pointed at the ground. Hakuryuu looked down and started at the small plants that grew from his spear's contact. "…What?!"

Tiare pointed at the symbol on Hakuryuu's spear. "Master is strong. Master has power." She assured him as he continued to gape at the circle of plants. "Master can make…_another hand in replacement for the one you lost._" Tiare finished her statement in the Toran language. Hakuryuu dazedly repeated what she said in the common language to give her the translation that she needed. It was a habit that he picked up from Amani during their trip back from Toran Island.

_She's right._ Hakuryuu realized as he held up his spear. _Losing arm is nothing. I can use this power! I can't give up now!_

Hakuryuu patted Tiare's head gratefully. "Thank you, Tiare. I almost gave up."

She beamed.

"I am strong now. I train too." Tiare assured her master. Then, she glanced at him hopefully. "Master wants a ride? I really fast when flying now. Please?"

Hakuryuu glanced from his spear to the eager little girl and then back to the spear again.

Well, the doctor _did _say that he shouldn't strain himself. And he _was _curious what it would be like to ride on a _dragon_ flying at _full speed_. Didn't Amani say that bonding with his household member was important? Hakuryuu supposed that this was a good enough of a reason to take a small break.

"Fine." He conceded, causing Tiare to yelp in excitement and shift into her reptilian form. "But only for thirty minutes."

They ended up flying for three hours.

(Not that Hakuryuu cared too much. The thrill of flying so fast without the fear of falling erased all the troubles and concerns about training. For the time being, he allowed his mind a little window of reprieve.)

(Solomon knows he needed it.)

* * *

"So."

When Shion returned to his room after changing from that atrocious dress, he found Aladdin in his room, waiting for him to come. With a sickening lurch, Shion knew what this was about, but was surprised that the little magi was confronting him this soon. He ordered Jamal to leave them alone for the time being. As curious as Jamal was, he gave his friend and the magi the privacy they needed after he helped Shion onto his bed.

Shion shifted uncomfortably in his bed as Aladdin sat comfortably across from him.

"So." The little magi echoed. Though his expression was calm, the little magi's eyes betrayed uneasiness, telling Shion that he was as lost about the situation as the Sindrian Prince was. "You're a traveler from another time." He finally said.

"That's right. And you're a traveler from another world." Shion shot back.

Aladdin nodded. "That's right."

Shion leaned back and subtly glanced around his room and window to make sure there weren't any…avian creatures lurking about, eavesdropping on their conversation. He honestly didn't mind his father barging into his privacy from time to time, but this was completely different. "What questions do you have for me?"

Aladdin chose his words carefully. "Is it true that you are trying to change your fate?"

"Not my own. This world's." Shion corrected before smiling. "If you're worried about me falling into depravity, no need. The end of the world wasn't supposed to come in the first place. It only happened because of Al Thamen's intervention. I am only here to right the wrongs that they committed." A wry smile appeared on the time traveler's face. "Though seeing all my friends alive again is a definite upside."

"But…how are you so sure that you'll succeed? Will you need my help?"

Shion smiled mysteriously. "That's something that I and a select number of people should know for things to go smoothly. Though your help will be needed in the future, I suggest that you continue with your life as if you never found out in the first place. It's…complicated. Your help, I'm a little sad to say, will only complicate things further because of your status as a magi."

Aladdin appeared content with Shion's explanation. "I see. I think I understand now. Thank you for explaining that to me. And I'm sorry that I intruded into your memories."

"Ah, well that was an accident so it couldn't be avoided. Remember, it was the other way around too. Was Veteran cruel to you when he fished you out?" Shion frowned in concern when Aladdin hesitated. "He didn't hurt you, did he?"

"No. He didn't hurt me." Aladdin assured the worried prince. "He was just…angry. Shion? Was your mind always like that? Filled with all those people?"

Shion laughed sheepishly. "Honestly, it was just Veteran in my first life ever since Andromalius and his dungeon scarred me for life. After the time travel and the war…" Shion trailed off awkwardly.

Aladdin gave him a grave look. "Shion, I think you need someone to help you with that. It sounds serious."

Shion let out a sardonic laugh.

"You think that I didn't get help?"

"You did?"

He nodded in affirmation. "For four years with Amani. She was helping me with what she calls 'Post Traumatic Stress Disorder' or 'PTSD'. The trauma of the war gives me nightmares whenever I try to sleep. Unfortunately, she couldn't do anything with the other tenants in my mind. Jamal is trying to help me at the moment with that."

"Jamal?" Aladdin asked incredulously.

"Yes, Jamal." Shion chuckled at the blue-haired boy's expression. "I know that he's a bit eccentric, but he knows what he's doing. He actually knows more than anyone about my little problem. Even Amani didn't know back then."

Aladdin's eyes widened in realization. "He came back with you. All of them did." No wonder. Aladdin had always found it strange that Shion and the other children knew each other at such a deep level. Even Alibaba and his relationship wasn't that strong. Such trust had seemed too mature for children their age. Now he knew why. "But…Amani was…then…Kohaku-chan…?"

Shion smiled began to strain.

"Again, there are a lot of things that you don't know about my situation. Amani…_my_ Amani…died in the future. Kohaku is – Ah, never mind. It's a very complicated situation. But don't doubt that she is very important to me."

"You love her." Aladdin said confidently.

"Yes." Shion agreed strongly. "I do. And I'll do _anything _to prevent this world from ending. For her. For my friends. For everyone."

Aladdin's breath caught as the rukh around Shion flapped around more energetically at Shion's determination. For a moment, he could see the great king that Shion used to be – _would _be.

'_Ah'_ he thought _'so this is why I chose him as my king candidate.'_

"Ugh!"

And then, as quickly as it came, the moment was over. Shion doubled over in pain, causing Aladdin's admiration to turn into panic. Selene and her medical team were inside the room before the little magi could call out for help. Apparently, they had been prepared for this beforehand. They managed to soothe Shion's pain with medicine. Aladdin was promptly shooed out of the room.

Aladdin struggled against them for a moment. "Wait! Shion –

"I'm sorry Aladdin, but I think we should end our conversation here." Shion cut him off with a painful grimace. The older boy sagged and allowed himself to be led out. "Oh, and Aladdin?" Shion called out just as he stepped out of the room. "Good luck with Magnostadt."

_How did he-?_

The little magi took a moment to stare at the closed doors in bafflement before shaking his head and beginning to make his way to Alibaba and Morgiana.

* * *

When Aladdin's footsteps couldn't be heard anymore, Shion paused in his moans of pain and straightened himself. He sent the medical team away, assuring them that it had just been a small lapse of pain. Selene remained by his side.

"Haa~" Shion sighed. "He sure took long enough to leave. Your medical team took a bit longer, though."

'_They were trained to be thorough.'_ Selene signed.

Shion grinned. "I know, I know. They were trained by the best, right? You did well in teaching them your tricks. Less people will die thanks to you."

'_Now you're just trying to flatter me.'_ Selene paused before signing on. _'Was that act really necessary? What was your intent in sending Aladdin away? Was he asking too many questions?'_

The purple-haired boy's expression became sheepish. "Ah, no. He was very accepting of my vague answers. Actually, my purpose was to get you into my room without raising suspicion. If I called you over, Father would surely catch on. I'm more than positive that he would send Ja'far to listen into our conversation or use Zepar to make sure I wasn't trying to sneak in a training session. You see, he's been a bit strict of late because of my near-death experience."

'_But isn't that a bit too…invasive?'_

"People would usually think that, wouldn't they?" Shion sighed. "But I feel relieved hearing that he's taking such initiatives in making sure that I'm following his terms of grounding. It's proof that he really cares about my well-being." He laughed. "It also means that he was paying attention to my habits. I wonder…was it Ja'far who told him about my tendency of not staying still in a room?"

Selene smiled fondly at the look on Shion's face.

'_You look happy.'_

"Yeah. I am."

'_But you look sad too.'_

"…Yeah. I just can't believe that I missed out on this the last time around." Shion confessed. "I think he spoiled me to the point that I will be devastated if I ever lose him. It's pretty scary. I've only known the guy for less than a year and he's already this important to me."

'_He's your father.'_ Selene reminded Shion gently._ 'It's natural to feel this way. But please, don't try sacrificing your own life again. You scared us.'_

"See what I mean?" Shion asked. "I did something so foolish. Even though I knew that…"

_Even though I knew that he would have been fine._ Shion was about to say. But those words sounded so ashen in the back of his mouth at even the _thought _of saying it aloud. They sounded like a lie.

And Shion knew that they would be, because they were.

In reality, Shion had jumped in front of his father because of the intense _certainty_ that _something bad would happen_ running through his mind. Shion always trusted these instincts above all else and followed them.

But _why_? For what reason had he felt that way?

Shion shook his head.

"But, never mind that. It was something that happened days ago. I won't be so careless again. Selene, the reason why I went through such lengths to meet with you is because I have a favor to ask you."

'_What is it?'_ Selene questioned. _'I'll do whatever I can to help.'_

Shion faced Selene seriously.

"I would like you to attend Magnostadt Academy with Aladdin. Out of all of us, you are the only one with the potential and excuse to go there."

Selene's eyes widened.

"Selene, will you change fate in my place?"

* * *

Miles away, in Reim, a certain shape shifter stiffened.

"Mou~ this isn't good." He muttered to himself. "It seems that Princeling is making his own choices again." After a moment of silence, he shrugged. "Ah well. Selene can take care of herself. Especially now that she has all those extra memories."

"What are you muttering about all alone over here?"

Sai whirled around and brightened at the sight of Muu.

"Oh! It's very rare to see you drop by the Colosseum on your own, General-san!" He greeted and swaggered over to the half-Finalis General. "And to answer your question, I was thinking about my cute, little sister. I have a feeling that some shady guy will take advantage of her soon."

Muu smiled, features softening at the idea of Sai being concerned about someone other than himself. It made him a bit more…relatable. "So you have those kind of concerns too. Do you have any plans on going to back to Sindria to check on her?"

"Nope!" Sai denied bluntly, shocking Muu. "I taught Selene to take care of herself, so she'll be just fine!" The black-haired man's aura darkened abruptly. "But… if worst comes to worst, I'll just make sure to personally punish the guy by bringing hell to him and his family."

Muu laughed nervously. "I think that's going a bit too far…"

Sai tilted his head.

"A-re? You mean you wouldn't do the same if anyone did their worst to your sister? Your Finalis Corps? Your country? Your most precious person?"

Muu's expression changed into one that made Sai laugh with glee.

"Wow! What an expression!" He complemented. "As expected of you, General Muu. It is Scheherazade-sama who brings out the bloodlust in you."

Muu muttered something under his breath, which brought Sai's taunting to a halt. He tilted his head to the side and pocketed what he heard into the corner of his mind to inspect later. Instead, he picked up the conversation as if it had never been cut off. "But what brings you here on this fine afternoon? It's definitely not a casual visit."

"No." Muu agreed. "The Priestess would like to speak with you."

Ah, so the guard-dog brings along the summons of his master.

Sai shrugged. "Why not. Just give me some time to get ready and I'll meet with the magi. I wonder what she wants from me?" He mused.

"I will be waiting here until you are ready."

Sai snickered. "So official, General-san. And to think that you were so casual yesterday during dinner."

Muu's expression remained impassive.

Sai shrugged. "I suppose that my words made you a little angry. Oh well. If it makes you feel better…" Sai chose his words carefully and distributed a very, _very _rare piece of himself that wasn't hidden nor clouded by a clever lie. "To me, my little sister is a very precious person equal to a country, lover, and magi combined."

Sai smiled.

"Not many people know this, you see, General-san."

Muu slowly digested the shape-shifter's words. "Wait…Sai…you don't mean –

_That you just trusted me enough to tell me this?_ Sai knew he would say. So he cut the General off before he could finish that sentence.

"Mou, I should get ready soon. No need to make the Priestess wait, ne? And please, give Miss Maya my greetings. I have a feeling that I won't be able to make it to dinner tonight."

Sai earnestly hoped that Muu didn't take this as a step towards friendship or camaraderie. He was growing to like the guy, but he didn't trust him enough to actually _befriend_ him. Solomon **no**. Sai was just repaying a debt. He always hated not paying his debts.

Accidentally or not, the good general had revealed his weakness to Sai. It didn't do well to Sai's skewed morals to not repay the favor.

"…_not her…"_ Muu had muttered.

Small words, but great meaning.

"…'not her', huh?" Sai repeated aloud when he was out of earshot. "So that magi isn't your most precious person after all. I suppose that makes me respect you a little, Muu-san. Little Hel would appreciate the thought too. There's hope for you yet."

Sai hummed to himself.

"I wonder what I should wear for the meeting~?"

_I wonder what that old granny wants from me?_

* * *

"Idiot King, what do you want from me?"

Judal crossed his arms and scowled at the king and repressed the instinct to fidget. He refused to give the older man the upper hand, tentative ally or not. Sinbad returned his insult with an amused chuckle. "Those robes look nice on you, Judal."

Judal grunted in annoyance as he looked at the white robes that the generals usually wore. They were surprisingly more comfortable than the official clothes he wore at Kou. "Tao and that advisor of yours insisted."

"So it's was more of Tao's influence then." Sinbad commented knowingly, making the dark magi flinch. "Ah. So I was right."

Judal hated the smugness in the king's voice.

"Whatever. I wore the stupid uniform and I'm right here like you wanted. So tell me what you want from me already!" He spat defensively.

Sinbad shrugged. "I was just wondering how you're doing here in Sindria. No need to be defensive. Are you and your brother settling in well here? I heard about what you did during the festival. And I still haven't thanked you for the help you gave to Shion and Alibaba."

"Like I said to the others, Chibi-er Chibi is strong. He could've taken care of himself without my help." Judal muttered.

Sinbad raised his brow and sat back in his throne.

"The old Judal wouldn't have been so modest." He mused as his eyes misted over with memories of the past. "You used to be so prideful and violent. It's almost mystifying to see that you changed so much in such little time. To think that all that you needed was a responsible older brother figure to set you straight."

Judal bristled sharply at the implication that the Sindrian King was making. "Oi, idiot king, if you're trying to imply that you could've been that older brother figure, forget it! No one can replace Tao."

"No, no, I understand. That's not what I meant." Sinbad soothed. "I was only saying that I didn't try hard enough to understand you in the past and I apologize for that."

Judal looked a little taken aback at the King's apology. He struggled to give the king a proper answer. "I… don't deserve that apology. You didn't know what sort of situation I was in. I didn't know what they did to my family. I probably wouldn't have taken your help if you offered it anyways. I was just that kind of unforgivable brat. All of this happened because of Tao."

"…I see. I think I understand now." Sinbad nodded firmly to himself as if he made up his mind about something. "Judal, become my magi."

Judal found himself thrown into another loop. "What?"

"Become my magi." Sinbad repeated patiently. "Of course, it's your choice and I'll give you time to make your decision. But I want you and your brother to become citizens of Sindria."

Judal was silent.

"As I said before, I'll give you time to think it over. You can give me your answer in two days." Sinbad assured the overwhelmed young man as he stood and walked over to the magi.

Judal nodded almost dazedly. "Yeah…I'll take that."

Sinbad patted Judal firmly on the back before smiling slyly. The magi snapped out of his dazed state and sent him a suspicious look. "What?"

"So Judal…I heard something about you and the princess –

"GAH!" Judal cut Sinbad off with a shout and covered his ears. "Not talking about it! It was just a spur of a moment thing! _It never happened._" He yelled heatedly as he began storming away.

"Denial isn't very healthy, Judal. You should talk with her." Sinbad called after him, enjoying the situation very much.

Judal made a rude gesture over his shoulder.

"Shut up, idiot king! You're not my brother!"

* * *

Yasmine looked at the boat through her blindfolds and sighed.

"Shion really owes me for this one."

Meanwhile, Kouha was saying his goodbyes to his remaining subordinates who hadn't returned to Kou yet.

"I can't bring you all with me, so this is goodbye." He said as they all wailed and sobbed at the idea of being separated from their master. "Wait for me back in Kou, okay? I promise that I'll be back soon after I help Yasmine out."

"We will, Prince Kouha!"

JunJun, JinJin, and ReiRei were especially devastated by the separation.

"Kouha-sama!" They wailed as they clutched at the hems of his clothes. "We don't want to leave you!"

"Yeah, yeah, I know already. But the ship here is the only one that will take us to where we need to be and it only has room for two. Besides, I need you three to go back to Balbadd to check things out with En. We'll be meeting again at the port in two weeks, kay?"

"Yes!"

Yasmine felt guilt pool in her stomach. She came over to Kouha and placed her hand on his shoulder. "Hey, you don't have to come with me, you know. I can do this mission solo just fine."

Kouha and his subordinates all gaped at her.

"Eeeeh?! What brought this on, Yasmine?"

Yasmine glanced at the ground. "Ah…it just seems wrong to take you away from your men just because of my decision to pay a person a favor. And I dragged you into this too. I feel guilty. Maybe I should just go alone like I originally planned to."

Right after she said this, she was immediately tackled by Kouha's men.

"No, no, Yasmine-sama! Kouha-sama needs to go with you!"

"Yes! There might never be another chance for him to – I mean, Kouha-sama has always looked forward to spending time with you! We cannot intrude on that!"

"You may be acting as a man because of your country's traditions, but you are still a woman! Please let Kouha-sama support you!"

Yasmine blinked at the onslaught of denials from the crowd and sweatdropped.

"Oh. I must have misunderstood the situation then." Then, she turned to Kouha with a dry expression. "Did you want to have a play date that badly, Kouha? I get that I wasn't paying attention to you that much because things got busy, but don't you think that helping me take down a bunch of pirates is a bit…unconventional?"

Kouha laughed nervously.

"Well, it shouldn't be that different from our daily face-offs with those barbarians when I dropped by, right?"

Yasmine sighed, but agreed.

"I guess you're right."

Meanwhile, all of Kouha's men sighed in relief. They were sad that they were being separated from their master, yes, but they were also very eager to leave to two alone together.

_Good luck, Kouha-sama!_

* * *

Jamal trembled violently at the feeling that suddenly hit him.

"That's. _It_." He hissed out. "I've had _enough _of this mysterious man having unclean intentions towards my Nee-chan. I'm going to rip him up into bits and pieces!"

Beside him, Shion flipped through a book and paid no mind to the killing intent pouring out of Jamal. "You can go to her, you know." He stated offhandedly to his friend. "Selene and Hel will also be joining Aladdin and his friends."

Jamal froze. "Shion…are you sure?"

He shrugged. "Why not? You've done well in holding yourself back so far. And I think it's about time that you met the guy."

"You knew." Jamal accused.

"Yes." Shion confessed. "I didn't say anything since he was holding himself back for a while. He was surprisingly patient with your sister, so I wanted to give him a chance. But I think it's about time that you tested him, Jamal. Go. Think of this as your vacation. Just be sure to be back in a year at most."

Jamal nodded stiffly. "Gotcha, buddy. Thanks."

* * *

Leah and Zaynab giggled and clucked over Amani's belly as they showered her with baby name suggestions. Hassan stood at the other side of the room, keeping watch at the door while half-listening to the name suggestions.

"What about Dinah, Ghost?" Zaynab suggested. "Or Leila? Those are strong names for the little girl."

"How do you know if the baby will be a girl?" Leah challenged Zaynab. "For all we know, the baby could be a boy. What about Malik, my lady? It's a fitting name for a little king."

Amani laughed at her maids' antics.

"Though they are all very nice suggestions, I already have the child's name in mind." Amani confessed while placing her hands over her belly fondly. Both Leah and Zaynab immediately perked up at Amani's words. "Tell us!" Both of them demanded. Even Hassan leaned in to hear Amani's name choice for her unborn child.

Amani smiled mischievously.

"It's a surprise."

Leah and Zaynab groaned in disappointment.

"Oh, Zaynab, that reminds me. How is your son?"

During her time away in Zagan's dungeon, Zaynab had successfully delivered a healthy baby boy. He was given the name Zassan and received both Amani and Alibaba's blessings of health.

(Of course, this was _after _Alibaba had gotten over the hilarity of the baby's similarity to his father.)

"Zassan is healthy and strong." Zaynab announced proudly. Then, her face fell into a tired grimace. "But he cries _so much_. I cannot even count how many times he has woken me and the other maids in the middle of the night." She complained. "My son is always so hungry no matter how many times I breastfeed him during the day."

Leah smacked her friend on the shoulder. "Hush, now! You shouldn't speak about those things so casually in front of the Princess."

Amani tilted her head to the side. "Why? It's nice to hear about Zaynab's experience as a mother. I need to be prepared when I have my own child after all."

"Prepared? My lady, surely you are not planning to breastfeed the child yourself, are you? Those are the duties for the nursemaids in the palace!" Leah said, appearing scandalized at the mere idea of it.

Amani frowned. "Of course I'm planning on breastfeeding my child, Leah. I'm also planning on spending my time raising my child with minimum help from the maids."

"But _my lady-_!"

"_Leah."_

Leah stopped in mid-sentence at Amani's tone. Even Zaynab and Hassan stiffened at the blonde's sharp reprimand. They, like Leah, had learned not to argue with Amani when she used that tone.

Noticing their reactions, Amani softened her voice. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't be so harsh. You were only following tradition. But Leah, in this situation, there is no room for tradition. Can't you see? If I allow others to raise my child, what sort of person would they grow up to be?"

Amani waited patiently for Leah to realize what she was speaking of. Hassan and Zaynab remained clueless.

"Oh…_oh_…my lady, are you saying what I think you are saying?" Leah asked faintly as her voice trembled. "It is a very bold thing to do, my lady."

"But they wouldn't know, would they?"

Hassan grunted in slight frustration. "What are you two talking about?! Not all of us can understand the smart-talk that you palace people always use, you know."

"I apologize for being so vague, Hassan." Amani said sincerely. "But what I am speaking of must not be talked about so lightly. Please, I can only trust you three out of my whole servant staff with this information. You three are all that's left of Balbadd's spirit and pride. You are all not yet completely affected by the uniformity of the Kou Empire." The Blessed Child placed her hands over her belly. "This child will be the one who will carry on the memory of our Balbadd. This child will not be a child of Kou. I have not given up on our country yet. This is why Hakuryuu, Tiare, and I will be traveling to Balbadd by tomorrow."

Amani raised her eyes to her household with a silent promise.

"This child will be born in Balbadd."

* * *

And this is where I'll be ending this chapter. Now! Onto the Omakes!

* * *

**Omake: Happy Anniversary, Everyone!**

(Loud Cheering in the background)

Otaku-sama: To all my readers, thank you very much everyone for sticking with 'Children of Solomon' for so long! (Bows deeply.) This fic is officially a year old! I can't believe it!

Sai: Mou, I know, right? Our author-sama is so disorganized that it's a miracle that this fanfiction hasn't been a total bust!

Yasmine: (whacks Sai over the head) Shut up. You're just upset that you're going to be forever alone.

Sai: (pouts) Well, she should pair me up with someone already! KouYa is already a big ship, so you can't say anything. I want a ship~!"

Yasmine: (confused) Kou…Ya…? Ship? What?

Otaku-sama: Shhh. Don't think too hard on it, honey. You might accidentally break the fourth wall. Just enjoy the popularity and expect a boyfriend by…well, later. (hands over a sandwich to Sai) Here's your ship.

Sai: (sulks in a corner, chewing on the sandwich)

Amani: Thank you for your hard work, author-san.

Shion: Yeah, it's been a very fruitful year. I enjoyed it! Let's have another successful year!

Otaku-sama: (hugs both) Awww, I love you two to bits and pieces. Just know that I make your life hard because I love you. Work hard! Lots of trials and tribulations await you both! (grabs Sai and Yasmine) Group hug!

Kougyoku: Hey, what about me? Don't you love me too?

Otaku-sama: Of course I do! But…you sort of belong to Shinobu Ohtaka, so I can't really lay claim on you…

Kougyoku: But you do! You practically control every single aspect of my life, so I think I deserve to be part of the goddamned group hug! And make Judal man-up and act already!

Otaku-sama: (relents) _Fine_, you can join the hug. But don't expect me to make your love life that easy for you, missy. I still have a lot of chapters filled with emotional turmoil to milk out of you.

(Kougyoku joins the group hug)

Otaku-sama: Okay team, let's wrap this up.

Everyone: (bows) Thank you very much for your support so far! You're all amazing!

* * *

**Omake: Night Fury 101 (or, How to Train Your Dragon)**

Jamal sat comfortably in a chair across from a stiff Hakuryuu. Behind the younger boy was a large blackboard filled with doodles and notes.

"Okay, Haku. Hey, can I call you Haku? Really? It's all good? Okay." Jamal sipped the green tea he procured out of nowhere. "Now, I'm sure that you're wondering why you're here."

"Yes. Please do tell me why you suddenly kidnapped me in the middle of my training session. What is your motive?" Hakuryuu questioned as he tried wiggling out of his bonds.

Jamal clicked his tongue. "Stop struggling, Haku. Those ropes will only get tighter if you struggle. And believe me, they can get pretty tight. I made them that way."

Hakuryuu stopped struggling and regarded Jamal with a wary eye. "People will notice that I'm gone."

"I'm sure they will. But I'll be letting you go by then." Jamal assured the scarred prince calmly. "I brought you here today to give you a very important lecture. Since many people told me that your schedule is always full and busy with training, training, training, I decided to make my own time by bringing you here!"

Hakuryuu sweatdropped. "I'm…not even going to try to argue with you."

"Wow~! You're pretty smart for a potential Sasuke character. Though, it's probably mostly through Amani and Kougyoku's influence, huh? Man, they're good."

"Can we get to the point?"

Jamal straightened himself and cleared his throat before turning to the board. "Pay very close attention, Haku. What you're about to learn here could very well decide your fate in a life and death situation." He intoned in a strangely serious voice as he began drawing on the board. "You see this? _This_ is a dragon. Or more specifically, it's a Night Fury."

Hakuryuu's eyes widened when he recognized the reptilian figure. "Are you talking about Tiare?"

"Yup! What your little Household Member turns into half the time is sometimes known as the 'unholy offspring of lightning and death itself'. She's the only one of her kind now, I'm afraid. The rest of the Night Furies were wiped out a long time ago." Jamal said sagely. "This particular sort is only found in a wonderful universe called DreamWorks. Since you're Shion's friend, I decided to scrounge up some information on your Household Member's kind. You know, the strengths and weaknesses and whatnot. Interested now?"

The blue-haired teen was indeed interested in what the Sasan inventor was speaking of. "I'm listening."

Jamal took at a small knife and cut Hakuryuu's hands loose.

"Good. Now, remember that Tiare is still an amateur at being what she is. If she trains enough, she can fly from one end of the continent to the other in mere hours while carrying three full-grown men. And the strange-colored fire she spits out? Those are called plasma blasts. They're pretty nasty things if you let one of those hit you, so make sure she's careful, okay?"

"Right. Anything else?"

Jamal's smile became even more sinister than usual.

"Since I'm one of the only few who know about the existence of Night Furies, you'll have to do some trading with Sindria to get all the equipment needed for her training to be successful. I'm the only one who can properly fashion a sturdy and light enough saddle, provide you with dragon nip, and…well, let's just say a lot of things."

Hakuryuu wilted at the implication that Jamal was making. _That sneaky little – he was trying to make a business deal all along!_

Jamal held out his hand. "Well? Do we have a deal?"

Hakuryuu sighed and took his hand. "Deal."

* * *

**Chibi-Omake: Pretty in Pink (or, How a Very, Very Big Misunderstanding is Made)**

Hakkan wandered around the halls and sighed. "I guess I'm going to have to leave soon. Tch. Can't believe that Father couldn't spare another day. Too worried about all the work back at home, I'm sure. Oh well, I guess I had fun here. I met a really interesting guy during my visit." As the Heliohapt Prince continued his little wandering, he smiled a little as he thought about the Sindrian Prince.

"Oi, oi, Amani! Don't pull so hard!" Hakkan paused when he heard Shion's voice. A smile unconsciously made it to his face. He turned and made to the room that he heard Shion's voice come from. "Stand still, Shion. This ribbon is really tangled. If you struggle more, it'll only get worse."

Hakkan opened the door. "Excuse my intrusion, but have any of you seen – uh?!"

A horrified Shion stared back at him…in a dress.

"This…this really isn't what you think it is!" Shion squeaked and covered his face. "Please…just forget what you saw! Please!"

"Ah…okay." Hakkan barely managed to choke out as he stared at Shion.

Shion looked up hopefully. "Really? You won't tell anyone?"

Hakkan nodded before stepping out of the room to leave.

"Thank you!"

When Hakkan was far away from the room, he finally allowed himself to fall over in shock. He just saw Prince Shion in a dress. He just saw…and he looked really, really pretty…and he –

Hakkan's eyes widened in realization and he blushed.

"Wait, the name Shion is usually given to girls, right? And he looks pretty girly for a guy. And that dress really suited him when he wore it. So…Shion must be a girl!"

(Of course, this misunderstanding was not fully resolved for a very, very long time.)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alibaba's Choice: Because of the events that happened recently, Alibaba is finally going to take the initiative to get stronger. I always found it a bit disconcerting how passive Alibaba was in his level of strength around arc. He was also terribly dependent on Aladdin, to the point of getting upset that his friend decided to go traveling alone. This Alibaba has a lot more immediate problems on his plate. Since he has his promise to help Hakuryuu and Amani's pregnancy on top of that, Alibaba is going to value talent and strength even more than the original.
> 
> Dunya and Shion: I always thought that Dunya spoke to Aladdin and Aladdin alone is partially because of his age (of course, I won't overlook that the main reason was that he was the one who let her see Isaac again). Since Shion and Jamal were very young, cute, innocent-looking children, she'd at least speak with them. Shion, on the other hand, came over to Dunya to see if she had the answers to the cure to his mother's 'sickness' since she was Ithnan's partner.
> 
> Selene?: She will be starring in the Magnostadt Arc because of her role as a magician. Guess who else will!
> 
> Child of Balbadd: Amani may care for the Ren Family very much, but she doesn't completely agree with their culture and ideals. She wants to preserve the memories of her homeland and past by passing it on to the next generation, who will be her child. She's being smart about this by not openly going against her in-law's beliefs. Hakuryuu, Amani, Kohaku, and Tiare will be leaving for Balbadd by flight. Expect a touching Koumani reunion in the next chapter :)


	34. Chapter 33: Different Paths

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Judal decides that he's not strong enough and turns to Shion for help finding a certain someone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Onwards

"I'm going to miss you _so much_."

Shion hugged Kohaku tightly as the servants from Kou bustled about to prepare for the journey ahead of them. It was decided that all the servants, including Amani's whole Household, would be sent back to Kou. Meanwhile, Tiare would carry Kohaku, Amani, and Hakuryuu to Balbadd.

"It's not going to be goodbye forever, Shion." Kohaku patiently reminded him as she returned his hug with a warm squeeze. "It'll only be one year. I'll write to you as much as I can."

"That's too long!" Shion whined as he buried his face deeper into her neck. "Why can't you just stay here?"

"Because I have lots to do." She sighed. "You know that better than anyone else that my role for now is somewhere else. Besides, I need to get stronger so I can face that witch grandmother of mine. I have to see if I can get permission from Papa to attend Magnostadt Academy."

"He'll say yes." Shion said confidently. "There's no way that Kouen wouldn't use this as a connection to Magnostadt. He's planning on taking over that country, right?"

Kohaku nodded.

"And no sane father would say no to his super cute daughter if she asks him for something." Shion continued wisely. "Don't worry, Kohaku. You're naturally very, very cute, so just be yourself!"

SLAP.

"Sh-Shut up! Stop saying bold things like that!"

Shion smiled proudly, red cheek and all. "That's my girl!" Then, his expression relaxed into a tender look as he tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear. "You're amazing. I think you spoiled me by staying here this long. I can't even think how I'm going to function without you here."

"You'll manage." Kohaku said sadly as she leaned in to give him a quick kiss on the cheek. "And I'll manage too. Don't get into too much trouble, okay? I love you."

Shion smiled euphorically, having still not recovered from the effects of her kiss.

"Love you too."

A little farther away, Alibaba was saying his own farewells to his twin.

"Be safe." He ordered as he sniffled subtly. "I'll try to be there when the kid is born."

Both of them knew that it wouldn't be possible, not with his current exiled status from Balbadd. Still, Amani nodded. "Do your best in your training in Reim. And don't hesitate to reach out to me through Sai. We'll meet again for sure."

"Yeah." Alibaba turned to Hakuryuu and gave him a firm look. "Take care of her. Make sure that she's safe."

Hakuryuu nodded solemnly. "I will."

"Please travel safely Amani-san, Hakuryuu-san." Morgiana said with a small smile, causing Hakuryuu's head to snap away from Alibaba to give the Finalis girl his attention.

He flushed and turned his gaze downwards bashfully. "Thank you, Morgiana-dono. The advice you gave me yesterday had been very helpful. Please be safe in your journey as well. I hope that you find what you are looking for." He quickly glanced at Amani. She returned it with a half-teasing and half-encouraging smile, which made him flush even more.

Morgiana tilted her head downward respectfully. "I'm glad to hear that. I hope that I helped, even a little."

Amani watched intently as Alibaba's eyes flickered between Hakuryuu and Morgiana, slowly processing the situation that was unfolding in front of him. When it finally clicked in his mind, he frowned, causing Amani to smile. Well, it wasn't the most ideal way for her brother to become more aware of Morgiana romantically, but she wasn't going to complain. Hakuryuu serving as competition would motivate his emotional and physical improvement.

"Huh? Mor, what's he talking about?" Alibaba interrupted the pair's moment with his question.

"Ah, I am planning on joining you on the first half of your journey to Reim." Morgiana explained to Alibaba. "I am going to travel to the Dark Continent to find my own kind."

Alibaba blinked in surprise at her announcement. His annoyance disappeared in an instant in favor of being happy for her.

"Wha – really? You're finally going to try to visit your homeland? That's great, Morgiana! Go for it!"

"I shall, Alibaba-san."

Amani smiled at the two's interactions fondly. She looked up and caught Hakuryuu's eyes. He flushed and immediately looked away almost guiltily from her. Amani frowned. Did Hakuryuu really think that she would be upset with him for pursuing Morgiana? She _did _remember mentioning to him that she considered the girl as a potential sister-in-law at one point, but that didn't mean that she wouldn't be supportive of his own interests either.

Amani's frown deepened even more.

She should clear this misunderstanding later. No good things came from leaving those sorts of things uncleared.

Beside Alibaba, Aladdin looked at Hakuryuu with a puzzled expression.

"Hakuryuu? Why is your rukh all pink?"

* * *

"I miss her already~!"

Kougyoku shook her head at the mourning boy and handed him another tissue while patting his head. "There, there. I know it's hard to function without Kohaku around anymore, but it had to be done. Her mother is probably waiting for her to come back home. You wouldn't want to make Seishin worry, right?" Shion nodded somberly. "Besides, you'll see her again in a year –

Shion let out a wail and tried smothering himself with the nearest pillow.

Kougyoku sighed and took the pillow away from him. "Oh knock it off. What are you? _Eight?_"

"Nine." Shion corrected mulishly.

"I swear you're worse than a teenage girl." She huffed as she handed him another tissue. "Oh, and I'm planning on turning down your dad on becoming Sindria's Blessed Child."

This made Shion's sniffles come to a stop. He peeked up with a curious glimmer in his eyes. "Why? Did Father do or say something inappropriate again? I promise I'll talk to him about it."

"Oh no, it's not that. He had been nothing but a complete gentleman to me during my stay." Kougyoku assured him. "I was even tempted to accept his generous offer."

"But?"

"_But_, my brothers would wage war on this pleasant country for Blessed Child-napping if I ever accepted. It's more of a political issue than a personal issue, you see." Kougyoku sighed sadly. "And I really like it here too. I hope that Sinbad won't be too upset with my choice. It was nice of him to do that."

Shion nodded understandingly as he patted her on the shoulder. "That was nice of you too for thinking about Sindria instead of yourself. Are you sure you're going to be all right when you get back to Kou? Things are going to be pretty nasty soon with…" Shion switched to English "_With the Emperor dying soon and Gyokuen taking over._"

Kougyoku bit her lip.

"_Let's just say that I need to be in Kou until the Magnostadt Arc is over, okay? Let's just say I have something very important to take care of. I'm sure that I can hold on my own until then."_ She paused for a moment before adding. _"You don't speak English with us that often. He's listening to us, isn't he?"_

By 'he', she meant Ja'far.

Shion gave her a slight nod.

"I think that you choice is for the best." Shion said in a louder voice, switching back to the common tongue. "We already have so many Al Thamen targets here in Sindria. If a Blessed Child of Kou _and _a Princess of Kou were to change her alliance to Sindria, there would be a war, no doubt."

"A war that I can't risk." Kougyoku agreed. "But Shion. When I go back to Kou, En will undoubtedly try to make me a general. There is already so much tension between our countries. If something happens to make that tension snap…there will be war, Shion. That aspect is unavoidable. When that happens –

The air began to tense.

" - I will not turn my metal vessel against Sindria. I swear it."

Kougyoku repeated the lines that her canon counterpart had uttered to Alibaba in the original timeline with an ironic smile that her King mirrored. It was a necessary line that should be heard by the advisor himself.

But this line was also a message to Shion

_You have my loyalty, my King._

"I know." Shion replied and Kougyoku knew he did. Then, he changed to subject. "That reminds me. Kougyoku, I heard that my father finally popped the question to Judal."

Kougyoku grimaced. "You make it sound as if he proposed to him."

Shion snorted before bursting into snickers at the mental image. "The _SinJu_ fans would all die happy if that was to ever happen. But no. Father loves women too much to even consider that route, thank you very much. Besides," the young boy's eyes took on a mischievous glitter, "you wouldn't let go of Judal without a fight even _if_ my father had that sort of interest in him."

Kougyoku scoffed and turned her nose up.

"I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Right." Shion drawled slowly before letting it go. "But we're deviating from the main point here. Father wants Judal to be Sindria's Magi and gave his offer."

"Finally." Kougyoku muttered under her breath.

"Problem is," Shion continued, ignoring his friend's little quip, "Judal still hasn't decided to accept the offer. Any thoughts about that?"

The Blessed Child froze at the information before scowling furiously. She jumped onto her feet and began pacing. "That _idiot_. What the hell is he thinking not taking the offer? This is the perfect opportunity to get away from Al Thamen once and for all, and he just - argh!" She angrily kicked the bed.

"Maybe you should go and talk to him about that." Shion suggested innocently. "You know, instead of avoiding him."

"What? _Me_ go to _him_ first? No way." Kougyoku shot down Shion's suggestion immediately, making the purple-haired boy sweatdrop. "I don't care what the situation is, _he _has to come to me first instead of just running away whenever he feels like it. That's the whole point!"

Shion sighed, but didn't push her any further. He knew that she would approach the magi eventually when she wasn't as stubborn.

"Fine, I'll respect your decision." He sighed and ran a hand over his face tiredly.

Kougyoku sent him a concerned look. "You couldn't sleep again, could you? Shouldn't you try taking those sleeping pills that Jamal made for you?"

"No. I tried them once already. They only make the nightmares longer." He muttered lowly. "The best I can do for now is to distract myself until I'm tired enough to close my eyes. Good thing I found something nice to read."

Kougyoku tilted her head in interest. "Really? What is it?"

"Ah, just a journal about a person's adventures around the world. She's a woman, so it's extra interesting. It doesn't look like much, but it's a good read." Shion stated causally as one of his hands reached under one of his many pillows to trace the cover of the book. "I think I'll let you read it once I'm done with it."

"Really? How far are you?"

Shion's fingers stopped at the bookmark and settled there.

"Almost done. I think I'll be finished by tomorrow."

* * *

"You know, Kido, I think you should talk to the poor girl. It's been days since she gave you that kiss."

Judal groaned when he heard his brother's out-of-the-blue suggestion. "Not you too. I already got an earful from that idiot king about it. Just butt out of it already! It's none of your business."

"Kido."

Judal froze at the serious tone his brother voice suddenly took on and turned. "What?"

"Sit down and listen to me a little bit." Tao said stiffly as he patted at the area beside him. Judal went over and took a seat. "I think it's about time for me to explain some…er…_unique_ characteristics of our clan. Mom and Dad will talk my ear off if I don't clear this up with you, so bear with me. It has to do with your lady friend."

Judal reddened. "I told you she's not my-!"

"Not _yet, _she isn't_. _You care for her very much, Kido. Even a fool can see that, so don't deny the inevitable." Tao interrupted sharply. "Besides," he added, "I know that look, you idiot. I wore it too many times to count when she was around. Hell, I think I even wore it when she _wasn't _around. Just thinking about her made me all red and foolish. But that's not the point. The point is that you already experienced a terrible and marvelous curse that all Gui men go through when they reach a certain age."

"Curse?" Judal repeated, panicked.

Tao waved his brother's concern away. "Relax. It's not destructive like your run-of-the-mill curses. Geez, if that was the case our ancestors would have gotten rid of it _ages _ago. We're pretty good at curse breaking and this one isn't too strong."

"Then why didn't they?!"

"Because it helped us more than it hurt us." Tao explained with a shrug. "It's a bit of a bother at times, I admit, but it does what it does for the population of our clan. Not that it matters anymore." He ended with a wince.

Judal pretended not to notice the last bit. "Population of our clan?" He repeated slowly before his eyes widened in realization. "Wait, so you're saying that this curse meddles with our _love life_?!"

"Sort of." Tao admitted before quickly backtracking at the look on Judal's face. "But it's not what you think, Kido! The curse's purpose is to help us, not control us! It…well…" He trailed off uncertainly. Then, he turned to an empty space with a inquiring look. "_How _did you explain it to me again, Uncle?"

"…"

"Uh huh."

"…"

"Yeah…. Got it."

"…"

Tao nodded resolutely. "Don't worry. I won't leave that part out either. Thanks, Uncle. I owe you one."

Judal stared at the empty space and tried to imagine the ghostly form of his dead Uncle talking back to Tao. It made the whole experience less disturbing.

Tao turned back to Judal. "Okay, I think I got it. To state it simply, when we reach a certain age – like, say, about thirteen – we become emotionally sensitive."

…_Emotionally sensitive? This was the big curse he was worked up about?_

"That's it?"

Tao laughed. "I know, right? That's what I thought too when the ghosts told me about it. But it's pretty serious when you actually experience it. You see Kido, the curse acts like a shortcut for us Gui males. It skips over the whole mess of shuffling through woman after woman for the right one and goes right into telling you which one you'll end up with anyways. It also amplifies the feeling of attraction tenfold to encourage the union."

"Oi, Tao." Judal cut Tao off dangerously. "My feelings for her aren't just a result of some stupid curse, if that's what you're trying to say. I've been crazy over Princess ever since we were kids. _Kids_, Tao. Me being older didn't change anything. How can you explain that, huh? Don't you dare make my feelings into a joke!"

Tao smiled. "I wasn't. That just means that you were ten steps ahead of the curse. Remember, the curse doesn't force any false feelings into you. It just hurries things up so the children would come after quickly, trying to keep the clan large and all." He coughed uncomfortably. "Not that you need to do that right now, Kido. Dad held himself back from Mom for a while even after the curse led him to her." He assured his little brother. "You don't have to worry about bringing the Gui clan back to its former glory, Kido. You're still young. Just leave that responsibility to me for now, okay?"

"Then why are you telling all of this to me now?!" Judal demanded with an uncomfortable look on his face. "I get that this is some Gui culture I need to know, but can't that wait?"

"Not really." Tao admitted sheepishly. "Dad says that it's 'better now than later' and Mom wants you to 'snap out of it and talk to the girl already'. And I have to agree with them. What you have is sacred, Kido. Running away won't help you. Believe me. It's doesn't work."

Judal growled. "I'm _not _running away." He denied hotly. "Besides, how are you so sure that she's the one anyways?"

"Aside from your desperation to reach her when we dropped by Sindria? No clue. I just guessed by comparing your reactions to my own when I fell under the family curse." Tao stated with a shrug. "Who knows? Maybe she isn't the one."

"How did you know when it happened to you?"

"Ah, well, I didn't know it at that time. I'd never fallen in love with anyone before, you see. It's usually harder for those who are inexperienced with the feeling to recognize it. Dad had to point it out to me. Since I doubt Al Thamen were the sort of people who would teach things like common sense, it should be the same for you."

Judal clicked his tongue impatiently at the unhelpful answer. "Well, what happened when you met her?" He demanded.

Tao's expression became fond as he remembered the event.

"Ah, she tried to kill me."

"…What?" He asked, thinking that he didn't hear it right.

Tao nodded happily. "Yup, she tried to kill me when we first met. It was a misunderstanding so she apologized later, but I'll never forget the fierce look on her face when she tried to lop my head off. She was very beautiful."

Judal sent his brother a disturbed look, which he caught immediately.

"Oi, it not just me! It was like that for Dad too. Mom gave him a mean right-hook when they first met each other. I think he said something insulting to her. Whatever it was, he definitely deserved it, according to Mom." Tao defended himself. "All us Gui males tend to choose the violent ones."

Judal opened his mouth to rib at Tao's taste in women, but snapped it shut when he remembered _exactly _how his second meeting with Kougyoku went. He unconsciously rubbed his forehead. "Right."

Tao raised his brow in amusement. "Similar experience?"

"Shut up."

Well, at least he had a good enough explanation for why he was so taken with her after she head-butted him.

"You still need to talk with her, you know." Tao helpfully reminded him.

And there was that.

_Dammit._

* * *

Kougyoku patiently waited outside of Opal's forge as the young girl finished up her most recent creation.

"All done!" Opal called out triumphantly as she emerged from the forge with a pair of small swords at hand. "A pair of swords, just as you requested. Don't worry about handling them. Just think of them as extensions of your own hand and you'll be able to kick-ass like you always do."

Kougyoku inspected her new weapons skeptically.

"They're…small." She stated.

Opal snorted.

"They're Butterfly Swords and they're easy to hide under baggy sleeves. Since you're planning on going back to Kou, they should be easy to keep on you even when you get back into that frilly monstrosity of a dress. And they're still very sharp, so they'll be able to cut things up without too much effort despite their small size. You're welcome, by the way."

Kougyoku took the swords and looked at them with a little more appreciation. "Thanks. I'll be sure to get something nice with longer sleeves for these. Hm. Maybe I can try mixing the Kou and Sindrian style to make something nice."

Opal hummed approvingly. "Sounds like a good idea. Maybe you can start your own clothing business here if you ever change your mind about leaving Sindria." She suggested with a small smile.

"Maybe." Kougyoku said wistfully. "But I have business that I need to take care of. There's a funeral that I will need to attend before I can even consider returning to Sindria. _If _I'm able to return, that is."

"You will." Opal assured the older girl. "So, is it true that you'll be dropping by the Tenzan Plains before you go back to Kou?"

"Yeah. I promised Haku-chan to check on Hakuei for him since he decided to go to Balbadd with Amani." Kougyoku confirmed with a smile.

"Lucky. I hear that the people there are nice." Opal said enviously. "Do you mind getting some info on their culture while you're there? I still don't have much on the Kouga Tribe in my museum."

"Sure. I can do that." Kougyoku agreed as she took her old hairpin out of her pocket. Opal watched with interest as the glowing symbol jumped from one metal vessel to the next. It latched onto one of the blades and remained there. Kougyoku tested the blades out with a few experimental swings. She whistled at how the small weapons seemed to cut the air.

"Impressive." Both Kougyoku and Opal jumped at Hel's sudden appearance. "But that's expected of Opal's craft."

Opal brightened at the appearance of the Reim Representative. She rushed over to his side and glomped him eagerly. "Hel! You're finally finished packing!"

Hel grunted in annoyance at the sudden contact, but accepted it nonetheless, which spoke volumes. Usually, he would push the person away or avoid the hug all together. Not only that, the pink aura between the two was a clear sign to the Blessed Child about the more than friendly feelings the two had for each other. Kougyoku smirked at the pair teasingly. "Aw, you two look adorable together." She cooed.

Instead of being embarrassed, Opal beamed and hugged Hel tighter, much to the boy's growing embarrassment. "Thanks. I guess nothing escapes you, huh?"

Kougyoku blinked.

"Wait, you're actually together?!"

"Yup."

"Together as in _together,_ together?"

Hel flushed and kicked at the ground. _"Yes."_ He gritted out. "Is it that surprising?"

Yes, yes it was.

"No!" She lied quickly, "It's just…out of the blue, you know? When did this even happen?" Kougyoku asked with a nervous laugh.

"We got together around last week. Don't worry about not noticing. We've been very low-key with our relationship since Hel is new to this kind of thing. So far, only Shion knows that he's my boyfriend."

"BOYFRIEND?!"

Lo and behold, as if summoned by that one word, Julius sprung from the forge like a rabid hellhound. Kougyoku sweatdropped as he loudly began to demand the identity of Opal's current love interest, drawing the attention of the whole street much to Opal's embarrassment.

"_Dad."_ She complained. "Not so loud. It's not such a big deal. I'm a big girl now, so _of course _I'm going to have a boyfriend."

"And just _when _were you going to tell me this important information?"

"I was going to tell you later, dad." Opal said dismissively.

Julius looked as if he was going to go into another bout of yelling. Fortunately, Hel intervened before he could blow. "I'm her boyfriend, sir." He said stiffly, making Kougyoku worry about Julius' reaction. Hel appeared to brace himself for Julius' reaction.

"Oh." Julius blinked and relaxed when he saw the boy. "I see. So it's just Hel."

Hel looked offended.

Opal, on the other hand, was thoroughly amused by her father's reaction.

"Yes, Father. It's just Hel. You threw a fit over nothing."

Julius sulked. "Well, if you told me about it sooner I wouldn't have done that."

"Dad likes Hel because of his manliness." Opal explained to Kougyoku. "He would never hand me over to a weakling. Dad also trusts him not to do anything funny to me without marrying me first, since Hel is completely clueless about those kind of things."

"Not _completely _clueless." Hel muttered.

"_Almost_ completely clueless." Opal corrected herself. Hel looked a little happier with the edit and left it at that. "Oh! And that reminds me." She turned to her still-sulking father. "Dad, I decided that I'm going to Reim with Hel."

Julius' head snapped up.

"You're _what_?! When did you decide this, young lady?"

"Well, I need to meet his mom at _some point,_ since I'm dating him. Why not sooner rather than later?" Opal asked rhetorically. "Don't worry. I won't be gone for long. Who knows? I might even expand our business to Reim territory if we're lucky."

As Julius tried to come to terms to the fact that his darling daughter had just made vacation plans with her new boyfriend without his knowledge, Kougyoku frowned at Opal disapprovingly.

"You did that on purpose." She accused to younger girl.

Opal looked completely unabashed.

"Well he shouldn't have shouted like that. It was so embarrassing." She complained. "I was going to tell him all of that _eventually_."

"_Right_." Hel muttered dubiously.

"Oh shut up you."

* * *

It was a beautiful night when Dunya died.

It had been Aladdin who raised the alarm first since he had been the one to keep her company. Yamraiha and Selene were the ones who responded to him the quickest. The magician and medical team were the ones who followed after. Then, Judal and Tao came in too after hearing the ruckus.

Compared to everyone else who were panicking and giving their all to save her, she appeared to be at peace as her life slipped away, bit by bit.

At least…that was what Judal thought as he tried saving her too.

Unlike Aladdin, Judal didn't have any fancy ability like his strange 'Solomon's Wisdom'. But what he _did _have was experience with controlling black rukh. Judal did his best to slow down the spread of the black rukh that was forcing the young woman's body to break down from the stress. He scrabbled through the murky black to find any remnant of the bright light rukh that he _knew _Dunya had.

Then, he found it.

Judal almost missed it. There was just so much taint that the tiny light was almost snuffed out by the darkness. It was small, but it was big enough for him to know that Princess Dunya was still struggling…still persevering…

Still alive

That was when Judal began getting desperate. He summoned everything he had to keep it burning. He tried nurturing it as quickly as he could without damaging it so it could grow big enough to stabilize the body.

He almost had it. He almost…

But then, he lost it.

Judal had no excuse for how or why it ended up that way. He didn't even know _when _the light fizzled out. He only knew that at some point that little light that he managed to salvage fizzled out and gave up.

Dunya just…gave up.

Of course, Judal couldn't take that.

"No. NononononononononoNO! NO! Don't give up now, dammit! You were so close! So close. Give me another chance! Just one more chance. _Please._"

Judal didn't know why he was so desperate to save the woman he hardly knew. He just knew that he _had to_. Whether it was a sense of obligation because of his past connection with that organization or because he saw a little bit of _his _princess in the woman, Judal wanted, no, _needed _to save her.

Judal pumped Solomon-knows-how-much magoi into the dying young woman. He tried to break through the taint and the rot to keep her alive even _a little bit longer to give Chibi some time to pull some sort of last-second stunt __**please!**_

But there was no stunt or trick that Aladdin could pull. Not this time.

"Kido, that's enough."

It was Tao who pulled him away from her. Judal struggled in his brother's arms for a bit, but even he knew by that time that she was a lost cause.

"She's gone."

Something heavy landed in Judal's gut at Tao's words.

Judal remembered hearing Aladdin crying beside him as Dunya's corpse turned into a coal-like substance, curling and cracking in a way that made the dark magi sick. Judal couldn't take his eyes off of the transformation as the other magicians gave up on their endeavor and backed away to give the mourners their space.

Judal didn't cry.

Instead, he screamed. He howled and shouted and cursed at Al Thamen. He woke up most of the palace by the time he lost his voice. And even then, he still rasped and wheezed out his grief and guilt.

He had been so close…_so close_ to saving that light.

Judal didn't sleep that night. Tao and Aladdin didn't either. Even when Dunya's body was removed to prepare for the funeral, all three of them kept their silent vigil in front of the bed. They didn't leave the room until Yamraiha came into the room to summon them for the funeral.

The understanding look that the water magician gave Judal confused him, but he didn't ask. He just took it as one of the normal things in life that he never got to experience before he met Tao and followed her outside.

Judal attended a funeral only once in his life. He had been so young then. He didn't understand why people were so sad. He didn't understand why people were crying. He didn't understand how the two covered-up bodies set up in the center of the room were able to sleep through all the noise and the sickly-sweet smell of the incense.

The Al Thamen members didn't even bother to tell him that they weren't sleeping. They didn't tell him that the bodies were the charred remains of Prince Hakuyuu and Prince Hakuren. They didn't tell him that the incense was to cover the smell of rot and death.

(Judal had nightmares after he found out the truth. He never told anyone, but the sight of the dead bodies _scared _him. The idea of death was something that Judal had been unfamiliar with. Eventually, he became desensitized to the idea of death under Al Thamen's tutelage.)

(He still avoided funerals like a plague.)

Judal found that the funerals in Sindria were very different from the ones in Kou. The body was covered, much to Judal's relief. He was surprised to find out that they _burned _the body instead of burying them like they did in Kou. The part of him that was raised in a culture that believed that such a thing would be desecrating the body rebelled against the idea. But Judal personally didn't mind that they were burning Dunya's body, not really. Something told him that it felt _right_.

"Ashes to ashes, dust to dust. That is the Gui way." Tao told him as they tossed their respective flowers into the fire to pay their respects. "Eventually, all living beings come back to where they came from. Death, no matter the circumstance, is inevitable. Don't blame yourself, Kido. The young lady was already ready for death even before we got into the room. She left no ghost."

'_She had no regrets.'_ He really meant.

Judal appreciated the gesture. He really did. But it only made him feel worse.

And he didn't know _why_. Why did he feel so guilty? Why did he feel as if he lost some golden opportunity when he couldn't save her?

Then, after seeing a flash of pink and red making its way toward the funeral pyre, Judal found his answer.

Judal ignored Tao's calls and made his way toward Kougyoku as she finished paying her respects and grabbed her arm. He paid no mind when she delivered a sharp slap to his face for his efforts and pulled her away from the beach to a more private area.

No one followed them.

After he was content with their location, he finally released her from his grip and turned.

"Princess, I –

Kougyoku punched him viciously.

As he recovered from the painful blow, she began to talk.

"What the hell was that?" Kougyoku spat. "We were at a _funeral! _You can't just pull me here and there as you please, Judal! It's not like you were paying any attention to me in the first pla – mmf!"

Judal kissed her once to silence her. It did the trick, since Kougyoku was too busy being surprised to hit him or yell at him any more than she had. Then, he kissed her again, fiercely this time.

Judal was never good with properly expressing his true feelings with words, not without breaking down into an emotional mess, that is.

So that was why he did his best to convey everything he wanted to tell her with that kiss. He poured his worries, insecurities, and tentative hopes inside the simple yet very intimate action. Whether she received his message was a completely different matter that he would rectify later when he managed to string up the proper words with Tao's help.

Yes, he'd get Tao to help him.

But first, Kougyoku.

When Judal drew away from her, he saw that her eyes were glassed over and her face had the most adorable, baffled expression that made him want to kiss her all over again.

But he had things to say, so he decided that he would hold that off for later.

"Wait for me." Judal said abruptly before she could say anything. At the confusion that flashed across Kougyoku's face, he quickly clarified his statement. "I'm not strong anymore. I couldn't even save Dunya." The words came out like bitter medicine, disgusting yet necessary. "I could have saved her, Princess. I _know _I could have. But I was too _weak _to do anything useful. I can't risk that happening again." _I can't risk being weak when it could happen to __**you**__._ "So I need to go find that other magi…Yunan."

Kougyoku finally managed to work her mouth to speak. "But…Sinbad's offer…"

"I can't stay here. I want to stay." Judal confessed almost guiltily. "But what _point _would there be if I did? I'll only stay weak. I won't be able to protect you or Tao if _they _ever launch an attack."

For a moment, she looked as if she was going to argue. But then she snapped her mouth shut and nodded resolutely, showing him that she understood. "Okay," she said, "okay. I can respect that."

"Thank you." Judal said, relieved that she didn't argue with him further as he had expected. It was surprising, actually. He had expected her to put up a fight against his decision.

"I'm definitely going back to Kou then." She announced, bringing Judal's world crashing back onto the ground with extra force than necessary.

(But it was his princess, so he shouldn't have expected anything less.)

"W-What?!" He spluttered, much to her satisfaction.

Then, they fell into a deep, heated discussion with Judal begging her to reconsider and Kougyoku stubbornly sticking with her decision that lasted for hours. The sun had already set by the time they reached an uneasy agreement.

Kougyoku would leave to the Tenzan Plateau and then to Kou.

But Tao would be coming with her.

* * *

Balbadd was in chaos as the unknown black creature flew over their country. It was a creature that they had never seen before. All shuddered at the sharp cry that it gave upon entering Balbadd territory. Even the Kou soldiers, who were armed, were put into a state of unease at the sudden appearance of the creature. Many officials rushed outside of what once was the Balbadd Palace to see the sight. Kouen and Koumei were among the crowd.

A row of soldiers raised their weapons defensively as the creature landed. Much to their shock, Prince Hakuryuu jumped off of the creature. He spared the soldiers a cursory glance before dismissing their presence, turning his attention to the other passengers. He held out his hand and helped them off the creature.

At the sight of Princess Amani and young Princess Kohaku, many soldiers and servants of Balbadd descent relaxed and regarded the strange creature with less weariness and more curiosity.

The three royals began making their way toward the main palace. The soldiers were forced to give them passage. The creature that followed them was also let through, but only because it snapped and snarled at every soldier who tried to prevent it from following.

The trio only stopped when they reached the foot of the palace where Kouen, Koumei, and all the gaping officials stood.

Only Kouen had the bearings and sense to step forward and greet them properly. His eyes glittered with interest as they traced over the form of the creature before resting on Hakuryuu's spear and wooden arm.

Then, he appraised them all with a pleased smile.

"Welcome to Balbadd."

* * *

"Welcome, guests, to Akita Kingdom!"

Yasmine all but jumped off of the boat when it finally reached port. She really hated all modes of transportation. The only one that she found tolerable so far in this life had been the caravan. Kouha laughed at her as he followed.

"So, what now?" He asked her.

"We wait." Yasmine replied as her eyes scoured the peaceful kingdom with some regret in her heart. It would all burn soon. She turned from the sight and gripped her bag tightly. "Let's find an inn to stay at before we decide to do anything else. Unfortunately, the rooms here are pretty expensive so we will have to share a room. Is that okay, Kouha?"

Behind her Kouha tried and failed to hide the glee that he was feeling at that moment.

"Yeah. No complaints there."

* * *

"Mou, what do you want from me, Magi?"

Sai cut to the chase the moment he strutted into the room where Scheherazade sat. The Priestess acknowledged his entrance with a nod. "Blessed Child. Thank you for coming over at such short notice."

"You're welcome. Now tell me what this is about." He said impatiently. "I didn't skip Miss Maya's cooking for useless talk. Tell me what you want and I'll decide if I will help you or not."

The Priestess hesitated for a moment. "Well, I was wondering if you can do a favor for me."

"What favor?" Sai asked suspiciously.

"A few months ago, I sent someone" _a spy_, Sai's mind supplied, "to Magnostadt as a student. I was wondering if you could be kind enough to go over there to see how he's faring."

Sai had a good idea on who this little spy was. But why did she need him to go over to Magnostadt when she could check on him on her own. Sai knew that she was more than capable of doing that herself.

So...what point was there in sending him?

Well, that didn't matter. It was what he wanted in the first place anyways.

"Sure." Sai replied, surprising the child-like Magi at his easy acceptance. "I recently heard from a little birdie that my little sister is applying to be a student in the Academy, so it'll be two birds with one stone. I'll be able to see her again and I can check on your wayward student." He explained with an easy smile that quickly turned sinister. "Though, I do have a request. Don't worry. It has to do with the little 'favor' I'm doing for you."

Scheherazade looked at him warily.

"What is it?"

Sai answered and relished the shock that came afterwards.

_Ah, I really do love it when a plan falls into place perfectly._

* * *

Everyone quickly filed back inside the palace after the whole debacle was over. The Kou Family took themselves to a private room where they could freely talk to each other without the eyes of the palace boring into their every actions.

"Tiare, no! Bad girl! Don't bite him! He's the _crown prince_!"

Of course, this was said half-heartedly by Hakuryuu, who secretly enjoyed watching his household member chewing at Kouen's cape. Tiare had already retracted her teeth and began munching on the red cloth, curious of its taste and texture.

Thankfully, Kouen didn't seem to mind. He could easily get another cape made. He was more interested on inspecting and petting the strange creature that was now Hakuryuu's household member.

"So this creature is female?" Kouen asked Hakuryuu.

The scarred prince stiffened under Kouen's attention before giving him a curt nod. "Yes, she is. She should also _stop chewing on Kouen-dono's cape_." He stressed the last part at Tiare.

She gave a snort at his indirect order and continued her chewing.

Kouen appeared amused at the blatant disobedience that the creature was showing her master.

"She's still very young." Hakuryuu quickly said, correctly guessing what was going through the crown prince's mind. "She's also unfamiliar with the rules of the palace, so please excuse her."

"You lost your arm." Kouen noted, forcing Hakuryuu's expression to strain as he reflexively tried to withdraw his wooden arm away from Kouen's sight. "But you captured a dungeon and gained a powerful household member. Good job."

Hakuryuu couldn't care less about Kouen's praise and his opinion was clearly shown on his face.

Tiare decided at that moment that the cape was not so interesting anymore and paddled back to Hakuryuu's side. She shifted back into her human form and yawned. "Master, Tiare is tired."

Hakuryuu patted the little girl on the head. "I know. You flew us here four hours straight, so you're bound to be exhausted. I'll try to get the servants to set up a room for you, so hold on for a bit until they're finished. Okay?"

Of course, her transformation drew many stares and even more questions.

Kohaku chose that time to rush over to her father's side and give him an enthusiastic hug. "Papa!"

It was quite a sight to see the rare expression of shock cross Kouen's features as his usually shy daughter boldly wrapped her arms around her father's neck and began to babble about her experience in Sindria nonsensically. After he got over his shock at Kohaku's personality change, Kouen contented himself with listening to what his daughter had to say.

"I like Shion. I'm going to marry him like Mama did with you, Papa." Kohaku announced in between her babblings, much to her father's amused approval.

"Oh?"

"I also want to attend Magnostadt Academy." Kohaku chirped.

Kouen hummed under his breath. "Why is that? We have more than capable magicians back in Kou."

"Magnostadt teaches the best." She told him simply. "And Shion likes strong girls."

Ah, well, if that's the case.

"Magnostadt Academy it is, then."

As Kohaku reveled in her victory, Amani and Koumei shared a tender moment across the room after months of separation. Between brief kisses, Amani told her husband the details of the events that happened during her time away.

Not that Koumei heard more than half of what she said. He was to busy trying to make up for the affection they couldn't share during their time apart.

"I missed you. Waiting for you to return was torturous." He murmured into her hair as he drew her close. "I doubt that I'll let you travel again for a long time."

Amani smiled affectionately in response as she felt his lips brush over her forehead. "I missed you too, _Anata_."

Then, her smile dimmed.

"Koumei…"

Koumei paused in his ministrations and looked down onto his wife in worry. Amani was nervous. Anxious. His wife rarely showed these sorts of emotions. She never needed to. What happened during her time away to Sindria?

"What is it?" He asked softly so he wouldn't frighten her into silence. "You know I will listen."

Amani nodded. "I know. I'm just a little nervous about your reaction."

"My reaction? On what?"

To Koumei's bewilderment, Amani shifted his hands from her waist to her abdomen and left them there, staring at him with anticipation and (again) worry. Why would she move his hands to the bump on her-

Oh.

_Oh._

"Surprise?" Amani said tentatively.

"You're with child." Koumei said woodenly as he came upon the revelation. Then, with horror, he realized, "And I let you go into a _dungeon_."

* * *

Amani is not leaving home for a while if Koumei can't help it.

Wait until he hears about Al Thamen's plans on killing the baby 0.0 Yeah...shits gunna get real. I mean, that guy managed to teleport a whole _mountain _and he's supposed to be weak.

Here's a Chibi-Omake (sort of) for you all!

* * *

**Chibi-Omake: Blood Ties (or, How Sharrkan Found Out About Hel)**

At first, Sharrkan reacted with denial.

It was completely understandable for him to think this way, of course. Out of everyone in Sindria, it was he who understood his older brother the most. That guy was a complete stick-in-the-mud and followed every rule in the book. The mere _thought _of him possibly cheating on his wife was mind-boggling.

But then, his big bro told him the news himself. Sharrkan couldn't really continue his denial.

"Sharrkan, stop flapping your mouth like a fish. It's unappealing for a prince of your stature." Armakan said flatly as if he hadn't just revealed the most shocking news in Sharrkan's lifetime.

"Bu-Bu-But _how_?!"

Armakan sent his younger brother an exasperated look. "You know _how_." He hissed back with an emotion that Sharrkan would have labeled as embarrassment if he didn't know his brother any better. Armakan was always perfect and rule abiding. He never did anything wrong.

Except now, that is.

"Well…who?" He finally asked.

Armakan coughed, looking uncomfortable for once. It baffled Sharrkan.

After a moment of hesitation, his older brother finally spoke. "Do you remember that party that father threw thirteen years ago when I was officially engaged to Eirenne?"

Sharrkan winced. _That _event had been a disaster. Armakan hadn't reacted positively to their father's announcement of the engagement, but the political situation was dire and the power that Eirenne's family brought with the blushing bride had been necessary for them to keep the throne. "Yeah."

"…Do you remember the performance before the previous Pharaoh's announcement?"

"You mean the dancers? Yeah, they were pretty good – wait." Sharrkan almost choked. "A _dancer_?! Let me guess. It was the one on the far right with the nice legs, wasn't it? Mina…or something."

"Maya." Armakan corrected almost automatically, confirming Sharrkan's assumption. "And no, she was the one closer to the center with gold eyes."

Sharrkan nodded jerkily after he successfully produced the image of the woman's profile in his mind.

"Okay. Fine. And you two somehow got together and…yeah. I think I got it." He rubbed his forehead in an attempt to clear his mind. "Okay. Wow. _Solomon_. I can't believe I didn't _see _it before. The kid even has your angry face."

"Angry face?"

"Yeah." Sharrkan smiled. "Did you talk to him yet?"

Armakan nodded with a displeased expression. "Hel is a rude child with no discipline. It's obvious that he's his mother's child. The brat turned down my offer to return to Heliohapt with me as my son. There's no arguing with him."

Sharrkan blankly stared at his brother for a moment before turning and making his way out of the room.

"What are you doing?" Armakan blankly called after his younger brother.

"To find my nephew." Sharrkan called back over his shoulder. "Someone needs to show the kid that he has family, since you failed _spectacularly_ at that."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The Gui Curse: Yeah. Being a Gui has some shortcomings. Since the Gui Clan is so small, it needs a fail-safe that makes sure that it continues to prosper. Thus: the curse. Now, let me make this clear: It doesn't force love or anything like that. It just brushes away all forms of denial and confusion from the mind when the person experiences the first stages of attraction and lets the Gui male know that he's in love. This was why Judal was so accepting with the idea that he was in love with Kougyoku when the palace maid brought up the idea.
> 
> Hel/Opal: Well, since Ohtaka likes pulling pairings out of nowhere like no tomorrow (like Toto/Olba), I decided to take a page out of her book.
> 
> Judal's Saving Attempt: This scene honestly came out of nowhere. I wasn't even planning on having a scene with Dunya and Judal interacting with each other but it happened. What Judal was trying to do to Dunya's rukh was to turn it back to light like Aladdin usually does when he uses Solomon's Wisdom. He believes that he failed because of his ineptness in controlling light rukh over the dark ones, which is only half true. But this is going to encourage him to go on his personal search for Yunan to learn from an older magi.
> 
> "Anata": It's a Japanese term of endearment that a wife would use for her husband. Sometimes, it's just a polite word for "you". Amani uses it in the first way.


	35. Chapter 34: Second Degree

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The World hasn't even seen the Blessed Children in their final form of power. Shion accidentally stumbles into a conspiracy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Onwards

"Koumei?"

Koumei looked back down at his wife's worried expression and shook his head. No, this wasn't the time to panic about things that already happened. It would only make Amani distressed and do more harm than good. His wife was safe and…

"I am never letting you go and do something so dangerous ever again." Koumei stated solemnly while drawing her closer. "I'm also going to have a word with Hakuryuu after this. Why haven't I been informed about your situation earlier?"

Amani laughed in his arms. "That's because I found out when I was _in_ the dungeon, _Anata_. The djinn himself actually had to remove me from his test because of the child, so I was mostly safe."

"Mostly?"

"We ran into some…trouble after Hakuryuu conquered the dungeon. Fortunately, he was able to defend me and our child long enough for help to arrive so I was able to leave the island unscathed." Amani explained calmly as she drew back to look at his face. "Trust me, Hakuryuu and my brother were very protective of me so I was very well protected."

Koumei accepted her explanation with a nod before breaking into an uncharacteristically wide smile. "A child, Amani. We are going to have a _child._"

"Yes."

"What should we name her? Or him?" Koumei wondered excitedly as a thousand names marched through his head. "How far along is she?"

"The baby should be about four months old." Amani answered before smiling teasingly. "Already deciding that our child will be a girl? What if he turns out to be a boy?"

"I will love our child nonetheless." Koumei assured her quickly.

"That's good to hear. Would you mind if I name the child if he ends up being a boy? I already have a name in mind. Of course, that would mean that I will leave the naming to you if our child ends up being a girl."

Koumei tilted his head to the side. He had no problems with having his wife name their child, but –

"You _are_ aware that you would have to name him according to Kou custom, right Amani?"

It pained him to say it, knowing his wife's attachment to her birth-country. Koumei had an uneasy feeling that his wife may name their child after that friend of hers – the one that died. If that were the case, he would have to reject the name she had in mind since it would breach Kou tradition.

To his relief, Amani nodded. "I'm aware."

Kouen, who had decided that he left the couple alone long enough, interrupted their hushed conversation by walking over to them. He raised a brow in silent inquiry of the subject of their conversation.

Koumei shared a look with his wife before breaking the news to his brother.

"Amani is pregnant."

Kouen blinked in surprise before smirking proudly at the announcement. He roughly patted his younger brother on the shoulder, nearly causing him to fall over. "A child already after one night with your wife? I knew that you had it in you, Koumei." He rumbled approvingly.

Both Koumei and Amani flushed brightly at his brother's words, making Kouen laugh boisterously.

"Th-That was completely unnecessary Brother En!"

"What do you mean, Papa?" Kohaku chirped innocently.

Behind her, Tiare also tilted her head and looked at Hakuryuu for guidance. "Master?"

Hakuryuu flushed and spluttered. "When you're older, Tiare." He finally said.

Tiare pouted at his words and crossed her arms. "But Tiare _is _old enough!"

"Oh dear, what a mess." Amani sighed at Hakuryuu's predicament. Hakuryuu shared her sentiment, judging by the nasty glare he was aiming at Kouen. "Look what you did now, Kouen. I really do hope that you'll be able to explain this to Seishin."

"Kohaku should be old enough to learn about these things." Kouen stated unabashedly, completely unconcerned about his wife's reaction. Koumei personally thought that it was unwise of this brother to do so. Seishin could be very scary and life threatening when she wanted to be.

But Kouen was Kouen. He should be…moderately fine.

Koumei hoped.

Fortunately, Amani managed to lead the conversation away from their (_ahem_) relationship behind closed doors to her time in Sindria and her adventures in Zagan's dungeon. When Amani brought up Zagan's dungeon, both Hakuryuu and Tiare chimed in with their side of the story during the times that Amani had been either absent or unconscious.

Both Kouen and Koumei listened intently at the cause of Tiare's miraculous shape-shifting ability. Of course, the chance of replicating her power with another was immediately shot down when Amani explained how rare it was for the transformation to be successful.

"Tiare was fortunate that her rukh was compatible with Zagan's." She explained to them grimly, shooting them a warning look. "She would have died painfully if she wasn't. So don't think about telling anyone else to try this when they try conquering dungeons."

Then, Hakuryuu tentatively recounted the events that followed the dungeon, namely the surprise ambush outside the dungeon and the goons who tried to harm Amani and her child. He also (with a guilty wince since _he _had indirectly been the cause of the event) spoke about the surprise attack Ithnan pulled in Sindria and his blatant attempt to harm Amani.

Koumei reacted accordingly to the news: He freaked out. He looked his wife all over for any signs of injury, double and triple checking if she hid any serious injury from him. All the while, he frantically fired questions at a frightening speed, barely allowing her time to answer one before asking another.

"Did they hurt you? How serious were your wounds? What about the baby? Is it okay? Are those brutes still alive? I swear if they are, _I will ensure that they won't stay that way._"

And he meant every word. Though he was weak physically, Koumei had his ways of _handling_ troublesome pests, to put it lightly. Fortunately, he didn't need to make his threat come true since the perpetrators were already dead.

"Generals Sharrkan, Yamraiha, and Masrur were able to take them down easily before any serious harm could be inflicted on me or the child." She assured her husband gently. "My safety was mostly because Hakuryuu bravely defended me until they arrived. He protected me even though he was barely standing on his own." She made sure to add while sending the scarred prince a grateful smile.

Hakuryuu blushed and looked down modestly. "W-Well, it was because Amani-dono was in trouble a-and it was my duty to protect her, that's all…"

Koumei's eyes narrowed at his stepbrother's expression at Amani's praise. He was mostly indifferent toward the boy, tending to think of him as 'Hakuei-dono's little brother' since he had never been a true threat to Kouen. _But now…_ Koumei gave Hakuryuu a pointed stare. The younger boy caught his stare and glared back defensively.

But now, Koumei had a reason to be wary of his cousin-brother.

Amani, probably sensing the silent war that was brewing between them, successfully diverted his attention from Hakuryuu with a quick tug on his sleeve. "Ah, before I forget, those goons who attacked me were members of the Al Thamen Organization." Amani announced with a straight face. "I would appreciate it if you allow me to stay with you for the time being since they seem intent on killing me and our child."

"…_What._"

* * *

"So…why are you four coming with us again?"

Alibaba regarded the four children sitting across from him with a healthy amount of weariness. He had been on the island long enough to know the mayhem and chaos they caused when they were left unsupervised.

_Especially_ Yasmine-sensei's younger brother.

What was Sinbad thinking, letting them on the same boat as Morgiana, Aladdin, and he were on? Not that he could complain anymore. The ship had left port a long, _long _time ago when he found out there were other passengers on the boat.

Alibaba didn't even want to think about how they were all on a wooden, _sinkable_ contraption, floating in the middle of the sea. No good things came from thinking in that direction. He was stressed enough with the idea that he would be seeing Sai again soon.

Alibaba shuddered.

Morgiana and Alibaba, on the other hand, appeared to be completely fine with the four extra passengers, judging by the curious expression on their faces.

Jamal grinned, looking very much like an overdosed chipmunk. "I'm going to visit Akita Kingdom to see my Nee-chan!" He announced. Then, his expression turned dark, instantly throwing Alibaba into a mental panic. "You see…lately, my Nee-chan senses have been tingling like crazy."

"And that means?" Morgiana asked, completely unbothered by the killing intent the little Sasan prince was emitting.

"It means that someone has to die." The boy replied ominously.

That didn't sound good. That didn't sound good at all.

"Ah, what about you, Selene?" Aladdin asked, quickly changing the subject, moving to the gentle girl. "Where are you going?"

'_I will be going to Magnostadt with you to receive formal training.'_ Selene wrote on the portable whiteboard Jamal gifted her with for this purpose. _'Though Yamraiha-sensei is a good teacher, I have certain disabilities that inhibit her from teaching me properly. She hasn't taught anyone like me before, you see. So she suggested Magnostadt Academy.'_

"Oh! So we'll be going to Magnostadt Academy together! I'm so relieved!" Aladdin said, happy to have a traveling companion.

_'Please take care of me.'_ Selene wrote back politely.

"And Hel-san and Opal-san? Where are you two going?" Morgiana asked, turning to the pair.

Hel answered her shortly. "I'll be returning to Reim since I overstayed my welcome in Sindria. And Opal will be coming with me." He said the second part in a softer tone, which Jamal _most definitely _caught.

"Oi, oi, oi, o_i_. Are you two-?" Jamal cut himself off with an indignant squawk. "You two so _are_! And you didn't tell me? I'm so wounded guys. How could you?"

"I didn't want you to know _ever, _you crazy herbivore, so why would I tell you?" Hel spat back, causing Jamal to throw a mini-fit over the fact that he wasn't told about the new development.

The rest looked onto the scene with growing confusion. Seeing this, Opal grabbed Hel's hand. "We're together." She clarified to them with a grin. "And I'm going to Reim to meet his mother."

"Oh. Congratulations." Alibaba said, surprised by the new development. "Though, aren't you two a little too…young for that sort of thing?"

The matching glares that he received for his question immediately shut him up.

"N-Never mind. Pretend I didn't say anything."

* * *

Yasmine woke up from her nap at the faint smell of smoke. Her eyes snapped open from behind her blindfold and she pushed Kouha off of her as she struggled out of the bed sheets. He whined at the loss of warmth, but followed after her as she rushed out of the room with Gamigin at hand.

"Holy _shit._"

Kouha stopped at the doorway and reared back in surprise at the sight of the chaos that raged outside.

Yasmine, on the other hand, was completely unsurprised by the sight. It was something that she had expected all along, thanks to Sai's warning. But still, the sight was horrible to see. It was even worse for Yasmine, since she could see farther and better than Kouha.

_How terrible. How despicable._

_ **They need to pay.** _

She didn't waste a moment to jump into the fray.

* * *

Kougyoku double-checked her belongings and nodded in satisfaction. Beside her, Tao pulled a black facemask over his nose and mouth and looked himself over in the mirror. They all agreed that Tao would be posing as her bodyguard for the time being. It would give him the excuse to hide his identity and lie low out of Al Thamen's radar.

"You look ridiculous." Judal said rudely, when he caught sight of Tao at the port, though Kougyoku knew that he was secretly worried about his brother.

Tao laughed and scratched his cheek. "Sorry, but this was all they had for me. Ja'far-san was kind enough to help re-create clothing similar to what he used to wear as an assassin. Of course, mine are created with better fabric and a different color since I'm supposed to be of a different caliber."

Ja'far used to be an assassin? So _that's_ why he got along with Amani so well.

Judal, on the other hand, wasn't as surprised by this fact. He huffed at the mention of the freckled advisor. "No wonder the outfit looks so tacky."

"Kido!" Tao admonished. "You shouldn't say things like that about Ja'far-san! He's actually a very nice and polite fellow."

"Shows what you know about him."

"We should start going. The ship is going to leave port any minute now." Kougyoku reminded the two, cutting their argument short. She stepped forward and hugged Judal tightly. "Don't cause trouble when I'm gone, okay? And contact me once you find Yunan."

Judal immediately hugged her back. "Yeah, I will. Just make sure you don't attract too much attention and keep your head down low for a while."

"Okay. And what should I say if anyone ever asks for you?"

"Tell them that I'm still sulking alone somewhere or that I decided to terrorize some random village or something." Judal said shortly.

She laughed. "That definitely sounds like you."

"Just make it believable. Better yet, you should leave all the talking to Tao. You suck a lying, Princess – OW!"

Kougyoku huffed and marched away from a bruised-face Judal. "_Unbelievable._ Just because he managed to sneak in a kiss or two he starts getting cocky." She muttered darkly while Tao laughed at his brother's expense.

"You really shouldn't antagonize her like that, Kido. Women are sensitive."

"Princess? _Sensitive?_" Judal said incredulously while rubbing his recent injury.

"I see that you have a lot to learn." Tao sighed. "Are you sure you don't want to come with us?"

"Nah, I need to pay the Idiot King a little favor before I start looking for that traveling magi. Don't worry. It's nothing too big." Judal assured his brother. "You should get going before they leave you, Tao."

Tao ruffled his little brother's head fondly. "Take care of yourself, baby brother."

"You too. Promise to protect her for me?"

"For you, Kido? A thousand times. Always."

* * *

"Shion? What is it _now_?! I swear to Solomon, if this is about Kohaku being gone again I'll pummel you."

Kikiriku had been spending some quality time with his siblings when Shion summoned him, so he was a _little _annoyed when it was interrupted. Just a little.

…

Okay, maybe he was a bit impatient. But could anyone blame him? He was _spending time with his family_. Something that he was usually too busy to do because of the chaos his friends caused daily.

Shion didn't seem to notice his irritation. He looked a bit frazzled and jumpy, which automatically caused Kikiriku to put his guard up. There didn't seem to be anything amiss in the room, aside from the book that was dropped onto the floor.

"Shion? What happened?"

"It was a misunderstanding, Kikiriku. The whole thing was a huge misunderstanding! I need to find the note and tell Father!" Shion began to rave, confusing Kikiriku. "Wait, what? Hold it. What was a misunderstanding, Shion? And what does it have to do with your dad?"

Shion told him about everything. The Journal. His mother. His father. The note. _The misunderstanding…_

"Solomon, we need to tell your dad." Kikiriku realized when Shion finished.

"We need to find the note first." Shion confided nervously. "I don't think he'll believe me if I just say it. I have a guess to where it is, but I need you to find it for me since I'm still grounded."

"Of course I'll do that! Tell me where to look."

"It's pretty complicated. You sort of need to read the journal to get it. Read this paragraph here…."

As Kikiriku and Shion puzzled over the journal, a shadow behind the door seethed silently at their discovery. They would ruin _years _of hard work if they succeeded in this. They would ruin everything. Everything.

_This must not happen._

* * *

Yasmine managed to save a few children before the pirates finally retreated back onto their ships and away from shore. Kouha, on the other hand, focused on evacuating the rest of the villagers from the attack site. She was tempted to go after them, but withheld the temptation. Going alone without backup and especially without the main cast was a _bad_ idea. Who knew what challenges the Pirate Fortress held? Yasmine couldn't risk it.

So, she let them go and tended to the injured as much as she could. Fortunately, she knew some basic first aid techniques that she learned from Selene, so she was able to help out at least a little bit.

When Kouha found her after bringing the evacuated people back into the village, she was helping an injured, old lady back to her home. All the while, the old woman was crying over the deaths of her son and daughter-in-law.

"My son was a good, hardworking man. His wife always cared about my health even though I'm an old woman past her prime. They were good people! Why did they have to die? Why couldn't it have been me?" She whimpered pitifully as Yasmine led her inside. "My grandchildren were taken by those pirates too!"

Yasmine comforted the old woman with condolences for her loved ones' deaths and assurances that she would try her best to bring her grandchildren back to her safely.

"I'll bring them back to you. I promise." She said determinedly as she patted the elder's hands. "I'll bring back the other children too, if I can."

"B-But I have no money to give you, young man." The old woman said shamefully. "The pirates took everything that this family had."

Yasmine shook her head. "No, I don't care about those kind of things."

The old woman looked shocked by the genuine expression Yasmine wore and immediately burst into another fit of tears. "Oh, bless you! Bless you, young man!"

When the old woman calmed down enough for Yasmine to leave, Kouha came over to her side and attached himself onto her arm. She briefly acknowledged her friend's presence with a nod before falling back into a pensive state.

"Why the long face?" Kouha asked causally as they made their way down the street, passing the injured and the mourning. "We'll save the kids, won't we? Those pirates are small fry against our djinn vessels."

"That's not what I was thinking about." Yasmine assured him with a small smile. "I'm pretty confident that you can take them all without breaking a sweat on your own." As Kouha puffed up at her compliment, her eyes wandered in the direction of the port. "The old woman I talked to earlier got me thinking about my own family, that's all."

Kouha scowled at the mention of Yasmine's brethren.

"Those jerks? Don't waste your time thinking about them, Yasmine. They're totally not worth it." He sniffed.

Yasmine turned him with surprise before comprehension settled into her mind. She chuckled and shook her head. "No, Kouha. I wasn't talking about _them_. That would be…offensive to my precious people. I'm thinking about my little brother and my Uncle Spartos."

Kouha paused in his walking. "Wait, Spartos as in _General _Spartos? Sinbad's general?"

"One and the same. I only met with his recently, but he's a good man." _'Unlike the other bastards'_ was heavily hinted. "My brother is also very kind and concerned about my well-bring. He completely overdoes it, though." She added the last part dryly, giving a pointed look at thin air.

Kouha tilted his head to the side, completely puzzled. "Huh? How so?"

"You'll see."

"Wha-?"

Kouha was cut off by the sound of an overjoyed whoop that sounded from the distance. Yasmine stopped in her steps and let out a defeated sigh. "Kouha, I advise you to back _far _away from me and make yourself scarce for the time being."

"What do you mean?"

"_YAS-"_

Kouha jumped at the shout and turned to the direction of the shout and saw a tiny figure running towards them at an alarming speed. "What the actual fu-?"

"Get off of me." Yasmine interrupted him before he could finish his sentence.

"_-MINE-"_

"Yasmine?"

"Kouha I need you to remove yourself from me _right now _if you know what's good for you." Yasmine's voice became unusually sharp. Kouha immediately obeyed, but retained a confused expression.

"_-NEE-"_

"Yasmine?" Kouha prodded her again, but she completely ignored him in favor of the screaming person that was getting closer and closer by the second. Yasmine muttered something under her breath before opening up her arms.

Kouha watched with a mix of incredulity and surprise as a little boy launched himself into her arms, throwing her back a good two feet.

"**-CHAN! **Imissedyousomuch! Didyoumissme? Didya? Didya? Ihavesomuchtotellyou! Somanythingshappenedyouhavenoidea! Ohyoucutyourhair! Itlooksniceonyou! I-**" **The child caught sight of Kouha and stilled almost unnaturally. His gaze sent oddly familiar chills down Kouha's spine. "Nee-chan, who's that person?"

"Hello Jamal. Yes, I missed you too. A lot of things happened to me too. Thank you for liking my haircut. This is Ren Kouha, a very good friend of mine."

At the mention of the name, Jamal reacted with confusion before it sizzled down to an angry realization. "Wait, so that 'friend from Kou' who always visited you in random intervals was actually a **guy**?!"

"You thought Kouha was a girl?" Yasmine asked with genuine surprise. "How did you-? Wait. No. I think I understand how you came upon that conclusion." She sighed while Kouha spluttered behind her back. "I knew that it was strange that you never reacted negatively when Kouha visited."

Kouha regarded Jamal with suspicion and dislike for being so…close and clingy with Yasmine. _He's_ the only one who could do that! "Oi, who the hell are you, brat?"

Jamal bristled like a cat at the Kou Prince's condescending tone and launched himself at Kouha with a maniac gleam in his eyes. Yasmine grabbed at the scruff of her little brother's shirt and pulled him back roughly. "No, Jamal. You can't maul Kouha. He's a prince and my best friend."

"But!"

"_No."_

Jamal sighed.

Yasmine turned back to Kouha. "Kouha, this is Jamal Leoxses, my little brother. Please get along."

The pair glared daggers at each other.

Yasmine sent them a _look_ from behind her blindfold, which immediately stopped their silent war.

"_Behave_. I am not in the mood."

* * *

"Say that again."

Scheherazade's normally serene expression had long since shattered into itty-bitty pieces ever since Sai had made his request. He took a moment to relish the fact that it was _he _who managed to break that calm with a few words.

"You would think that you would learn a lot of things after all that time you've been living on this world." Sai sighed dramatically. "It's not like we kept it a secret or anything."

The Priestess' eyes narrowed. "You're lying. Such a thing is impossible. I cannot register you as a student. For me to do that, you would have to be –

"- a magician?" Sai finished with a tilt of his head. "Well, that won't be a problem since I'm a magician."

"Impossible." Scheherazade repeated.

"Says the lady who's been bringing herself back to life for centuries." The Blessed Child shot back with a smug curve of his lips. "Such a hypocrite. I expected better from you, honestly. But it turns out that even nine centuries can't improve a person's imagination."

Scheherazade leaned forward. "Humor me then." She all but commanded. "Convince me that this is possible and that this isn't an elaborate lie that you're weaving."

"Oh well, if you _say _so. I guess I have no choice." Sai placed a hand over his face. The skin of his body began to ripple at the changes that were going on inside the Blessed Child's body. The overall appearance and shape of Sai remained the same, but Scheherazade sensed a major shift in the young man's aura.

"…Satisfied, Magi?" Sai inquired from under his hand. "If you are as talented as they claim you are, you should sense the change in my body. As you can see, I am a magician. It's a bit of a bother to be in this form since I can't use Barbas now, but it serves its purpose. So? What do you think? Are you impressed?"

Scheherazade drew in a sharp breath.

"The construction of your body and the flow of your magoi…it completely changed into one of a magician…_how?!_"

"Well, _duh~ _Special Blessed Child Powers, obviously." Sai answered while rolling his eyes under his hand. "Did you really think that the only thing I could do was change my appearance? Did you really think that we Blessed Children are limited to the abilities that we are born with? Um, _no_. Totally wrong~!"

Sai tilted his head to the side as he peeked at the Priestess from under his hand.

"Wait, so you're seriously saying that you had no idea? That _nobody _knew about this? Nobody? A-re, maybe I shouldn't have revealed such sensitive information then. Never mind. I'll just sign up as a student myself. Don't bother with anything, Magi."

Sai turned to leave.

"W-Wait!"

He stopped and let out a huff of annoyance.

"Mou, what does the Magi want from me now? Weren't you spoiled enough with the information I just gave you? I even withdrew my favor."

Scheherazade paid no mind to Sai's petty jab. "Since you have proven to me that you are capable of passing yourself off as a magician, I will do as you asked. You will have the recommendation of the Alexius Family to make things easier for you."

"Really?"

She nodded. "Yes."

"Why take the effort to do all these things, Magi? I already withdrew my request and gave you a priceless piece of information. There would be nothing that you would gain from doing this." Sai stated without turning around. "Or is it that you have another thing you want from me in return…?"

"Tell me more about your abilities."

"Ah. I knew it. You wanted to know more about our powers. Politics and all that." Sai joked as he made his way toward a sofa. He plopped onto the fancy furniture and made himself comfortable. "Give me a moment to change back." He stated shortly before the blonde woman could open her mouth. Once again, Sai's body shook and shifted. After he finished, Sai looked up and smirked. "Done. Now, what do you want to ask me?"

"The other Blessed Children –

"_Ah."_ Sai cut her off. Warning flashed across his eyes. "If you want information about my fellow Blessed Children then _forget about it_. We're only going to talk about me. Leave them out of it. I'm only indulging you since you were nice enough to let me stay, Magi."

Scheherazade sent Sai a curious look. "…Of course. I will respect your wishes."

The shape-shifter relaxed.

"With that over with, what do you want to know?"

Scheherazade leaned forward.

"Explain to me the full extent of your power. You said that your abilities weren't so limited. What do you mean by that?"

* * *

_Imagine it like this._

_Every single one of us has a different ability, right? We can see things and do things that normal humans can't. That's what we're known for, aside from allying ourselves with our respective kings._

_Well, everything you know about us is a lie. History hasn't even scratched the surface of what we can do._

_Honestly, did you really think that tricking others into seeing things that aren't true and freezing people with our eyes were the paramount of our abilities? We were chosen to be _ _ **Solomon's ** _ _Blessed Children for a reason. We were chosen to make an impact on the fate of this world._

_So yes. Our abilities can be far more potent and dangerous when we want them to be. Our predecessors simply didn't find a reason to use them in their lifetime._

_We did._

_Believe me, it was a pretty nasty surprise to all of us too when we first discovered this. We had no idea what were doing. Our predecessors never told us about these abilities, you see, so we were completely blind in what we were doing. We had no one to guide us._

_In a sense, we were almost…lost._

_But, we adapted and learned at the end. We had a very clever friend who was able to notice some things about our new quirks that allowed us to garner _ _ **some ** _ _control. He even decided on calling our new abilities ' second degrees'._

* * *

"**Who was this 'friend' of yours?"**

* * *

Shion couldn't breathe.

Blue eyes snapped open in panic and caught sight of a dark shadow looming over his bed. Sharp nails dug deeply into his neck as the hands squeezed all air and sound from Shion's throat. He clawed desperately at the hands, trying to get even a little air into his lungs.

"W-Why?"

"You're just like your mother. Do you know that, young prince? Ranya always ruins _everything_ when she's around." His captor sneered, tightening their grip on his neck. "Why couldn't you both just _stay away_ for once? Both of you are already happy. Why can't I be happy too? I almost…if only you didn't exist…if only she didn't exist…"

Shion felt his consciousness slip away by the second.

_No…I can't…no…_

* * *

_No one important. But we're getting away from the main subject, right?_

_As I was saying, we all decided to divide our abilities into different 'degrees'. We all decided that there are three degrees to our abilities._

_The first, as you know, are the abilities that everyone knows we have._

* * *

"**Yes, I remember. There is a Blessed Child whose eyes 'avert the eyes of others'."**

* * *

Sneaking out of the palace had been laughably easy. Then again, she knew the secret tunnels of the palace, thanks to Alibaba.

Walking through the streets of Balbadd without being noticed was also child's play. She simply made her own existence insignificant and no one paid her any mind as she wandered the once-familiar area. Everything seemed very alien to Amani. It was like she never came back to Balbadd in the first place.

'_Was leaving Balbadd to Kou's mercy the right decision?'_ Amani wondered as she stared at the spot Junkyard Street used to be. Now, it was only a well-paved street framed with Kou style homes._'Did I really save Balbadd?'_

Something twisted in Amani's gut.

* * *

"**There is also the other one with 'far-reaching eyes that create mountains'."**

* * *

"So, what'cha doing?"

Kouha swung around to a blindfold-less Yasmine's side after getting acquainted with the rest of Jamal's companions. The strong Finalis chick and the blue-haired kid were Kouha's favorites. The 'Alibaba' guy Yasmine was supposed to be engaged to also turned out to be an okay guy, initial dislike and political marriages aside. Since he was also Amani's twin, Kouha decided to cut the guy some slack and be nice to him.

The rest of them were just…strange. So _these _were the friends that Kohaku made? Huh, his adorable niece had some weird taste in companions, though Kouha couldn't really say anything about that since _his _taste wasn't so normal either.

Jamal (that little brat) never left Yasmine's side. He never took his eyes off Kouha either. He shot Kouha a patronizing look at his question and scoffed. "Don't you know? She's looking for those pirates. Nee-chan's eyes has the ability to see _everything _if she tries hard enough. Finding the hideout of those bottom-feeders would be easy-smeezy for my Nee-chan!" Jamal boasted.

Right at that moment, Yasmine looked away from the shore and put her blindfold back on with a triumphant smirk.

"Found them."

* * *

"**And there is the one with the eyes that 'sees the truth in others'."**

* * *

Kougyoku found that traveling with Tao was like a godsend to her senses.

Being trapped in a boat with many people was a nightmare for the Blessed Child because of all the images, emotions, and secrets that everyone had. But Tao wasn't too different than his brother in the sense that his presence naturally drove away everything else.

"So, what is your relationship with my little brother?" Tao asked without any shame or hesitation. Kougyoku found that she liked that part about Tao. He was always to the point and clear about his intentions. The grim reaper-like illusion that loomed over his shoulder mirrored his every movement and emotion.

Yes, she liked how he was honest with himself.

"I agreed to wait for him." Kougyoku stated honestly. "I'm not too sure about what I feel for him. I've always looked at him as a friend."

"Until the day you didn't." Tao nodded sagely. "I understand. The heart is complicated. Take your time and think it over. Just know that my little brother's feelings are as genuine as they can ever get when it comes to you."

Kougyoku flushed and looked down. "That's good to know."

Tao smiled at her fondly behind his mask. Then, he frowned when he saw Kougyoku freeze up. "Kougyoku?"

* * *

"**And then there is you."**

* * *

_And then there is me._

* * *

"**What is the 'second degree' of your abilities? How did they manifest?"**

* * *

_How does any ability manifest? Through fear, anger, distress, or self-preservation, of course. Some of us achieved second degree at a young age. Some of us achieved it later during their teens. No matter what age, we all discovered our second degree at a stressful moment._

_It was also the moment when we completely accepted our abilities and genuinely wished for them._

* * *

"**What do you mean?"**

* * *

_Well, you don't expect us Blessed Children to completely accept our abilities, do you? Sometimes, it makes us hated by our own people, so an unconscious part of ourselves reject this part of us since it's the only thing that makes us abnormal._

_But there are moments when we desperately wish things like:_

"_I wish they couldn't see me anymore."_

* * *

'_Ah, what a troublesome situation.'_

Amani had been on her way to the kitchens when she accidentally crossed paths with a group of noblewomen. Usually, she would put up her misdirection ability to avoid any conflict with them, but she had been distracted by her earlier visit to the now nonexistent slums.

Of course, the noblewomen, who were the spoiled daughters of the Kou officials that resided in Balbadd Palace, pounced at the chance to pick a fight with Amani. Since Seishin had a firm position next to Kouen, they had been aiming to sink their nails into the title of Koumei's first wife so they could get closer to his older brother.

Fortunately for Koumei and unfortunately for them, Amani came into the picture and filled the spot of first wife perfectly, shattering any chance for them to claim the 'empress' title.

Which led to Amani's current situation.

"Slum whore."

"I bet Koumei-sama only married her because she seduced him with her vulgar clothes. Look at her! Those things on her should only be worn in the bedchamber!"

First, they tried to rile Amani up with petty insults and verbal threats. Amani knew that she could easily brush them off and leave them, but the girls (as annoying and superficial as they were) had _connections _that her husband needed. So, she tried to end their interaction peacefully, remaining as polite as she could.

It didn't work.

When it became apparent that their words had absolutely no effect on the blonde, the harpies began attacking her physically.

Amani was able to fend them off easily. But when one of the girls aimed her feeble punches at her stomach, she let herself be distracted long enough for another to push her.

And then she was falling.

(Strange. She didn't remember those set of stairs being there before.)

For one, horrifying moment, Amani thought that she might lose her child over something so simple, so _trivial _as a group of spurned young women who couldn't waste a brain cell to think for themselves.

But then, Foras caught her with her sand before her body could even reach the floor and gently set her down.

(If her child had died from the little tumble, she would've _snapped _all their little necks personally, consequences be thrice damned.)

Amani looked up at the gaping gaggle of women and sent them a cold glare that sent them skittering back a few steps. Satisfied, she began getting back onto her feet but stopped when she felt gazes bearing onto her back. She turned and froze at the appalled stares of officials, soldiers, and –

Amani froze. If she was the sort of person, she would've groaned at her terrible luck.

\- Koumei.

So much for trying to not cause a commotion. Amani felt the beginnings of a large headache build up behind her temple and sighed.

Then, she disappeared.

* * *

_Or maybe, if their lives or the lives of others who they care for are being threatened, "I wish that person or thing would just _ _ **stop** _ _."_

* * *

It was decided that Jamal, Hel, Opal, and Selene would stay behind and try getting some backup while the rest of the group went to save the kidnapped children from the pirates.

Yasmine had expected many things from this mission but she never expected…this.

Finding and infiltrating the Pirate Fortress? Easy. Fighting off Olba and the older pirate members? Piece of cake. Getting into the strange, submarine-like contraption? A little harder, but they managed.

But trying to battle through seas of brainwashed children? Now _that _was a bit of a problem.

"Fight for mother! Protect mother!" They screeched as they threw themselves at Yasmine with a feral sort of energy. "I will die for mother!"

Yasmine mentally cursed at her bleeding heart as she batted the same little toddlers away from her for the fifteenth time. Kouha stood beside her with a grim expression and summed up everything she was thinking with a sentence. "This is messed up."

Yes, this was _really _messed up. What kind of monster manipulates little children into fighting for them? Umm Madaura, apparently. Solomon, they were practically _babies._ Yasmine doubted that half of the 'pirates' here were even past the age of ten.

Morgiana and Aladdin worked through the teenagers, blocking and defending the rest of the group.

"Yasmine-sensei, what should we do?" Alibaba asked helplessly as he pushed a little kid away from him. The child tumbled back and burst into tears, probably making the blonde feel like trash. "If we go any further…"

_If we go any further, we will have to harm the children_. Yasmine finished the sentence bitterly in her mind. She reached for her blindfold and pulled it off, keeping her eyes closed. She didn't want to do this, but they were limited on time.

"Everyone, please stand behind me."

They obeyed without hesitation. Yasmine made sure to make her gaze as harmless as she could as she immobilized the majority of the children. The remaining were too scared to attack her anymore.

"W-Wait!" A brave child grabbed onto her pants before she could leave. "Don't kill mother! She saved us! Please don't take her away from us!"

Other who weren't frozen under Yasmine's gaze began to beg for their mother's life, chiming along with the boy.

Swallowing her guilt, Yasmine ignored them and pushed forward to the main room of the fortress with her companions trailing after her. She felt someone grab her hand and give it a quick, comforting squeeze.

She didn't need to look back to know who it was.

When they finally reached the main room, Yasmine tensed in preparation for the person behind the door. Sai had warned her that Umm Madaura was a dangerous enemy. _"Do not underestimate this person, Jazzy-chan."_ Sai warned her with an uncharacteristic seriousness. _"Umm might have a totally lame name, but she has an ability that could take you down if you underestimate her."_

The doors swung open.

"You did very well to come here, brave children! I admire your strength!"

Umm Madaura, in her vile glory, sat at the end of the room on a cheap parody of a throne. She smiled at them indulgently upon their entrance. Her compliments fell on deaf ears as they began to come forward threateningly.

"It's useless…you can't even attack me." She boasted, making everyone stop in confusion. Alarm bells rang in Yasmine's head as Umm lifted her right hand. "Now come, little children, and become my sons."

Then, there was flash of bright light that filled Yasmine's senses, an experience not too different from facing the flash of a camera.

"_Mother."_

Yasmine watched as her comrades fell into Umm Madaura's spell. Beside her, Kouha became still and distant, undoubtedly seeing some far-off memory. Yasmine herself saw a vision of her mother from her past life in front of her eyes, but it showed itself for what it was: a vision. A fake. With a wave of Gamigin, she dispelled the illusion.

Umm cried out in outrage. "Why? Why doesn't it work on you?"

'_Other than the fact that I lived two lives?'_

Yasmine scoffed and tapped at her eyes, which she still kept open. "_Nothing_ escapes my eyes. You can't fool me with your petty tricks of that magical tool of yours. Besides," she sighed, remembering the constant distance between Harley and her mother in her past life and the constant absence of her mother in this one, "I have long since grown from needing a mother."

"What sort of heartless creature are you to disobey your mother?"

"Newsflash, it's called growing up. Us teenagers naturally rebel against our parents at a certain age so we can gain a sense of independence. We can't follow our mother's orders forever."

Her words seemed to fuel the others to break from their bonds. They fought against Umm Madaura's will and struggled onto their feet. Aladdin was the quickest to recover. Alibaba and Morgiana were a bit slower, but they managed.

"See?" Yasmine pointed out smugly before frowning at Kouha's still, struggling form. "Kouha?"

"…Mother." He whimpered. "Please don't…stop, stop, _please_…I need to make mother happy. I need to…"

Yasmine's stomach plummeted as Umm cackled in glee. "Yes, yes, my child. Make me happy by protecting me from the others. Defend your mother!"

Kouha looked up with a frenzied expression and summoned Leraje. "Must protect…mother!"

He struck at Yasmine without warning, drawing blood from her side. She parried the next attack and winced at the raw strength behind the blows. "I _knew _that you were holding back in our spars." She gave his abdomen a hard kick, throwing him back to a wall. "Good thing that I was holding back too."

Kouha continued to mutter to himself as he struggled to get back onto his feet. "I need to make mother happy. Don't take her away from me! Mother? Where are you, mother?"

It was heartbreaking to see her friend at such a state. All the more reason to get Umm Madaura before she could do any more damage to Kouha.

"Alibaba, hold him back for me!" Yasmine called out as she rushed forward, batting aside Olba and the rest of the older crewmembers. "Morgiana, Aladdin, clear a path! I will take down the Holy Mother!"

Yasmine jumped over weapons and heads with one target in mind. Right when she came close enough to make a grab at Umm, Olba and anther pirate attacked her from behind and held her down. They kicked away Gamigin, successfully disarming her.

"Ufufufufu, it seems that you couldn't get to me after all." She gloated as she wandered closer to Yasmine. She turned toward Kouha's direction. He was slashing away at Alibaba, easily bettering the blonde strength-wise. "What a good child. What a pity I couldn't recruit him any sooner. He would've been a wonderful addition to the family."

"…stop..."

Umm tilted her head.

"What did you say? I'm afraid I didn't hear that."

Yasmine looked up and glared at the Holy Mother with a hate-filled glare.

"_I said stop controlling Kouha you messed up __**bitch**__."_

And without any warning, Umm Madaura was turned into stone.

* * *

_Or maybe even, "I wish I could hear their hearts more clearly."_

* * *

When had been the last time Kougyoku was able to hear the thoughts of others?

Whatever the answer was, she was sure that right now was too soon.

Kougyoku pushed past many people to get to her room. She tried to block all the voices out by covering her ears with a veil and her hands. She just needed to get to her room. She just needed to –

'_That girl seems to be in a hurry. I wonder what got her so flustered?'_

'_I hate ships. I always feel sick when I'm on them.'_

'_Should I eat the fruits first or save it for later?'_

'_-hate her, I hate her so-'_

'_-wish she'd just stop nagging-'_

'_-don't understand-'_

'_I wish they would just __**die**__.'_

Kougyoku rushed into her room and grabbed a pillow to block out all the voices.

'_-wrong? Did I say something that offended her? No. Something scared her. I need to make sure-'_

"Kougyoku?" She heard Tao call for her softly.

She whimpered and curled deeper into the pillow. "Go away."

Kougyoku felt Tao climb onto the bed. "I'm afraid that I can't do that, Kougyoku. I promised Kido that I would protect you. Now, tell me what's wrong and I'll do my best to help."

"I can hear thoughts." She blurted out, making the young man blink in surprise. She shoved her face back into the pillow miserably. "I don't think that there's much that you can do."

Tao nodded sympathetically. "Maybe not. But I have someone right here who could."

Kougyoku looked up from her pillow to shoot him a confused look.

"If you would like, I can talk to Ping for you. She's been floating around us for a while now and I'm afraid that she might gouge my eyes out if I ignore her any longer."

* * *

"**What were you thinking when you achieved the 'second degree' of your ability?"**

* * *

…_I thought, "I wish I wasn't 'me'. I wish I didn't exist. I wish I would die."_

"…"

_It worked. And I was never 'me' since then._

_My second degree is the ability to change my body…literally. Unlike my first degree tricks, they aren't illusions. They're the real thing. I can change my age, my appearance, my gender…hell, I can even change my race! So, becoming a magician is a piece of cake for me._

_Are you satisfied, Magi?_

* * *

"**Yes. Thank you. I won't push any more since you have been generous with your personal information. Is there any other way that Reim could help you with your transfer to Magnostadt Academy?"**

* * *

_Just don't lie about my name. Despite what you think, not many people connect 'Sai Shambal' with the 'Blessed Child of the Yambala Tribe'._

_I'll be leaving now._

_Ja ne, Magi._

* * *

Koumei wanted to break something. He didn't care whether or not it was an important document he needed to sign. He needed to break something _now_.

Ever since Amani's tumble from the stairs (which Koumei almost had a heart-attack over) and her abrupt disappearance, both officials and soldiers alike hadn't stopped talking. They kept fussing over their daughters, who all claimed that they had been 'attacked' by his wife and her djinn vessel.

Ridiculous. His wife would never waste her energy over something so trivial.

"She must be so haughty since she's allowed back in Balbadd. Who does she think she is, attacking us without any reason and showing such disrespect towards Prince Koumei? Father, make her go back!" One of the daughters complained loudly.

Koumei could behead the woman for such impertinence. He hid his scowl behind his fan.

"Prince Koumei, we understand that you enjoy your wife's presence greatly." One of the old officials worded carefully. "But she is already in a very…_delicate _situation with Balbadd being her home country. She has already caused some trouble by using her djinn weapon against our _unarmed _daughters."

Much to everyone's surprise, a servant spoke up.

"Princess Amani would never do such a thing!" He defended her bravely. "I saw it. She only used her sand to catch herself after she was pushed down the stairs. She never raised a hand against the other women!"

As noble and admirable as the action was, Koumei knew that the officials would only use the servant's defense to drive Amani back to Kou and away from him.

"See?" A red-faced official cried. "This is why we were reluctant to allow the Blessed Child here! The servants are already gathering to her side. We will have a rebellion on our hands in no time because of her presence!" He turned to Koumei and pompously continued, "You should reconsider keeping that Blessed Child as your first wife, Prince Koumei. There are certainly more suitable choices, take my daughter for example."

One of the young girls, whose name and face Koumei had never bothered to memorize, batted her eyelashes and giggled.

Koumei ignored her, turning his full attention onto the brave servant who had defended his wife. "Was what you said true? Was Amani truly _pushed _down the stairs?"

"Prince Koumei!" The appalled official spluttered, but was silenced by warning looks from many of his peers.

The servant nodded, all too happy to confess the truth. "There are many other maids who saw it too."

"Good. It's decided then. Amani did nothing wrong, so she can remain in Balbadd." Koumei decided abruptly, taking a leaf from Kouen's book by making his words quite literally into law. "Since I am finished with all the documents and finished with all of you, I will be making my way back to my quarters. I would appreciate it if no one disturbs me until tomorrow."

Koumei was tired, stressed, and anxious. He wanted nothing more than to confirm that Amani and their child were unscathed from the terrible tumble from the stairs. Unfortunately, the red-faced official (from the Chun Family, Koumei recalled) didn't seem to _understand _how dangerously thin his temper was by this point.

"Prince Koumei! I implore you to reconsider and send the Blessed Child back to Kou!"

Koumei's eyes flashed dangerously and he lowered his fan.

"If you haven't forgotten, Princess Amani is my _wife_. She is free to remain by my side as she pleases. She is also the mother of my child, _whose life your daughters have also carelessly threatened._"

No one argued with Koumei after that. They had either been too shocked about the news of Amani's pregnancy or smart enough to recognize that pushing the subject any further would be a very _bad _idea. Koumei made to sure reward the servant boy, who had been thrilled to hear the news of Amani's pregnancy, before quickly making his way to their sleeping quarters.

Upon entering the room, Koumei immediately silenced Amani's apologies with a quick kiss. "I am going to make sure that Chuu'un is by your side at all times from now on." He informed her seriously. "I don't want you tumbling down any more stairs or getting attacked in the middle of the _halls_, out of all places."

"Isn't that a little too much?" Amani wondered.

"Seeing that you manage to attract trouble from both dungeons and palaces alike, I think my concern isn't unfounded." Koumei stated dryly. "Now, if you don't mind, I would like to spend the rest of the day in bed."

At Amani's blank stare, Koumei immediately amended his previous statement.

"_Sleeping."_

"Ah, in that case…"

* * *

"SHION!"

Suddenly, the pressure on Shion's throat disappeared, letting him breath in a large gulp of air. He coughed and rolled away from his bed. Kikiriku came over to his side to check him over before glaring at the assailant. "How dare you lay a hand on my king?"

"Oh, he's your 'King' now, is it? Why don't you die in his stead, then?" The person mocked and flung at handful of throwing weapons at the young Imuchakk Warrior.

He parried most of them, keeping his body in front of Shion's even as some of the blades slashed at his arms and legs. "Yeah." He grunted. "If you want to get him, it better be over my dead body!"

Before the person could make their next attack, the doors of Shion's room flew open. Sinbad and Ja'far ran inside, summoned by Kikiriku's cry of alarm and the sound of the small battle. Everything seemed to freeze upon the Sindrian King's entrance.

Ja'far had his blades at the assassin's neck before anyone could blink. "Who are you?" He demanded threateningly and moved their head to see their face properly. Upon seeing it, he almost dropped his blades in shock.

Sinbad, too, looked just as surprised, recognizing the face almost immediately.

"Camilla?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 2nd Degree: Power-ups anyone? I was planning on making all of their abilities more volatile from the beginning.
> 
> Amani: Invisibility
> 
> Sai: Shape-shifting (quite literally)
> 
> Yasmine: Petrification
> 
> Kougyoku: Mind-reading
> 
> Planning on adding a 3rd Degree in the future. Feel free to guess to your hearts content.


	36. Chapter 35: The Cursed Children

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Blessed Children meet your match.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Onwards

"Camilla?"

Somehow, Shion's frazzled mind recognized the name. It took him a few seconds to actually match the name to a certain memory. Hadn't she been the maid Kougyoku warned him about in the past?

Dammit. Shion had been too careless by overlooking Kougyoku's warning. He should've kept a closer eye on that maid.

"Why?!" Ja'far, who had recovered from his shock, pulled his blades closer to Camilla's neck. "Out of all of the maids in the palace, _you _were the last one I would have expected to do something like this, Camilla. Why?"

"I don't expect someone like you to understand." Camilla stated shortly as she somehow managed to escape from Ja'far's grasp. She took a vial out of her pocket and glanced at Sinbad's direction for a moment before throwing it onto the ground.

A bright, flashing light exploded from the vial upon impact, temporarily blinding everyone. Shion stayed close to Kikiriku and blinked quickly in a vain attempt to gain his sight back more quickly.

A hand landed on his shoulder and dug its nails deeply into his skin, undoubtedly drawing blood. Shion swallowed a pained hiss and did his best to angle himself as far away from the woman as possible. The hand roughly yanked him away from Kikiriku while the other covered his mouth.

"_Keep quiet, little prince, and listen well."_ Camilla hissed into his ear. _"I will let you live…for now. But it's not out of pity or mercy. Al Thamen has __**plans **__for you, so don't you dare let your guard down for a moment. And don't you think that the other Cursed Children will let your actions go as easily as I did. Be sure that we will not give you a moment of peace."_

Shion stiffened at Camilla's words.

Cursed Children?

'_They already exist in this era?'_ Shion thought in panic. _'This is __**not **__good. They were the ones who were the main perpetrators of the creation of __**that thing**__.'_

This was definitely something that he would have to relay to the Blessed Children. Their enemies were already gathering power to oppose them. Shion had underestimated the amount of preparation Al Thamen made up to the creation of the Black Bird. They must have planned on making that thing for _years. _Undoubtedly, Sindria being the first country to be destroyed had been their intention too if one of the Cursed Children was here. It was a good thing that his presence was able to reveal Camilla's stance with Al Thamen sooner.

'_But first, I need to deal with this one.'_ Shion thought wryly as he snapped his head back sharply into Camilla's face before making his escape. He heard her make a sound of pain as he scrambled away. Shion was not against hitting or hurting a woman out of self-defense. Displaying chivalry like that usually got you killed, especially if the said woman was threatening your life.

Shion did not feel guilty for possibly breaking the woman's nose.

(Personally, he thought that she deserved it. She tried to _kill a nine-year-old _in his sleep, which was totally not okay. Not that Shion was actually nine years old in spirit, but he digressed. What really mattered was that she intended to kill a kid in cold blood.)

Not that he ever found out that he did. By the time all their sight came back, Camilla was already long gone, leaving only glass shards from the vial and remnants of black rukh in her wake.

* * *

Amani relaxed in her husband's arms as their bodies hit the soft mattress of her bed. She sighed contently at the familiar feel of Balbadd fabric. Of all things, Balbadd prided itself for having the best quality fabrics. Even the white rolls of cloth that the people of the slums used were comfortable. Amani had to face that she had been a little spoiled in that sense when she experienced the less-than-comfortable blankets and clothes in Kou. "Ah, I missed the comforts of my old bed."

"This was your room?" Koumei stated in alarm. It took Amani a moment to realize why her husband reacted in such a way. That's right. _That _had happened in this room, hadn't it? "I will immediately see to it that you will be moved to another room. I apologize for overlooking something like this, Amani."

"No, no, moving will not be necessary." She quickly assured her husband. "I'm not the sort who would allow one bad experience to overshadow the good ones. The bedding and sheets were all immediately burned if that was what concerned you." She added when she caught Koumei eyeing the bed as if it had committed some unforgivable crime.

"Are you sure?"

"I had to capture a dungeon to get this room, so I'm pretty sure that I would like to keep it." Amani said dryly as she forced him back down with a hand. "Now please…_calm down._ I'm too tired to argue over something as pointless as this. You also said that you wanted to rest. Right, dear?"

"But-!"

"I said, _**right **__**Dear**__?"_

"…"

Koumei sighed in defeat and Amani knew that she had won.

No sane or smart husband would ever be gutsy enough to argue with his pregnant wife. That would usually result with either lots of tears or death. Thankfully, Koumei was both sane and smart.

With a satisfied smile, Amani wrapped her arms around him and closed her eyes. Koumei reluctantly did the same.

Both were out in a second.

* * *

Despite common belief, petrification didn't necessarily mean death.

"She's just encased with stone, that's all. I wasn't aiming to kill, so she's still alive." Yasmine assured the angered pirates when they saw the state of their 'mother'. She picked up Gamigin and raised the weapon at the statue's neck. "But…I can easily kill her right now. Surrender yourselves and I will return her to her original state. If you don't…well…"

Making them surrender ended up becoming an easy business. Subduing the still-controlled Kouha had been a greater issue. Both Yasmine and Alibaba had to fight him until he fainted from magoi overuse while Aladdin and Morgiana watched over Umm Madaura's statue.

It was horrible to see Kouha in such a broken state. Yasmine didn't even know what demons haunted him, so she had no way of soothing his nightmares with the right words.

In the end…there were things about Kouha even she didn't know.

'_I won't pry into his past when he wakes up.' _Yasmine decided as she asked Morgiana to carry Kouha's unconscious body. _'Even I have some things about my past that I didn't tell him. I'll just support him, since he went through something traumatic.'_

Yasmine looked up and inspected the petrified Holy Mother.

'_Now, about the issue of bringing a heavy stone statue and hundreds of pirate-children back to port…'_

It turned out that transportation wasn't an issue when the group resurfaced from the Pirate Fortress.

The Akita Kingdom Fleets, who were forced to gather since the allies of Sindria were involved, were shocked to see Yasmine, carrying a stone statue of a woman, leading all the pirates into their shackles.

"Shackle this woman for me." Yasmine ordered the nearest soldier curtly while gesturing over to the petrified Umm. "I would like her restrained while I question her."

The soldier sweatdropped at her request. "But doing such a thing would be…" _ridiculous _"…strange, sir. Can't we focus our energy on the other prisoners instead of that statue?"

Yasmine turned her glare at the man, forgetting for a moment that her eyes were uncovered. _"Do as I say."_

The soldier stiffened up under her gaze.

"Eeep! Y-Yes, sir!"

And so, Umm was shackled and broken out of her stone prison. Though Umm had struggled against her chains first, the sight of a glaring Yasmine quickly subdued the Holy Mother. As the rest of the group recuperated from the recent battle, Yasmine interrogated the woman in her cell.

She asked her questions like: _"What was your aim with that magical vessel?" "Where did you get the magical tools?" _and _"Who was your supplier?"_

The first two questions were easy enough to get. _To control all the future rulers. Magnostadt._ But then, Umm became silent at the mention of her supplier. Despite her fear of Yasmine, a greater fear kept her silent. In the end, Yasmine had to give up on the matter.

(Was it Al Thamen again? It seemed like it was the sort of thing they would do, but the answer seemed too easy.)

Instead, she asked a different question.

"_Those children…what are your true thoughts towards them? Did you truly care for them or was that all a lie?"_

She knew what her answer would be, but she needed to hear it with her own ears.

"_Those little brats? They were only magoi-suppliers for the greater scheme of my plans. Aside from that, they're useless trash to me. What could they ever offer me? They're not of noble birth. They have no powerful connections. They're only orphan children who were as good as dead when I found them. Honestly, they annoy the hell out of me with their constant whining and crying."_

And that was it. Yasmine asked Umm no more questions and waited outside for the ships to reach the Akita Kingdom port. With those words ringing in her ears, she calmly accepted the fact that she might have to kill the woman in Hakuryuu's place. Sai had warned her that the gruesome deed would have to fall onto her hands, since Hakuryuu followed Amani back to Balbadd. She had some doubts at first since the deed went against her morals, but now she was certain that what she was about to do would be for the better.

Such a woman shouldn't continue living in this world.

Yasmine heard a soft shuffling behind her. She sent a cursory glance behind her in acknowledgement before reaching for her blindfolds to cover her eyes. "Alibaba."

"You caught me again, Yasmine-sensei." Alibaba said sheepishly while inching away from his hiding spot when he was sure that her eyes were covered. "Are you feeling fine? Any bad injuries?"

"I'm fine." She said dismissively. "The wounds that you got from fighting Kouha are far worse." Yasmine eyed the wrapped bandages around his arms and shoulders before smiling proudly. "You held yourself well against Kouha back there, Alibaba. I'm impressed."

Alibaba flushed at the compliment and scratched the back of his head. "Really?"

"Yes. You've improved since the last time I saw you." Yasmine's smile thinned when she thought about her pink-haired friend. "How is he?"

"He's fine aside from a few scratches here and there. Your friend is pretty tough!" Alibaba praised with a laugh. "He should be waking up pretty soon."

Relief swelled in Yasmine's chest and she released a breath she didn't know she was holding. "Thank Solomon." She sighed to herself.

"…That Kouha guy is pretty important to you, huh?"

Yasmine looked up in surprise and found Alibaba smiling back at her with a look of pure understanding.

'…_? Why is he looking at me like that?'_

"Of course." She stated simply, still not understanding why Alibaba was giving her such a look. "He's my friend."

Alibaba sweatdropped. "A-Ah. So it's like that. I see. Wow…poor guy."

"What?"

"Never mind. It's not something I should say." The blonde shook his head. "Anyways, I guess you haven't heard the good news about Amani!"

"What good news? And it's about Amani?" Her curiosity was immediately piqued at the mention of her good friend and she leaned in to listen to the good news, forgetting Alibaba's strange words from before.

Yasmine wasn't disappointed.

* * *

By the time Kougyoku and Tao got off the boat, the Blessed Child was noticeably calmer and more confident amongst crowds of people. The thoughts that she now occasionally heard didn't bang into her eardrums as much thanks to the tips Tao gave her through Ping's ghost.

It was comforting to hear Ping nagging again, even if it was only through Tao.

"How do you differentiate ghosts from humans?" Kougyoku asked him after they found a caravan that directly traveled to the Tenzan Plateau. She chewed on a piece of meat jerky while offering Tao the other piece. "Do they look transparent-like or something?"

Tao accepted the food and tilted his head in consideration as the caravan began to move. "Not exactly. If there's a good way to explain it, I'd say that they look more like smoke than anything."

"Smoke, huh?" She hummed thoughtfully. "And you help these ghosts fulfill their last wishes so they can rest peace, right?"

"Pretty much, aside from the murderous ones of course. Those wishes I prefer to stay far away from."

Kougyoku plopped a dried fruit into her mouth and casually asked her next question. "Are any of the ghosts…reincarnated with your help?"

"Hmm, funny that you say that. I recently had to help a ghost do something like that." Tao chuckled to himself at the memory. "And to answer your question, yes. If the ghosts have strong enough of a will, they can choose what form they will be reincarnated into."

"Really? Do these ghosts ever remember their past lives?"

Tao tilted his head. "Aside from brief moments of déjà vu and random bouts of nostalgia, no. That defeats the purpose of being reborn, don't you think? Why?"

Kougyoku avoided Tao's inquiring gaze.

"Nothing. Just curious."

* * *

Meanwhile another caravan departed from Reim. The driver glanced at his passenger and jovially tried to start a conversation with him. "So, a potential Magnostadt student, young man?"

"Yes." The passenger clipped out shortly. His whole body was hidden by the shadows in the caravan so the driver couldn't see his face.

"It must be nice that you have a prestigious family backing you up, eh? I'm sure that you'll gain entrance as a student quite easily." The driver pushed on, trying to get a response from his quiet passenger. "Are you nervous?"

"No."

"So a confident one! You must be talented! So, what made you decide to go to Magnostadt Academy of all places? It's pretty far from Reim."

The passenger snorted. "I never got my letter from Hogwarts so I decided to go to Magnostadt instead."

"…Pardon me?"

"Never mind. You muggles would never understand." He sighed almost dolefully. "Kou-chan, Jazzy-chan and Bee-chan would probably get it."

"Sir?"

"Just shut up and drive." The passenger ordered shortly, making the man automatically shut his mouth with a loud 'clack' and focus on the trail in front of him.

He never attempted another conversation for the rest of the trip.

* * *

"Thank you, young man! Thank you very much!" The old woman cried out while holding her grandchild closely to her chest. Meanwhile, the traumatized child was sobbing and clutching onto her grandmother, mourning the loss of her parents. "Bless you and your children and their children."

Around them, many other children were reunited with their families.

Yasmine inclined her head politely to the old lady before returning to where the pirate children were gathered. Most of them glared at her as she passed.

She ignored them completely.

"Kouha." Yasmine greeted her now-awake companion. "Are you feeling better?"

The pink-haired prince remained silent and still. He hadn't spoken a word or reacted to her voice since he woke up, which concerned her. Selene, when asked to properly patch Kouha back up, wrote to Yasmine that Kouha was in a state of shock. _"He'll snap out of it soon." _She had assured the Blessed Child in writing.

'_But when?'_ Yasmine wondered privately. She had never seen Kouha this…silent for this long.

"Rude." Jamal had sniffed at Yasmine's first attempt to communicate with Kouha, but said no more about the subject. Even her overprotective brother had sensed that something was off about Kouha and backed off from harassing him for the time being.

'_Something is wrong.'_

Yasmine opened her mouth to question Kouha again, but was interrupted by the sound of stone hitting metal. She turned her head to see a mob of people gathering around the bound Umm Madaura.

"Kill that woman immediately!"

Yasmine stiffened at the amount of killing intent pouring from the crowd. The hateful glares were, for once, not aimed at her, but at the Holy Mother.

"She's right! Kill her! She did terrible things! You don't have to transfer her!"

"Give me my husband back!"

"Give me my wife back!"

"Kill her!"

"_Kill her!"_

Like a wave, the crowd descended upon the Holy Mother and began to tear at her. They rained stones, clubs, blades, and fists upon the woman, continuously pulling shrieks of pain from her. Horror curled in Yasmine's gut as she caught sight of the pirate children crying out for their mother.

Yasmine promptly picked Gamigin up and strode toward the crowd. She pushed through the screaming people to reach her target. By the time Yasmine reached Umm Madaura, the woman was almost unrecognizable. Hair, skin, and ornaments were ripped from her body. At this rate, her body wouldn't even look human by the time the crowd was through with her. Yasmine gripped the handle of her scythe. This…this wasn't an execution anymore.

This was a mercy killing.

Before she could properly make the final blow that would end the suffering woman's life, Yasmine felt herself being pushed back into the crowd. She let out a surprised gasp when her eyes caught sight of a flash of pink before the sound of blades clanging met her ears. The whole crowd was struck dumb at the sight of Kou's Third Prince standing defensively in front of the Holy Mother.

"K-Kouha?!"

'_What the hell is he doing?! Wait…is he still under her influence?!'_

Umm Madaura saw her chance at survival in Kouha's act of defense. "Ah, child! You are such a good boy! I believed in you. You came here to help me! Come quickly to your mother's side!"

At her words, Kouha smiled sweetly and knelt down to her level. Stricken by the scene, Yasmine ran over to his side and pulled him away from Umm. "Kouha!" She hissed into his ear. "Snap out of it! She is not your mother!"

Behind her blindfold, she turned her eyes toward the Holy Mother, making her stiffen in fright. "And _you_, whatever you're doing to Kouha I suggest that you _cut it out_."

She angled herself as far away from Yasmine as she could. "E-Eepp! I did nothing to the child! It's his own doing!"

"She's right."

Yasmine blinked in surprise at the sound of Kouha's voice. He smiled at her assuredly and pushed her hands away. "Don't worry, Yasmine. I'm fine now. Sorry for the trouble I gave you before. That won't happen again. But for now, let me take care of this."

"But…" Before she could argue any further, Kouha pushed past her and knelt in front of Umm Madaura once again. Yasmine had no choice but to let him be with the woman so she could keep the villagers back from interfering.

As she cowed the crowd into submission through intimidation, Kouha murmured things to Umm Madaura that were too low for even Yasmine to hear. This went on for a while. His murmurings were interrupted many times by desperate praises of 'pride' and 'love' sung by the Holy Mother. Finally, with his one free hand, he grabbed her hand and silenced her 'motherly' blabbering with a sentence that seemed to horrify her.

"I'm sorry, 'mother'. It seems that this is the only way that both you and I can be happy. I hope that you can understand."

And with that, Kouha let the soldiers haul her aboard the ship.

"No...NO! You cannot do this to me, my child! You cannot! There must be another way! Do not let them take me away! My child! There must be…PLEASE! DON'T LEAVE YOUR MOTHER TO THIS KIND OF FATE!"

Umm Madaura's shrieks and pleading kept the mob's anger in check for the time being. Yasmine was only relieved that her friend hadn't replaced Hakuryuu's role as the Holy Mother's executioner.

But then, there was the matter of keeping Umm Madaura alive. Yasmine had lost her chance to take her life when Kouha intercepted her. It would be pure madness to attempt an assassination now with everyone watching, so she had no choice but to watch the Holy Mother being hauled away to her prison. What sort of backlash would this outcome cause?

'_Let's not think about that for now. She was stripped from her magical weapon so she's harmless for the time being.'_ Yasmine tried to assure herself before shaking her head. _'No…the risk of her causing harm to Shion's plans is too high. I guess I'll have to use my eyes to kill her silently when no one's looking.'_

A bitter smile crossed her lips.

'_Planning the death of another human being without a second thought. How low have I fallen ever since my rebirth into this world?'_

"Wow, I can't believe your friend managed to take control of the situation. You were very good at calming the crowd down too, Yasmine-sensei." Alibaba said, impressed with Kouha's performance. Morgiana simply appeared relieved that pointless blood wasn't shed.

Aladdin, on the other hand, looked uneasy.

"Aladdin, is there something wrong?" Yasmine asked the blue-haired boy in concern, feeling just as uneasy.

The boy shrugged helplessly. "I feel as if something bad is going to happen."

"Something bad, huh?" Yasmine's eyes wandered over to Umm Madaura's form on the ship and froze when something caught her eye.

Noticing this, Aladdin began to pull at her sleeves in concern. "Miss Yasmine? Did something happen?"

"Stop her!" Yasmine suddenly yelled, gaining the attention of everyone closest to her. "Stop her before she-!" Her cries were cut off abruptly as a scene that only she could see played across her eyes. "No…"

"Nee-chan?" Jamal was at her side at an instant. "What did you see?"

"Umm Madaura…she…"

"SHE'S DEAD!" A soldier cried out from the ship, finishing Yasmine's sentence. "The witch killed herself!"

* * *

The moment Judal saw a handful of black rukh flutter past his eyes, he immediately assumed that he had somehow fallen back into depravity.

But then, he sensed a familiar presence that followed the birds.

_Al Thamen._

Judal stopped what he was doing altogether and rushed over to the source of the tainted rukh. He was unsurprised to see that it came from Prince Shion's room. _'What kind of trouble did you get into __**this **__time, Chibi-er Chibi?'_ He wondered with a hint of frustration as he prepared himself to face an Al Thamen member. _'And what kind of crappy security allows enemies to sneak into this country twice?!'_

"Oi, Chibi-er Chibi! You alive in there?" Judal shouted when he rushed in.

Sinbad, Ja'far, and Kikiriku jumped at the dark magi's entrance. Shion, on the other hand, was too tired to acknowledge Judal's call other than to grunt out an affirmative "yeah".

Ja'far rounded on Judal. "You knew about this, didn't you?"

Judal reared back in surprise. "What?"

"Camilla! You knew she was one of you!" The freckled advisor snarled, angrily. "You purposefully kept that information away from us so Shion would get hurt!"

The accusation stung Judal. "Hey, wait a second, just because I used to be Al Thamen doesn't mean I know every fucking mole that they plant all around the world. And even if I did, I never heard about any member being placed in Sindria. Who is this 'Camilla' person anyways?"

"I think she was a maid." Kikiriku spoke up helpfully.

"Okay, fine. So she's one of ten thousand of your maids. _How the hell was I supposed to pick her out from all those women? Huh?_"

"He has a point." Shion admitted. "Judal was never good with names or faces. It took four years for him to _not_ forget me. And he still doesn't call me by my name."

"Well, that's true." Sinbad agreed. "You have to admit that it's pretty clear that it's not Judal's fault, Ja'far. Leave him be."

"But Sin! Shion's life is in danger! He was almost _killed!_"

"Ja'far, stop it. That's an order."

Judal blinked at the sharp command. He wasn't the only one. Both Ja'far and Sinbad looked at Shion in surprise. The child stared back at the advisor and his father challengingly. "This is not the time to squabble with allies. I know that you're upset about the attack, but don't let it out a Judal. He didn't do anything wrong. Actually, Judal has been spending all this time to help Yamraiha with the barrier. Isn't that right, Judal?"

Judal nodded. "That's right."

"He's also been on his best behavior ever since he came to Sindria. All this time, Judal has been making the effort to be good even without Tao or Kougyoku around."

"That's right."

"And I also have some questions to ask him, so I would appreciate it if you don't anger him too much." Shion added. "He tends to get all pouty when you get him upset and I need him to talk."

"That's – _Oi!_"

Ja'far looked unsure. "Well…if it's like that…"

Shion beamed at the advisor. "Thank you, Ja'far. I knew you would understand."

Judal huffed at the performance that the young prince played in front of the advisor. It unsettled him sometimes how good the boy was at manipulating people. He was sure that the advisor knew what Shion was trying to do since it was similar to the tricks that Sinbad used himself, but Ja'far submitted to Shion's charms anyways because of his young age.

Judal knew better than to underestimate a person simply because of their age. He _killed_ people at that age, maybe even younger. And he was sure that the little prince did more than that, judging by the hardened look in his eyes that children his age usually didn't have.

But that was a thought that Judal thought was best not to pursue until later. The kid was still only nine. He'd give it another ten years before he worried about the little prince.

"I'm going to have to warn you that I had no interest in what those old geezers planned. I just destroyed shit and let them do all the planning." Judal informed Shion bluntly. "I might not have an answer."

Shion sighed. "Yeah. I know."

"Okay then. Shoot."

"Do you know anything about the Cursed Children?"

The air crackled in warning before Judal grabbed Shion's shoulders. The prince forced himself to calm as the magi shook him roughly. _"Where did you hear that?"_ He demanded with a wild look in his eyes. _"Where?"_

"Judal!" Sinbad shouted sharply, snatching his son away from Judal's grip.

Ja'far pressed his blades at the magi's throat in warning.

Judal seemed completely unfazed by the reprimand and the blades. He kept his attention on Shion, waiting for his answer. _"Well?"_

"Camilla said something about how the 'other' Cursed Children wouldn't let me get away as easily as she did. What is it? Do you know something about them?" Shion asked with a quiver in his voice.

Judal would have noticed that little detail, but his mind was in too much of a frenzy to take note of anything.

"Cursed Child, Cursed Child…that maid was actually – oh man, you fucked up royally this time, idiot king. You _fucked up._" He pushed Ja'far away and began pacing around the floor. "Not only did one of your people turn traitor, you were actually housing a fucking _Cursed Child _in your country this whole time!"

Sinbad ignored Judal's insults, focusing more on the wording. "So you know what Shion is talking about?"

* * *

_Know? If course I know about them, idiot king. The Cursed Children were Al Thamen's creation, their _ _ **experiment.** _

_Actually…they were Falan's idea. I was only a brat when she brought up the idea of creating weapons that could counter the abilities of the Blessed Children. At some point, the organization decided that the Blessed Children were too 'dangerous' to remain in this world. I think they tried to take a Blessed Child and brainwash them like they did with me._

_Don't give me that dirty look, small fry. You know who I'm talking about._

_That's right. She was that old hag's teacher. Your sister. Fatima._

* * *

"AMANI-DONO! Are you harmed? What did they do to you? Amani-dono!"

Amani woke up from her nap from the sound Hakuryuu frantically calling her name. She tumbled out of her bed to greet her visitor before he came to his own conclusions and broke down the door.

Amani opened her doors to her concerned brother-in-law.

"Hakuryuu." She greeted him with half-awake eyes.

"Amani-dono, I have heard from the servants that you were attacked!" Hakuryuu panicked as he looked for any serious injuries just as Koumei had done. "Are you unharmed? Is the baby okay?"

"I am fine." Amani had to assure him many times before it got through his head.

"I will be your bodyguard from this day forward." Hakuryuu decided resolutely. "I promised Alibaba-dono that I would keep you safe. I already nearly broke that promise. I will not let that happen again."

Oh dear. He really was serious about this.

"I'm more than capable of taking care of myself when it comes to small arguments, thank you. Honestly, you're just like – oh. Hello there, Tiare."

Tiare grinned. "Hello, Amani!" She chirped. "Tiare here with Master! Baby okay?"

"Yes, the baby is okay." Amani said for the third time.

"Amani? Who's at the door?"

An exhausted Koumei dragged himself out of bed and came over to Amani's side. To her amusement, his hair was a complete mess, making it very difficult to see his face. Hakuryuu appeared unruffled by his stepbrother's appearance.

Tiare, on the other hand, was frightened by Koumei's bizarre appearance. She let out a small shriek and hid behind Hakuryuu. _"B-Broom Monster!" _She cried out in Toran.

Koumei did not appear amused.

"_That was rude."_ He promptly informed her in Toran, making her blush in shame. _"I am not a broom and I am not a monster."_

Hakuryuu tried to hold back his laughter. He really did try.

"I'm so sorry Koumei-dono. Tiare really didn't mean any – pffft! – harm. She's only a – snort – child. Please excuse my Household Member." When he finished, Amani thought that he looked to be at the edge of falling into uncontrollable giggles.

Koumei seemed to see what she saw since he shot Hakuryuu a dark glare.

'_Not. Funny.'_ His expression seemed to convey. _'Stop laughing.'_

'_Make me.'_ Hakuryuu seemed to taunt back.

Amani felt a small migraine coming as she saw the antagonism between the two.

When did their relationship become so strained? Amani thought that their relationship was completely fine before her trip to Sindria. What happened? Amani hoped that whatever it was, they would resolve it soon.

* * *

_But they failed with her._

_Unlike us Magi, Blessed Children can't control their powers without the help of their predecessor. Not only that, her ability was the lowest of the low out of all the Blessed Children._

_Their failure taught them that even the weakest Blessed Child wouldn't bend to their will. Whether they knew it or not, the Blessed Children were set on going against whatever mission Al Thamen had in store for this world._

_So, they decided that eliminating the Blessed Children was the best course to follow._

* * *

As terrible as it sounded, Yasmine was relieved that Umm Madaura was dead. Any possible trouble or repercussion that would have followed if she left Akita Kingdom alive was gone.

Yasmine was almost tempted to pass Umm Madaura's death off as a suicide and look no further into the matter. It wasn't her problem anymore, so why bother?

But she did bother. Because she was able to catch glimpse of the blade as the Holy Mother drove it into her chest. Because that same blade disappeared before she could reach the dead body to inspect it.

But she saw it for a moment and that was enough.

Yasmine knew who the perpetrator of Umm Madaura's death was, but she needed to know…why? Why did he do it? Hakuryuu had executed the Holy Mother because he had seen her as his own mother.

What was Kouha's reason?

(What had he seen when he was placed under the Holy Mother's illusion?)

Yasmine broke off from her thoughts when she heard someone barreling toward her at a frightening speed. She lifted her weapon just in time to intercept a strike from a sword. To her surprise, she was met with the hateful glare of Olba.

"You! It's because of you that our mother is dead! Die, you monster!"

SLAP.

For a moment, Yasmine believed that she had instinctively slapped Olba away in self-defense. But then she remembered that she delivered proper punches when she hit a person, not slaps. _'It must've been Kouha who came to my defense.' _The pink that covered her vision confirmed her suspicion.

Olba clutched at his stinging cheek and glared up at Kouha for his intervention. From behind, Yasmine couldn't get a clear view of Kouha's expression, but she knew that it was something akin of a glare.

"If you're going to point fingers, point it at the right person." Kouha told Olba, keeping himself planted in front of Yasmine. "That witch killed _herself._ Didn't you hear? She sliced her own throat because she was too scared to pay for her sins. Prison life isn't pretty for women, you know." Then, he began to smile as he gestured over to himself. "But _I _was the one who gave her the knife."

All the pirate children gasped at Kouha's confession.

Olba snarled at Kouha and raised his sword once again. "Then I should kill you to avenge mother!"

His feeble attack was batted away by a causal swing delivered by Kouha. Olba was disarmed in moments.

"Forget about it." He told the boy solemnly, advancing toward him and the other children. "That woman was a filthy witch who used you until the end. You must've realized by now, right? Not once did she ever think of you as her own children. In her mind, you were only a tool to be used and disposed of. She's not worth your tears or your blood."

He looked at Olba with consideration before withdrawing his blade.

"You're a gutsy one. I don't hate that." Then, his expression darkened. "But you raised your blade against Yasmine. Do that again and I won't hesitate to cut you down, brat."

Kouha left the scene with Olba defeated and bleeding on the ground.

Yasmine didn't hesitate in following.

* * *

_The result was the creation of the Cursed Children. They were supposed to be the executioners of the Blessed Children. Al Thamen tried to force their test subjects into completely assimilating with these specially made black metal vessels. I never really got the gist of how they worked, but I heard that, when successfully assimilated, even the subjects wouldn't die from using a full djinn-equip._

_No…it would be more like those experiments would be able to use their dark djinn equip in full power whenever they wanted._

_Not only that, they would be able to continue looking and acting like any other human being._

_They could easily fool even your eyes, Idiot King._

* * *

"_Accio, _stick."

"…"

"Mou, I can't believe that it didn't work. Don't they have _Latin _as Reim's special language? Then it should work…" The Blessed Child pondered about the workings of magic in this world compared to the one in his beloved book series. "…Hmm, maybe I should focus more on _desiring_ to make the stick move. Children in magic world always start out with things like _accidental magic_, right? That would make more sense if I start with the basics."

Sai took a moment to silently will the stick to move toward him. To his surprise, the stick began to wiggle and jump toward him. Instinctively, words jumped out of his mouth that he had never spoken before. "_Tali hone_, stick."

The stick flew into his hand in an instant.

"…Arabic?"

Sai tossed the stick away and focused his energy onto the stick once again.

"_Accio, _stick."

The stick remained unresponsive. Sai repeated the spell in Arabic, causing an immediate reaction from the stick.

Sai pouted. Well, there went his dream of using all those spells J.K. Rowling provided him with her wonderful books. Oh, what a tragedy it was for all those beautiful spells to be wasted. He had always wanted to try the _'Wingardium Leviosa' _spell, ever since he first saw it in action in theatres. Did that mean that re-inventing Quidditch would be a pipe dream for him?

...Nah. Flying in broomsticks should be totally possible.

* * *

_But the whole thing was a complete failure._

_All the subjects that they chose were supposed to be 'strong-willed' and 'compatible' and all that shit. But they all ended up dead in the end._

_The majority of Al Thamen decided to trash the whole project all together._

_I guess Falan never gave up on the project. She was a stubborn bitch, so I wouldn't be surprised if she continued her research independently. I'm sure that bastard Ithnan was in on it too._

_But that's not the point._

_The point is that they somehow managed to make the experiment a success. I don't know how. I don't even _ _ **care ** _ _how. It won't change the fact that Princess shouldn't go back to Kou now. I'm pretty damn sure that one of them is planted there so they can take her down._

_And I don't even know if any of those Cursed Children are acting under Al Thamen's orders or independently. Either way, they're dangerous._

* * *

Kougyoku looked outside the caravan and admired the stretch of land unfurled right in front of her eyes. Beside her, Tao dozed. She knew that mountains would eventually give way to small hills and then into sand. It was the way to the Tenzan Plateau so the desert was unavoidable.

But she missed this: The outside, the camping, the traveling

Though the journeys were always long and arduous, Kougyoku thought that it was definitely better than the stuffiness of the palace.

'_Hakuei must be having the time of her life out in the plains.' _Kougyoku thought wistfully. _'I can't wait to see her again after all this time. I haven't seen her since I left for Balbadd.'_

Kougyoku was broken from her thoughts by a scream.

"BANDITS!"

The scream woke Tao up. He picked up a weapon and sent her an inquiring look.

Kougyoku had her Butterfly Swords unsheathed within a moment. A bloodthirsty grin overtook her features.

"Let's see how these beauties work in battle, shall we?"

* * *

_Underestimating them would be a _ _ **bad ** _ _idea. They were created to kill, to _ _ **eliminate** _ _. They were created to be as strong and destructive as I was to get the 'pests' taken care of. I bet that they can take _ _ **you ** _ _down at full power, Idiot King, so don't even try._

_The Blessed Children aren't safe anymore._

* * *

"And one is after Shion's life." Ja'far concluded with growing horror.

Shion turned to his father to see the immense worry that settled on his features. He shared that same panic. This was something that was completely out of his control. Without intending to, Shion's presence had revealed an enemy that he doubted the others were ready to face.

'_We're dead. So dead.'_

But then, there was something, a small fact that Judal gave him, that made him stop and think about the situation for a moment.

"…Wait. You just said that they can take Father down, right?"

Judal grunted with mild frustration. "Yes. What of it?"

"Camilla mentioned Al Thamen when she made her threat. I think that Al Thamen is already aware of the Cursed Children's existence. They're already working together, probably already have for a while." Shion deduced.

Judal scowled. "Then why didn't _I _know about her?"

"They probably thought you would gloat and blow Camilla's cover."

Judal looked like he wanted to argue with Shion's logic, but stopped himself. Since Shion was right. "So what? That makes them even more dangerous!"

"Or not." Shion said thoughtfully. "If Camilla had to run away before Father made his move, I don't think she's as dangerous as you think. All the terrifying things you said about the Cursed Children…they're only theories, right? They're only outlines of what they're _supposed _to be."

Judal quirked his head to the side, calming down and considering Shion's words.

"I don't think they're complete yet." Shion said. No, he _knew _that this was true. It took them a few more _years _for them to reveal themselves and bring out the Black Bird. The Cursed Children that Shion remembered fighting were barely _human_. They had just been…husks of what they used to be. They were constantly in their dark metal vessel form, flying about like robots programmed to kill the Blessed Children.

(They managed to kill Yasmine and Jin before Shion got rid of all of them the last time around. Their compassionless gaze seemed so _inhuman_ to Shion. It scared him.)

"I think they still need time to actually fully assimilate with their dark vessels." Shion continued his theory, shaking away the past. "You said that the others failed and died, right? What did all of them share?"

"…They tried to force the dark metal vessel to…connect with them." Judal recalled slowly. "They tried to make them take it all in one sitting."

"That's right. Camilla and the others are probably taking in small doses so their bodies won't fall apart from all the stress. That's probably why Camilla ran away too. She couldn't risk being caught and imprisoned. It would prevent her from fully assimilating with her dark djinn vessel. We still have some time."

"What," Judal gritted out, "would you have me do, then? Stand around and let them do what they like to Kougyoku?"

"…The Great Rift."

At Judal's quizzical look (and the shared looks of confusion from everyone else in the room), Shion repeated what he said. "The Great Rift. You wanted to find Uncle, didn't you? Your greatest bet is look over there. Morgiana should be there too, so you won't have to go down there alone."

Judal looked conflicted.

"Go." Shion encouraged him. "If you want to protect her, you should try to get stronger so you can take them all on. But it's your choice in the end. I can't make your decisions for you. They're your own."

Judal left the room, mulling his options over.

Sinbad sighed and patted Shion's head. "I hope that you're right about this, Shion. Those Cursed Children sound pretty dangerous, especially since one of them" _'Camilla'_ Shion's mind supplied, but he didn't say it out loud since he knew his father was purposefully avoiding her name "attacked you without reason –

"Actually." Shion cut him off sheepishly. "About that."

* * *

_Somewhere in the middle of the Ocean:_

Camilla silently seethed as she re-broke her nose to properly straighten it.

'_The damn brat.'_ She cursed as blood continued to steadily flow from her broken nose. For a moment, she had underestimated the child's strength and received a humiliating injury as a result.

'_Never again.'_ She promised herself.

"Want me to help you heal that?" The Al Thamen member manning the ship asked pleasantly. Camilla _knew _that he was laughing at her predicament.

She glared at him fiercely. "No thanks, _Banker_."

"Now, now, no need for that. You wouldn't have been able to sneak away without my help, not that your ability to make it that far without being caught wasn't impressive. It's a pity that you were found out so soon." He sighed regretfully. "You were our best."

"I'm still the best." Camilla asserted, ignoring the stinging sensation of her nose as she spoke.

"Of course."

"_Don't _patronize me. I hate it when I'm patronized." She snapped, silencing the Al Thamen member for the time being. She recalled with bitterness the way _he _had treated her in the past. How childish she must have seemed during that age. She had paddled after him with stars in her eyes and hope in her heart.

'_Silly girl. You had no chance.'_

Bitterness swelled in her heart at the image of blonde hair and laughing blue eyes flashed in her mind. She mercilessly crushed the tiny emotion of guilt that accompanied the image of the person.

'_Never again.'_ She silently repeated.

* * *

_Heliohapt:_

Within a luxurious room in the Heliohapt palace, Queen Eirenne primped herself in front of the mirror. Around her, slaves moved about. Some focused on brushing her hair while others busied themselves with adding jewelry and flowers onto her body.

Eirenne herself focused on painting her face _perfectly_ so she would appear her best for the arrival of her royal husband.

"Just put the flowers in. Don't bother with the jewelry. My dear Armakan doesn't like it when I have heavy things in my hair." The woman tutted before lightly slapping away a slave's hand when it wandered too close to her face. "I said _no touching_. I'm not done."

The slave withdrew her hands in alarm. "I apologize, your Highness. I won't do that again."

"I'm sure. Guards." The Queen promptly called, summoning a pair of big, imposing men. With a flick of a finger, she ordered, "Dispose of this little chit and bring in a better one next time. Dismissed."

Oh, the screams that the nuisance made were _so _annoying. They made her head hurt. It didn't help that the other slaves were too shaken up to do the rest of their jobs properly.

Eirenne sniffed and waved the others away. "All of you are dismissed. I'll do the rest myself." When they left her alone, she sighed to herself. "Slaves. Such bothers. Why keep them around if they can't do their jobs properly?"

Eirenne gave out another sigh before giving her attention back to her appearance.

"Mother? We have returned."

The Queen whirled around and greeted her firstborn child with open arms. Hakkan obediently walked into her embrace while Askan waited at the side to be dismissed. He knew that there would be no hugs or kisses for him.

No, those were reserved only for the _firstborn _child.

"Hakkan, my darling! Welcome home! Your mother has missed you _so much._"Eirenne wrapped her lithe arms around her son lovingly.

Hakkan wrinkled his nose as he breathed in the scent of perfume and make-up. "Putting all that stuff on yourself again, Mother?"

"You know that your mother has to stay beautiful to keep your father by her side." Eirenne scolded lightly. "It's a hard job for women to stay beautiful."

"But you're the most beautiful woman in Heliohapt!"

"For now, darling." Eirenne said, accepting the compliment with grace. "But men's attentions tend to be drawn…elsewhere when new faces show. It's my duty to keep your father's attention where it belongs, with his family."

And with his family his attention would stay.

Eirenne didn't want to risk _another _bastard child endangering her perfect son's right to the throne.

No, she didn't.

* * *

_Kou:_

"Did you hear about the Emperor's health? It's been deteriorating recently."

"Oh dear, does that mean Prince Kouen will finally be taking the throne?"

"Hush. Are you mad? Saying things like that would be treason! You could have your head taken for less."

"But it's correct, isn't it?"

Ming Hua delicately added butterfly to her peony handkerchief as gossip flew about. She attentively decided to make the features of the petal sharper and added the proper shadings with a different color thread.

Yes, red and pink would most definitely suit her skin tone. But this tone of green would be better with her dress…

"Emperor Kouen. It flows much better than Emperor Koutoku, doesn't it?"

"Curse that Ri Seishin! She _knew _that I had my eyes on Prince Kouen, that greedy slut! Not only did she take Prince Hakuren's heart, she had to move onto Prince Kouen after her fiancé died!"

"Not only that, she still flings that silly sword about every morning. Did you see her? Sweating like a pig in the middle of the courtyard."

"What a shameless woman!"

"I think you should have been chosen as Prince Kouen's wife instead, Ming Hua. Unlike her, you have the perfect qualities of a proper wife. Even Empress Gyokuen thinks the same."

Eyes landed on the woman of subject as ears waited for her answer.

In response to the comment, Ming Hua placed her embroidering down and sent the person a beatific smile. "Thank you, Jiaying, but I think that I am unsuitable for Prince Kouen. I am neither as strong, nor as capable as Princess Seishin. Personally, I think _you _are a better choice than me, Jiaying. You have talent with the lute and you are beautiful in appearance."

Jiaying tittered at the compliment. "If Ming Hua says so, it must be true!" She crowed. "She always tells the truth!"

Ming Hua picked her embroidery back up and continued to stitch, modestly accepting the compliment.

"Thank you, Jiaying." She said lifting her sleeve up to her lips. "You know that I hold the royal family to the highest regard, so I hope that a suitable Empress takes the seat. Though, I have heard some…concerning things about the Princess Kohaku of late. They are just rumors, of course."

All heads nodded. "Yes, of course. Tell us!"

Ming Hua's smile curled up into a smirk behind her sleeve as she began to speak.

'_She always tells the truth!'_

Not always.

* * *

_Some Province in Reim:_

Somewhere in Reim, a man scribbled furiously into a journal, disregarding the loose pieces of paper scattered around his desk. After he was finished, he set his quill down and sighed in relief.

"Aaah, I thought that I would never get the notes finished. There were so many interesting things discovered today! I never knew that the body of a Imuchakk native could hold so much useful information!"

Raul scratched his hair and stood up from his seat. "Now…"

He turned to the bound prisoner sitting on a chair right across from him.

"What should I do with you?"

Raul clicked his tongue and shook his head at the unfortunate person who had stumbled into his laboratory a week ago. The person struggled against their chains, desperate to get out.

"Now, now. Don't do things like struggling. It will only get more uncomfortable for you. I designed the chains, you see. They'll only get tighter and tighter and _tighter _until –

_Pop._

The prisoner let out a keening wail from behind their gag when their wrists were dislocated. Their hands were already turning a disturbing shade of purple as they hung uselessly.

Raul regarded the person with bemusement at their predicament. "Oh dear. It seems that my warning came a little to late, ne? Well, no problem. You won't be needing _those _for what I have in store for you."

"Mmmf! Mmmm!"

"Oh, how rude of me. I forgot to remove your gag. Forgive me. I can't focus very well with screams. I hope you do understand." Raul apologized sympathetically while taking away the piece of cloth.

The prisoner wasted no time in begging for their life.

"Please, please, please, let me go! I promise that I won't tell anyone what I saw. I swear! So please…please…"

Raul hummed. "I'm sorry. Doing that would be a problem for me. How would I know that you'd keep your mouth shut? For all I know, you might be working for that troublesome Scheherazade. I can't risk you…_tattling _on me."

"No! I promise I won-

The gag was roughly shoved back into the prisoner's mouth, muffling any more cries that they would make for their own life.

"Hush, you're making my head hurt with your pathetic begging. We all know that you're only lying and I do hate liars."

The prisoner looked at Raul with growing terror as he slowly smiled.

"Also, how could I ever pass up the opportunity by letting a potential test subject go? Tut tut, that won't do. It would be quite a waste."

* * *

Shion shifted nervously as he watched his father slowly flip through the pages of his mother's journal. He resisted the urge to snatch it back in fear that his father might destroy his mother's memento out of frustration or anger.

'_It's not mine.'_ Shion reminded himself as he tried to calm his nerves. He fingered the bandages around his neck nervously. _'It's originally mother's message to Father, after all. I can't be possessive or selfish. This is important to him too.'_

Sinbad finished leafing through the pages and sighed, making Shion jump. He gently set the book down and rubbed his face, looking weary.

Beside him, Ja'far's eyes crinkled with worry. "My King…"

"Ja'far, did you find anything in Camilla's belongings?" Sinbad asked tiredly.

The freckled advisor bristled at the traitor's name and nodded reluctantly. "Yes." He gritted out, shooting Sinbad a sympathetic look. "…It seems that she has been blocking all of Ranya's attempts to contact you." Ja'far held out a bundle of scrolls. "I found these amongst her belongings. They are all in Ranya's handwriting."

One of the scrolls rolled out of the bag. Shion bent over to pick it up and return it into the bag. He paused when he saw a certain line in the letter.

'…_know that you're angry with me, but please, don't leave our son out of your life because of my choice to keep his existence from Al Thamen. He needs his father, Sin. Shion is already walking and saying simple words like "Mama" and "Uncle". I would like to hear him say "Papa" too. Please…just see your son once. That's all I ask. I will be waiting –_

" – _at the edge of the Great Rift, fifty stone throws towards to the West of the nearest Toran Village. I will be waiting there with our son on the first day of this coming month._" Shion read aloud before swallowing thickly. "At the edge of the Great Rift." He repeated slowly, growing numb at each second.

"Shion?" Ja'far asked.

"We were wandering around at the edge of the Great Rift when Al Thamen tried to get me." Shion said suddenly.

Ja'far continued to look confused while realization crossed Sinbad's face. He made his way toward his son as Shion crumbled. Sinbad wrapped his arms around Shion as he babbled. "Why? _Why?! _How could she do such a cruel thing?What did Mom ever do to her to make her give that information to that organization? We waited there for _hours_ because she believed that you would come! If it wasn't for that, Mom would still be –

Shion cut himself off with a sob and covered his face.

"Oh." Ja'far murmured, shuffling the bag filled with letters away from the pair. "I'll take these things away for you to read later, Sin."

"That would be for the best." Sinbad agreed as he tried to console his grieving son. "Leave us be for the time being."

"Yes."

When Ja'far left the room, everything was silent, aside from the occasional shuddering sniffles that came from Shion. Since Sinbad's room was far bigger in size than Shion's, the sounds bounced off the walls, making the silence all the more apparent.

Neither really knew when Shion finally broke that silence with an inquiring call.

"Father?"

"Yes?" Sinbad was sure to answer as quickly as he could. "What is it?"

"Were you and Camilla ever…?" Shion trailed off, too afraid of the answer to finish the sentence. It had been a very far stretch of a guess, but something in Shion's intuition told him that it had been _jealousy _in Camilla's voice when she was choking him.

Shion hoped that it wasn't the case. It wasn't that he was against his father having his affairs. (What went behind the closed doors of his father's room was none of his business. Shion was all too aware of his father's reputation.) Shion just wanted a _better_ reason why Camilla would do this to his mother than a petty thing like jealousy.

Shion prayed and waited for his father to speak.

"…"

As the silence continued for a couple more beats, Shion received his answer.

"So you two really were, huh? I thought so." He said resignedly. _'So it was out of bitterness for taking Father away from her after all. What a stupid reason. Mom didn't deserve to suffer because of that reason.'_

Sinbad drew back from the embrace with guilt and alarm flashing through his eyes. "It was before Ranya." He was quick to add, mistaking Shion's grim expression as anger directed towards him. "She and I…it was a mutual agreement that our relationship would be temporary." _A nicer way of saying that Father only looked at Camilla as a bed-partner, nothing more. _"We ended our relationship around the time Ranya…your mother began to reciprocate my approaches. Camilla seemed to understand."

"She apparently didn't take it as well as you thought." Shion stated dryly while wiping his wet face. Bitterness coursed through his veins at how _superficial _Camilla was being over this.

But more than that, Shion felt a crushing sense of sadness.

"I miss Mom."

Sinbad squeezed his son's shoulders tightly with grief and guilt written all over his features.

"I'm sorry, Shion."

'_It's okay.'_ Shion wanted to assure him, but he didn't.

Since it _wasn't _okay.

It really wasn't.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The Cursed Children: Ladies and gentlemen, I give you this story's villains. I have no originality, I know. But the other names I had in mind sounded either lame or crazy complicated. So I decided to play it safe and stay with the basics. As explained before, the Cursed Children are pretty much designed to eliminate the Blessed Children. They also have unlimited dark djinn abilities. So, it's like Dunya X 100. Pretty scary.
> 
> Camilla: She's a palace maid who used to have a relationship with Sinbad. Though she doesn't appear that way, she has talent in the art of fighting. Ja'far had taught her to defend herself when she was younger. She's a bit prideful about her abilities and feels bitter because of a certain series of events in the past. She blames Ranya for her misfortune and, by and extension, hates Shion.
> 
> Eirenne: She's the wife of a the Pharoh. She's vain and ambitious, willing to cut down as many people as she could to reach to the top. She does not love her husband since their marriage was purely political, but has to uphold her beauty so her husband wouldn't be swayed by the other beauties in the palace. Her only interest is the throne and getting Hakkan to sit in the position. Anything that goes in her way will be crushed.
> 
> Ming Hua: She is the minister's daughter mentioned at Chapter 17. She is well known for 'always telling the truth' because of her modesty and always following the requirements of what is expected from a Kou wife. As you can see, that is not the case. She just knows when to speak up during gossip hours and when to keep silent. Her lies that she spread always teeters to the truth but not quite. And to avoid being pinned for 'spreading lies', she would always begin with "I heard from someone and I didn't know if it was true" so she would appear more like a concerned bystander instead of a gossip-spreader.
> 
> Raul: I think you recognize his name. If you didn't, don't worry. He's Sai and Selene's biological father, the mad scientist magician who tried to leave Sai for the dead when he was born. He travels around the world a lot and gathers as much information as he could. He has an uncontrollable lust for knowledge and would perform any atrocious act to discover the information. He hates liars and unintelligent people.


	37. Chapter 36: White Lies

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kouha has some issues to sort out. No worries, his emotional support Yasmine is there to smack some sense into him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Onwards

_Warning: There was a spy in the palace. The earlier than expected existence of the Cursed Children is confirmed. Only one out of four is identified._

_Cursed Child: Camilla (ex-Maid of Sindria Palace)_

_Abilities: Hand-to-hand combat, master of small weapons (trained by Ja'far), some talent in chemistry (?) (used a form of a flash bomb during battle), escape artist, (possibly) the ability to fight in par with a Blessed Child_

_Personal Note: They can be anywhere, watching you or hunting you down. Remain with allies and don't catch yourself alone. None of you are safe. Be very cautious from this point on. I repeat._ _ ** Be very cautious from this point on.** _

Shion quickly scrawled down four copies of the missions notes while four birds waited patiently for him to finish his messages. Each was trained by Sai to locate each of the Blessed Children so that they would be able to stay in touch, wherever they were.

Behind him, Sinbad and Judal watched the purple-haired boy curiously as he went about making his messages.

"What sort of language is that?" Sinbad asked his son curiously as Shion began tying the notes onto the birds' legs. "I've never encountered it in my travels."

"A language we made up." Shion lied smoothly, not looking up to meet his father's gaze. He continued busying himself with sending the birds on their way. Sinbad's curious smile wavered at the short way his son replied to him.

Meanwhile, Judal stiffened up as realization struck him like a lightning bolt. "It was _you_! You were the one who was writing all those stupid letters to Princess!"

Shion looked up in surprise at the sound of Judal's voice, unaware of the magi's existence until he spoke. "Oh, good morning, Judal. I didn't really see you there. And yes, I was keeping in touch with Kougyoku. Friends do that, you know." After a beat, Shion awkwardly asked, "Why? Did you want to write one to her?"

Judal made a strange sound at the back of his throat. _"_No that's not – I mean, yeah being able to send letters to her would be nice, but that's not what I was trying to say! All those weird letters that Princess was getting during her time in Balbadd were from _you?!_"

"Well, _someone_ needed to give her support at her time of need. She didn't really like the idea of getting married to Ahbmad, as you saw." Shion stated dryly. "What? Did you think she was exchanging secret love letters with some random guy?"

Judal didn't answer.

"…You did? Really?"

"Shut up."

Shion raised his hands in surrender. "Hey, I'm not judging you. I'd probably make the same assumption if it was me in your position."

Judal gave him a flat look. "You're _nine_."

"And? You _do _know who my father is, right?"

"Oh, right. Sorry, I almost forgot that you're the son of an incurable pervert." Judal snorted, letting go of his initial annoyance so he could pick on the Sindrian King. "Your dad already teaching you his tricks at such a young age? How terrible. I feel sorry for you Chibi-er Chibi."

Shion let out an exaggerated sigh. "It's a bit difficult, but I manage."

Judal and Shion shared matching smirks and snickered.

"I'm _right here._" Sinbad grumbled loudly, not at all amused by the teasing he was receiving. "And stop putting weird ideas into my son's head! That's not true!"

"Yeah right, idiot king. As if anyone would believe that sort of crap."

"I'm not lying!"

Shion continued to laugh at the bickering pair, pretending that the heavy weight of worry didn't exist.

"Anyways," He interrupted the two, focusing on Judal, "why are you here, Judal? Did you need something? Other than the permission to use my messenger birds, of course." He added jokingly.

Much to Shion's surprise, Judal shifted from foot to foot uncomfortably while awkwardly turning his gaze to somewhere else. It took a bit for Shion to realize that this was his version of being sheepish. "I, uh, sort of forgot the directions."

"Oh, that?" Shion laughed. "Yeah, it's pretty complicated. Don't worry about it. I'll just write it down for you." His eyes softened as he took out another piece of paper. "You're making the right choice. You know that, right? Out of the four, Uncle knows about being a magi the best. He's a pretty good teacher too."

Sinbad snorted bitterly at Shion's statement, earning raised brows from the other two people in the room. "You put your faith in him too much, Shion. I know that he raised you since birth, but he isn't as good as you think he is. That guy is a villain!"

Surprised by the sudden animosity, Shion took a step back.

"F-Father?"

'_Wait, did he always feel this way with Uncle? Why didn't I notice this before?'_

Quickly noticing his son's uneasiness, Sinbad forced himself to relax and let go of his anger. "You know what? Never mind. Yunan might be a villain, but he might be the only one willing to help Judal out."

Shion nodded along with his father, still looking a bit uneasy.

"Yeah…so how much longer are you planning on staying in Sindria, Judal? A few days, I hope?"

Judal shrugged nonchalantly, pretending not to notice the hopeful look on Shion's face. "Sorry, not that long. I'm already all packed." He said simply. "I'll be gone by this afternoon. I just dropped by to get directions and say bye."

"Oh. Okay then." Though a bit disappointed, Shion smiled supportively while handing over the directions. "I wish you luck on your journey."

* * *

"…Chibi-er Chibi?"

"Yeah?" Shion blinked in confusion. "What's the problem?"

"I don't understand a _word _on this thing." Judal stated dryly while holding up the piece of paper.

Shion blushed when he realized that he had written the directions out in _English _in his haste. He snatched it away from the magi's hand, wasting no time in stuffing the whole note into his mouth and swallowing it.

_Gulp!_

Both Sinbad and Judal looked at him strangely.

"Shion? Are you alright?"

"Chibi-er Chibi, is there something wrong with your head?"

"Sorry," Shion somehow managed to say after successfully destroying all evidence of his careless mistake. "I'll…write you a new one. Just wait a second."

* * *

After the whole incident, Kouha had silently dragged Yasmine away to some obscure tavern where he ordered countless pints of alcohol. He downed every single one of them, not saying a word until the liquid muddled his brain enough to loosen his tongue.

Yasmine found out that Kouha was very... talkative when he was drunk. She now knew why Kouha limited himself to one or two cups when he went out drinking with his men. _'He could spill out Kou's secrets right now without any questions if I asked.' _Yasmine realized after his sixth – seventh – drink.

(Just how strong did they make their alcohol here?)

Fortunately, for him, Yasmine had no interest in that sort of thing. Her first and foremost priority at the moment was to make sure that _he was okay_. Kouha. And he wasn't. He wasn't okay.

So, she listened.

Most of what he blabbered out to her that night was incomprehensible ramblings that held little to no importance. Yet, Yasmine found that she learned more about Kouha than she ever had in the four years she knew him.

" – and tha' was how I met big bro'er En!" Kouha chirped cheerfully while reaching for his thirteenth cup. Yasmine wisely slid it away from his reach, much to his disappointment, and distracted him by speaking up. "Interesting. So that's why you're so attached to him. You never told me these things before Kouha."

Kouha tried to reach for the cup again but quickly gave up.

"Dunno." He stated indifferently, pouting at her interference. "Didn't wanna. You always get all sad an' stuff when I talk about En or Kou. 'Sides, you ne'er tell me abou' you'self either. Tha' wouldn' be fair!"

Yasmine nodded in agreement. "True. How about this? You answer one question I have about you. In return, I'll tell you everything about me when you're sober."

Kouha looked at Yasmine suspiciously. "You'll tell me _ev'rything_?"

"Everything about Yasmine Leoxses." She affirmed and was determined to keep her word. Honestly, the only reason why she kept to herself so much was because she never felt like sharing her whole life story to a complete stranger. Not that Kouha was a stranger. The reason why she never told him about herself was because he never actively _asked. _Yasmine would have been more than happy to answer any questions he had about her if he did. _'Though, giving him information about Harley Kingston is another story.'_

Kouha looked at her with a strangely piercing gaze. If she hadn't seen him down so many shots, she would've been convinced that he was still sober.

(But…that wasn't possible…right? He was drunk.)

"Promise?"

Yasmine nodded. "I promise. And I don't go back on my word."

"I know you don't." Kouha agreed immediately. He bit his lip anxiously as if this whole deal was going to blow up on him. "Okay…you promised…so wha' do you wanna ask me?"

Yasmine hesitated for a moment. Was this really a good idea? She had originally decided to leave the whole affair be and wait for him to approach her on his own. But she knew more than others how disastrous taking that route could be. She had experienced it firsthand. A person _died _because of her choice to remain passive to the problem. Phoebe – no. That was of the past. This was the present where she could make a difference. "Kouha, can you tell me about your mother?"

Kouha's inquiring gaze quickly closed off to a distant look. He leaned back on his stool and hummed. "My mother." He repeated dully, speaking clearly for once. "Why my mother? Why not secret, hush-hush information about Kou's war plans? All the other girls would ask me that."

"Sorry that I'm not like your palace girls." She apologized insincerely. "I don't give a fuck about war plans or things like that. I prefer avoiding politics as much as I can. Being a Blessed Child is a headache enough."

Kouha giggled, his emotions doing a complete one-eighty. "You're right! You aren't like my palace girls! Though, they weren't mine for very long…I didn't like them too much. They were oh so bo~ring."

"You're changing the subject, Kouha. Answer the question, please."

"That's not fair!" Kouha whined. "I don't like the question. Change it!" He demanded impishly.

"No."

"…Please?"

"No."

"Yassssmmmmine!" He whined loudly.

"No means no."

"Why?" Kouha finally asked looking defeated at the face of Yasmine's stone-faced stubbornness. "Why do you care about this so much?"

Yasmine's eyes softened from behind her blindfold when she heard the vulnerability in her friend's voice. She reached over and gave his hand a squeeze. "I care because you're hurt and for some reason, it has something to do with your mother." Yasmine told him honestly. "And…I don't like that you're hurting alone."

"You wouldn't understand." Kouha said confidently, sneaking in a gulp of alcohol before she could snatch the cup away from him again. "You never had a mother."

That comment stung more than Yasmine was willing to admit.

"You're right. I never had a mother to raise me." She agreed, forcing herself to keep calm from Kouha's verbal attack. "But that still doesn't mean that it would be impossible for me to understand you. Just _explain _it to me. You might be surprised."

"…"

"Please, Kouha?"

"Okay." Kouha finally relented. "But we're going to talk about this somewhere else."

* * *

"My mother is insane."

Yasmine blinked in surprise at Kouha's first words. She sat at the edge of the bed of their shared room in the inn. Fortunately, the pirate attack hadn't touched their temporary place of stay, so they didn't need to move.

"Everyone knew about it. It wasn't as if it was a secret." Kouha scoffed bitterly when Yasmine didn't comment. He was faced away from her so she wouldn't see his expression.

(Or was it that _he _didn't want to see _her _reaction?)

"The Emperor was a greedy, lustful man. Every beautiful woman who caught his eye would become his concubine the moment he ordered it. They had no choice. _Mother _had no choice." Kouha said, voice hitching. "I heard that Mother used to be the brightest woman in the court before the Emperor took her. They said that the moment she had me, her mind _broke._"

Yasmine continued to stay silent.

"Mother was convinced that I was a girl during the first four years. It should've been a good warning sign about her sanity. She would dress me up in pretty, little dresses and pin ornaments into my hair." Kouha continued. "She always referred to me as 'Hana' when she talked to the servants. One day, she finally realized that I was a boy. She wasn't happy and threw a large fit. She tried to…hurt me."

"Did she succeed?" Yasmine inquired softly, interrupting him for the first time. She looked him over in concern.

"No, I'm fine. I don't even remember what happened that day anyway. But I had to be taken away from her since they were afraid that she would hurt me again. Mother was never allowed to leave the room since. They locked her up and kept her out of sight. En-nii and Mei raised me in her place." Kouha turned to the side and gave Yasmine a weak smile. "They're great brothers…you know that, right?"

"Of course." Yasmine assured him softly. "You make sure to remind me every day that you have the best brothers in the world."

"Yeah…but I always held them back. We don't share the same mother so I was always a burden to them because of Mother's reputation."

"No you aren't!" Yasmine wanted to say, but she forced herself to swallow the words. Kouha tended to be stubborn in his beliefs and she didn't have the heart to start a fight when he was trying to open up to her. Yasmine decided that she would move that particular conversation somewhere in the future.

Instead, she settled with a neutral, "I think your brothers are proud of you, different birth mother or no."

Kouha barked out a bitter laugh. "I know! I know they are! And that's what makes them so wonderful." He looked down and trembled. "I never deserved any of that, but they cared for me anyway. I never deserved-" He stopped to take a shuddering breath. "I was a coward."

Yasmine looked surprised by Kouha's sudden confession. "Kouha?"

"Mother escaped from her rooms one day and found me. I didn't recognize her at first, so I was scared. She...she had a knife with her. I tried to run, but she managed to catch me since I was so small. I thought she was going to kill me. She didn't. Instead, she _gave me _the knife and told me:

"_Hana darling, can you do one very important thing for Mommy that will make her very happy? Kill me."_

Kouha quoted the sentence with the memory fogging up his eyes. Yasmine's heart plummeted at the quote as she began to regard Kouha's mother was newfound disgust and horror. Mentally broken or not, no mother should ever put such an atrocious onto the shoulders of a child, especially her own.

'_But then, does that mean Kouha really-?'_

"I didn't." Kouha said, much to Yasmine's relief. "I tried to, but I couldn't. I ended up running away from her. I was a _coward_." Kouha spat bitterly. "I had a _chance_, Yasmine. I could have lessened my brothers' burden even a little if I did what she asked. I had the chance to cut ties with the very woman who made me _different _from my brothers. And she wanted it too! But I didn't. I proved that my connection to my mother made me weak!"

"Or," Yasmine interrupted quietly, "maybe some part of you knew that killing her would be wrong."

Kouha was silent.

Yasmine didn't allow the heavy silence between them to discourage her from saying her part because – Solomon curse whoever put these thoughts into her friend's mind – Kouha needed to know that more than half the things he was spouting right now were complete _bullshit_. "Kouha, what you did wasn't a weakness. It was a natural reaction, especially for a young kid. Do you honestly believe that killing her would have changed anything? Anything at all? She is your _mother _and she will always be your mother, just as Kaveh is my…father." She grimaced at the thought of the horrible man. "No matter how horrible they are, you can never change that you are connected to your family by blood. But your blood ties with your mother doesn't have to define you."

"…Really?"

"Who were the ones who raised you?" Yasmine reminded gently. "Who were the ones who taught you the right morals and pride that you have now?"

"En-nii and Mei." Kouha whispered.

Yasmine nodded. "That's right. And that's all that should matter. Your brothers are so proud of you. Even I could see it during my visit to Kou. They view you in the highest regard."

Kouha sniffled.

"They love you, Kouha."

That was all that Kouha could take before breaking down. He began to sob uncontrollably as he collapsed onto the floor like a puppet without strings. Yasmine abandoned her post on the bed to gather him up in her arms. "Shhh, Kouha, shhh. You're perfect. You're wonderful. Don't let anyone else let you think otherwise."

"I killed her, Yasmine! I killed her!" He wailed as she rocked him soothingly. "I gave her the knife and told her to do it herself. I'm not as good as you think I am!"

So _that's _what was troubling him this whole time. The whole scene at the port was like a reenactment of his childhood nightmare. And this time, he chose to let his mother do the deed herself.

It was as if he actually _did_ kill his mother.

"Kouha, how do you feel?" Yasmine asked suddenly, peering down to see his expression.

"Horrible." Kouha confessed, face wracked in guilt. "Horrible."

"Good. Remember it." Yasmine told him firmly. "This is how you could have felt if you really _did_ kill your mother that day. Remember how horrible it feels and never doubt that you made the right choice."

Kouha nodded miserably.

"But also remember that it wasn't your mother that you gave the knife to today. You gave it to a filthy, child-manipulating woman who was beneath your generosity. You gave it to Umm Madaura. Your mother is safe and alive."

"…Did I make the right choice?"

'_For your mother or the Holy Mother?' _She wondered to herself.

"You made the right choice, Kouha." Yasmine assured him, answering for both of the women. "She needed her release and you gave it to her. You did what was best both as the Third Prince of Kou and as your mother's son. You couldn't have done anything else."

Kouha seemed to relax in her arms as he accepted her words.

Yasmine stood and pulled him up. "Let's get to bed. You're drunk and I'm tired. I think it's best that we try to sleep this off." She helped him under the covers before joining him. Yasmine turned away from Kouha and closed her eyes.

"Yasmine?"

"Yes?"

"…Thanks."

"Of course. We're friends. Good night, Kouha."

* * *

Kouha stayed still until Yasmine's breaths evened out. He sat up and looked over at her sleeping face with a guilty smile.

"Sorry Yasmine." He murmured quietly while reaching over to brush aside a strand of hair from her face. "I lied. Or at least, I didn't tell you everything."

_Kouha knelt in front of Umm Madaura with a sweet smile on his face. "I love you very much, Mother. I love you so much, that I couldn't even kill you for my older brothers. And I love them _ _ **very much.** _ _"_

"_Yes, yes, and mother loves you very much too! You're such a good boy, Kouha."_

"_I know I am, Mother. But you did very, very bad things. You took many lives, possessions, and children. You made so many people so very miserable. You even made me fight against the person I'm in love with."_

_The Holy Mother's eyes widened in horror at the dark tone that slipped into Kouha's voice as his eyes narrowed only slightly. "Mother is very sorry that she made you do such a thing. Mother didn't know! She really didn't know! Please forgive me. Mother loves you, Kouha."_

_Kouha tutted at her in disappointment. "I was pursuing her very a very long time and you dragged me down into such a state. You made me look very bad in front of her, Mother. I'm not very happy about that."_

"_Forgive mother!"_

"_Many people want you dead or imprisoned now. It would be for the best if I cut off your head right now so I can calm their fury." Kouha noted casually while glancing at the glaring crowd, making the woman pale slightly. "But I won't satisfy their bloodlust."_

_Umm Madaura sagged in relief. "I'm so proud of you, my son! Of course you won't kill your mother!"_

"_Of course not. It would make me look like a monster in front of Yasmine and her friends. That won't be good. But I can't risk you making me raise my blade at Yasmine again. I just can't. So I'll give you a choice."_

_Kouha grabbed her hand suddenly and slipped a knife under her sleeves._

"_Give yourself a quick death or die a slow death in my hands after spending a good amount of time in your cell and believe me, __**I will find you and I will destroy you**__."_

_He stood up._

"_I'm sorry, 'mother'." Kouha said in a louder voice. "It seems that this is the only way both you and I will be happy. I hope that you can understand."_

"Solomon." Kouha rubbed his face. "I _killed her _for you, Yasmine. I couldn't even do that for my brothers."

He looked at her despairingly.

"I wonder what you would think of me if you ever found out?"

* * *

Amani was _thrilled_ to find that her library was kept intact and untouched. It gave her something to do in the otherwise boring palace. Though Kou Palace had its moments of monotony, they had their gardens and pigeons to pass the time at least.

"I knew how much you loved that library, so I insisted on keeping it the same." Koumei had told her shyly when he revealed that the Balbadd Library still existed despite the drastic changes the palace went through. "I thought that you might have wanted it that way. Are you happy?"

She was. And Amani showed her appreciation through showering joyous kisses onto him and giving him a well-deserved cuddling before duty temporarily took her husband away from her for the day.

Hakuryuu, who had decided to appoint himself as her unofficial bodyguard, decided to spend the day with her.

"I told you that I could take care of myself." Amani reminded Hakuryuu once again as he paddled after her heels determinedly.

"No. We can't risk you or the child getting hurt." He said stubbornly. "I promised Alibaba-dono that I would keep you safe. I will not betray the trust that he placed in me."

Eventually, after much arguing and attempts to make Hakuryuu see the lack of sense in his endeavor, Amani sighed and gave up.

"It's going to be boring." She warned him since she knew that he was more of an active boy. "There will be lots of reading and indoor activities involved since I can't stress my body."

"Don't worry, Amani-dono. I think I'll be fine." Hakuryuu assured her with an amused smile. "How bad can it be?"

Very bad, apparently.

Hakuryuu never knew that it was possible to fit so many scrolls within one room. He was amazed at the sheer size of the place at first. Then, with growing horror, he realized that until Amani finished reading every scroll in the room (or, until the day ended, either worked), he would be required to stay there with her.

"I told you so." Amani reminded him with unrestrained amusement as the fourth hour ticked by.

Hakuryuu could only stare back at her miserably.

Taking pity on him, Amani decided to cut the library visit short and bring the rest of the scrolls that she didn't finish back to her room so Hakuryuu would be freed of his self-burdened 'duties'. It wasn't much of a difference _where _she read them anyways.

As she began gathering her things, Amani picked up a particular scroll and smiled at it fondly.

Hakuryuu noticed her look and wandered over to her side curiously. "Amani-dono? What is that?"

"A gift from an old teacher that I forgot to bring to Kou." She told him as she opened up the rolled up paper. "It was her wedding gift to me before…" She trailed off for a beat before she continued strongly, "well, before she died."

Hakuryuu looked at her sympathetically. "I'm sorry for your loss. Your predecessor must have been a good teacher."

"The best." Amani agreed. "But don't apologize. It was bound to happen. Blessed Children do not live a very long life." Amani stated sadly. Hakuryuu sent her a stricken look at her statement, surprising her. "You didn't know?"

"I suspected…but…"

"When my successor is born, that will be when I begin to die. My power and energy will transfer to them as they grow. It's a natural circle that the Blessed Children have been going through for generations." Amani made sure to make that fact clear to him. "It was like that with Fatima and me. It will be like that for me and my successor."

Hakuryuu shook his head. "How long?"

"Not for a while." Amani assured him. "I would know. We can sense when our successors are born. And even then, the transfer of abilities would be a slow process."

"I…see…"

Amani could tell that this was a difficult subject for Hakuryuu. She beckoned him over and embraced him comfortingly like a mother would her child. "Don't let this worry you, Hakuryuu. Kougyoku, Sai, Yasmine and I still have some time to go before it is our time to leave this world. There's simply so much for us to do here. There is still _that organization _to be rid of. I'm sure that fate wouldn't be so cruel as to take us away before that mission is accomplished."

"Fate _can_ be cruel." Hakuryuu brooded with a dark look on his face. "But if that's fate, then –

"Then you will do nothing. Don't even think about it." Amani cut in sharply and drew back with an angry look. The scroll she had placed on her lap rolled off at the sudden movement. "Thoughts like 'I will reject fate' will only bring you down to Al Thamen's level. Don't go down that path, Hakuryuu. It would only hurt everyone who cares for you. Including me. Don't ever think like that again." She commanded firmly.

Guilty, Hakuryuu nodded.

Amani's eyes softened. "Good. Now, let's – " She cut herself off abruptly, eyes glued to the unraveled scroll on the ground.

"Amani-dono?" Hakuryuu asked, concerned. He peered down at the scroll and scrunched up his face in confusion. It was simply a picture. He wasn't sure of what, but it didn't seem like it was something distressing. "Is there something wrong?"

Amani broke out of her trance and quickly picked up Fatima's gift from the ground.

"It was a private joke between us." She explained to Hakuryuu weakly.

He nodded in understanding. He too became overcome with emotion when he encountered objects and reminders of his deceased older brothers. _'Well, not in the same way.' _He corrected himself. Instead of shock or sadness, Hakuryuu reacted in anger and hatred.

"I'll be going back into my room." Amani said hastily. Before Hakuryuu could make his offer to escort her, she pinned him with a hard glare. _"On my own."_

"Understood." Hakuryuu sighed reluctantly while stepping back to let he pass. "But if you need me –

"- I will call for you." Amani finished hurriedly as she left.

Hakuryuu sent one last worried glance in her direction before turning and making his way towards the training area.

* * *

_On the day Amani's engagement was announced to her by her father, Fatima caught her student in the middle of the hallway. Both of them paid no mind to the other people passing through as they spoke to each other on the subject. They were always overlooked, so conversations between them were seldom overheard._

"_Amani, when you leave to Kou, I will not be able to come with you. I need to stay here in Balbadd since I am this country's Blessed Child. You, on the other hand, will have Kou Empire as your new home." Fatima made sure to explain. She had always been blunt and to the point with her. This wasn't an exception._

_Amani nodded. "I understand, Fatima." And she did. She knew what being a Princess entailed and never once deluded herself into thinking otherwise._

"_This also means that tomorrow may be the last day that we will ever speak with each other."_

_Here, Amani paused._

"…_What?"_

"_Amani. You know how short our lives can be." Fatima reminded her student, eyes softening in a rare show of affection. "I'm not going to lie to you. I feel that my time is coming soon."_

_Amani felt dread pool in her stomach at her teacher's words. She wanted to ask Fatima if she was sure, but held herself back. Fatima hated stupid questions._

"_I see." Was all Amani said - _could_ say really. She felt too numb to argue against the inevitable. It was completely out of her hands._

"_I'm sorry." Fatima apologized genuinely, causing Amani's head to snap up quickly in surprise. The older woman laughed, throwing her student out of balance once again. It was only later on that Amani would recall that Fatima's laugh had not been a happy one. "Oh, Amani. I love you and I am proud of you. I'm sorry that I will have to leave you alone."_

_The finality of her mentor's words scared Amani._

_Fatima pressed a scroll into Amani's hands, breaking her from her fearful thoughts. At her student's questioning look, she explained, "It's a gift. It's an…inheritance that was passed down from our line of Blessed Children. Don't open it until you reach Kou."_

"_I won't. You'll be there to see me off, won't you Fatima?"_

"_Of course I will. Now go off and see to that twin brother of yours. He doesn't know about the engagement, does he?"_

"_No." Amani confirmed as she made her way to leave. "I'll have to go and see him. Thank you for the gift, Fatima. Until tomorrow."_

"_Until tomorrow."_

_(That was the last time she saw Fatima.)_

* * *

Amani slipped into her room and made sure that her doors were shut tightly. Keeping one eye on her surroundings, she opened the scroll again. She checked and double-checked it to see if her eyes were playing tricks on her, but the image did not change or disappear.

The picture brought on waves of unwanted nostalgia and homesickness that Amani hadn't felt in a very long time. Every shading and intricate detail was like a distant memory rushing back. She used to know this art style by heart, but that had been a long, long time ago. Though it could have been a coincidence, Amani knew that the facts stated otherwise.

The unique signature scrawled at the side of the picture was what confirmed it.

It was barely recognizable because of the age of the scroll, but in the front of the word there was the undeniable shape of an 'S'.

English.

'_How is this possible?'_ Amani wondered as the paper crinkled in her hands, ruining the image. But she paid no mind. _'How could Fatima have Sammi's drawing?'_ She wondered with mounting panic and fear and…_hope_. _'Does this mean that Sammi was here too? Does this mean we aren't the only ones who were reborn into this world?'_

"I have to write to the others." Amani decided.

* * *

Kougyoku had been able to fight off the bandits that attacked the caravan _swiftly _and _efficiently._ Opal's craftworks were absolutely wonderful to wield. They made slicing through bone so much easier, much to the glee of Kougyoku's well-hidden bloodlust.

Well, _mostly _hidden. Kougyoku had a feeling that Tao was able to see through her act, not that she was ashamed of this side of her. Personally, she thought that her bloodlust was milder compared to her brothers'. At least _she_ didn't cackle wildly or tremble almost religiously at the sight of blood like a certain brother. Kougyoku loved shedding blood on the battlefield, but she didn't love it _that _much.

(Really, it was a Kou child thing. Koumei was the odd one out in that respect.)

Thankfully, Tao was understanding or, at least, open-minded about Kougyoku's guilty pleasure. He had only reacted with a raised brow and an amused quirk of his lips behind his mask. Kougyoku had a feeling that he was not surprised by her violence.

Behind him, Kougyoku caught sight of an image of a woman nodding approvingly and a man bent over in laughter. _Tao's and Judal's parents_, her mind supplied at the sight. Tao had explained to her before that she was able to see them because the two ghosts were so intertwined with Tao's identity.

"I'm sorry, m'lady, sir, but I don't think I can travel any further!"

Unfortunately, the caravan driver was not as understanding.

Vicious thoughts like _'no woman should be so good at killing! She's a monster, a witch!' _and _'I can't deal with this madness anymore!' _pummeled into Kougyoku's mind, despite her fruitless attempts at blocking them. The caravan driver was too close and his belief in his thoughts was too strong.

Usually, Kougyoku would take offence at his thoughts, but the sharp smell of fear and incomprehension made her understand that this man was simply spooked by both the bandit attack and her ability with the swords.

Ah, the tragedy of discovering that your caravan driver is a complete coward.

Seeing that keeping him was useless, Kougyoku let him go after giving him a small fraction of the pay that she promised, which was far more generous than what he would have gotten if she was an average noble.

After the caravan was out of sight, Tao had the sense to ask, "What now?"

What now, indeed. They were stranded in the middle of the desert with a limited amount of food and water. The caravan driver had not even had the sense to drop them off at a nearby village or town in his haste to leave.

After much thought and consideration, Kougyoku made her decision.

"I'll have to use my djinn equip."

* * *

By the next afternoon, Kouha and Yasmine were packed and ready to leave Akita Kingdom behind them. Neither spoke about what had happened the night before. Kouha acted as if he hadn't revealed _very _sensitive information about himself and, to Yasmine's relief, looked as if he'd completely recovered from Umm Madaura's mind tricks.

"Finally!" Kouha rejoiced giddily. "We're leaving! I thought that we'd be stuck here _forever._"

"Not forever." Yasmine corrected while paying the innkeeper. She made sure to tighten the blindfold around her eyes. "We only stayed here for two days at most. Besides, this was only supposed to be a detour from your business in Magnostadt."

But Kouha wasn't listening. He was already making his way through the door.

'_Does he even remember?'_ Yasmine wondered as they left the inn before ruefully shaking her head. _'Probably not. He was completely drunk. Best not to bring it up for now since he's in such a good mood.'_

"We'll have to rejoin the others. We left them without any warning, after all. Jamal is probably worried sick about me." Yasmine decided. "I'm actually surprised that he didn't turn the whole kingdom upside-down, seeing that you were the one who dragged me off."

Kouha stopped in mid-stride and gave Yasmine a look. "What do you mean by that?" He demanded.

Yasmine sent him a dry look. "You know what I mean, Kouha. Your reputation with other women isn't exactly _clean_. My brother has a legitimate concern about my well-being and chastity."

Kouha scoffed. "I would _never_."

"I know." She assured him. "But Jamal has trust issues."

"NEE-CHAN!"

As if summoned, Jamal jumped out of nowhere and pounced onto Yasmine, much to Kouha's displeasure.

Expecting his appearance, she readily caught him and continued walking as if the extra weight didn't affect her. "Good afternoon, Jamal. We were talking about you."

"I know." Jamal said cheerfully while nuzzling her adoringly. "I sensed it."

"He sensed it." Kouha repeated slowly.

Yasmine took Jamal's explanation in stride. "Good for you, then. How did things play out after we left? Was there any trouble?"

"Nah. Alibaba was able to take over and knock some sense into the pirate children, so there's nothing to worry about. He's pretty good." Jamal confessed, much to Yasmine's surprise. "He sent them over to Sindria, which probably was the best call since they're…well…_kids_. Prison would only traumatize them and do more damage than good." He made a face.

Yasmine shared his distaste with a frown. "I see. That's good. My stupid apprentice has _some _sense, at least. He won't be a completely hopeless ruler."

Kouha choked.

"Completely useless ruler?" Jamal parroted, ignoring the pink-haired boy's struggle for air. "Nee-chan…you're not really considering Alibaba as your King, are you?"

'_You're not planning on leaving Shion for that guy, are you?'_

Yasmine scoffed. "Of course not, Jamal. I thought that you were smarter than that. I'm only interested in Alibaba's success because he's Amani's brother."

Kouha sighed in relief.

This did not go unnoticed by Jamal.

"What? Are you thinking that Nee-chan would choose _you_? Dream on."

Kouha's irritation flared. "Shut up, brat!"

"Who're you calling brat, you bastard?!" Jamal screeched and pounced on Kouha.

They punched, bit, and scratched at each other like children fighting in the playground. Yasmine was quick to jump into the fray to separate the two. After she managed to kick them away from each other, Yasmine made sure to pin them both with a mostly non-lethal glare. "Stop it. Both of you. You are acting like _children._"

Both tried to defend themselves.

"But he-!"

"Stop. It."

Much to her satisfaction, the pair obeyed reluctantly. "Yes…"

"Good. Now, Jamal, where are the others? I heard that Aladdin and Selene are planning on going to Magnostadt. Kouha and I are planning on going there too."

Jamal brightened at her words. "Really? That's great! Aladdin was planning on spending some money for a ride, but I guess this works! I'll take you to them!"

* * *

JinJin, JunJun, and ReiRei almost cried out in relief at the sight of Akita Kingdom. It was only a handful of days since they had last seen their master, but it was like an eternity for them. _'Finally! They were going to be reunited with Kouha-sama again!'_

ReiRei was the first to recover from her happiness. She tilted her head toward the silk screen across from her and cleared her throat.

"Princess, we are almost there. Would you like to see?" She inquired respectfully.

The small figure behind the screen bounced excitedly. "Can I? Can I really, ReiRei? I know Papa told me to hide so I can surprise Uncle Ha, but I can take a _little _peek, right?"

ReiRei nodded with an amused quirk of her lips at the child's obvious excitement. Beside her JinJin and JunJun cooed. "Of course, Princess. I doubt that Kouha-sama can see us from here."

After a moment of hesitance, Kohaku's head peeked out from the screen. Her body followed after. She crawled over to the window and raised herself just enough that her mismatched eyes would peer out to the sight. She gasped excitedly upon seeing Akita Kingdom. "Is that where Uncle Ha is?"

"Yes, Princess Kohaku."

"That means that Yasmine will be with him too." ReiRei heard her princess murmur to herself. Ah, so she knew about her Uncle's interest in the Sasan warrior, then? "But then, _he _should be there too. There's no way that he wouldn't come running if Yasmine is alone with a male. Poor Uncle Ha."

ReiRei thought that she misheard. "Pardon, Princess?"

"Ah, nothing! I was just thinking to myself. You'll understand when we get there! But for now, I'm not here!" And with an excited bounce, Kohaku scuttled back into her hiding place, making ReiRei forget about her strange statement before.

* * *

Thanks to Kougyoku's snap decision to simply _fly _to the Tenzan Plateau instead of waiting for a different caravan to cross their path, Tao and she made it there within mere hours.

Upon their landing, Tao blinked many times incredulously at the ground before turning to his traveling companion.

"Why don't we travel like this _all_ the time?"

Kougyoku shrugged. "Well, we don't want to waste our magoi for something so trivial. Not only that, the sight of our djinn equip would throw people into panic if I ever flew over a country like Reim, for example. It's easy to misunderstand and think that I was planning on _attacking _them instead of simply flying over. I just made this exception since we were dumped in the middle of a desert with no other means of transportation." She shrugged again. "That's all."

Tao opened his mouth to ask another question but was interrupted by the sound of horses. He tilted his head to the side. "I think we have company."

Kougyoku stiffened when she heard the same noise and readied her swords.

That is, until she saw the all-too-familiar-banner of her homeland.

"Hakuei!" Kougyoku shouted gleefully, abandoning her defensive stance in favor of her family member. With a more refined yet equally joyful reply, Hakuei dismounted from her horse to accept her younger sister-cousin's over-exuberant hug. Both went down laughing, much to the shock of the other horsemen who were flanking Hakuei.

Tao didn't seem to react at all.

"I missed you so much! I haven't seen you since you left the palace!" Kougyoku said excitedly after drawing back from their enthusiastic hug fest. "I thought that I would _never_ see you again!"

"Now, you're being dramatic, Kougyoku." Hakuei chided. "Your fiancé couldn't have been _that _bad. I'm sure that he would have allowed you to visit Kou if you ever felt homesick."

Kougyoku sighed and shook her head at Hakuei's optimism. If only she knew…

But Hakuei always thought the best of others. That was why she was Sydney's second favorite female character in the series in her past life, only topped by Morgiana, who was honestly _everyone's _favorite with her awesome ability to kick ass with her bare hands.

"_Ex-_fiancé." Kougyoku decided to correct instead. Explaining the whole situation would have taken way too long and the last thing she wanted was to waste time on _Ahbmad _of all people.

"Ah," Hakuei's eyes widened in understanding at her short explanation, "I see. Was the Emperor too upset?" She asked, very aware that Kougyoku probably had a hand in the breaking of the engagement.

Kougyoku shrugged. "Nah. I mean, he wasn't _happy _about it_,_ but taking over Balbadd was the important part – which Kouen managed to do, by the way – so he let it slide…mostly. Actually, he didn't want to 'see my face for a long time'. That's why I left Kou palace and came here to visit you!"

"Kougyoku…you should have brought Koubun over with you…" Hakuei sighed.

Kougyoku grimaced at the mention of her ex-vassal's name. "He won't be coming with me on any expedition soon, or even ever for that matter." She muttered sourly before gesturing over to Tao, who had been strangely quiet during the whole exchange. "I have a new bodyguard now. His name is –

"Tao?"

Kougyoku paused in mid-sentence and regarded her sister-cousin and friend with confusion. How did she know his name? Did they already know each other? Her sharp eyes caught at how Tao stubbornly kept his gaze on the ground and how Hakuei's stare was mainly on the red scarf wrapped loyally around his neck despite the previous heat of the desert.

Then, everything made sense.

'_Of course!'_ Kougyoku laughed at herself mentally as she watched Tao slowly raise his head to meet Hakuei's eyes when she called his name once again. _'I __**knew **__that scarf looked familiar!'_ Then, Kougyoku chuckled to herself and shook her head, both actions that were unnoticed by the pair. _'Only Hakuei would botch up knitting something as simple as a scarf.'_

Though talented in many things, she had never been one to be good at housework.


	38. Chapter 37: Unplanned

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sai makes it Hogwarts - I mean, Magnostadt Academy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Onwards

Tao hadn't believed his parents when they first told him about their clan's curse. It was completely outlandish and, honestly, very scary to a younger Tao that his love life was being controlled by something he didn't even understand. He had scoffed at the idea of 'love at first sight' and focused on his search for Kido.

'_It's stupid.'_ He had thought ignorantly as he decided to completely reject his supposed 'other half' if he ever met her. _'It's some stupid magic messing with my feelings. __**I'll **__choose who and when to fall in love with, __**not **__some stupid curse!'_

But then again, Tao had been so young. He didn't heed his parents' desperate efforts to make him understand the true machinations of the curse.

Eventually, they gave up and decided that they'd let him experience the thing first-hand.

"_He'll learn." _His father had sighed as he comforted his wife who had been inches away from tearing her hair out of frustration. _"It'll be the hard way, but he'll learn."_

* * *

Tao wished that he'd listened to his parents back then. It would've made things _so much easier_.

But nooo – he just _had _to make a point, didn't he? He just _had _to be a stubborn little shit and swamp himself in denial. Not that accepting the whole curse thing would have helped him prepare for the actual experience, but still. Tao liked to pretend that it would've helped a little bit.

Not that anything would've helped him when he accidentally walked in on Hakuei _bathing._ And he almost got his head cut off for the mistake. (Stupid Gui curse. Couldn't it have arranged a less embarrassing meeting?!)

During his near-death experience, Tao fell _hard. _And the worst part? There was no doubt or hesitation. Tao accepted his curse as if it were a part of him – like he accepted that his hand and leg were a part of him – and he was _happy _about it.

So happy, that he almost overlooked how she held herself and how she spoke. He almost didn't notice her clothes and the all-too-familiar banner of the Kou Empire.

Oh yes, Tao knew about the war-like nation. It explained Hakuei's bout of violence on their first meeting. Much to his relief, she revealed herself to be a naturally kind and gentle person after the unfortunate misunderstanding was cleared. Completely apologetic, Hakuei bandaged most of Tao's wounds and offered to accompany him to his next destination.

Tao accepted. (He would've followed her _anywhere _at that point.)

It was awkward at first. Though Tao already felt the powerful affects of the curse, he had still been a bit wary of his new traveling companions. He quickly learned that most of them were soldiers. Only Ri Seishun, a small man who Tao easily assumed was a child, seemed to know Hakuei in friendly terms.

"I am Ri Seishun, Lady Hakuei's loyal household member. I hope that we can be friends." The blue-haired male had introduced himself to the recent addition to their group. Taking notice of Tao's confusion, Seishun tilted his head. "Oh? You didn't know? My lady is the First Princess Hakuei of the Kou Empire." He clarified kindly.

It was crushingly disheartening when Tao learned of Hakuei's true identity.

(Figures that the curse would lead him to a _Princess _connected to Kou Empire and completely out of his league_._)

Because of this, Tao tried to distance himself from her at first. It both confused sweet Hakuei and drove his parents _crazy. _But what could he do? Tao was a nobody from a clan that no one even knew existed – _had _existed. What could he offer her?

Nothing.

So, with that in mind, Tao made sure to keep things formal between them, as much as it pained him to do it.

But Hakuei would have none of that. She was steadfast in her attempts to get to know him better. She would purposefully seek him out and would situate herself next to him whenever they took a break. He resisted at first, but reluctantly submitted when he realized that his struggles were useless. Tao helplessly allowed her charm to tug him further and further as she revealed little – but precious – things about herself through her actions and words.

("You remind me of someone." She had mentioned briefly in one of their conversations before shaking her head, dismissing the thought. Tao didn't think much about this at the time.)

Eventually, Tao admitted defeat and allowed himself to fall completely without any more struggle, much to his parents' relief.

'_It's fine.' _He had assured himself. _'As long as if it's only me, it should be fine. Eventually, both of us will have to separate and go on our own ways. Eventually, she'll find and fall in love with a handsome noble with more riches and power than me and live a happy life. That's enough for me.'_

Unfortunately, it didn't work that way. Tao had forgotten a significant part of the curse that made all this self-assurances null and void.

"I love you, Tao."

The curse was only a shortcut to the inevitable.

Hakuei had somehow fallen in love with him. _Him. _Tao Gui the commoner. Tao Gui the clanless. _How_ he managed to catch her fancy would forever elude the Gui youth, but the confession had both filled with insurmountable elation and despair.

He knew, of course, that he couldn't lie to her and reject her. But he also knew that such a relationship between them would be close to impossible.

"I…I'm sorry, Hakuei-sama."

No, it _was_ impossible.

So that was why he chose to leave.

For once, his parents did not argue with him when he made that decision. It was obvious that remaining with Hakuei would not help him in his search for his little brother. Tao hated himself for making Kido seem secondary compared to Hakuei, which fuelled his determination to leave this group and leave _now_. If he kept thinking like that, finding Kido would definitely be impossible.

Hakuei tried to talk him out of it at first. She had been convinced that her confession was the cause of his abrupt decision. The guilt and heartbreak on her face almost did him in.

_Almost._

But Tao was firm. He didn't let her talk him out of leaving, but he made sure to make her understand that it was _not _her fault.

"My little brother was taken from me." He had explained to her. "Where you're going…I already know he isn't there. Though very kind and accommodating, the Kouga Tribe has not seen my brother…or his kidnappers. I'm afraid that I have to leave or finding any lead on my brother will be impossible."

Hakuei had been very understanding after that. She too had a little brother who she cherished.

She sent him off reluctantly with a roughly knit red scarf to keep him warm. It was only halfway finished since she had planned on gifting it to him later, but Tao loved it all the same.

He never took it off.

* * *

Leaving broke her. It broke both of them. But it had to be done. Family first.

Funny thing was – as much as it hurt him – Tao never regretted leaving. How could he when it was that exact choice that led him to Kido?

* * *

Tao couldn't help but stare when he finally gathered the courage to look Hakuei in the eye. It had been almost a year since he last saw her. A _year. _And now, seeing her again, Tao knew that the possibility of him leaving her a second time would be close to moot.

"H-Hakuei-sama." He somehow managed to stutter out his greeting. Mentally, he cursed himself for speaking so clumsily. Briefly, he wondered if this was what his little brother felt whenever he was around the Blessed Child. If that was the case, Tao swore that he would never make fun of Kido's complicated love life ever again.

Hakuei smiled brightly at the sound of his voice. "I knew it!" She breathed excitedly. "Even though you hid your face, I recognized your hair and eyes. I knew it was you!"

'_Solomon, she's still beautiful.'_ He couldn't help but think as she showered him with questions about his recent whereabouts. Distantly, he did his best to answer her while admiring how her time in the Tenzan Plains hadn't dimmed her beauty in the slightest. On the contrary, Tao thought that her time exposed to the sun and wind only made her the more beautiful.

Tao's thoughts stuttered to a stop when his eyes landed on a small scar.

"Hakuei-sama…you were injured…"

At his words, Hakuei self-consciously placed a hand over her cheek. "Oh, this? It's nothing. I was just a bit reckless during a small skirmish, that's all."

Tao internally struggled to keep himself calm as he fussed over Hakuei. "You shouldn't have been so reckless." He scolded her as his hands hovered over her old injury, not daring to touch her so familiarly. "This injury could have been treated properly to avoid scars like these. Why didn't your healers tend to this earlier?"

Hakuei frowned in displeasure as she thought about the event. "It seems that I did not have the complete loyalty of my men. Even the healers weren't mine."

Tao twitched before glowering at the ground darkly. "Those bastards, daring to betray Hakuei-sama like that when she was so kind to them…when I get my hands on them I'll –

"Please don't worry, Tao." Hakuei cut him off with an amused smile. "I had help from a very kind, blue-haired child. The soldiers who betrayed me are no longer a problem."

From the sidelines, Kougyoku brightened at the mention of the 'blue-haired boy'. Tao sent her a curious glance as the pink-haired Blessed Child spoke up. "He's Aladdin, right? I met him in Balbadd."

"Really?" Hakuei turned to Kougyoku with interest. "I'm glad that the two of you met. He's a very good boy. Though, Aladdin was rather insistent on making his way to Qishan to reunite with his friend. What happened? There is just so much that I want to know. Did Aladdin ever manage to see his friend again? How did your engagement with Prince Ahbmad dissolve? And why is Tao covering his face?"

Kougyoku and Tao shared a look before turning back to Hakuei.

"It's a long story."

Hakuei smiled beatifically. "Then isn't it a good thing that I love long stories? You can tell me everything on our way back to the main camp. I'm sure that Seishun will be thrilled to see you both again."

* * *

"_Kouha-sama~!"_

Upon their arrival, JinJin, JunJun, and ReiRei wasted no time in returning to their master's side. They wasted no time in hugging his legs and crying a river's worth of tears. Yasmine smiled at the scene fondly while Jamal did his best to angle his precious nee-chan away from the three new crazies.

"Uncle Ha!"

The three attendants immediately backed away when Kohaku flew out from the carriage with a bright smile. Kouha was knocked back a few steps by his niece's surprise tackle. When he regained his bearings, he stared at the young girl with a mix of happiness and incredulity. "Kohaku-chan…why are you here?"

Kohaku tilted her head to the side cutely. "Does Uncle Ha not want me to be here? I wanted to make this a surprise to make you happy. Papa said I should. Was that a bad idea?"

"No, no, no, no! I'm really, really happy that you're here!" Kouha was quick to say at the sight of her watering, puppy-dog eyes. "But…shouldn't you be on your way back to your mother? Seishin must be worried sick about you!"

"Oh, don't worry about that, Uncle Ha! Mama knows that I'm with you. I'm supposed to come with you to Magnostadt since it's the safest with you and you're already going there!" Kohaku assured her very confused uncle laughingly. "You see…I'm going to be a student there!"

Before Kouha could say anything to _that_, Kohaku was whisked away from his arms by an enthusiastic group of children, Jamal included.

"Congratulations." Hel said simply while patting her head.

Opal, on the other hand, was more enthusiastic. "Go knock this pointy-hats off their feet with your talent! You'll do great over there."

'_I'm looking forward to learning magic with you, Kohaku.'_ Selene wrote with a cheerful smile. _'It's very nice to know that there will be another girl around.'_

Jamal was _bouncing_ with happiness for Kohaku.

"_Finally_, someone acknowledges that you're awesome! Better yet, we're going to be _traveling buddies_!" He squealed. "OMS, this is going to be so great! We'll share a carriage and we'll play lots of games and we'll stay up all night, and I'll paint your nails and –

"OMS?" Hel interrupted.

" – Oh my Solomon, _duh_. Get with the program, Hel." Jamal rolled his eyes and effectively ignored the deep growl that erupted from Hel's throat. He turned his attention back to Kohaku. "Anyways, we're going to have a blast together!"

Kohaku giggled excitedly and nodded in agreement. "That sounds great, Jamal!" She turned to her uncle imploringly. "I mean, _can _we Uncle Ha?"

Kouha was about to say no. He really was.

…But how could he when his adorable niece was looking at him with those eyes? Kouha might have not liked the Jamal kid very much, but even he could see that Kohaku was more energetic and outgoing than usual.

With a defeated sigh, the pink-haired prince nodded reluctantly, earning loud cheers from the two children in front of him.

Kouha mentally groaned as he heard Kohaku and the little hellion begin making 'sleepover plans' while making their way toward the rest of the group to say their goodbyes. _'This is going to be a __**terrible**__ trip…'_

Yasmine looked over at Kouha curiously.

"Does that mean that we're going to share a carriage for the whole trip, Kouha?" She asked innocently, causing his gloomy mood to do a complete one-eighty.

'_This is going to be a__** great**__ trip…'_

* * *

Amani inspected Sammi's drawing for the thousandth time but nothing of importance was revealed no matter how many different angles and ways she tried to view it.

'_It's just…a well-drawn copy of a photograph.'_ Amani thought in defeat as she ran her hand through her hair in mild frustration. _'There's nothing here. No secret message. No clue to how Sammi got here. Nothing.'_

So why? Why did she leave something like this for the Blessed Children to pass down to their successors for all those generations?

It just wasn't like Sammi to do something pointlessly. She always had an intention when she did things, no matter how silly they were. There _must _be a reason why she decided to plant this scroll in this world.

'_And why did she copy __**this **__photograph, out of all things?'_

Amani traced the all-too-familiar faces of Phoebe's old classmates. Nostalgia coursed through her as she mentally matched up names to the faces that stared back at her.

A younger Phoebe stared back with her usual, blank default expression. This contrasted the vibrant Harley, who was holding Phoebe's hand and laughing at the camera. Remy was at Phoebe's other side, shyly glancing at the figure of a young man with a blush adorably splattered across his cheeks.

"Class G5." She murmured wistfully to herself as her eyes settled on Sammi's grinning face. "Class Genius Five of Stanton High."

It had been a program created by the school board after Phoebe's genius was discovered. She had skipped grades with ease because of her eclectic memory and her parents' strict upbringing.

They always expected nothing short of brilliance from her. Always.

So that was what she gave them: a brilliant child. Phoebe had prided herself for exceeding even her parents' almost irrational expectations back then. She had exceeded the expectations of her teachers too. They had been thrilled to have a young genius like her thrive within their school walls.

So why not gather other, brilliant minds and teach them together under the tutelage of brilliant teachers?

And thus, Class G5 had been created.

Phoebe Winthrop, Remy Perdue, and Harley Kingston were the first students, the guinea pigs, of the project. All three were only twelve years old at the time. They were all placed under the tutelage of Eric Trent and Samantha Ackerman, college graduates and geniuses by their own rights. Since they were the ones who understood the genius students the best, teaching them to bloom had been no hardship.

Amani looked at the awkward figure of Sydney at the corner of the picture being hugged closely by her brother. Honestly, she had been the extra 'student' of the class since her older brother was her only ride back home.

(In a way, despite her average I.Q., Sydney had a different brand of brilliance to her. She brought a sense of normalcy into the class with her interest in soccer and dancing.)

Because of a certain 'incident', Class G5 never managed to make it through the school year. This had been the only picture Sammi had managed to take of all of them before the high school decided to disband the whole program.

'_Oh Sammi,'_ Amani sighed mentally_, 'as much as it warms my heart that you cared about us enough to replicate the photo, couldn't you have left a less confusing clue? Maybe a note in English?'_

Amani was jerked out of her thoughts when her bedroom door opened. An exhausted Koumei stumbled into the room, barely managing to throw an armful of scrolls onto an elevated surface before haphazardly tumbling onto their bed.

After a beat of silence, Amani spoke, "Welcome back. Was the war council giving you a hard time again, _Anata_?"

Koumei grabbed a pillow and attempted to smother himself with it.

"Ah."

Amani rolled up Sammi's scroll and put it away for the time being before making her way to the bed. Climbing onto the covers, she settled herself right beside her husband. She took no time in helping him change into his nightclothes, all too familiar with the situation. It wasn't a strange occurrence for Koumei to come back to her this exhausted. He had been at another meeting for Kou's internal affairs. Well – it was Balbadd's internal affairs now. The ministers and nobles were relentless with their petty pleas for raising tax or increasing land, taking full advantage of the limited time they had with Koumei, who they viewed as the weakest link in the Kou Family because of his lack of physical strength.

'_Shows what they know about my husband.' _Amani thought smugly. _'Though he lacks aptitude in physical strength, he makes up with his intelligence and tactical genius. He doesn't look it, but Koumei __**can**__ be ruthless. He is a Ren.'_

Any attempts of bribery or blackmail were either ignored or skillfully turned against them. Koumei showed no mercy during the meetings, treating the whole thing as if it were child's play.

But there was only so much her husband could do alone and with little sleep. He was only human. And the ministers and nobles were able to learn. They discovered that they could sometimes get their way if they stretched their meetings long enough.

Sometimes, Koumei wouldn't even have the energy to make his way back into the bedroom, preferring to use his work desk as a substitute for his bed.

Disapproval radiated from Amani's expression as she tugged Koumei under the covers. "They shouldn't push you so hard. You're stressed enough as it is with the increase of war council meetings." She murmured.

"Balbadd is new land. It's a given that they would kick up more of a fuss than usual." Koumei explained tiredly, somehow managing to send his wife an apologetic look. "Not only that, it is the center of all trade. It's priceless to Kou."

Which meant that those greedy, old men were squabbling over her country so they could increase their influence like scavengers over scraps.

Bitterness slid down Amani's throat like corn syrup, but she hid it well. She focused on making her husband comfortable. She rubbed soothing circles up and down his back, loosening any knots that she found on her way. "Well, at least it's done and over with now. You should focus on getting your energy back through sleep. I'll make breakfast and dinner for you tomorrow. How does that sound?"

"Heavenly. And you'll have a guard with you?"

Amani smiled. "Even better. Hakuryuu has decided to make himself my bodyguard." She informed him amusedly. Strangely, Koumei's body tensed at the mention of his stepbrother. "So far, he has done a wonderful job. He came with me when I visited the library and stayed until I was finished reading. Isn't that sweet?"

"Very." Koumei said flatly. "But next time, take Chuu'un."

Amani frowned at his tone, but decided to leave it as it was for now. It was too late. Whatever that was going on between her husband and brother-in-law, she hoped that it could be resolved soon.

With a rare show of strength, Koumei tugged Amani under the covers, causing her to let out an undignified yelp. He held her closely with her back facing him. Amani allowed this without too much of a fuss after she got over her surprise.

"…How is she?" Koumei asked softly as his hands went over the small bump. He held her stomach protectively. "No one tried to do anything to both of you again, did they?"

Amani smiled to herself and slid a hand over his. "We are fine." She said simply. "Nothing happened today, really. I confess that it was a bit boring."

"Tell me about your day."

Amani blinked in surprise and angled her head so she could meet her husband's eyes to make sure that he wasn't joking.

He stared back at her, completely serious. "I mean it. I want to know how your day went. What was it that made it so boring? What can I do to improve that? Was there something you liked to do in Balbadd as a hobby aside from reading?"

Amani floundered for a moment before finding her voice. "But aren't you tired?"

"I want to hear about your day." Koumei repeated firmly. "It's the least I can do after leaving you alone for so long. If I can spend the whole day listening to the babbles of the ministers, I think that I can handle another hour or two listening to you."

Amani felt his lips press onto her temple, sending warm feelings through her body from head to toe.

"And you, my dear, are _far_ more important."

* * *

_Nine days later…_

* * *

"Whoa…"

Sai whistled and looked up at the walls of Magnostadt appreciatively. The caravan driver had ridden off long ago, leaving right after a pouch-full of coins was thrown at his face.

"Now _this _is a kingdom."

Sai began to make his way toward the long line of magicians-to-be with his usual saunter. Though a wee bit uncomfortable with his new form at first, Sai had taken the change with a stride – as he always had done – and practiced his magic on his way here.

"Next!"

The shape-shifter didn't even blink as it was his turn to be potentially crushed by the overgrown, bronze hammer. As the weapon descended onto Sai's head, a borg was automatically summoned to deflect the way-too-big tool.

"Mou, is that all you've got, Mister?" Sai asked the man sweetly. He was disappointed to see that the guard didn't even twitch to his taunt. _Seriously_, he hoped that everyone else wasn't as uptight here or he would be in for a very _boring _school year.

'_But then again,'_ Sai thought to himself as he stepped in front of the magical circle to be properly sorted into a student level or 'kodor' as they called it here, _'I shouldn't be acting like I usually do, should I? My mannerisms and my appearance don't fit together.'_ As much as it pained him to do so, he would have to abandon his usual Sai personality for the sake of this mission.

Sai took a deep breath and let it out before relaxing his features into a deadpan expression. He extended his staff, which had been gifted to him from the old lady priestess herself, and summoned a large, burst of fire.

"_Hariq."_

The result was instantaneous. A huge, pillar of fire erupted within the safety of the magic circle. Many people stumbled back at the spectacle and whispers began to accumulate around him. Mentally, Sai patted himself on the back and sent a mental thank-you to Yasmine for her years of Spartan training. _'I could have never done it without your crazy training regimens, Jazzy-chan.'_

"What a huge display of power!"

"A fire-type? Dammit! I have _that _guy to compete with now?"

"Do you think he'll be accepting underlings?"

"A guy with a scary appearance and a scary amount of power? How frightening. We better stay away from that one. He's bad news."

At that certain whisper, Sai resisted the temptation to place his hand over his left eye. Now, what good would _that _do aside from gaining even more attention on that particular area? It was better to act as if it wasn't there. Everyone would eventually get used to it with time.

"S-S-Second Kodor!" The test instructor stuttered out. Sai was quick to snatch away his little badge and class schedule before making his merry way toward his designated room.

'_Now…time to meet Scheherazade's little spy…'_

* * *

Kouha took back that thought about the trip. It wasn't a great trip at all. Not even close.

For one, the little hellion had adamantly _refused _to let his 'precious nee-chan' be alone with him for even a moment. And even _when _Kohaku – his brilliant, wonderful, _favorite _niece – managed to grab Jamal's attention long enough for Kouha to grab Yasmine's hand and begin what was _supposed _to be a flirty conversation starter, some bandits decided it was a _great_ idea to interrupt Kouha's alone time with Yasmine.

Fucking idiots.

Kouha made sure to take out his frustration by slaughtering them all _thoroughly_. He made sure that none of them escaped his wrath. That was literally his _only_ chance to be alone with Yasmine, dammit! No excuse could pardon that!

Sadly, his little massacre didn't calm down the flames of his never-ending rage down by even a little. The trip had already been ruined.

And it had only been the first day!

"Thanks for the ride, Kouha-nii!"

Kouha waved after the blue-haired magician lazily. Though many things hadn't gone exactly as planned, the trip hadn't been a _complete _disaster. During the rest of the trip, he'd gained a new friend from the unique, little boy. Kohaku seemed fond of him too, which was a plus.

"Make sure to get me some magical souvenirs!" Jamal yelled after Selene. "And don't forget to write! I want to know about _everything!_"

Selene waved back to the Sasanian in acknowledgement before following Aladdin to the line-up in front of the entrance. JinJin, JunJun, and ReiRei finally sent Kohaku on her way after they triple-checked her belongings. Kouha wasn't really eager to let her go off on her own either, but he trusted his older brother. If En-nii thought that letting Kohaku learn magic in an enemy country was a good idea, then Kouha wasn't going to argue.

…But Kohaku really was a bit too young to be studying abroad, wasn't she?

"If anyone tries to bully you, tell me and I'll take care of 'em. Okay, Kohaku-chan?" Kouha reminded his niece before she left the carriage to chase after her friends. He opened his arms for one last hug. "Come here."

Kouha didn't tear up when he saw Kohaku go. He _didn't._ That was just…something that caught in his eye. That's all.

A comforting hand landed on his shoulder. "Hey…she's going to be all right in there. I've seen Kohaku in action during my time in Sindria. She's really talented."

"Uh huh."

"She'll be fine, Kouha."

"Right."

Yasmine struggled to find the right words to comfort her friend. Or, at least, distract him from his growing anxiety for his youngest family member.

"Did you know that Amani is pregnant?" Yasmine blurted out randomly before realizing that she actually hadn't informed Kouha about this good news.

(Well, Jamal could be blamed for that. He had been unusually clingy and distracting during the whole trip.)

Kouha's head snapped to Yasmine's direction, face frozen in disbelief. That expression quickly morphed into pure joy when the realization finally sunk in. "A baby? Really, Yasmine? Mei's going to be a daddy?"

"Yes."

"This is…this is AMAZING! I'm so happy for him! And Amani! She's going to be a great mother. I just know it. And I'm going to be an Uncle again! En-nii is going to be an uncle too!"

For some reason, the excitement that Kouha expressed at the news of gaining a new family member seemed endearing to Yasmine. It was almost sweet how genuinely _happy _Kouha was at the news. _'I wonder how he would react if he found out that he was a father?'_ Yasmine mused to herself.

Kouha would be _ecstatic_. No question about it. Yasmine knew that Kouha loved children and family, so having a child of his own would be something like a dream coming true to him. She could imagine him running around Kou Palace proclaiming the news from the top of his lungs…after telling his brothers and subordinates first, of course. Kouha would waste no time in buying anything and everything for the baby. He would spoil the child rotten with all those toys and he'd drive the mother _crazy_ –

With a jolt, Yasmine's thoughts slowed the moment she thought about the mother of Kouha's possible significant other. It would be highly possible that she would be one of those palace maids Kouha would have his flings with. They didn't have protection here in this time period, did they? Maybe he already had children with his palace girls.

For some reason, the thought didn't settle well with her. Actually, Yasmine found that she didn't like the idea at all.

"Nee-chan?"

Yasmine broke out of her musings at the call. "Yes, Jamal? What is it?"

"Messenger birds." Jamal informed her simply as he held up two docile birds.

How Sai managed to tame those things to the point that they delivered every message without question, she would never know. Both birds extended their legs so they could be relieved of their burden. Yasmine gratefully took the pieces of parchment. "Jamal, why don't you get some seeds and water for the birds? They came a long way from home."

Jamal did so without question.

Yasmine opened the first parchment and quickly scanned its contents. She pointedly ignored Kouha's attempts to read what was written there. Unless he could read English, Yasmine thought that humoring him by standing still was not a problem.

"So? What does it say?" Jamal asked casually as he walked back.

Yasmine wordlessly handed the piece of paper to her little brother. "It's from Shion. A warning."

Jamal's smile dropped from his face the instant the words met his eyes. The abrupt transformation was eerie even to Kouha. The boy's eyes read and re-read the message before ripping it up into many pieces.

Jamal pinched his nose and closed his eyes. "Shit." He swore. "This is bad, Nee-chan. _Really _bad. If those people were able to wiggle into _Sindria,_ out of all the countries in the world, then…fuck. This wasn't supposed to happen this soon."

"I'll try to stay safe, for now." Yasmine promised Jamal.

The red head shook his head vehemently. "No, that's not enough. You need to stay safe and be _protected_. Stay with him." Much to Yasmine's surprise, Jamal pointed at Kouha. The pink-haired prince looked just as surprised. "They won't dare touch you if _he's_ around. Better yet, go to Kou with him."

Kouha opened and closed his mouth soundlessly at Jamal's verdict.

"Don't get the wrong idea." Jamal warned the third prince. "You still have a long way to go to get _my _blessing…but you're better than most of the guys I met." He admitted grudgingly. "Just don't go trying any BDSM shit on her or I'll invent a gun and shoot your ass to kingdom come."

Kouha blankly stared at Jamal.

Yasmine, on the other hand, looked mortified. _"Jamal!"_

"You saw what he did to those maids, Nee-chan!" Jamal argued back hotly. He crossed his arms stubbornly. "Even if you think the world of him, he's not perfect! I will _not _let you got manhandled by that guy! You deserve better than that!"

Yasmine turned away in embarrassment while realization crossed Kouha's face.

"Wait, you think that I'll _hit _Yasmine?" He asked the child, offended. At the child's resolute nod, Kouha looked ready to snarl. _"Like hell, I'll ever do that to her!" _He exploded. "What kind of low-life do you think I am? I would _never_." He emphasized. "_Ever._ Do something like that to her unless she wanted me to."

"That's what I'm afraid of."

Kouha paused in mid-rant at Jamal's words, confused yet again. Yasmine, on the other hand, looked ready to roll over and die on the spot. "Jamal…stop it please…he doesn't know what you're talking about. Besides, he's not into things like that."

"And _how _do you know that?"

Yasmine looked all too relieved at the subject change. "I talk to his palace girls. They're all naturally chatty and approach me for advice whenever I come by. They're all very nice girls, by the way." She informed Kouha with a straight face.

"Wait. You _talk _to them?" Kouha asked, thrown back by the new information.

"His _palace girls_?" Jamal said with incredulity layering his voice. He sent Kouha a nasty glare, causing the prince to blush and look away with a healthy amount of shame. "This guy sleeps around too?"

"_All _guys sleep around, Jamal. Besides, he's an unmarried prince." Yasmine explained patiently. "And why is that so important to you anyways? Kouha and I aren't like that. He's a friend."

Jamal huffed dubiously. "If you _say so_, I guess I'll accept it for now." He came to his older sister's side and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek. "Stay safe, okay Nee-chan? I'll be making my way to Reim to give the lovebirds a heads up to the threat. I'll be packing for the trip now."

And with that, Jamal disappeared into the other carriage to gather his things.

Meanwhile, Kouha shifted awkwardly beside her. He opened and closed him mouth, looking very much like he wanted to say something but couldn't.

Yasmine really wasn't in the mood to indulge him at the moment. She had just recently discovered that her life was in danger because a group of people created specifically to kill her kind turned out to exist in this world earlier than expected.

(Not only that, Jamal's little stunt concerning Kouha's sexual interests made Yasmine lose a few years of her life, give or take. She could only thank Solomon that her friend didn't understand her brother's references. She would have actually _died_ then.)

Yasmine decided that opening the next letter wouldn't hurt. She couldn't imagine the contents of the next letter to be any more shocking than the last. Besides, it was from Amani. Yasmine could at least trust her longtime friend to keep things calm and normal. She tore open the seal and took out the letter.

'_Yasmine, recently I found an old, 'graduation' gift from Fatima. A scroll. She had claimed that it was passed down from teacher to student when she gifted it to me. Imagine my surprise when I found out that it was a sketch of –_

She froze.

"What? What is it?" Kouha looked at Yasmine expectantly, forgetting the events that happened before. "It's from Amani, isn't it? What did she say? Is she okay?"

"She's fine and healthy. It's just a personal thing." Yasmine assured him shortly. She picked up from where she left off and forced herself to finish the letter.

_\- Class G5. It was drawn by Sammi's hand. It's hers. I know it. I can recognize her style from anywhere. Yasmine, I don't think that our current existence here in this world is a coincidence. There's more to it than a simple reincarnation. I'm looking for more information, but I'm drawing a blank. Perhaps your teacher might have given you a similar gift?_

Yasmine tore the message up.

She didn't have time for this kind of shit.

* * *

"Sixth Kodor!"

Kohaku took her little badge of shame without any question or complaint. It really was a pity, though. She had expected to perform better with Yamraiha's teachings.

'_Strange…'_ She thought as she watched Aladdin fail to summon his usual burst of fire yet again. _'I know that my body is weaker than most because of my sheltered upbringing and my young age. But unlike Aladdin, I don't have jewel suppressors. So why didn't my magic react as it used to?'_

The creation of a large, whirlwind interrupted Kohaku in mid-thought. It had been difficult for Selene, but the young girl had somehow managed to discover and control her newfound magic with Yamraiha's careful help. Now, the girl had no problem with doing basic wind spells. The blonde wordlessly raised her staff to dispel her creation before turning to her test advisor.

"What talent and control in your magic, young lady! Third Kodor for you!"

Kohaku brightened up at Selene's placement and congratulated the other female with enthusiastic clapping. Though disappointed in his own power, Aladdin joined in too.

"So, what room do you have, Selene?" Kohaku asked the quiet blonde. Selene held up her schedule and pointed at the number at the corner. "Ah! We're roommates! Lucky!"

"_Yes. It's very lucky that we're roommates." _Selene signed in agreement. _"It would be difficult to explain my condition to anyone else."_

Aladdin pouted as he watched the pair converse.

"You two are so lucky to know your roommates! But I'll be on my own!" He complained childishly. The blue-haired boy crossed his arms and huffed, though the two girls were quick to catch the nervousness in his eyes.

"Don't worry, Aladdin. I'm sure that you'll become great friends with your roommate even though you don't know him." Kohaku said comfortingly. "And if you feel too lonely or stressed, you can always visit our room. We don't mind. Right, Selene?"

The blonde nodded in affirmation.

"Chin up, Aladdin! This is a _magic _school. We're going to learn so many things! And better yet, we're going to be classmates!" Kohaku smiled optimistically. "This is going to be fun!"

* * *

This was not fun. This was not fun _at all_.

"Keep running, Maggots!"

Kohaku knew that her current body was weak, but she didn't know that the gap between 'Kohaku's' strength and 'Amani's' strength was _this_ large. Her legs threatened to wobble and give way at every step, but the young princess didn't dare stop. She knew the consequences of giving up. Her current magical instructor was ruthless in her punishments and unforgiving when a mistake was made.

Instructor Myers and Fatima were very similar in that aspect.

Kohaku was honestly a bit frustrated in herself. No matter how hard she tried, the magic that she had displayed back in Sindria didn't emerge from her new, metal staff.

What was she doing wrong?! Was it possible that it had all been a fluke?

Was it possible that she was…weak?

If that was the case, what was she doing here? Her father had been right about the talented magicians in Kou. Kohaku could have easily gained a kind, patient mentor there. All Kohaku was doing right now was being a burden and possibly ruining whatever plans Shion had for Selene.

It was logical for her to drop out right now when she had the chance.

'_But yet…'_ Kohaku thought as she pushed herself further as the older magicians began to lag behind, _'It's selfish of me, but I want to stay here! I want to learn here! I want to improve! I can't support Shion in this state, so I have to become stronger so I can fight by his side when the time comes. I have to get stronger. I must!'_

With this newfound determination, Kohaku ran faster.

* * *

Sai found himself a bit disappointed.

No, it wasn't the classes. That was a whole new experience for him. Sai found that he enjoyed learning about magic. The classes were all fun and challenging and the food there wasn't half bad either.

It was the _spy_.

"Since I've been here longer, you better call me senpai!"

The spy wasn't Titus Alexius as Sai had expected. There wasn't a blonde hair in sight when he walked into his new room. Instead of a Scheherazade lookalike, Sai found himself face to face with a plain-looking guy with no talent.

No seriously, this guy had no redeemable feature whatsoever both as a magician and a spy.

Especially as a spy.

"Hai, hai, senpai." Sai drawled sarcastically, shifting his body in a way that his _Second Kodor _badge would be shown off. The spy flushed and looked down at his _Sixth Kodor _badge angrily. Sai lazily leafed through his notes and wondered just _what _he did wrong to change the timeline. He was _sure _that Scheherazade would send Titus because of their connection. What use would this pathetic nobody be?

The spy peeked over his shoulder. "Hey…you were sent here to check on me, right?"

The nameless guy's sad attempt in gaining information made Sai want to wince. How obvious can this guy be? Scheherazade made a very poor choice in a spy. He made note to send a letter of complaint to the said priestess. He might not care about the state of Reim, but Sai had his standards when it came to fellow spies.

'_Time to teach this so-called 'spy' a lesson.'_ Sai thought vindictively while morphing his expression into one of confusion. "Huh? What are you _talking _about, senpai?"

The spy back-pedalled immediately. "N-N-N-Nothing! Forget what I said!"

'_Idiot. You react too much.'_

"I just came here to learn magic. Just like you." Sai continued before giving his 'senpai' a 'suspicious' look. "You _did _come here just to learn magic…right?"

The spy scoffed condescendingly. "_Of course_, I did, you plebian! Why else would I be here? _Please._ It's not like I'm here in Magnostadt Academy as a spy for Reim." He laughed nervously. "That would be ridiculous."

'…_He did **not** just blurt that out.'_

This was beginning to get painful. Sai decided to cut the whole lesson short by shutting his book of notes with a loud 'clap'. The spy flinched at the loud sound and scrambled away as Sai stood up to blow out the lamps. "Whatever. I'll be going to sleep, _s__enpai_. Class starts early tomorrow so don't stay up too long studying, okay?" He said mockingly.

"It's not like the class needs any studying. We're not even learning proper magic." The spy sulked as he blew out his own candle. "It's just stupid physicals."

* * *

Kohaku found that her magic _did _improve as time went by.

Though Instructor Myers was particularly hard on her and Aladdin, Kohaku still had to appreciate the results that the woman's training bore. She was sure that, with a little more practice, she would be able to get back to her original power level. Training might be hard, but Kohaku was sure that she would overcome this obstacle.

'_One more lap, one more push-up, one more –'_

* * *

_One month later…_

* * *

By the end of the first month, Sai was already known as a withdrawn and standoffish sort of person. Since he couldn't risk making 'allies' or 'bonds' within the school unless necessary, Sai had no choice but to make himself as unapproachable as possible. Not that it was too hard. His appearance already drove most people away before he could even open his mouth.

It wasn't as if Sai had chosen an unattractive form. On the contrary, his appearance was attractive…in a rough sort of way. Unlike his favorite form, Sai was more toned and tall. His hair was more untamed but still black and his eyes were sharper but still gray. Even his features were different. He looked more like a masculine Selene in this form, which made his association with his little sister easier to prove.

But then there was a flaw that all his other forms did not have. Even his most atrocious forms were free of this quality because Sai hated it so.

A scar.

Instead of gunmetal gray, Sai's left eye was filmed over with a white sheen. It was obvious that he couldn't see through that eye. The scar that ran down from his temple to his cheek was no pretty sight, either. It was puckered and pink and frightening to see.

Yet, it was cut in a straight, perfect line with a surgeon's precision.

"How ugly." Sai heard a girl whisper to her friend.

Sai agreed.

How ugly.

* * *

"Those who survived the training are just six students!"

Kohaku and Aladdin shared triumphant smiles at their professor's proclamation. It had taken almost all the blood and sweat in her body, but Kohaku had somehow managed to pull through the whole training regimen.

'_I did it, Shion! I managed to stay until the end!'_

"I have to praise you. Especially the two midgets! I didn't think either of you would last until the end!"

Kohaku didn't think that she would last this long either. But she was fitter and physically stronger than she ever was before and she was ready to cast spells!

"Well then, finally to the magic lessons we go!"

From one moment to the next, Kohaku was taken from a world of Spartan body training to a world of magic. Her multi-colored eyes bounced from object to object in the room, soaking everything in. Her other fellow survivors shared her wonder.

Myers was quick on snapping them out of their reverie by calling them all over in her own way. Much to Kohaku's confusion, the woman held up a small bust of a pretty female. While the bust looked nice, she didn't know what she was supposed to do.

"Touch this."

Kohaku should've known that it would do something painful. Since he was the bravest of the group, Aladdin went first. Poor Aladdin was singed to his hair by the time the statue was done with him.

Everyone else gave the statue a try, getting abused by natural elements like lightning and water. Only Sai Lin, the only other citizen of Kou in Kohaku's class, was fortunate enough to escape with only a gust of wind to her face.

And then came Kohaku.

Though weary of the magical tool, Kohaku was also curious about her magic type. She placed her small hands onto the statue and braced herself.

_Whack!_

All the other students winced in sympathy as Kohaku was hit in the face by an onslaught of plants and vines. The Kou Princess had to stumble away to avoid being hit by even more of the plants that was pouring out of the statue's mouth.

Many were immediately at her side, helping her free from the plants. Aladdin did his best to pluck as many leaves from her hair as he could.

Instructor Myers, on the other hand, made no move to help her. She stared at the young girl intensely and called out her magic type.

"Eighth Type, Purple Magician."

Kohaku's eyes widened.

'_Life magic.'_

* * *

Sai was finally reunited with his little sister a little after the first month.

Selene recognized him instantly despite his different form. How could she not? Sai was her brother.

Both siblings were content with telling each other about their learning experience.

"No one is giving you any trouble, are they?" Sai asked quietly, sending chilling looks at anyone who tried to listen into their conversation. The eavesdroppers were easily scared away by Sai's overall appearance. "Big brother can take care of them easy. Just say the word."

"_That's not necessary. Everyone is kind to me. Even though I am handicapped, the teachers here are patient and helpful."_ Selene signed. _"For some reason, my classmates are under the impression that I am from a noble family in Reim."_

Sai laughed.

"That's because it's true, you silly girl!" He informed her, relishing the pleasant surprise that washed over her features. Ah, how he enjoyed her reactions to his surprise gifts. She was always so adorable. "I told my grandfather about you and he was more than thrilled to add you into the family. You are now Selene Shambal of the Yambala Gladiators. Wear the name with pride from now on, little sister, because you _deserve _to be treated like a noble."

But it seemed that Sai hadn't been the only one who had a surprise.

"…What?"

"_Amani is pregnant."_ Selene signed again. _"We discovered this right after she returned from Zagan's dungeon. Fortunately, the child and Amani are healthy. She is currently in Balbadd with her husband."_

"…"

Selene looked at her brother's face with confusion. He looked upset. _"Sai? What's wrong? Aren't you happy for her?"_

Sai shook out of his daze and smiled. "Of course, of course. I was just surprised. It's just that it's rare for us Blessed Children to have offspring of our own, let alone settle with a spouse." He looked down at his staff. "It seems that I might have to leave Magnostadt Academy for the time being."

Selene looked alarmed. _"Leave?! Why would you do that? What about learning magic?"_

"Not permanently. I'll just transfer to a different term. Catching up won't be too hard." Sai soothed his sister. "Bee-chan might need me. She might need _all _of us there to support her. Remember, this is the first time in, well, _ever _that a Blessed Child is pregnant. There might be some complications."

Selene had a feeling that Sai wasn't telling her everything, but didn't prod him for the truth. If her brother thought that keeping information to himself was for the better, then she would trust him.

"_At least stay until your first Iktiyar."_ She pleaded.

"If that's what you wish."

* * *

_To my most generous benefactor:_

_Your wayward Magnostadt student you sent me to babysit is alive and well. Unfortunately, he was upset with the school curriculum and dropped out of his class on his own. It was too difficult for him, I'm afraid._

_Your student was less than satisfactory in talent. He couldn't even recognize me as his overseer this whole time even though I made it obvious. It was quite mean of him._

_Next time, send someone more talented or I won't even bother to watch over him. The last one was a complete waste of time and effort._

_~ S. Shambal_

_P.S. I'm planning on taking a few months off of being a student in Magnostadt Academy after the first "Iktiyar" for personal reasons. This decision is not arguable. Just thought you would want to know._

* * *

_Two months later…_

* * *

Yasmine calmly stood next to Kouha as he spoke to Matal Mogamett with a straight face. She kept her face politely pointed toward the window and away from the leader of Magnostadt to show that she had no intention of harming him. She didn't want to ruin this for Kouha, after all. It had taken two whole months for her friend to gain entrance to the magical country and meet with this man.

Chancellor Mogmamett was not what she expected. He was a bit prejudiced towards the non-magical, yes, but he also had a gentle, grandfatherly air to him. He was at least polite to Kouha.

Well, as polite as one could be when their home country was being threatened.

Yasmine stood a bit straighter when JunJun came over to whisper in Kouha's ear. A magician did the same with the Chancellor.

"What?!" Kouha exclaimed in alarm.

Yasmine bit her lip and leaned in closer to her friend. "What is it, Kouha? What happened?"

"The Emperor is dead."

Ah. So it happened. Kouha's father was dead.

Yasmine winced sympathetically. Though the man had been unpleasant to meet with, he had still been Kouha's father.

Chancellor Mogamett, on the other hand, was not as sympathetic.

"Prince…we are in a dire situation now. This should no longer be a time for negotiations, yes? Return to your country as soon as possible please."

Seeing that they were no longer welcomed, Yasmine made her way to leave while Kouha added in his last threat. "The Kou Empire will invade Magnostadt soon. Before that happens…choose between submission or destruction. See you then."

The pure rage on the old man's face was the last thing she saw before the door swung shut.

"Man! What big news! I need to tell En-nii and Mei about this!" Much to Yasmine's surprise, Kouha didn't seem upset about his father's passing at all. His steps still held the same bounce in them as they did before and his expression was happy. "Or maybe they already know?"

"…Does that mean we're going to Balbadd to meet your brothers?"

Kouha nodded. "Yeah. It'll take a while for everyone to properly set up the funeral ceremony, so stopping by Balbadd won't be too much of a problem. Amani's over there, right? I'm sure that you're dying to see her and the baby."

Yasmine nodded with a small smile.

"Of course I'm excited. I can't wait to see her."

* * *

"Kougyoku, Hakuei-sama, you father has passed from this world."

Tao looked unsure of what to feel as he delivered the news. Hakuei seemed properly upset by the news of her stepfather's passing, but Kougyoku appeared indifferent and unsurprised.

The Blessed Child sighed. "How did you come by this information, Tao? I saw no messenger."

Tao held up a letter. "A little bird delivered this to me. It seems that one of your friends came to discover this news. My condolences in your father's passing."

Kougyoku nodded and stood up. "Thank you, Tao."

"Kougyoku?! Where are you going?" Hakuei asked as the Blessed Child made her way for the tent's exit.

Kougyoku paused for a moment to look back at her sister. "I'm packing, of course. I need to get to Balbadd well before the funeral. Kouen will need my support as a Blessed Child. You understand, right?"

Hakuei nodded slowly. "Yes."

"Don't worry. I'll leave Tao with you so you won't have to travel alone." Kougyoku said with a knowing smile. "Oh, and don't do anything _too _bold, you two. I know that you two already agreed on going slow on your relationship, but you can't be too careful. We don't need a scandal on top of the funeral."

Hakuei and Tao's faces flushed simultaneously.

"Kougyoku!"

"O-O-Of course I won't do such a thing to Hakuei-sama!"

Kougyoku laughed.

* * *

"Mou, coming over to Balbadd took longer than I thought."

Sai, back to his favorite form, stepped off the boat and admired the view of Balbadd. He had to say that Kou knew how to work fast. He could hardly recognize the place even though he was there just a year ago.

Back in Magnostadt, Sai had passed the Iktiyar with flying colors. Jumping up to First Kodor had been a breeze. Having himself transferred was a bit hard, but the teachers understood his situation when he mentioned that he had to help a close family member with her pregnancy.

As expected, Aladdin was able to jump up from Sixth Kodor to First in one go. Really, that kid was scary. Kohaku, on the other hand, only managed to rise to Fourth Kodor.

Selene had also managed to rise up another level.

'_Second Kodor.'_ Sai recalled with pride. _'Almost first!'_

Magnostadt Academy was more interesting that Sai had initially thought. He couldn't wait to return to the school and learn more about magic.

'_But first,'_ He thought as he turned toward what used to be Balbadd Palace,_ 'I need to get to Bee-chan.'_

* * *

"Amani-dono!"

Amani looked up from her reading at the call and smiled in greeting. Through the months, her belly had grown bigger and heavier. Amani found that moving about and getting up was becoming more and more difficult, which frustrated her at times. Fortunately, Chuu'un was always there to support her whenever Hakuryuu wasn't around. She had grown closer to her husband's household member of late because of his constant aid. Kouen had also sent his own household members to check on her from time to time. Kin Gaku had been her least favorite visitor.

But above everyone, it was Hakuryuu who did his best to make sure she was comfortable. Amani thought his passion to keep the promise he made to Alibaba was endearing and admirable. Koumei hadn't been as amused.

"Hakuryuu." She said warmly. Beside the scarred prince, a black dragon chirped in greeting. "And Tiare! Are you back from your flight training already? I thought you two went out only an hour ago."

"A messenger interrupted us. He told us some news. It was...very troubling news. I was supposed to relay the message to Kouen, but I wanted to come and tell you first so you wouldn't be too surprised." Hakuryuu explained hurriedly as Tiare shifted back to her human form. She held a scroll in her hands.

Amani's sharp eyes caught sight of the Imperial Seal at the front. _'So it must be important enough for the Emperor to send the letter himself.'_

Hakuryuu was shaking, which troubled her. Was the news really that bad?

"What is it, Hakuryuu?" Amani asked quietly.

"The Emperor," Hakuryuu swallowed, "is dead."

"...Dead?"

'_Already_?_ So soon?'_

Worry filled Amani. "Does this mean that I would have to go to Kou for the funeral?" _'Does this mean my child will be born in Kou after all?'_

Hakuryuu nodded apologetically, misinterpreting her reaction as fear of Al Thamen. "Yes. But they will have take time to properly prepare the body and successfully spread the news to every royal member of the family, so the actual date will be in another month, give or take. I know that Kou Palace is currently unsafe for you and your child, but I will make sure that you will be protected at all times." His eyes narrowed. "Especially from the _witch_."

"Thank you, Hakuryuu."

Amani's hand rested on her belly where her child rested. _'Hurry,'_ she mentally begged_, 'For your safety and your mother, please hurry.'_

Amani felt the baby kick.


	39. Chapter 38: Can I-?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The baby is finally going to be born. Of course, there are some concerns.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Onwards

_Amani knew she was dreaming when she saw the familiar white and brown of the slums. A wave of nostalgia hit her as she was once again hit with the familiar sights and smells of her old home, untouched by Kou influence. A pang of regret hit Amani when she knew very well that all of this before her was long gone. At least here, she was able to see Balbadd whole and itself again._

"_It's been a while since I dreamt about this place."_

_Amani peered around the area and frowned. The place lacked its usual, lively air. _'There's no one here.'_ She realized as she wandered through shop to shop. The smell of fish and spices were still as strong as ever, but the conversation and laughter was no longer heard._

_It was like a ghost town._

"_Kassim?" Amani called as she drew nearer to Junkyard Street. To her disappointment, she couldn't find a hide or hair of her deceased childhood friend. Even their old home was devoid of life._

_Suddenly, Amani heard something rustle to her left. When she turned, a small shadow darted from its hiding place and made its way through the alleyways where the slum inhabitants would run into and hide when they were chased by the authorities or by their own._

'Follow it.'_ Her instinct sang as it encouraged her feet to follow after the other life form. _'Catch it.'

_Finding that she had nothing else to do aside from that, Amani followed the shadow. Her bare feet dug into the ground and sent dust flying about as she tried to catch up to the figure._

_Eventually, Amani managed to reach and grab hold of the person._

"_Wait! Who are you? Tell me who you are!"_

_For a brief moment, light hit the person's head, revealing red. Amani blinked in shock, giving the small figure the chance to wiggle out of her grip. Giggles filled the air as the small figure, now undoubtedly a child, danced away from Amani. Then, a pair of arms intercepted the child and swooped it up._

"_Hey now, don't trouble her too much."_

_Amani's breath caught at the voice. "Kassim?"_

_Kassim smiled at her in greeting before setting down the red-haired child. The child's back was facing her, obscuring the view of their face from her. Kassim gave the child a chastising look. "She's too tired to play with you right now. Maybe later."_

_Kassim turned the child toward Amani._

"_Now, go back to your mother."_

_Then, the unbelievable happened._

_Before Amani could catch sight of the their face, the child's form suddenly shifted into a large, red dragon. The creature was unlike Tiare's dragon form, resembling more of its Eastern counterpart that Kou loved to decorate on the Emperor's robes._

_Then, the dragon rushed towards her and slammed into her abdomen with a great burst of light and disappeared._

_Shocked, she looked back up to Kassim, who was watching her with a fond smile._

"_Soon." He assured her as he walked over to her. "But not yet, Ghost."_

"_Kassim." Amani breathed. "Was that-?"_

_Kassim smiled mischievously. "Maybe." He teased. "But you'll have to find that out for yourself later when you wake up." His smile dimmed a bit when he realized what he said. "Ghost, this is the last time I'll be seeing you like this. We really don't have much time, but I want to ask you something before I go."_

_Dread washed over the Blessed Child at the finality in her friend's words._

"_Kassim." She whispered, feeling like he was dying all over again. "Please. Please don't-_

"_I need to." Kassim looked apologetic. "I'd do this forever if I could, but I can't visit you like this every time. You need a life to get back to. And I…" He struggled a bit before forcing out, "…and I need to move on. I'll always be with you. I promise. Just not like this."_

_Amani opened her mouth to argue, but the slums around her began to blur and flicker. Kassim began to panic as his own form began flickering too. "Shit! We're almost out of time. Not yet. I still have something to ask her before I forget. Not yet!"_

"_Kassim, what are you talking about?" Amani asked as she stepped toward him. "Are you leaving already?"_

_(Don't go. Please don't go. Not again.)_

_Kassim desperately turned to her and placed his hand over her abdomen as the whole world fell apart around them. "Ghost, can I-?"_

* * *

Amani awoke in sweat.

Beside her, Koumei turned from his scrolls to his distressed wife. He rubbed comforting circles around her back as he looked her over in concern. When he was convinced that she was physically fine, he murmured, "Was it a bad dream?"

"I was just feeling restless, _Anata_." Amani assured Koumei as she calmed her breaths. "It was nothing. I hardly remember the dream." She lied as she slowly sat up, minding the large bump on her belly. "You're working again?"

Koumei smiled sheepishly. "Yes. I couldn't sleep, so I decided to do some work to save time."

"Liar." Amani sighed as she plucked two scrolls from her husband's hand. "You're always tired. They overworked you again, didn't they? And yet you still came back to bed for me instead of staying in the library."

"My time with you is limited." Koumei replied simply, not denying Amani's accusation. "It…frustrates me that I can't spend as much time with you and our child."

Amani's eyes softened at Koumei's confession. Familiar warmth spread through her chest, as it always had done lately whenever her husband did something thoughtful for her.

Amani still didn't have a name for this emotion.

'_Later,'_ the Phoebe part of her said dismissively while trying to file the emotion into the back of her mind. _'We have other things to worry about. Feelings should be our last priority.'_

Another part of Amani fought against that instinct. This part of Amani felt that this emotion was_ important _to her somehow. And Koumei too.

Amani just hoped that she would find out soon so she could finally find peace with her turbulent thoughts.

"Here, I'll help." Amani deftly picked up one of the lighter-looking scrolls and snatched a spare brush from Koumei's side. "I can work on the smaller things while you can worry about the bigger things."

"Are you sure?" Koumei fussed. "It might be a bit difficult – "

"Fatima would frequently make me help my father with his paperwork as 'training'." Amani interrupted her husband wryly, very well aware that he was underestimating her abilities. "I think that this should be child's play compared to what she put me through."

Koumei accepted that and passed her the rest of the unimportant scrolls. He watched his wife carefully as she easily breezed her way through the paperwork. Amani did not hide her satisfaction when she saw the pure surprise that flashed across Koumei's face as he re-read her work to ensure that she didn't make any mistakes.

"How did you do this so quickly?" He marveled as he looked over the scrolls with bewilderment consuming his expression. Amani personally thought that it looked adorable.

"These issues are better solved with a clear mind." She explained with a laugh. "I've been bored out of my mind for the last few months, so working on these documents is a relief to me. There are only so many scrolls in the library to kill all the time I have within my rooms, Koumei."

Koumei frowned in concern. "Are you really that bored, Amani?"

"Should you really ask that? I haven't set foot on the training grounds in such a long time." Amani stated wistfully. "Hakuryuu will always insist that I stay in the libraries if I ever try to accompany him and Tiare. Recently, even the kitchen staff won't let me help cook our meals. They always catch me whenever I'm close to the kitchen." It was very troubling, actually. Amani found that her misdirection abilities weren't working as well as they should of late. Sometimes, she would even flicker in and out of sight without meaning to.

It was like when she first came to Kou all over again.

"I do miss your cooking." Koumei sighed regretfully. "But it's too risky to let you go to the kitchen when you're this pregnant. What if someone trips and spills boiling water on you? Or maybe a stray knife might cut you by accident. Or maybe you'll go into labor. Or maybe –

" – Or maybe everything will be fine and you're overthinking things?" Amani suggested with a teasing smile. "I understand, _Anata_. This is all for my safety and our child's. I can wait a little more with my scrolls. Our child will come, sooner or later. I feel it." Amani said with certainty coloring her tone. In reality, she wasn't certain at all. For all she knew, she could go into labor in the next second or maybe the next month if she was unlucky. By then, she was sure that they would all be in Kou.

'_The child __**must **__come soon before we leave for Kou. I need to be at my greatest strength when I face Gyokuen and Al Thamen.'_

Oblivious to Amani's inner turmoil, Koumei leaned over and rested his hand on Amani's clothed bump and gave it a kiss. "Come out soon." He murmured softly. "Your mother and I can't wait to meet you."

Amani felt the child give a kick in response.

'_Come out soon, child. Please, come out soon.'_

* * *

Sai was the one who reached Balbadd Palace first.

Amani was surprised. She had heard of Sai's decision to attend to Magnostadt Academy and had assumed that his schedule would be too busy for him to drop by for a visit.

Nonetheless, she was happy to see him there.

"Mou~ you look well, Bee-chan. I heard the news. Congratulations." Sai greeted Amani. In his arms was a bouquet of flowers, undoubtedly handpicked by the shape-shifter. Amani accepted the thoughtful gift with a bright smile.

"Thank you, Sai. It's been a while. How was your trip to Reim? I'm sure that your grandfather was happy to see you again."

Sai shrugged. "Meh. Gramps was a bit angry that I didn't visit, but it's all good now. I even got to meet little Hel's future step-daddy!" He gushed with fake enthusiasm. "He was _such _a loyal lapdog for the priestess. I was even tempted to throw him a bone for his good work."

"Not your sort of 'King' then." Amani stated dryly while handing the flowers over to a maid. She blinked when two different-colored onesies were shoved into her face. "What are these?"

"Gifts for the baby." Sai said proudly as he wiggled the red and blue pieces of clothing in front of the blonde. "Selene took up a side-hobby in sewing and decided to make something special for Junior. How is he, by the way?"

Amani took the clothes from her friend before looking at her belly fondly. "The child is fine. The baby is already kicking."

"He'll be coming soon, then." Sai noted as he folded the onesies away.

Amani raised a brow at her friend's word choice. "He? How do you know that the baby wouldn't be a she?"

"Gut feeling." Sai drawled casually. "I'm pretty good at guessing a baby's gender before they're born."

The blonde smiled, amused. "Koumei said that too and he's convinced that we're going to have a daughter."

"Psh, he's an amateur. Trust me, the baby's going to be a boy, Bee-chan."

Before Amani could give a reply, she was interrupted by the sounds of hurried footsteps. She turned to see Koumei and Kouen. She completely ignored the entourage of ministers and generals that trailed behind them. "Oh, _Anata_, Kouen! Look who's here to visit!"

Sai waved at the two princes with a smug smirk. "Yo."

"How imprudent!" One of the ministers hissed, looking completely traumatized by Sai's casualness. "He should be on his knees! Prince Kouen deserves all the respect!"

Kouen didn't seem to mind Sai's rude greeting. On the contrary, he looked _thrilled _to see Sai there. "Will the others be coming?"

Sai sighed dramatically. "Straight to the point, I see. Let me guess. You're taking this as an opportunity for all of us to test you?"

Much to Amani's surprise, the look that flashed across Kouen's face informed her that it actually _wasn't _his intention. Sai seemed to have caught it too, judging by the small narrowing of his eyes.

"…Mou, you're a strange one, aren't you?" Sai murmured thoughtfully as he gave the First Prince a good once-over. "No wonder Bee-chan and Kou-chan seem to have a high opinion of you. I'll be keeping a close eye on you during my stay."

Koumei appeared pleased with the development between Sai and his older brother…and a bit concerned. He'd heard the stories about this Sai from both Amani and Kouha. Though their opinions of him were moderately good, Koumei had also heard little mentions of the Blessed Child's mean streak that rivalled Judal's. Koumei shuddered at the thought of having _another _menace replacing their wayward magi. He had been more than happy to welcome the sweet peace that settled in his office after Judal's abrupt disappearance from Kou. Kougyoku had assured him in her letters that Judal was only sulking, so Koumei wasn't _too _worried about the magi's wellbeing.

As if reading Koumei's mind, Amani sent a warning look at Sai's way. "Behave, Sai. You're the guest here. Mind your manners."

Koumei all but sighed in relief when he saw the dark-haired prankster nod.

"If it makes Bee-chan comfortable, I'll behave."

Kouen, on the other hand, was annoyed that he was being ignored. "You still didn't answer my question."

"Oh, about the others? They're coming." Sai confirmed. "We need to throw a proper baby shower before the kid comes, you know."

* * *

Kouha was happy to see Amani when his caravan dropped by Balbadd. He had wasted no time in revealing the countless toys that he'd bought for his future nephew or niece.

Yasmine, on the other hand, was far more practical with her approach to her gifts. She brought over some diapers and Jamal-made baby bottles. Again, they were all handed over to the maids to take care of.

"Your belly's so big!" Kouha marvelled as he touched Amani's belly, completely unhesitant. "You look like Seishin when she was on her last stages with Kohaku. Does that mean the baby's coming soon?"

"I hope so." Amani confessed. "I really don't want to make the trip to Kou when I'm this close."

Kouha nodded solemnly. "I'll talk to En-nii and Mei about that. They'll think of something safe."

Yasmine kept her distance from the two, preferring to lean on a large pillar and speak with Sai in low tones. When someone – specifically super nosey maids – would try to listen in on their conversation, Yasmine would pin them down with a warning glare that could be _felt _even with her bandages.

Their conversation was cut short when Amani came over to Yasmine. Amani hugged her friend tightly. "I missed you. I'm happy that you came."

"I wouldn't have missed this for the world." Yasmine swore with a smile.

"Kouha told me about what happened in Sasan. I'll be sure to inform Shion to keep his father away from our affairs. Next time, tell me when something like this happens, okay? You don't need to go that far for something as small as this."

Yasmine shook her head. "It wasn't small, Amani. And it was something that I needed to do. How are you anyways?" She asked. Her voice took a more tender tone when she tilted her head towards Amani's baby bump. "Alibaba told me the news in Akita Kingdom. I'm sorry that I couldn't come sooner. We were dropping Kohaku off at Magnostadt."

Sai slung his arms around both Amani and Yasmine's shoulders. "Well! We only have Kou-chan to go before we're all back together again, eh? Well…_almost _all together."

Because of his connections with Sindria, Shion wouldn't be there for the birth.

It felt strange that Shion wouldn't be there. He always seemed to be there with Amani during the biggest moments in this life. Amani had been half-convinced that Shion would somehow make it to Balbadd despite the political details. She was disappointed when she heard that wasn't going to be the case.

Amani tried to smile. "It can't be helped."

(Alibaba wouldn't be able to come either.)

Yasmine was quick to smack Sai over the head.

"Shut up, Sai."

* * *

"En-nii."

It was rare for Kougyoku to actively seek Kouen out, yet that was what she did the moment her feet hit Balbadd soil.

"Kougyoku." Though Kouen's expression remained impassive, Kougyoku could see a transparent tiger behind him tilt its head in confusion at her presence. Around the massive feline's legs were jeweled bands that made it appear all the more majestic. "Why aren't you with your fellow Blessed Children?"

Kougyoku smiled wryly. "So you know about that, huh? Bet dear old dad was the one to reveal the news."

"It was Gyokuen. The Emperor had no intention of revealing your identity until your return." Kouen corrected his sister.

Kougyoku scoffed. _"Of course._ That fox would do something like that, wouldn't she? Let me guess. She _accidentally _came across the information and told everyone when she _discovered _the identity of her successor. Right?"

"Close." Kouen confessed. "Gyokuen decided to take it into her own hands when the Blessed Child of Sasan – Yasmine, was it? – dropped by to visit. She went through the Emperor's scrolls to find your teacher's will."

Kougyoku bristled at Gyokuen's blatant breach of her privacy. "That woman had no _right _to touch Ping's will. That document was for my eyes and my eyes only! How is she even alive after doing something like that? She went through the _Emperor's _documents for Solomon's sake!"

"Why didn't you tell us?" Kouen asked, interrupting his younger sister's rant. "All of this could have been avoided. We could have protected you more properly if we knew."

Kougyoku paused in mid-rant to stare at her brother blankly.

"Protect me?"

"Yes." Kouen said firmly. "We're family. No matter what, I would've been at your defence. Kougyoku, why don't you trust me? Is there something that you see in me that scares you?"

Kougyoku bit her lip thoughtfully before slowly giving him her answer.

"You're right. I didn't trust you." She confessed. "I never trusted anyone in the palace. Everyone always had a hidden intention even if their actions were kind and good. I always had to trust what I see with my eyes. That was the first thing that Ping taught me."

"And? What do you see when you look at me?"

"A tiger." Kougyoku said bluntly, surprising Kouen. "You…whenever I look behind you, there is a tiger."

Her older brother nodded slowly. "And that's a bad thing?"

"No, it's actually good. Really good. It tells me that you have a strong will and a courageous heart. Honestly, you are an ideal king for me as a Blessed Child to follow." Kougyoku was quick to assure her brother. The tiger behind Kouen growled in frustration at the mixed messages he was receiving, making her wince. She really wasn't being that clear, was she?

Much to Kougyoku's surprise, the tiger's growls ceased upon her reaction. Instead, it wore a wounded look that was mirrored on her older brother's face.

Against Kougyoku's will, Kouen's thoughts tumbled into her mind. The emotions behind them were too strong for her to block out.

"_Look at her. Whatever she's seeing right now __**scares **__her. __**You're **__scaring her." _She heard Kouen think to himself. The heavy scent of guilt poured out of her brother as he mentally chastised himself. _"So it was my fault that she couldn't trust me."_

"_Am I really that much of a monster in her eyes?"_

"Do I scare you? Is that it?"

Pure guilt crashed into Kougyoku when she realized that she had been completely unfair with her brother.

"No! Brother, that's not it at all! You're perfect and wonderful and everything a little sister could ever ask for of a brother! Kouha thinks the world of you and Koumei would die for you and I can see why. I just…it's just…I…you…_you're not my king!_" She blurted out miserably because it was the cold, hard truth and the closest to the truth she could get on this matter without spilling the fact that she was a reincarnated being from a completely different dimension, who viewed this world through a Japanese comic book.

Kougyoku had been scared of facing her brother on this matter. She knew that she would be expected to stand by her brother's side upon the revelation of her being a Blessed Child.

But he wasn't her King.

Shion was.

So…she'd tried to delay the inevitable and kept the information from her family.

"You're not my king." Kougyoku repeated brokenly.

Kouen was silent. His thoughts went silent too. Kougyoku kept her eyes drilled onto the floor as her eyes began to well up. She didn't dare look up in fear of what she would see.

(Because even if Kouen lied to her, Kougyoku would be able to see the whole truth. She would be able to sense his anger, disappointment, and resentment if he felt it.)

"I'm sorry. I'm so, so _sorry_, En-nii." Kougyoku whimpered as tears flowed down her face. "I can't control how I choose my king. None of us can. I really, really wanted you as my king. I did. I _swear_." Once upon a time before Shion came waltzing into her life, Kougyoku truly did view her brother as the perfect candidate. Yet, she couldn't seem to _accept _him in that role. It confused and frustrated her to no end. Then, Shion came and everything made sense.

Kouen was never supposed to be her king to begin with.

"Please don't hate me." She finally begged quietly when the silence became unbearable.

After Kougyoku said this, she suddenly found herself in her brother's arms. Kouen held her tightly. Kougyoku went still in shock at the unexpected contact.

"Kougyoku, I would _never_ hate you over such a stupid reason. We are family. Me being your chosen king or not has nothing to do with it."

Kougyoku sniffled.

"R-Really? But –

"Kougyoku, I am not ignorant." Kouen cut her off firmly as he drew away from his sister. "I already knew that you not choosing me was a possibility. I am not pretentious enough to assume that every Blessed Child will choose me as their King. Only the 'true king' who will succeed the Great King Solomon will be able to achieve that. And no," Kouen gave Kougyoku a look when she opened her mouth, "I don't think that I'm that person."

Kougyoku tilted her head in confusion. He was telling the truth. The tiger behind him gave no indication that he was lying, but that was the tricky thing about animal forms. Sometimes, it was _perception _that bended the simplest of truths. She had made that mistake with Koubun.

She would never make that mistake again.

"But…your dream to unite this whole world…doesn't that require you to be the only ruler of this world? Without all of our support, what's the use of dominating all those countries and stripping them of their identity and individuality?! Thousands of years of pride and history are wiped out because of your cause. Are you saying that all of that was for…nothing?"

Kouen shook his head. "No, not for nothing."

"But…" Kougyoku trailed off when she caught one, tiny detail that changed her worldview once again. It was as if she was standing in front of Sinbad and viewing the imposing tsunami behind him in a different light.

'_Oh, when have I been so close-minded to assume that there was only one way of viewing these visions?'_ She bemoaned to herself. _'I'm being too impulsive with my judgments of other people.'_

She had been wrong about Koubun and Sinbad. It's no surprise that she would be wrong about someone else too.

Kougyoku didn't notice it before, but now she could very well see that the bejewelled bands around the tiger's legs were not stylish accessories as she had first assumed, but shackles.

"You never wanted to become king…did you?" She realized. "That's why, no matter how hard I tried to accept you as my King, it never worked. It wasn't because you weren't suitable. You passed my tests. You just…never wanted that position to begin with."

After a brief pause, Kouen answered.

"Yes."

Kougyoku did her best not to reel back at the confirmation of her revelation. This changed _so many things _that it wasn't even funny. Was this supposed to be how it went? Or was this a result of a bend in the rubber band?

"Even though you don't want to become Emperor, you're going to have to take that position since our father died." Kougyoku reminded him quietly, though she knew that it wasn't going to happen. Gyokuen, with her tricks and influence, was going to claim the throne as her own. "You know that, right?"

"Of course."

Kougyoku looked at Kouen searchingly before nodding.

"I trust you. Whatever choice you decide to take in the funeral, I'll support you as a sister." Kougyoku sighed. "Since you insist on me trusting you, I have a favor. You heard about Judal's disappearance, correct? The Oracle and Priest of Kou is absent."

"Yes."

"I came here to ask you to present me as a temporary Priestess until Judal returns."

It was a dangerous move. Some would even call it stupid.

Kougyoku was essentially positioning herself in the spotlight under Gyokuen and Al Thamen's eyes. She could easily be killed – or worse – _captured _and forcibly _controlled _by her enemies.

But the pros outweighed the cons.

By doing this, Kougyoku was initially getting Al Thamen off Judal's back for the time being. Since she was going to literally present herself to them on a silver platter, they'd be more busy with her than they would be looking for him.

As a priestess, Kougyoku would be able to officially control the political movements of Al Thamen. Under public eye, they wouldn't be able to do _shit _if she said they couldn't. She would also be able to personally pick out the maids who would tend to Amani if she ever went into labor.

Hell, she would be able to help out in the delivery _herself _if it was necessary.

And that wasn't even the best part. Since she was a Blessed Child, her words would hold more weight than a normal priestess or priest ever would. She could even contend against the power of Gyokuen.

(Well, officially. She was well aware that she could do nothing against that witch fighting-wise.)

"Are you sure?"

_For the safety of her precious people?_

"Definitely."

* * *

Hakuryuu stumbled into his room, mind reeling with the information that he had accidentally acquired. Tiare, in her dragon form, perked up from the floor cushions upon her master's entrance. She tilted her head in confusion as her master began to pace back and forth.

What had he just heard? Was Kougyoku really telling the truth?

_No. It can't be. It makes no _ _ **sense.** _

_Kouen not wanting to be Emperor?_

Hakuryuu shook his head. "Impossible." He muttered to himself darkly. "All this time, Kouen's one and only goal was to take the throne. That's why he and his father aided that witch in killing Hakuyuu and Hakuren!"

'_Yes, Kouen is the enemy.' _A dark part of him agreed._ 'He is what you hate. And all things that you hate must be wiped out.'_

'_But isn't it strange?'_ A more rational part of him argued, pushing away the dark thoughts for a moment. _'When Hakuyuu and Hakuren were alive, Kouen was nothing but loyal to them. Don't you remember? He respected them so much that he followed them into battle. The Kouen in our memories would never betray our brothers like that.'_

"Master?"

Hakuryuu snapped out of his thoughts and looked down to Tiare, who had shifted back to her human form to gain his attention. "What is it, Tiare? I'm a bit busy. Can you ask me later?"

"My oldest brother died two years ago." Tiare suddenly stated with a straight face.

Hakuryuu was struck silent by the out-of-the-blue confession. "Ah…I'm sorry to hear that, Tiare. But why so suddenly-?"

"The two men who took you and your companions to Zagan's dungeon were my cousins, not my brothers. My father and their mother are siblings." Tiare explained patiently. "After my father, my brother was supposed to take over as Chief of the Toran Tribe. But since he died and I'm only a girl, Mako will be succeeding my father unless I get another brother."

"Mako?"

Tiare nodded. "He and Manu are twins. Mako is the older one."

Hakuryuu was once again struck by the _similarity _of their situations.

"Do you…hate them for taking your older brother's place?" He asked her hesitantly.

Tiare smiled at her master and shook her head. "We might not talk much, or have many things in common at all, but I do not hate them."

Hakuryuu was a little disappointed at her answer. "Well, they didn't kill your brother to gain the chief position, so it is to be expected."

At his household member's confused look, Hakuryuu explained himself.

"Remember when I told you that Hakuyuu and Hakuren were killed in a fire?"

Tiare nodded seriously. "Yes. Miss Amani said that they were killed by an organization led by your mother."

"The late Emperor Koutoku was involved with Emperor Hakutoku's murder. For his help, he was placed on the throne. It is natural that Kouen had a hand with their murders so he too could take the throne!" Hakuryuu said hatefully. "He's just as guilty for their deaths!"

Tiare tilted her head to the side. "My brother had been out fishing with Mako and Manu when he died. But that did not mean that they murdered him."

"How are you so sure?! Was anyone else with them?"

"No." Tiare confessed. "But I know that Mako and Manu would never do something like that."

"How could you be so sure?"

"Because they loved Tehei more than anything." Tiare said with a sad smile. "They never wanted to be Chief. The position had too much responsibility. They were content with just following him. But now, Mako has no choice but to claim that responsibility since my big brother is dead. That's the best he could do to honor Tehei's death."

Hakuryuu jerked back as if struck.

"Master? Can't you just talk to Prince Kouen?" Tiare asked.

"_It's not that easy."_ Hakuryuu wanted to insist. _"You don't know how long I've hated this man. For me to talk to him is…"_

But in the end, he knew that it was only his pride that prevented him from properly confronting Kouen and hearing his side of the story.

"I think Miss Amani would want you and Prince Kouen to be family again." Tiare quietly said. "In my culture, anger within family is bad luck for the baby."

At the mention of Amani, Hakuryuu's features softened and his shoulders sagged.

"…Yes, you're right about that part, Tiare. I shouldn't be so prideful at such a stressful time for Amani-dono. Instead of focusing on past enemies, I should start focusing on forming alliances within the family so she and her child will be protected when we reach Kou." Hakuryuu rubbed his face and sent his household member a weak smile. "You're so wise for someone so young, Tiare. When did you become so articulate in the common tongue?"

Tiare smiled proudly.

"When I had time, I practiced. I'm glad that you are happy with the results."

* * *

"So, now that we're all together and alone, I want to say some things to everyone."

Sai was not smiling. No…he wasn't even trying to _pretend _that he was smiling. That alone set the other Blessed Children on edge about the news that their shape-shifter was going to deliver to them.

"Just say it quickly and have it done and over with." Yasmine growled. "This is supposed to be a happy occasion for Amani. Giving her more stress isn't going to help anything."

"I'll say it quickly alright." Sai shot back with an uncharacteristic scowl adorning his face. He turned to Amani with a disappointed look. "Bee-chan, I thought better of you. First Kassim and now _this_?"

Both Yasmine and Kougyoku looked ready to rip Sai's head off. Amani stopped them without taking her eyes off of him. "Explain." She ordered calmly.

Sai chuckled ruefully. "Bee-chan, do you even know what you having a baby means?"

"If you're saying that my child is a hindrance to the plans –

"It's not even that!" Sai exclaimed loudly, suddenly very, very angry. "If it was just that, we could've made plans to fix the issue all up. No biggie. That's how normal people would take on the situation if there were an unexpected pregnancy. But oh nooo, what is _this?!_ You're a Blessed Child! You're not normal. We're _not normal. _Blessed Children _don't _settle down and have babies for a reason, Bee-chan." He stopped to take a deep, calming breath. "Have you ever considered the possibility that the baby you're carrying just might be – oh, I don't know – **our successor**?"

Amani sucked in a sharp breath while the other two sent stricken looks at the baby bump.

"So _now _you all get it." Sai drawled sarcastically. "This isn't some happy little family gathering that brought us all here, guys. We might be witnessing the birth of our successor. It could be _any of us _who could be leaving Balbadd with a student."

"But it might not be the case…right?" Kougyoku asked weakly. "It's never happened before, so –

"But it could be." Yasmine said quietly, touching her blindfold self-consciously.

Amani clutched at her stomach with a quiet desperation. "No," she croaked out, tears gathering in her eyes, "my baby can't be a – _no_. I won't believe it. If I do, what other possibilities should I worry about on top of _that? _What if this baby turns out to be just like us?" _What if this child has memories just like us? What if - ?_ "If I consider it, I'll drive myself mad with worry."

Sai's grey eyes lingered on Amani's shaking form for a moment before he sighed and looked away. "I'm sorry, Bee-chan. You know that your happiness means everything to me. I didn't want to tell you something like _this _just after we all finally reunited with each other."

"No, you were just doing what any good friend would do." Amani murmured.

Sai smiled sardonically. "And what is that, I wonder? Ruining your happiness and comfort? Bringing bad news of doom?"

"Telling the truth."

The irony wasn't lost on any of them.

* * *

Amani wandered through the halls, mind spinning with the possibilities that Sai had put into her head.

It wasn't that Amani thought that her trickster friend was doing this for shits and giggles. She knew very well that he was serious about this subject. He was completely legitimate and logical about this.

Which was why she was so worried.

What if that really _was _the case? What if her child turned out to be her successor, or worse, one of the others? Their lifespan and abilities would become alarmingly limited, which was a bad scenario with the upcoming war.

It was possible that they wouldn't be able to save this world because of her.

But did she regret it?

Amani's steps slowed as her hand lifted up to rest on her baby bump.

'_No.'_ She thought confidently without missing a beat. _'Even if I knew about the consequences, I would still have my child.'_

It was a selfish thought, but it was true.

Amani thought of Anise. She thought of how her mother had sacrificed everything, her position in the palace, her comfort, and her body, just so she and Alibaba would have a shot at life.

It wasn't until now that Amani understood why her mother went through men by men every day so they could have enough food to eat. She now understood why her mother had been so desperate to keep her sickness a secret from Alibaba.

Her mother had loved them. She had loved them from the moment she discovered their existence until she drew her last breath.

"Even if you turn out to be my successor, even if you have memories of another life, I will always love you." She promised. "I will protect you until every breath and every drop of magoi in my body is used up. The others will too, since that's the kind of people they are. They'll love you. Even Sai."

The child kicked at her lightly and squirmed.

Amani laughed softly. "I know, I know. It's a bit boring in there, isn't it? My, you're going to be quite the handful when you come out. Don't worry. Your mother is fit and fast, so you'll be able to play lots of games with her when you learn how to walk. But do try not to tire out your father. He's tired enough already with those nobles and ministers haggling him."

The child kicked again, harder this time.

"Amani-dono? What are you doing out of your room at this hour?"

Upon seeing her, Hakuryuu rushed over to Amani with concern written all over his face. There was a bit of stress mixed in there too.

"I should get you back inside your room. What were you thinking when you decided to wander out in the hallways alone? You should have at least asked someone to accompany you. And your clothes hardly look as if they could keep you warm at this hour. You know how chilly it gets at night, Amani-dono!" He scolded her as he began leading her back into her room.

Amani chuckled. "I'm sorry for worrying you. I was feeling restless, so I thought that a quick, little walk would calm my nerves."

Hakuryuu huffed. "Still, that is no excuse, Amani-dono. Please, be more careful next time."

Amani couldn't help but smile at her brother-in-law's concern. It was adorable. And sweet.

"You would make a wonderful mother, Hakuryuu."

Hakuryuu almost tripped over his feet at her words.

"A-A-Amani-dono?!" He all but shrieked.

"What?" Amani tilted her head teasingly. "It true, you know. Though, I suppose you would be a good parent in general with your constant worrying and talent in cooking. Any woman would be fortunate to have you."

Hakuryuu's eyes became shadowed as he muttered something under his breath.

"What was that?"

"…I said that I doubted it. The woman I really like…she doesn't view me in that light. It would be selfish of me to impose my feelings on her."

Amani's mood became sympathetic. That's right. Hakuryuu was fond of Morgiana, wasn't he?

"Oh Hakuryuu, I'm sure that you'll find another – oh."

Amani's spine went ramrod straight when she heard a small 'popping' sound. Water began to trickle down her legs.

Hakuryuu seemed to notice this too, judging by the widening of his eyes. "What's happening?" He asked her fearfully.

"My water broke." Amani answered almost dazedly.

"Wh-What does that mean?" Hakuryuu asked her, panic written all over his face. "Is it a bad thing? Does this mean the baby's hurt? Should I get the doctor? _What should I do?!_"

"Hakuryuu, calm down. This just means that the baby will be coming soon. It's a bit uncommon for the water to break before the labor, but it's not bad." Amani explained calmly as she took a step towards her room, which was a little far since she'd wandered a bit. "I just need to get back to my room so I can lie down and prepare myself for the actual labor."

Before she could take another step, Amani found herself being swept off her feet by a distressed Hakuryuu and rushed back into her room.

* * *

Amani breathed in and out as her body occasionally rippled in pain. Her fellow Blessed Children were gathered around her with worried looks. Nurses bustled about as they brought in warm water and copious amounts of cloth. They had long since driven out an overly concerned Kouha and a hyperventilating Hakuryuu.

The other Blessed Children were allowed to stay because of their medical knowledge.

It had been six hours since her water broke. The pain came and went slowly at first. Then, it began to become more constant as time went by. Sai took the liberty of holding her hand as she gritted her teeth through the pain.

"Bee-chan, remember what I said back in the room? I want you to forget all of that and not worry about a thing. Junior is going to be a healthy, beautiful, normal baby. You'll see. I was being stupid."

Amani squeezed Sai's hand extra hard as the contractions hit again.

"Don't you dare…blame yourself." She gasped out, giving him a glare. "The baby just…decided right now was the right…time…that's all."

"Mou, of course. Now please don't break my hand to make a point."

Yasmine huffed as she replaced the wet towel on Amani's forehead. "You'd deserve it, you jerk." Then, in a gentler voice, she asked Amani, "How much more time do you reckon before the baby comes?"

Amani huffed out a laugh as the contraction pains passed. "Five to six more hours, give or take." Her head lolled as Yasmine wiped away the sweat. "Where is Koumei?"

Kougyoku scowled. "Those minister-bastards. They aren't letting go of him until he agrees to give them the desired amount of land, especially now that you're in labor. Kouen is doing his best to hurry the process along, but I don't think that he'll be here for another hour."

"Do they have no shame?" Yasmine snarled lowly.

"It's fine." Amani assured them with a weak smile. "I already knew that my husband being held up was a possibility. I can wait a few hours."

"Bee-chan…"

"I have faith in my husband. He will come in time." She smiled at her friends. "Besides, I have all of you to support me until then."

* * *

"Tell me how your teachers knew you were their successors."

The request came in between the more painful contractions. They lasted longer and the reprieve in between was shorter.

"Bee-chan, I told you –

"_Please."_

"…Marius knew the moment I accidentally changed my face."

Yasmine came next.

"Everyone knew that I was a Blessed Child. The markings around my arms were enough proof before I even opened my eyes."

Then, came Kougyoku.

"Ping said that she knew when she saw the flower-marking on my neck. It's really intricate, like a tattoo. But only she and I can see it because of our eyes."

Amani nodded at each answer, filing them away into her mind as she prayed that none of these stories would be a repeat for her child.

"What about you, Amani?"

"Fatima didn't find me until I was nine. And she wasn't even sure _then_. It took her a whole year to confirm that I was her successor." Amani confessed quietly. "But, I was a special case since she didn't find me at infancy. I heard from other experiences that my predecessors would look for signs of visual 'flickering' upon birth."

The whole room went silent.

"I hope the baby has none of that." Kougyoku confessed quietly. "I hope it's born without any extra memories or connected to some prophecy."

"Yeah." Yasmine agreed. "Solomon knows that we have enough of those already."

Sai didn't comment. He just braced himself as Amani endured another painful contraction.

* * *

Koumei rushed into the room at the next hour.

Amani almost cried when she saw him. She immediately released Sai's hand from her ironclad grip and reached out for her husband.

He was at her side in a moment, hugging her and fussing over her. "I tried to come as quickly as I could. How far are you?"

"Pretty far." Amani said as she automatically began straightening his clothes and hair, which were a complete mess. She smiled at her husband fondly when he gave her a quick kiss as an apology. She held his hand and squeezed it comfortingly. Amani wasn't angry. She completely understood his situation. "The nurses say that the baby will start coming out in about an hour."

Amani whimpered as the next contraction hit. She ripped her hand away from Koumei's and tangled them into the blankets. She clenched onto the sheets until her knuckles turned white from the strain.

After a little over a minute, Amani's body was limp with exhaustion and pain.

Yasmine handed a wet towel over to Koumei. He accepted it with a nod and wiped the sweat from her brow. He took Amani's hand. "You're doing wonderfully, Amani. I'm here now. Until they make me leave the room, I'll be by your side."

"_Anata_…your hand…you shouldn't –

"I only need one hand to write." Koumei assured his wife as he mentally prepared himself for the upcoming pressure. "It's fine. Squeeze it all you want if the pain comes back. I can take it. Right now, giving you my support and sharing your pain is the best I can do."

* * *

The sun was already up by the time Amani had to start pushing, not that she even had the ability to process what time it was. She could hardly think properly through the now-constant pain.

"Kou-Koumei? Where is Koumei?" Amani asked at some given time. She wasn't sure when. Everything was too painful, too hazy, to make any sense of. Where was her husband? Just when did he disappear?

Someone shushed her. "Koumei is outside. The nurses made him leave, since it isn't proper for a man to be inside the birthing room to begin with."

Kougyoku.

"What about…what about Sai?" Amai asked disjointedly.

"Maa, maa, Bee-chan. Don't worry. I'm an exception. It's a bit unfair, but I'll be supporting you in his place." A hand stroked her forehead. "Breathe and relax. It'll all end soon. You're doing very well."

Sai.

Someone grabbed her other hand and gave it a firm squeeze. "Look at you at the last stretch. In any moment now, you'll be seeing your baby. Isn't that great? We're all here for you, Amani. Whatever happens…we'll face it head on together, okay?"

Yasmine.

"Now…_push_."

At that word, Amani strained herself. She pushed and pushed and pushed until someone – she wasn't sure by that point – told her to stop. Then, after a brief moment of rest, she was told to push again.

"_Ghost, can I-?"_

Amani didn't know why she was recalling that particular memory at this moment. Ever since her brother-friend's death, that question had been haunting her in her thoughts and dreams. It always left a bitter taste in her mouth that Kassim hadn't been able to finish his last question.

And she hadn't been able to give him his answer.

"_Ghost, can I-?"_

What? Could he _what_? What did he want to do? What did he want _her _to do for him?

"I can see the baby's head!" Amani heard Kougyoku say excitedly. "Yasmine, make sure you support its head. Amani, push a little more!"

"Almost there, Bee-chan. Push one more time. "

Amani did.

The first cries of the infant and the happy exclamations that came from her friends told Amani that her work was done. Relief settled on her shoulders as she slumped into the pillows, completely spent.

The other Blessed Children's faces swam back into her vision with matching, wide smiles.

"No Toran markings anywhere." Yasmine assured her.

"No changing faces." Sai commented next, relief written on his face.

"No flower." Kougyoku stated happily. "And there was definitely no flickering. I checked. The baby is safe from the curse. Congrats on being a mother, Amani."

"Thank Solomon." Amani sighed as the remaining stress fell away from her mind.

Then, Amani felt something being pushed into her limp arms. Automatically, she positioned them so she could properly hold her swaddled baby. Amani could still hear the wails coming from the silk blankets and wasted no time in soothing the baby with shushing sounds and rocking movements. It took a little time, but the crying quieted into little whimpers as the small form within the blankets did its best to burrow closer to Amani's chest.

Amani peered into the blanket, curious to finally see her baby's face.

"Oh." She said quietly as she looked down. The excitement died down as everyone watched Amani's reaction. The new mother couldn't help but let out a small sob as a hollow part of her heart that she never knew she had swelled up with so much _love_ for her child. "Oh, you're so beautiful. I love you."

And to Amani, the tiny, wrinkly baby truly was the most beautiful thing that she had ever seen.

Her family began trickling in, one by one to see the baby. Koumei, of course, was first to see and hold the baby. His whole body trembled when Amani handed their child over to him to hold. When he got over his fright, Koumei was also enraptured by the small, wiggling form inside the blanket.

"The baby is a healthy prince. Congratulations, Prince Koumei." One of the maids spoke up, revealing the gender of their child.

Koumei didn't seem to care. He knelt down at his wife's side and kissed her. "You're amazing, Amani. Thank you." He kissed her again. "I love you. So much."

Warmth bubbled up Amani's throat at his words. "I love you too, Koumei." She responded and found that it was the truth. She loved her husband. And it felt wonderful to express it in words.

"As promised, you will name him since he is a boy." Koumei said with a little disappointment in his voice. Amani knew that he had thought long and hard for the perfect name for a daughter. "What will it be?"

After another moment of thought, Amani made her decision.

"His name will be Kouryuu, after his uncle."

Everyone, including Hakuryuu, was surprised by Amani's name choice. Especially Hakuryuu.

"Amani-dono, to name the child after me is…"

"Why is it so strange? It was you who protected me outside of Zagan's dungeon when his life was threatened. And it was you again who brought me back to my room in time when I went into labor. From what I'm seeing, you have been protecting and saving him this whole time." She challenged, firm with her decision. "Kouryuu is also a very strong-sounding name, isn't it? I hope that he grows as strong and brave as his uncle."

"Agreed." Kouen rumbled, satisfaction adorned on his face as he admired the baby from afar. "It's a very good name. Worthy of a Prince of Kou."

After sharing a look with Amani, Koumei nodded at looked down at his son. "Ren Kouryuu, it is."

* * *

Amani was alone with Kouryuu napping at her side when it hit her.

Kassim's actions. Kassim's choices. _The way he looked at her._ Everything suddenly made sense.

Kassim, her brother and friend, had been in love with her.

"_Ghost, can I-?"_

It wasn't until today that Amani completely understood the look Kassim had tried to convey to her at his last moments. It wasn't until today that she realized that the tender look that Kassim used to give her when he was alive mirrored the look Koumei gave her when he told her that he loved her.

It wasn't until today that Amani completely understood what Kassim had been trying to ask her when he died in her arms.

"_Ghost, can I love you?"_

It hadn't been a request. It had been a plea for permission. It had been a confession.

A confession with feelings that Amani knew she wouldn't have been able to return

"_Of course_ you can love me, Kassim." Amani whispered as she silently wept and mourned for the man she couldn't love back.

"Of course you can."

* * *

Yeah, last minute angst. But we all know that Kassim is in a happier place now.

Since this chapter ended on a bit of a sad note, I decided to give all of you **more **treats in the form of snippits and half-baked Omakes!

* * *

**Snippets: Amani's Brief Returns (or, How the Kou Servants Knew She Visited During her Four Years of Traveling)**

"Oh, Princess Amani is back again from her travels." A maid stated offhandedly.

A servant looked at the maid oddly. "How were you able to know that?"

"Oh right, you're a newbie here, so you wouldn't know." The maid gestured over to the figure of Prince Koumei, who looked less messy than usual. "You see, Princess Amani is the only one who can tame our second prince's hair to this extent without taking too much time. She's very talented in that way. And look, Prince Koumei is happier than usual."

As if cued, Amani came out and walked towards Koumei with a smile.

The servant gaped.

"Great Solomon, you were right."

* * *

**Chibi-Omake: Chibi Adventures in Reim (or, How Everything was Just About Fine Until Jamal Arrived)**

"Mother, I would like you to meet Opal."

"Hello, you must be Hel's mother. I've heard so much about you from Hel. And you must be Mister Muu, Hel's guardian. It's nice to meet you both."

The shock written over both his mother's and the fake herbivore's faces were somewhat expected, but Hel couldn't understand why him bringing Opal over was so earth shattering.

Well, looking back into his past self's actions, Hel grudgingly admitted to himself that he was a bit...frightening to the other girls his age. The same went for the boys too. That was why he never had any proper playmates his age. His past self also had zero interest in girls.

But that was mostly because he was ignorant.

(Not that it would've helped. Again, Hel had been, and still was, frightening with his occasional bouts of violence and bloodlust during battles.)

Now Opal, she was something else.

Even back in the nonexistent future when he had been the Weapon and she, the General, Hel held some respect towards the woman's physical prowess during battle. Her refusal to back down even when Hel showed obvious signs of winning interested him.

That interested carried over to the next life. It wasn't until that crazy herbivore's…eye opening talk that Hel realized that what he felt towards Opal had been _attraction._

It wasn't that much of a surprise. Opal was a strong and independent female. Hel knew that if there was any woman worthy to stand by his side as his mate, she was the one.

That was why he was worried. Hel didn't want to mess up when she, as impossible as it sounded, seemed to return his feelings.

His mother, thankfully, managed to pull herself from her shock and usher Opal inside. Hel was pleased to see that the two seemed to get along moderately well. The fake herbivore, on the other hand, was still gaping.

Hel would've been more than content to just leave him standing there, but he had agreed with Opal that he should at least _try _to….bond with the man.

"Is there something wrong?" Hel gritted out.

Muu picked up his mouth from the floor at the sound of Hel's voice. The man was quick to shake his head. "Not at all, Hel! It's just…wow! She's really pretty. How did you manage to find her?"

"We were mutual acquaintances of Carniv-Shion." Hel explained shortly. Then, with consideration, he turned to Muu. "Would you mind if she stays over?"

Muu looked confused.

"What? Hel, why are you asking _me_?"

Hel gave the general a strange look. "You are now my guardian and, if I'm correct to assume, the future master of the house. Your permission is…needed in these things." He forced himself to say stiltedly. Submitting in this way was a blow to his pride, really. Hel had been adamant in keeping Muu away from his mother in the past. But now, after meeting his _real _father, Hel found that the fake herbivore was more bearable in comparison.

He, at least, didn't throw his mother into slavery.

"Master of the – Hel, are you really saying what I think you're saying?" Muu asked quietly.

Hel, in turn, scowled at the ground. "Don't get the wrong idea, fake herbivore. I still don't like you. But Mother loves you for some reason and you make her happy. If it's like that, then I won't interfere."

Then he glared fiercely at the older man.

"Hurt my mother in any way and I will not hesitate to return it tenfold."

And that was that.

Opal stayed over, much to Hel's relief. She seemed to fit into the household well without seeming to be like a stranger. The dinners with Opal were also wonderful. She managed to get along with Maya and Muu very well.

She even managed to get Hel to hold a decent conversation with Muu.

It was peaceful. Hel actually liked this new rhythm in his life. He was actually _happy _for once and Opal was the one to make it this way.

But then, it was all interrupted by a knock at their door during one of their dinners.

"I'll get it."

Hel slid off of his chair and made his way to the door.

When he opened it, a sheepish Jamal greeted him with a small wave.

"Hi."

Hel slammed the door shut.

* * *

**Adventures of Judal: Tag Team**

It almost took forever, but Judal finally found it.

The edge of the Dark Continent.

"Now, how to find Yunan in _this _place…" He muttered to himself as he leaned on his wooden staff and scratched his head. "There's no way that I'd be able to see in there."

"Ano, Magi-san, what are you doing here?"

Judal looked up in surprise when he heard the familiar voice of the Finalis chick who was always around Chibi and the lame prince. Mir or Mor, was it?

"Yo." Judal said casually while gesturing over to the rift below. "I'm trying to find someone, but the guy's somewhere down there and I can't see a goddamn thing."

Morgiana tilted her head to the side and regarded the magi wearily. She still hadn't forgotten how he had bullied Alibaba and Aladdin back in Balbadd.

But still…both were going to the same direction…and Morgiana _did _hear that the Great Rift was a large stretch to run through…

"May I suggest helping each other since we are going through the same way?"

In the end, Judal flew with Morgiana along for the ride as she used her echolocation ability to guide them through the darkness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Symbolic Dreams: Asians are pretty big on weird dreams. I would know. I mean, my parents were super-happy to hear that my little sister dreamed about sleeping on a giant, flying pig on the night before New Years. I guess pig = good. Fortunately, I didn't make a pig dream and made it less...cryptic.
> 
> Kougyoku and Kouen Confrontation: This scene really wasn't supposed to be as long as this was. But then chapter 280 happened and I was a complete wreck. I wanted to devote a whole scene delving into Kouen's character through Kougyoku's eyes. I also wanted to deepen the sibling relationship between the two. I feel like Kougyoku was kept out of the Kou Family feels for too long!
> 
> Kougyoku as (temporary) High Priestess: I thought that this would be pretty cool to see. In this way, Kougyoku would be able to tangle herself deeper into politics and have a personal confrontation with Gyokuen herself.
> 
> Tiare's Backstory: Now this was all invented by me. Since Tiare and Hakuryuu already had a lot of similarities during the Zagan Arc, I thought: why not? Tiare is a young mind and Hakuryuu's household member. I thought that it was best for her to show Hakuryuu the simpler and better way of viewing and doing things. I always thought that this was what Hakuryuu needed: a person who understood him, but also disagreed with his attitude.
> 
> Blessed Child Scare: I originally wanted to bring this idea up on the last chapter, but I didn't want to leave you all hanging with the scary possibility that the baby could have ended up being an heir to one of the Blessed Children. It's a bit of a reality check on the Blessed Children's situations. Yes, they have awesome powers that help them, but that power comes with a too-steep price. The Blessed Children die at a young age, they are alienated by their own people, and their abilities are more of a curse than a blessing. This also brings to attention the time-limit the four has in helping Shion fight against Al Thamen and the end of the world.
> 
> Kouryuu: Yes, it's a boy! Sorry to all those who thought it was going to be a girl. I sort of made it seem that way, didn't I? Oops. But I'm glad to finally reveal the baby's name: Kouryuu! Cute, isn't it? Well, since I couldn't pull the "name the baby after Kassim"! thing because of the Kou culture, I decided to do the next best thing: name the baby after our adorable, crybaby uncle. He's been protecting the baby ever since he found out about it so he deserves some credit when its due. Stay turned for more scenes with this little cutie!


	40. Chapter 39: Gifts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The death of the emperor results with political strife that puts Amani and Kougyoku into the spotlight. Meanwhile, Kohaku struggles in her classes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Onwards

_Dear Shion,_

_Since I know that you're probably keeping yourself awake with anxiety, I'll cut to the chase:_

_The delivery was successful. The baby is a boy._

_I'm sure that Sai sent you a letter expressing his worries about the kid possibly being our successor before he dropped into Balbadd. Let me be the one to tell you that the kid showed no characteristics of a Blessed Child. Don't listen to Sai. He's an idiot and he lies. _

_So far, he didn't show any indication of understanding English so it's safe to assume that he's not like us, either. Kougyoku will be sure to tell you if anything strange comes up. For now, the baby is completely normal._

_He's really cute, actually. Do you know he looks a lot like Amani? He has her nose, cheeks, eyes, and everything. Aside from the typical Kou red hair, of course._

_His name is Ren Kouryuu, Shion. Amani decided it was best to name him after Hakuryuu. Good thing too, the guy has all but adopted the kid with all his nagging and hovering during the first few days. Remember when you told me that guy turned into some revenge-seeking maniac in your past life? Yeah, I don't see that right now. Are you sure it's the same Hakuryuu you were talking about?_

_Kouryuu should be two weeks old by the time this letter reaches you. I know that you're upset and beating yourself up because you couldn't come but it's fine. Politics are horrible and complicated. We understand. Amani understands. You can come and visit the baby with Kohaku when she finishes her magic school. How does that sound? _

_I know that it isn't really the best time to bring this up, but it's about the scroll that Amani's predecessor left for her. We checked it out when she recovered and the drawing was the exact replication of the photograph Sammi took of us in our last life._

_Oh right. You don't know about Sammi, do you? She was a dear teacher of ours who inspired us to do our best during our younger years when us four took a special class together. She was a bit clumsy and had a horrible taste in fashion, but she meant well. She genuinely cared for our wellbeing. _

_Unfortunately, she died suddenly before the school year ended._

…_Shion, do you think she's like us? But how __**did **__she end up in this world with all her memories intact? It wasn't as if she had a time-traveling king to cut her reincarnation cycle short, right?_

_Amani is doing her best in trying to find a clue in the drawing for the time being. The rest of us are going to try to find our own respective 'gifts' from our own teachers. Kougyoku claims that her 'gift' might be in Ping's will. Sai thinks that his grandfather might have his 'gift'. As for me, I might have to have to return to Sasan to get my 'gift'. _

_Hey Shion, was it the same in the nonexistent future? Did they have gifts too? Or is it just us?_

_Sorry for the huge information dump, but we're all trying to look for answers. Finding out about Sammi…well, it was a bit of a shock for us. Write back if you have something._

_Be healthy and stay sharp for us, okay?_

_Yasmine Leoxses _

_P.S. Though it's not official, Amani wants you to be Kouryuu's godfather._

Shion wiped the tears from his eyes as he blew his nose into the thirteenth handkerchief Kikiriku managed to procure. The Imuchakk Warrior subtly read the message over Shion's shoulder and grinned widely.

"So, the delivery went without any problems? And the kid's a boy too! That's great, Shion. You must be so proud of her."

The Sindrian Prince's lips wobbled at Kikiriku's words. "I am. Amani did a wonderful job, safely delivering her baby all on her own. But-but I should've been there, Kikiriku! I should've been there to hold her hand and tell her that everything's all right instead of being _here_ doing nothing!" He wailed.

"Hey now!" Kikiriku hastily handed over new handkerchiefs while wiping away the tears from his prince's face. "You know that you couldn't have done anything. King Sinbad agreed with the late Kou Emperor that Balbadd was off-limits to him and the Balbadd Royalty. You're not the only one who couldn't come. And you had a good reason too so don't beat yourself up over it."

Shion sniffled. "I feel horrible. Even though I didn't come, Amani made me his godfather."

"Yes, and I'm sure that you'll be the best godfather in the world." Kikiriku assured his king as he passed the purple-haired boy yet another handkerchief. "Think of this as practice for the real thing when you and Kohaku get married."

Shion snorted into the piece of cloth and sent a dry look at his friend and confidant. "_If _we ever manage to get married, Kikiriku. Not when. Politics are rough and we're never sure if the temporary alliance between Kou and Sindria is ever going to hold. Not just that, we still have Al Thamen and the Cursed Children to deal with."

Kikiriku shifted awkwardly.

"Well…you still have ten years to do all that, right?" He asked tentatively. "Let's not be so pessimistic when we're still early on the game, Shion. It's pretty stressful since the Cursed Children are in this timeline, but it's not like we haven't dealt with them before. We know most of their weakness. And they're _human_ this time. Not like those…things we had to face back then."

Shion's expression darkened at the mention of the Cursed Children in the future. They had been completely engulfed with their Dark Djinn Equip to the point that their actions weren't their own. If Shion could describe them accurately, the four acted more like androids than human.

_Why _those four would willingly subject themselves to that sort of experimentation, Shion would never know.

'_Or maybe I will this time.'_ He thought to himself when he remembered Camilla. _'Guess I have a lot to ask her the next time we meet.'_ Not that Shion really believed that woman would give away that information that easily.

"…So what was Yasmine talking about when she mentioned the 'gifts'?" Kikiriku asked curiously, breaking Shion from his thoughts. Shion laughed uneasily. "Oh. _Those. _Yeah, I'll have to write to Kohaku to ask about the details, but the Blessed Children back in our time actually did have those."

Kikiriku perked up. "Then you should have an idea on what the 'gifts' are!"

Shion shrugged sheepishly. "Not really. I only know about Amani's. The others…well, they didn't really find it necessary to tell me about that. I can't really help the others on that area. I'll have to wait for Kohaku's response."

"Do you want me to get some paper and ink for you?" Kikiriku suggested, already standing up to do exactly that. Shion nodded to his friend with a smile. "Yes, please. And do you mind telling Ja'far and Father about the good news?"

"Don't worry. I'll be sure to tell them, Shion. Just focus on resting up. You're still not completely recovered from that dark rukh, you know."

"Yeah, yeah. I know. I'll stay in the room."

After Kikiriku left the room, Shion chuckled and looked at the letter again. "A boy." He marveled as he re-read Yasmine's description of Kouryuu. Without a doubt, the child would be well protected by his family.

Shion's eyes caught a certain paragraph that he skipped in his haste to learn about the child. He regarded it with a confused frown.

"Huh, Sammi? That name sounds familiar. Where did I hear that before…?"

* * *

_Dear Kohaku,_

_I miss you. It's been forever since you left Sindria. Father still has me at bed rest even though I'm completely healed. Thankfully, he lets me train with Sharrkan from time to time so I'm not completely bored. I'll get back to my djinn equip training next week. _

_Oh! Wonderful news! If you haven't heard from your father or uncles yet, I'm happy to say that Amani has successfully delivered a healthy boy. She named him Ren Kouryuu. The name sounds nice and strong, doesn't it?_

_Good news aside, I have some things to ask you, Kohaku._

_Do you remember the gift that your teacher gave you back then, the scroll that you wouldn't let me touch? What is the significance of this gift? Fatima had passed before Amani could ask for the details. The others are trying to find their own respective gifts, so any other information you can give on that subject would be helpful to them. Amani says that the image inside the gift is of Phoebe's old world. Apparently, the image is directly connected to a woman named 'Sammi'._

_Can you ask Aladdin about this woman? I have a feeling that I saw someone with the same name in his memories in 'that place'._

_Anyways, how is Magnostadt? I'm sure that you're passing all those exams with flying colors. I can't wait to see how far you've improved once we see each other again!_

_Love,_

_Shion_

Kohaku gripped at the edges of the letter in frustration at the last sentence in the letter Shion had sent her. Disappointment filled her chest as she glanced at the Third Kodor badge lying beside her on her bed.

Noticing her roommate's distress, Selene placed a hand on Kohaku's shoulder and gave it a squeeze.

'_You will make it.'_ The blonde signed with an assuring smile. _'Even I am struggling to rise from my position in Second Kodor to first. You'll have better luck next time, Kohaku. You are talented. I know it.'_

"But why aren't I showing it now?" Kohaku asked her friend helplessly. "I was doing just fine with Yamraiha-sensei. Why can't I do what I did back in Sindria?"

Selene couldn't find an answer for that.

Kohaku buried her face into her hands. "How am I going to help everyone else if all I'm doing holding everyone back? I was more useful to Shion when I was the "me" then than I am now. How am I going to contribute to the war?"

For the first time, Kohaku wished that she wasn't a magician. The concept of magic was new to her. If only she had the ability to capture a djinn and borrow its power like she had done in her last life, then she would be more helpful. Kohaku missed the feel of Foras by her side and her ability to send blades raining upon her enemies with a flick of her fingers.

But both of those things were impossible now in this tiny, magic-filled body.

'_Do not lose hope. You still have some time.'_ Selene signed eventually.

Before Kohaku could respond, she felt something slimy wrap around her leg. With a shriek, the red head kicked out her leg, disparaging the unfamiliar thing from her body. Both roommates watched with wide eyes as a snake flew from Kohaku's bed and landed onto the floor. The cobra, which had been napping under the warm sheets, spat poison in irritation for being woken up.

Kohaku shuddered at the sight of the snake and moved away from the reptile.

Selene, on the other hand, moved toward the agitated snake and began hissing under her breath. Intrigued, the cobra stopped its irritated spitting and responded to Selene. Kohaku watched, entranced by the interaction between the two.

After Selene finished 'speaking' with the snake, she turned back to Kohaku.

'_Kukulcan here apologizes for startling you.'_ Selene signed to Kohaku. _'He did not mean to intrude in your bed. He was separated from his master and came upon our room. He was only trying to find a warm place to sleep.'_

"Oh. Um," the redhead shifted uncomfortably, "can you tell Kukulcan that it's fine? And that I'm really sorry for kicking him?"

Selene relayed the messages to the cobra.

The snake seemed to nod back at Kohaku.

Then, an awkward silence descended between the residents in the room.

"Um, Selene?" Kohaku suddenly blurted out. "Shouldn't we…you know…return Kukulcan back to his owner? He or she must be very worried."

'_I agree. But snakes do not refer to each other by names like we do. They could only describe different people.' _Selene regarded the snake with a strange look on her face. _'This snake looks familiar. Do you know any students from Heliohapt around here?'_

Kohaku's mismatched eyes lit up. "Oh! I know someone! Aladdin's roommate! I bumped into him once! He's from Heliohapt but…I don't remember seeing a snake with him."

'_Well, maybe he knows someone who does."_ Selene stood up and picked up Kukulcan, who slithered up her shoulders and settled comfortably around her neck like some fancy necklace. Kohaku personally admitted to herself that Selene did look nice. _'Let's go and meet Aladdin, Kohaku. You do have something to ask him anyways, don't you?'_

Kohaku recalled Shion's request and nodded.

"Yes, I do. Let's go."

* * *

"Good evening, Ryuu-chan. How was your nap? Did you rest well?"

Kouryuu's big, brown eyes blinked adorably at his mother as she took him out of the little bed beside hers. Though a bit smaller than the average baby, Kouryuu was very healthy. Much to the relief of many, he was also a quiet baby. He would cry from time to time, but that was only if he didn't see his mother around or if he was hungry.

Amani had long since recovered from the delivery, slowly regaining her ability to use Foras and her stamina. The other Blessed Children took turns in looking after Kouryuu when she trained. Because of his tendency to cry whenever she wasn't around, Amani did her best to leave when her son napped.

Sometimes, Kouryuu would wake up a little too early, leaving poor Kougyoku or Yasmine to panic as the baby wailed in their arms.

Sai was surprisingly successful in distracting Kouryuu whenever that happened.

Today, however, was one of the days that Kouryuu slept through Amani's training session. Amani had come back just in time when he began stirring, much to Yasmine's relief.

"Mama went out to train with Uncle Haku today." Amani informed him seriously in English, making the baby tilt his head in confusion. Though Kouryuu didn't understand anything yet, Amani was determined to teach her previous life's language to her son. Who knew when he would need it? "Mama also made something nice for Daddy. I know that he isn't here often, but he's working hard for both of us so give him lots of smiles and love, okay?"

Amani smiled.

Kouryuu blinked before his lips spread into a gummy smile, mimicking his mother's expression.

"Great job, Ryuu-chan!" She praised him in the common tongue, making the infant perk up at her tone and the familiar words.

Amani found that Kouryuu had many similarities with Alibaba when he was an infant. He responded very well to positive feedback and enthusiasm, just as her twin had whenever Anise praised him. Amani wondered what qualities Kouryuu shared with his father.

"I'm sure that you will be just as smart and talented as your father." Amani murmured as she pressed her lips on the little tuft of red on her son's head before kissing both of his chubby cheeks. "And even if you're not, you'll still be brilliant in my eyes."

* * *

"Huh? Kohaku-chan? Selene-san?" Aladdin's confused and exhausted face was the first thing that greeted them upon knocking on his door. "What are you two doing here at this hour?"

Selene held up Kukulcan in response. "We found this guy in our room. Then I remembered that Sphintus was from Heliohapt so we were wondering if he knew anyone who owned a snake." Kohaku explained verbally since the blonde's hands were full.

Aladdin was suddenly pushed aside, revealing a very relieved Sphintus. "Kukulcan!" He cried out in recognition, reaching out for his snake with tears in his eyes. Selene was quick to hand the snake back to his obvious owner. "I was so worried about you! I thought you were gone forever!" He wailed dramatically, hugging the cobra close.

Kukulcan seemed to be in a similar state, tears pouring down his little eyes. Both Kohaku and Aladdin sweatdropped at the scene while Selene looked touched at the scene between the two.

'_I never knew bonds between a non-speaker and a snake could be this close! How inspiring!'_

"Well, it's really something." Kohaku had to agree. It was apparent that Sphintus cared for his familiar very much. "But I don't remember seeing Kukulcan when I met Sphintus."

"Ah, well, he's usually wrapped around Sphintus' staff." Aladdin explained to the Kou Princess. "Sphintus was pretty worried when his snake disappeared. He was crying and panicking for a while until you guys came."

"Was not!" Sphintus denied hotly, though the puffiness of his eyes contradicted his words.

"Right…"

"I really wasn't!"

"Um," Kohaku interrupted the pair, "excuse me Sphintus-san, but can I speak with Aladdin alone, please? I have something to ask him."

Sphintus turned from his little argument with Aladdin and looked down at Kohaku, recognition flashing across his eyes. "Oh, Kohaku. You're here for Aladdin's tutoring again? It's a bit late for that, don't you think?"

"It is." Kohaku agreed. "But since Selene and I are already here, I wanted to ask a quick question to Aladdin before we go back to our room. It's a bit important."

"Selene?" Sphintus repeated the unfamiliar name, finally noticing the blonde. Selene smiled him serenely as she raised a hand in greeting. He froze up, immediately intimidated by the sight of the Second Kodor badge on her robes. "O-Oh, hello. You must be the noble from Reim everyone was talking about. I'm honored to meet such a person of high standing." He squeaked out. "Selene…senpai? Sama?"

'_I would hardly consider myself a noble.'_ Selene signed as Kohaku translated. _'I was only fortunate enough to be recently adopted into the Shambal Family. And just Selene is fine. I find honorifics to be too stuffy.'_

Sphintus nodded shakily. "Of course, Selene-sa – I mean, Selene! Selene." He cleared his throat awkwardly.

"Wonderful! Now that you're introduced, you both can bond while I ask Aladdin some questions!" Kohaku nearly pushed Sphintus out of his room and tossed Selene a blank scroll and a pen. She knew that it was a bit rude of her to do this, but the situation was a bit desperate. Kohaku needed to send information to the Blessed Children as soon as she could since exam time was approaching quickly. She didn't know when else she would have time to contact Aladdin privately. "Please give us about an hour!"

Selene mentally shook her head at her friend's hastiness before tugging on a completely dazed Sphintus' sleeve, grabbing his attention. Then, with speed, she wrote.

'_Since my roommate has kicked you out of your own room, why don't we move to my room? I doubt loitering around the hallway for the whole hour would be very comfortable.'_

She ended the statement with a charming smile, hoping that the Heliohapt magician would take the bait. Fortunately, Sphintus seemed very happy to follow the higher-ranked student, bearing many questions about the difficulty of the Second Kodor curriculum.

Selene hoped that Kohaku wouldn't take too long. There was only so much a mute could do to keep someone's attention for a long amount of time.

* * *

"Ano, Kohaku-chan, couldn't this wait a bit later? It's a bit late and you just kicked Sphintus out of his room. That's not very nice." Aladdin said reprovingly at his friend.

Kohaku sighed.

"I know. And I'll apologize to him for that later, but it's an emergency. Aladdin…you know about us, right? You know about our situation and extra memories since you dove into Shion's mind."

"Yes."

"And Shion saw some of your memories too, right?"

"…Yes."

Aladdin looked a little weary now.

"Do you happen to know anyone by the name of Sammi?"

At the name, the blue-haired boy froze.

"Sammi?" He repeated.

Kohaku nodded. "Yes. Amani came across her name when she was researching about her own origins. Do you know her? Shion said that he thought he saw a glimpse of a 'Sammi' in your memories."

"I don't know her personally," Aladdin said slowly, "but I do have memories of a woman named Sammi in my memories of Alma Toran." He sat down on his bed while gesturing Kohaku to do the same. "There's some parts that I don't really want to talk about yet, but if you'd like, I can help write a response. What do they want to know?"

* * *

_Dear Aunt Amani,_

_Congratulations! I heard that my new cousin is a boy! I'm so happy for you! Aladdin also gives you and the baby his blessings._

_Shion notified me about the gift Fatima gave you. It's a scroll with the strange drawing inside, isn't it? I had it too the other time around. When Fatima gave it to me back then, she told me that it was a clue in unlocking the 'greatest potential' of our ability._

_Unfortunately, I never got to find out the significance of the scroll. The others didn't either._

_But don't worry. I think it might be because those gifts were meant for you personally!_

_Now, if I remember correctly, Sai's gift was a strange, thick piece of colorful paper with some string hanging off of one end._

* * *

"Mou, Gramps was pretty quick."

All Blessed Children were gathered around Sai as he carefully opened the small package his grandfather had sent back with the bird. Sai quickly pulled out the contents and stared at it for a long moment.

"A bookmark." Sai said flatly.

"It is a bit underwhelming." Kougyoku agreed as she took a closer look at the object. "But look! See those words? _'Which of us has not felt that the character we are reading in the printed page is more real than the person standing beside us?'_It's in English!"

Amani leaned in slowly, careful not to startle the dozing Kouryuu in her arms. "Yes, that was Sammi's favorite quote made by an author named Cornelia Funke_._ I think that woman was the write of _Inkheart, _if I'm recalling correctly. She made that bookmark herself."

"Sammi's homemade bookmark?" Sai held the 'gift' a bit more reverently upon hearing the information. "Mou, then this is pretty important then, not that it wasn't important _before. _This is Marius' gift to me. I'm going to treasure it and keep it safe."

"In Kohaku's letter, she said that these gifts unlock 'the greatest potential' in our abilities." Yasmine repeated as her eyes scanned those lines. "Do you think…?"

Sai nodded. "Yup~! These 'gifts' are hints on how to achieve a 'degree' higher than our 'second degree'! Though, since it's something that our predecessors never did before, so it's going to be _pretty hard _to find out." The shape shifter paused and turned his attention onto Yasmine and Kougyoku. "Speaking of which, what did she say about you two?"

Yasmine scowled.

* * *

_Yasmine and Kougyoku's are easier. You know the Toran markings on Yasmine's arms and the flower marking on Kougyoku's neck that only she could see? Those are their gifts._

* * *

'_Blessed with far-reaching eyes that create mountains.'_

"I can't believe that these stupid things actually mean something." Yasmine muttered irritably as she sent a particularly nasty glare at her left arm. "Stupid markings. Stupid gifts. Stupid _clue_! And I thought that it was his mask this whole time."

Yasmine continued growling under her breath and looking over her birthmark once again, trying to understand the message Sammi had tried to leave behind.

"Ah! _Do you speak Toran?_" A youthful voice piped up with excitement in her voice. Yasmine turned from her arms to a pair of wide eyes belonging to a very young teen. Who was she again? _"Um…only a little bit."_ Yasmine answered shakily, knowing that she probably messed up the whole grammar. She never really was a linguist.

The girl seemed to deflate at Yasmine's answer. "Oh. I'm sorry." She apologized genuinely, switching to the common language. "When I saw those markings on your arm, I assumed…"

"Oh these? They're not my doing." Yasmine laughed. "I was naturally born with these. I'm a Blessed Child." She explained. The girl brightened. "A Blessed Child? Like Amani-san?"

"Yes, like her. My name is Yasmine. You are?"

The girl flushed, just realizing how rude she was being. "My name is Tiare. I am Hakuryuu-sama's Household Member." Tiare introduced herself shyly. Ah, so this girl was the one who followed Amani into the dungeon and turned into a dragon. Yasmine didn't know the details, but she had a feeling that the story behind it was interesting.

"It's nice to meet you, Tiare."

Tiare nodded before giving the older woman a sheepish smile as she gestured over to her arms. "Do you mind-?"

"No, not at all. Actually, I think you'll do a better job at reading this than me. All I'm getting from this is 'Blessed with far-reaching eyes that create mountains' whenever I try translating it." She sighed as she held out her arm.

Tiare scanned the Toran letters and gave Yasmine a curious look. "That's not what it says. Your translation is incorrect."

Yasmine's mind screeched into a halt at the Toran native's words.

"Come again?"

* * *

_Though I think it would be safer for Kougyoku to get her hands on Ping's Will. I have a feeling that there might be more to the flower marking than meets the eye._

* * *

"Ehhh?! Kougyoku, what are you talking about? Yasmine really isn't attending the funeral?! But she's coming to Kou with me, isn't she? So why can't she go?"

Kougyoku sighed at her half-brother's reaction. "I told you, Kouha. This is a family-only thing or did you forget already? Besides, I don't think she wants to attend our father's funeral. It's not exactly a…_happy _occasion."

Kouha gave his sister a blank look.

"Of course it is! En-nii is finally going to be Emperor!"

Kougyoku wanted to slap her forehead.

"_Kouha. _Yes, it's good for En-nii that he's going to be Emperor, but Yasmine isn't going to think like that. For her, a family member – our _father_ – just passed away. And since she feels she's not part of the family, Yasmine wouldn't be comfortable intruding in such a personal event." She tried explaining to her brother. But how could she make him understand when Kouha had hardly interacted with the Emperor? Honestly, Kougyoku didn't feel anything about her old man's death herself.

"It's not like you cared about Pops either, Kougyoku." Kouha stated as he leaned back in his chair. He pouted. "Oh well, I guess I can't convince her to do anything she doesn't want to do. I just wanted Yasmine to see what an amazing emperor En-nii would be." He turned to his sister. "Speaking of which, I heard from En-nii that you're going to come to the funeral as a Priestess. Finally going to step up to your status as a Blessed Child?"

Kougyoku knew that Kouha wasn't too happy about her hiding her status from him. Solomon knew how he would've reacted if he knew that she had no intention of supporting Kouen as her king. Her older brother knew well enough to not tell that fact to their other brothers.

"Yes, I am." Kougyoku said neutrally, acting as if she didn't hear the accusation in her brother's tone. "I have fulfilled my promise to Ping to keep my head down low, so I'm finally free to take on my proper position, now that Ping's Will has been read."

'_Even though you tried hiding me away from that witch's sight, I'm willingly going to get involved in palace politics, Ping. I'm so sorry.'_ Kougyoku closed her eyes. _'But I need to do this. For my friends. For Judal. For Shion.'_

She opened them with a determined glint in her eyes.

'_Besides, I can't just let that witch do what she likes. She opened your will before I did. And that's __**unforgivable**__._'

Kougyoku went over to her wardrobe and pulled out an outfit and grinned maniacally at the sight of her masterpiece. She had been working on it ever since she decided to take over Judal's 'Oracle' position. It took a bit of time and some help from Amani, but she was satisfied with the results.

'_Gyokuen won't know what hit her.'_

Kouha's eyes widened at the sight of the clothing that Kougyoku took out.

"What is _that_?"

Kougyoku sent him a toothy grin that would have made any lesser man wet his pants. "This, brother, is my battle dress. I need to look the part for my debut."

Kouha opened his mouth and closed it.

"The ministers aren't going to like that." He finally managed to say. "I don't think En-nii or Mei are going to let you wear that either. It's not…appropriate." Kouha said the last word as if it was foreign on his tongue. Usually, he would be approving of this sort of stunt since it was unique and individualistic, but his brotherly instincts rose up at the sight of the dress. Kouha crossed his arms in front of his body in an "x" shape. "As an older brother, I can't allow it!"

Kougyoku sighed heavily in disappointment.

"It's too bad you don't like it. And here I thought I'd be able to make something similar for Yasmine too."

Kouha twitched.

"But since you said it's too inappropriate, I shouldn't make her wear something like this either." Kougyoku tutted. "Pity. And I thought red would look beautiful on her skin."

"…Are you really going to make one for her?" He finally asked, defeat coloring his tone.

Kougyoku grinned widely, relishing her victory. "Of course I would! And I bet she would look ravishing when she ever decides to wear it for you if you two get together."

"If?" Kouha bemoaned to himself. _"If?!"_

She patted her half-brother's shoulder consolingly. "Patience, Kouha. You're holding up pretty well so far. Don't break down and spook her just because you're getting a bit impatient. Yasmine's trust isn't easy to get."

Unless you knew her from a completely different dimension and a completely different timeline

But Kougyoku thought that was a special situation.

"You're right." Kouha sighed. Then, he sent his sister a curious look. "Are you really going to wear that to the funeral?"

Kougyoku scoffed.

"Of course I am. I need to make a strong impression, you know. But the official Priestess outfit is in my luggage just in case."

* * *

_Though Aladdin wants to keep some things to himself for now, I can say with certainty that he saw Sammi from the memories of _ _ **that place. ** _ _Shion saw a glimpse her too when he accidentally jumped into Aladdin's memories._

_I'm not sure what this means, but I hope this little bit of information helps._

_~ Kohaku_

* * *

"_Anshaha masn!"_

Kohaku gripped on her staff tightly as she focused on growing the potted plant in front of her. The little sprout wiggled and grew about a foot before stopping and shriveling up from the strain of too much magoi. She cursed as she failed to grow and enlarge a plant yet again.

"What the heck brat? Is that all you got?!"

Kohaku panted and wiped the sweat from her brow. Despite being able to move up to Fourth Kodor, she hadn't had much luck in improving her talent since. Upon asking Instructor Myers for extra help, her teacher had pointed to her own brother, who also specialized in life magic.

Doron was not impressed with Kohaku. The only reason why he continued tutoring Kohaku was because Myers had told him to. And no one went against Instructor Myer's orders. She was just that scary. Kohaku considered herself fortunate that the woman was fond of all her students, which included her.

Like his older sister, Doron did not pull back on his punches as he tried to get the young girl shaped into First Kodor quality. In the months that she trained under him, Kohaku came to respect the man's strength and magical ability. So far, the man had managed to help her rise to Third Kodor.

'_But still, this isn't enough!'_ Kohaku thought desperately as she tried once again to perform the spell right.

"_Anshaha masn!"_

The sprouts took shoot again, growing under Kohaku's shaky care. She tried to put more energy into the growth this time, making sure not to cut corners. Her heart soared when she saw the plants begin to bud.

'_Almost.'_ A small voice chanted encouragingly in her ear. _'You're almost there!'_

But then, the magical moment was lost. The plants withered once again as Kohaku collapsed in exhaustion. Her staff fell and rolled out of her hands as she face-planted onto the ground.

Doron shook his head in disgust. "Fail." He droned cruelly as she tried hefting herself up, though there was a hint of disappointment in his voice that Kohaku didn't catch because of her fatigue. "_Why_ you're even trying to climb up to First Kodor before the end of the year, I'll never know. The amount of power you have behind your spells is pathetic. There's nothing I can do for you anymore."

Kohaku's eyes watered at his words.

"Just give up, brat." Doron said, not unkindly this time. "Third Kodor ain't too bad for a kid yourself. You should take another year before you try anything complicated."

His words were enough to make her burst into tears.

"Dammit. _Dammit!_ This is so frustrating!" She cried out to herself as she slammed a fist down onto the ground in frustration. Disappointment and shame was palpable on her face. "I did so much better back home so _why can't I do it_?! Why can't I do magic?"

"…Hey, brat?"

"I had all the help I could ever have. I even went through training with Instructor Myers. So why can't I improve properly like the others? I can't believe I'm so weak!" Kohaku continued berating herself.

Doron cleared his throat. "Brat?"

"Is this really all I can do?"

"Oi! Brat! _Cut it out!_"

Summoned back to reality at her tutor's sharp voice, Kohaku snapped out of her pity party to actually look at her surroundings. Her eyes widened when she saw the green that covered the ground beneath her hands and feet. The sprouts in the pots she had failed to grow only moments before had grown to the point that the pots shattered. Beautiful flowers decorated the shoots and some even produced fruit.

Kohaku looked back down to her hands with wonder and confusion. "Eh?! I how did I do this?"

"That's supposed to be _my_ question." Doron grumbled under his breath. He looked around at Kohaku's work with reluctant admiration. "Damn, brat. Magic without a staff? That's pretty impressive."

Kohaku didn't know whether to feel pride at her achievement or shock at her usually prickly tutor's praise.

"Why didn't you show me this before?" Doron asked accusingly, reverting back to his prickly state much to Kohaku's relief. She didn't think that her mind would be able to continue processing Doron being _kind_.

"I couldn't do it." She answered honestly. "That's why I went to you for help."

Doron handed Kohaku her staff back. "Try doing it again." He ordered and Kohaku obeyed.

"_Anshaha masn!"_

Much to Kohaku's confusion, the plants reacted poorly. "H-Huh? But I was able to do it before…" Was it just a fluke? She really hoped it wasn't. She looked at her tutor inquiringly. "Should I try doing it again?"

"Hey brat, hand that thing over. I need to check something."

Doron came over to Kohaku and snatched her staff away before she could even make a move to hand it over. He weighed it and checked it over meticulously before shooting some spells. After he was done, he glanced back down at his student. "Hmm, it looks well-made. Who gave it to you?"

"Mama sent it to me when she heard I was going to attend Magnostadt." Kohaku said, confused. "Why?"

"Brat…" Kohaku didn't like the sound of pity in his voice. "This staff was tampered with. It's not channeling magic properly, probably why your spells were shit this whole time."

'…_Eh?'_

Kohaku's mismatched eyes blinked as she tried to fully understand what Doron was insinuating.

"Are you saying that…Mama did this to my staff on purpose? Are you saying that she's trying to make me fail? Is that it?" Kohaku asked. "But Mama would never do that to me! She was the one who sent me away so I could learn magic to protect myself! She was the one who accepted me for having magic! That wouldn't make any sense!"

"Is she a _Goi_?" Doron asked gruffly as if the answer to that would explain everything.

"_Half_ Goi." Kohaku stressed, knowing where this was going. She had no time to argue about prejudices between magicians and non-magicians with a firm believer like her tutor. "Her mother was a magician. My mother has magic in her blood. She just can't use it. She was excited when it turned out that I could do magic like grandmother."

Doron huffed but accepted Kohaku's explanation. "Well, if she is a child of a magician, then it's a different story." He shook himself roughly as if he was struck with a thought. "But this isn't a time to worry about things like that! Oi, brat! I won't be holding back on training now that you don't have that handicap anymore! Expect practice to be more difficult!"

Kohaku really didn't mind that but…

"_Ano_, Doron-sensei, don't you I think I need to get a replacement staff first?"

"…"

* * *

_One month later…_

* * *

_Dear Mama,_

_Sorry for not writing you for so long! It's getting a bit busy here since the year is drawing close to the end so I couldn't really write a letter properly until now. I struggled a little at first, but I got help from a really good tutor, so I'm doing better now! Don't worry! I'm sure that I'll move up to First Kodor by the end of the year! _

_I'm currently studying hard and making a lot of friends in Magnostadt! Right now, I have Selene, Sphintus, and Aladdin with me. They say hello, by the way! Hopefully, when I finish my studies, you'll be able to meet them. They're wonderful people!_

_On another note, I'm really sorry, Mama, but I broke the staff you gave me. There was a training mishap and it didn't survive. Was it very important to you? Was it grandmother's? I'm so sorry! I'll try to fix it! Promise!_

_Meanwhile, I'm using a different staff my tutor gave me. It's not exactly as pretty as the one you gave me, but it's pretty useful since it's made out of plants. _

_I'm sorry about Grandfather's passing and I wish Papa lots and lots of luck!_

_Don't worry, I'll make you and Papa proud!_

_Love,_

_Kohaku_

Seishin wiped a tear from her eye with a handkerchief as she re-read her daughter's message. "I was _so worried _when Kouen wrote to me that he was sending my little girl to a completely different country _again_, but I'm so glad that she's making friends and having fun!"

Then, her happy expression darkened as her hand crumpled the handkerchief in her hand. "Still…I'm still upset with Kouen for sending our baby away without my permission. What was he _thinking_?!" She huffed. "Really, I don't know why he's so careless when it comes to Kohaku all the time, Ming Hua!"

From across where Seishin was sitting, Ming Hua delicately sipped on her green tea and gave Seishin a supportive smile. "Some men just don't understand how much we women worry. Just make your feelings clear and take your time in forgiving him, Seishin. It's never good to be too easy with your husband."

Seishin sighed. "Thanks, Ming. I'll make sure to keep that in mind."

Ming Hua continued drinking her tea.

"Anyways, are you sure that staff you gave Kohaku wasn't important to you? Don't be lying now. People don't just have staffs that fancy lying around their rooms." Seishin asked, concern brimming in her eyes. "It wasn't an heirloom, was it?"

The other woman shook her head. "I told you, Seishin. It was simply a gift I managed to get from a friend of mine when I heard that your daughter was going to go to Magnostadt. It wasn't anything important."

Seishin stared at Ming Hua for a long moment before her lips split into a wide smile. She clasped a hand over hers and squeezed it. "Really, you. Going that far to get my daughter a gift? You're amazing, Ming. How can I be so lucky to have a best friend like you?"

"Ah…"

"_The Princes and Princesses have arrived!"_

Seishin snapped away from Ming Hua as the proclamation was heard. She was at her feet at an instant with a wild smile stretched across her face. "_Kouen_."

"Kouen." Ming Hua repeated quietly.

"I better go and greet him and the others. Oh! Amani and Kougyoku should be with them! And baby Kouryuu!" She hastily picked up her sword and nodded to Ming Hua. "Thanks for having me over, Ming."

"Are you leaving so soon?" She inquired from her seat.

Seishin was already out of the room in an instant before Ming Hua properly finished her sentence. The woman shook her head at her friend's hastiness and began cleaning up the cups.

"Pity that the staff broke." She sighed lightly. "I would've liked it if that child failed and returned to Kou in the end. Oh well, at least Prince Kouen is finally here." She briskly made her way to the mirror and straightened her dress and hair. "I better get ready to receive him too. It's no good for Seishin to do that alone after all."

* * *

"Oh, how wonderful! Seishin and Kouen-sama are back together again after so long!" Hakuei, who had returned to Kou Palace just a week before, watched with happiness as Seishin rushed outside to greet Kouen. The man swung off of his horse and began walking toward his wife at the same, brisk pace. "She missed him so much when he was gone."

Beside her, Tao looked at the scene with a little bit of doubt as Seishin swung a fist at her husband's face, smile never wavering. Thankfully, Kouen seemed to have expected this and effortlessly dodged her attack before gathering her up in his arms. By then, Seishin's smile had disappeared. She snarled and hissed things at Kouen as she scratched and struggled against his grip. Tao shivered. "Um, Hakuei-sama? That doesn't really look like her missing him. Actually, it looks like she wants to kill him." He turned to Hakuei in concern. "Shouldn't we help him?"

Hakuei smiled at Tao in assurance as Seishin finally wiggled out of Kouen's grip and threw herself into another attack. "Oh, don't worry about it, Tao. This is just Seishin showing her love to Kouen-sama in her own way. Just let them be and they'll settle eventually."

Tao turned to Seishun, who was standing a little to the back. The short, blue-haired man shrugged helplessly.

"She might be my sister, but even I know that it's not a good idea to get in between her and Prince Kouen when she's like this." Seishun confided, sharing Tao's concern for the Imperial Prince's wellbeing. "Besides, as much as I respect our prince, he sort of deserves this treatment."

"Kouen-sama _does _deserve it." Hakuei corrected at the side, shocking Tao. "He sent Kohaku away to Magnostadt without her consent. Seishin had been worried for her daughter sick ever since she received the news."

Tao whistled. He gave the prince some credit for his bravery. It took balls to do something like that with a Mama Bear as a wife.

"Don't worry too much, Tao. Kouen-sama is more than capable of taking care of himself." Seishun assured his masked companion with a pat on his back. Then, something caught his eye. "Hakuei-sama! There they are! Princess Amani and…oh my, is that little Prince Kouryuu? We must go down to greet them!"

Hakuei nodded excitedly, taking Tao's hand. "Come, Tao!"

As she dragged him away from the semi-violent scene between husband and wife, Tao managed to catch a quick glimpse of Kouen roughly pulling Seishin close and kissing her.

'I missed you.' Tao saw Kouen mouth as his wife melted in his arms, reluctantly forgiving him with one final glare.

Well, he supposed that Hakuei was right that all would be fine. But…who was that other woman standing at the sidelines? She didn't look related to either one of the couple. And Tao didn't like the look on her face.

"Tao!"

Tao snapped out of his thoughts and focused on the woman in front of him. "Yes, Hakuei-sama. I'll hurry up."

Tao had to admit that even he was excited to see the newborn prince. He wondered whether or not his ghost friend was successful in his mission.

Tao hoped so.

* * *

"Welcome back to Kou Palace, Prince Koumei, Blessed Child!"

"Oh my, what an adorable, little prince!"

"Congratulations, Blessed Child!"

Koumei herded Amani and Kouryuu away from the crowd of nobles and ministers. Even the noble daughters weren't allowed too close to the two. Kouha and Yasmine made sure to circle around them just in case.

"_Congratulations, congratulations!"_ Kouha mocked in a high, shrilly voice when the nobles were out of sight. He snorted in disgust as he glanced at his older brother and sister-in-law. "Look at them, trying to lick your boots. Bet half of them were talking shit about you before they found out Amani had a boy."

"Language, Kouha. There's a baby here." Yasmine admonished quietly as she moved closer to Amani. Kouryuu gurgled in recognition when his eyes caught sight of Yasmine's Toran birthmarks. A smile crawled up the blindfolded woman's lips at the baby's reaction. "His vision is improving."

Amani nodded proudly. "He recognized Koumei immediately by voice alone just yesterday. He was so excited to hear that daddy was back. Weren't you, Ryuu-chan?" She cooed.

Koumei waved his fan in front of the lower part of his face as he smiled proudly to himself at the memory. His other hand twitched towards Amani, but he repressed his desire to grab her hand. Right now was not the time to outwardly show affection, not in front of the hungry wolves in front of them.

His empty hand curled into a fist under his sleeves as he trudged on. He hoped that he could spend some time with Amani and Kouryuu after the whole event was over. _'But all the paperwork…'_ It took everything in Koumei not to slump over in defeat.

Koumei's migraine increased even further when he caught sight of his younger half-sister and the outfit that she was wearing. Not only was it an eye-catching crimson and gold, it was also a _very _revealing version of the official Priestess dress that she was _supposed_ to wear. The fact that the outfit seemed to be an echo of what a certain magi would always wear was only the tip of the iceberg.

He had a suspicion that the dress was Sindria-influenced. He just knew it.

"That's a very creative mix of the hanfu and the belly dancer outfit." Amani murmured amusedly she watched the nobles burst into scandalized whispers at Kougyoku's state of dress. "My, how did she manage to keep those sleeves on? With that much amount of bare shoulder, I'd think that there'd be hardly enough silk left over to hold the sleeves to the dress itself."

Koumei couldn't believe that his wife was _encouraging _this.

Yasmine leaned over and added in her own two cents. "Probably used some extra thread or something like that. Can't believe she managed to make that all on her own. Do you see the yin-yang symbols stitched to the back? That must've taken hours. Her makeup is pretty intimidating too. Wonder who pissed her off enough to put that much on."

"Are you really asking that?"

"You're right, Amani. My bad." Yasmine sighed. "Kougyoku's pretty good with the clothing stuff. Think she's going to start a fashion trend here?" She took a strand of her hair and eyed it thoughtfully. "I might just ask her to design something for me. My hair is almost completely grown out so I'll be allowed to wear feminine clothing soon."

Kouha perked up at this. "Really?"

"Mn." Yasmine nodded. "Really."

As Kouha mentally cheered as this revelation, Koumei pinched the bridge of his nose. From the corner of his eye, he caught sight of a soldier subtly checking Kougyoku out. He gave the nameless man a hard stare and he (along with many guilty others) submissively averted their eyes from Kougyoku's body.

Koumei sighed to himself. For once, he wished that the Oracle was there. At least then Koumei would be confident that the soldiers' eyes wouldn't continue wandering when he turned his back. The fact that he was even _considering _this thought to be a good idea told volumes about his stress level.

From his position in his mother's arms, Kouryuu cooed at his father in a way Koumei hoped was encouraging.

"Yes, yes. Don't worry. Daddy will do his best." He sighed as he trudged on forward to where his father's body lay.

* * *

"Welcome back, my beloved children!"

How sick. How disgusting.

Kougyoku couldn't believe that there could be a being like this woman that walked on the face of this planet. It made her feel nauseous being in the same _room_ as her. Kougyoku's eyes would never see the beauty that Queen Gyokuen was lauded for because of the woman's tainted true self.

Beside her, Hakuryuu tensed.

"What's the matter? Come here. We haven't seen the princesses ever since they married. I'm sure that his majesty would be pleased." Gyokuen crooned sweetly. The other princesses trembled away from the sight of the body in disgust, raising their sleeves up to their faces.

Kouen made to move forward, but Kougyoku beat him to the punch.

"I'll go first, En-ni." She told him firmly. "I need to settle some things with her first."

Kougyoku walked down the halls as she pointedly ignored every eye that fell on her. Her focus was on one person and one person only. She felt Vinea thrum underneath her sleeves as she made her way towards Gyokuen. Kougyoku almost gagged at the sight of the Emperor's disease-ridden body and the preservation seals that covered his whole body. No visions were in sight around his body.

'_Look where your greed brought you, Emperor.'_ Kougyoku clicked her tongue under her breath as she turned back to Gyokuen. With a well-practiced smile, she fell into a respectful bow.

"Blessed Child Kougyoku comes to pay her respects to his majesty…Queen Gyokuen."

The woman opened her arms wide, tears welling up in her eyes. "Kougyoku, my loyal child! I have missed you so. You have been away to Sindria for so long that I was worried that you would _never _return. It's so good to finally see our Blessed Child back in Kou where she belongs! I'm sure his majesty would have been happy too."

Kougyoku smiled primly as she made no move to walk into the woman's embrace.

"It warms my heart to hear you say this, Queen Gyokuen. I will continue to serve Kou as its Blessed Child…and its Priestess."

The woman's tears stopped welling the instant the words flew out of Kougyoku's lips. The other princesses quietly gasped. Kougyoku raised her hands as she knelt down on one knee in front of the woman. "I, Ren Kougyoku, eighth imperial princess of Kou, Blessed Child of Kou, wish to take on the responsibilities that my predecessors before me failed to do. I will serve Kou well on the Oracle's behalf until his return and beside him after." She raised her head and met Gyokuen's eyes. "Please, Queen Gyokuen. The will."

The woman stood and left her position next to the corpse. Without breaking eye contact, Gyokuen dropped a scroll into Kougyoku's hands. She smiled almost hauntingly, a slip of her true-self showing. "Then, I'll leave Al Thamen in your hands…Priestess Kougyoku."

"I'll be sure to take good care of them for you…Empress Gyokuen."

"So you know my next move, Blessed Child. Very smart girl. Pity I wasn't able to find you when you were younger. Judal-chan would've been so happy to have someone else with him growing up. Ping hid you well."

Kougyoku smirked. "So she did."

Gyokuen was then quick to dismiss Kougyoku's presence after that as she descended upon Kouen, who had been making his way towards the Emperor's body with the others. Her hands were at his chest as she leaned against him for comfort. "Kouen…I only have you now. Will you support me, my most loved son?"

Seishin bristled at the side as her fingers twitched toward her sword. Kouen didn't seem so happy with the contact either, but refrained from being _too _forceful when he moved her away from his body. Appearances must be kept after all. He wordlessly moved on to pay his respects.

Gyokuen didn't seem to mind. She then turned her attention to Amani and Kouryuu, making the air in the room still. Yasmine, who had left Amani's side out of respect for the Ren Family's privacy, was no longer next to Amani to give her the extra protection against Gyokuen. The blonde stiffened when the woman's eyes landed on her child. She subtly brought Kouryuu closer as she bowed respectfully. "Queen Gyokuen."

"Is this my new grandchild? Oh, please do bring the child closer, daughter!" Gyokuen implored as she reached out for Kouryuu. At Amani's side, Foras flared defensively. At the same time, Hakuryuu slid in front of Amani protectively.

"Don't you _dare_ come any closer to Amani-dono, _mother_." He snarled as hatred filled his eyes. Zagan reacted to Hakuryuu's aggression. Seeing the scene that they were making, Amani clasped a firm hand on Hakuryuu's arm and shook her head. "Calm down, Hakuryuu." She sent a well-constructed, apologetic look at Gyokuen's way. "I'm sorry for his actions, Queen Gyokuen. Hakuryuu has been protective of Kouryuu of late."

Gyokuen moved forward. "Just let me hold the child a little bit. As a grandmother, I want to see his face."

Before she could move any closer, Kouryuu burst into tears and began to wail.

"Oh dear," Amani fussed as she tried calming her son down, "Kouryuu, it's fine. Don't be scared. Mother is here. It's just grandmother – " _So you can sense the danger too? Please keep crying. She must not touch you. _" – so please stop crying. I'm so sorry. Kouryuu is shy with strangers."

Much to Amani's relief, Gyokuen backed off.

"It's fine. I don't need to hold him anymore." The woman giggled as she raised her sleeves to her face. "I understand. My little Hakuryuu was like that when he was young. He used to be afraid of everything. But look at him now, a warrior ready to protect his princess." Amani and Hakuryuu caught the sneer in her honeyed voice. "I'm sure that your own little 'Ryuu would grow up to be a _strong _warrior. Congratulations, Blessed Child."

The Witch of Al Thamen then turned to join the other priests of the organization so the testament could be read.

"Gyokuen…" Hakuryuu growled under his breath.

* * *

"The Third Emperor of Kou Empire is…"

The two Blessed Children closed their eyes as they waited for the announcement they had expected years before.

"Ren Gyokuen. And she shall be assisted by the imperial priests in tending all national affairs."

_And so, fate rolls forward, the same events unfurling as it had originally with only a few differences. The word is forever going to be changed from this moment onward as it draws closer to the starting point of the world's end._

"_But we will change it, right?"_

"_Right."_

* * *

_Another three months later…_

* * *

All eyes focused excitedly at the center of the stage as the final "Iktiyar" of the year commenced.

"It's her turn! It's finally her turn!" The first years murmured to themselves as a small figure stepped on to perform. Mismatched eyes turned upwards as she raised a whip-like staff upwards before bringing it down with a sharp 'snap'!

Around the figure, a wide stretch of vines, flowers, and various other plant forms grew over the ground. Then, with another snap of the whip-staff, the carpet of plants began rising up from the ground, carrying the spell-caster with them. Then, like any other magic carpet, it flew around the stadium. As the crowd 'oohed' and 'aahed' at the display, as the person continued expanding the size of the carpet before it exploded, sending flower petals all over the audience.

"A-Amazing! A combination of Life, Wind, and Power Magic at such a young age? I see that we have a large amount of talented students graduating this year." One magician marveled.

The other elder magician nodded in agreement. "This child was trained by High-Class Magician Doron. It's to be expected that she would blossom under his tutelage."

"It's settled, then. She'll be elected to First Kodor!"

As the figure landed slowly and safely onto the ground, many people crowded at her side.

"Great job, Kohaku-chan!"

"You did it! You made it to First Kodor!"

"This is so great! I'm happy for you!"

Kohaku raised her head, as she smiled in victory for the successful spell. Doron had made her practice it for months to perfect it and she was grateful for his help. Though prickly and a bit prejudiced, the man truly turned out to deserve his status. He had slowly become her most endeared teacher in the school. Kohaku liked to think that he warmed up to her just a little too.

Aladdin hugged Kohaku happily. "Great job, Kohaku-chan! Now, you'll be moving up the class with me! I knew you could do it!"

'_Shion, everyone, wait for me!'_

* * *

So? Likies or no likies?

And so, from this point on until the war, it's going to be Magnostadt-centric so we'll be focusing on Sai, Selene, and Kohaku.

(Of course, there will be some snippets of the other Blessed Children as they try to find out the clues that Sammi left behind while taking care of political/family/romance(?) stuff as they stay in Kou.)

Now, onto some omakes and a super-special snippet of a scene between Selene and Sphintus that wasn't shown in this chapter!

* * *

**Chibi-Omake: Chibi Adventures in Reim II (or, a How Jamal Dumped A Lot of Information on Hel and, inadvertently, Muu)**

Hel crossed his arms and pointedly looked away from Jamal.

"Hel, I'm very disappointed in you." Maya scolded from his side. "You shouldn't close the door on anyone's face, especially a friend's. What if I never opened the door and he froze to death in the cold? You know how chilly it gets here in Reim during the evenings. What should you say for yourself?"

"Then he should've frozen to death." Hel grumbled, only to wince when Maya rapped him on the head. "Hel! I thought I taught you better!"

Jamal, surprisingly, came to Hel's defense. "Oh no, Miss Maya. I wasn't waiting for a – ahem – long time, per se. Just a teensy weensy bit of time. Really. I'm sure that Hel would've come back for me…eventually. He was just a little surprised to see me." He laughed nervously. "I didn't really give him a 'heads up', if you catch my drift."

A little confused by Jamal's modern jargon, Maya paused in her scolding. "Oh…I see. So, are you another friend of Hel's?"

Jamal nodded enthusiastically. "Really close friends. Aren't we, buddy?"

"No." Hel denied immediately, angling away from Jamal with a weary glint in his eyes. "I am not…_friends_ with this Crazy Herbivore."

"Crazy Herbivore?" Muu repeated, finally speaking up. "Are you one of Hel's friends from Sindria by any chance?"

Jamal looked at Hel with stars in his eyes. "Hel! You told your sort of-dad about me?"

"No, I didn't –" Hel tried protesting but he was steamrolled over by an enthusiastic Jamal.

"And you told him that we're friends?" He sniffed, completely moved. "I didn't know you felt that way about me!"

"Stop shoving words into my mouth without listening to the whole story!" Hel growled in frustration but was completely ignored by Jamal, who was far too gone with happiness to even listen to reason.

Hel finally gave up on trying to convince the crazy herbivore that his assumptions that the relationship between them was _positive_ were complete delusions. No one could reason with the crazies, especially not someone like Jamal. Hel rubbed his forehead.

"Just tell what you want to tell and just go."

Completely undeterred by Hel's coldness, Jamal wrapped an arm around Hel's shoulders. "Guess what? It's. A. Boy!"

It took a little bit for Hel to fully understand what Jamal meant by that statement before an uncharacteristic smile spread across his face. "Good for her. Opal would be happy to hear this. What's his name?"

"Ren Kouryuu." Jamal announced gleefully.

Behind him, Muu gaped. "W-Wait, are you saying that you know someone from the Ren Family? As in…the royal family in Kou?"

"Yup." The two boys said simultaneously.

"Wait Hel, you too?!"

Hel shrugged nonchalantly. "The Blessed Children dropped by at Sindria when one of them was announced pregnant. I also know Kohaku. Yes, _that_ one. Ren Kouen's daughter."

"Wow, Hel. Way to keep info away from your sort of-dad." Jamal chortled as Muu tried to process what Hel said. "Oh, and now that you're in a pretty good mood, I guess it's time to break the bad news. Um…please don't hurt me."

"I make no promises."

"You know, you're lucky that you're my friend." Jamal complained as he leaned over to whisper the news into Hel's ear.

Hel broke the table into two.

* * *

**Adventures of Judal: Unexpected**

Yunan was not what Judal expected.

For one, the oldest, _good _magi to ever walk on earth looked like he was going to break into two. Another thing was that he looked like a girl.

No joke. He looked girlier than _Kouha _and that was saying something.

"Welcome, Morgiana, Judal. I have been expecting you." Yunan greeted kindly. While Morgiana accepted Yunan's offer of entering his little, cottage home, Judal wasn't exactly that convinced. But who could blame him? He had trust issues. "How the hell do you know our names?! How is it possible that you can live here in the middle of nowhere?"

Yunan gave Judal a pitying look. "You're weary of me. But that's to be expected after Al Thamen's treatment of you. Don't worry, Judal. I am the one they call 'The Wandering Magi'. I am Shion's uncle. And as to how I know both your names, I heard you two talking. Everything that happens in the Great Rift, I can hear."

He smiled and stretched out his hand.

"Now, wasn't there something about you wanting to learn some things from me?"

With reluctance, Judal took it.

* * *

**Snippets: Hope**

Sphintus was surprisingly very easy to talk to after he got over her noble status and Kodor level. He was immediately charmed by her ability to speak with snakes and begged her to translate Kukulcan's hisses for him.

Selene couldn't help but share his excitement since no one had reacted so positively to her serpentine abilities or had been so interested in what the snakes had to say. She wondered if this was a common trait in Heliohapt. She briefly remembered Pharaoh Armakan had a large snake wrapped around him too. Did he view his snake as a pet or a companion? Was the creature purely for decoration or did he wonder time to time about the opinions of the snake?

"Um, Selene?" Sphintus asked in mid-conversation. "If you don't mind me asking…why do you write instead of speaking? You don't have to tell me if you don't want to!"

Selene did not take any offense. She had long since gotten used to answering this question. She casually pulled down the thin scarf wrapped around her neck, revealing the nasty scar on her throat.

That was all Selene needed to do whenever the big question popped up. It tended to explain her whole situation a lot more quickly than writing it all out.

Cringing or pity would usually follow after the reveal. It was annoying to Selene at first, but she eventually became desensitized to their reactions and came to even expect them through time.

Sphintus…did neither.

Before Selene could process the action, Sphintus was already at her face, fingers tracing over her scar with a lightness and precision that only healers would have. And Selene would know. She too had these hands. His initial awkwardness and shyness disappeared into professionalism as he inspected the injury.

If Selene didn't know what he was doing, she would've taken offense for his forwardness. Fortunately, she did so she allowed him to do as he liked.

"This wound doesn't look too old. Maybe four years?"

Selene held up three fingers.

"Three years, then. And someone treated it quickly, judging by how well this wound healed." Sphintus nodded as he looked at the scar in different angles. "Then your voice is salvageable. It's a good thing that you came to Magnostadt! With the proper use of healing magic, you'll be able to speak again!"

…She could speak again? It was…possible?

Selene almost couldn't believe her own ears.

"It's going to be a bit complicated and the process might take a while," Sphintus rambled on as he finally looked up from his inspection, "but my family specializes in healing things like this this they used to work for Heliohapt royalty so I might be able to – Selene? Are you all right?"

The blonde hastily wiped her face and shook her head, trying to convey that she was completely fine. She tried to write it down, but her vision blurred too much to write anything properly.

"Selene? Was it something that I said?" Sphintus began panicking. "I'm sorry! Please don't cry! What did I do wrong?"

'_Nothing.'_ She wanted to say. _'You said __**nothing **__wrong.'_

But she couldn't. At least, not for now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Gifts and Third Degree: Yup. All those 'gifts' are clues to the Blessed Children's Third Degree. Here it is. Now, try guessing! (Of course, the real translation of Yasmine's markings will be revealed at a later date)
> 
> Instructor Doron: He was a complete asshole when he was first introduced in both the anime and manga. I like assholes. They make things interesting. I paired him up as Kohaku's instructor since I thought it would be an interesting dynamic in the future.
> 
> Yasmine Not Attending Funeral?: It was a personal choice in her part. She didn't read the manga so she didn't know what she would expect when seeing the Emperor's disease-mangled body. Though she's used to seeing quick, clean deaths by her own blade, she hates seeing people slowly die (like Raja)
> 
> Seishin and Ming Hua: They were childhood friends in the past. Seishin trusts her completely while Ming Hua...yeah...
> 
> Staff?: It was a purposefully tampered staff given by Ming Hua so Kohaku would fail and return to Kou. Fortunately for Kohaku, this means that her core strengthening training just made her all the more powerful. (Told ya there's a reason.)
> 
> Kougyoku's Outfit: Worn as both a battle dress against Gyokuen and a nod to Judal, who she's replacing.


	41. Chapter 40: Guilt

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Titus makes some mistakes. Sai isn't really happy. At all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Onwards

The graduation party was a rowdy event. People drank, ate, and celebrated because the exams were over.

Sai sat at the ledge of a window, a good distance away from the other rowdy students. He completely ignored the party going on behind him as he downed a cup of alcohol. His face scrunched up at the taste, sending phantom pains up the left side of his face. "Figures that they'd give us cheap shit." He grumbled while haphazardly throwing the cup over his shoulder. "Ah well, I had my fill of the party. Guess I better get back to my room."

Sai stood up and began making his way to the exit. He was interrupted by a group of drunken classmates. One of them boldly approached him and swung an arm over his shoulder. "O-Oiiiii~ Moody genius-saaaan, you should join in the fun. Loosen up! You made it to the next level!"

"Unlike us untalented bunch." Another snorted good-naturedly from the side. "But don't be too relaxed yet. We'll be joining you in no time!"

"Yeah, just wait!"

The student with his arm around Sai smirked. "Must be great having such an illustrious family backing you up, eh _Shambal-sama_?" He slurred jokingly. "Hey, hey, put in a good word for me in there. Bet that'll get me graduated in only a few months."

Sai shrugged off the student's arm. "…Who are you again?" He asked condescendingly, letting a little bit of his default-Sai personality shine through. All laughter stopped immediately. "I don't remember speaking with you before. Were we classmates? No? Then don't try acting all friendly with me." He snorted and shook his head in disgust as he continued making his way out. "_Solomon_, all of you are so damn obvious. It hurts. How many more idiots do I have to bump into here?"

"Douche." Sai heard one of the students spit out when he was almost out of earshot. "Thinking that he's all that because he has the Alexius Family backing him up. Who does he think he is?"

Sai twitched minutely at the mention of the "Alexius" Family. Really, that Scheherazade. She _had_ to make things more difficult for him, didn't she? Sai doubted that she was even aware of the attention her actions were bringing over to him lately.

Not to mention the _stress. _

'_Mou, I showed them a part of myself without meaning to again.' _Sai grouched to himself disappointedly. It was a while since he had broken out of character in the middle of a mission. _'Though, I haven't been in a mission that lasted this long.' _He mused as he reached his room.

"I'm back~!" He sang as he trudged into the room. The other inhabitant looked up for a moment before sniffing and turning away. Completely unaffected by his roommate's attitude, Sai changed out of his robes and into his nightclothes. "Mou, people were missing you at the party, Titus. Why didn't you go? Some were even worried that the talented and noble _Alexius-sama _was not feeling well."

Titus Alexius was indeed the splitting image of Scheherazade, aside from some minor details. Though, Sai already knew that even before he met the boy. He _had _read up to the first half of the Magnostadt War against Reim before he died.

"When did I give you the permission to call me by my name, _Shambal_? Calling me so familiarly even though it's my family who's supporting you. Have you no shame?" The blonde asked, turning his nose up.

Sai couldn't help but mentally snicker at his roommate's attempt of mimicking the attitudes of the other nobles back in Reim. It was almost completely spot-on replication, aside from the little tint of wistfulness in the blonde's voice.

Oh, so he wanted to come to the party after all? How transparent.

"Maa, maa, so uptight. But to answer your question, I'm completely shameless. What can I say? It's in my nature, _Titus_." Sai said, making sure to draw out the blonde's name as annoyingly as he could. The noble scoffed at Sai's words. "Utterly shameless." He muttered under his breath.

Sai propped his staff beside his desk before jumping into his bed. He sighed contentedly as his face hit the pillow. _"Finally."_ He breathed out in relief. "Sleep without worrying about an exam the next day."

Titus made his way over to his own bed. "Why is sleeping so important to you anyways? No matter what, you always try sleeping early, even if there's a test on the next day."

With much reluctance, Sai raised his head from the wonderfulness that was his bed to answer his roommate. "Mou, you lived a comfortable life so far, so I wouldn't expect you to understand how important a bed in a warm room is. You should appreciate sleep more, lordling. You never know when you'll find yourself in a situation where you need to stay up for days or sleep outside in the cold."

"Outside in the cold?" Titus parroted, interested now. He leaned in. "Did you really have to do that?"

"As a traveler? It's not uncommon. Since you move around a lot and some unexpected things happen when you travel, sleeping outside is necessary if the situation calls for it." Sai said, thinking back to the times when he traveled with his fellow Blessed Children and Shion. Ah, he missed those simpler days. Sai had fun going on adventures and dungeon diving. He was thankful to Shion for finding him.

(Not that the Sai from that time would've admitted it.)

"So you traveled?" Titus inquired. "Where did you go? What did you do there? Who did you go with?"

"Anywhere. Everywhere." Sai answered vaguely, much to Titus' chagrin. He chuckled at the younger teen's expression and elaborated. "I traveled alone in the beginning, but I was accompanied by the other Blessed Children when our paths crossed. We visited the borders of Sasan Kingdom. We flew over Artemyra Kingdom. We sailed close to the Imuchakk Tribes. We made pit stops at Reim and Partevia." He recalled. "We even jumped into some dungeons."

Titus' eyes glittered.

"Tell me more! What did you see? What sort of people did you meet? Was the food there different?"

"Well…"

Influenced by the storytelling part of himself, Sai ended up talking about his experiences and about the outside world the rest of the night. He described every scent, every sound, and every feeling of the interesting things he encountered.

Not once, did the excitement in Titus' eyes dim the whole time Sai talked.

* * *

"_Well then, I will announce who is the best student. The top seat of this academic year is…"_

Kohaku and Selene gave Aladdin encouraging looks as he waited with brimming excitement for his name to be called.

"_Titus Alexius from the Twelfth Term!"_

Shock crossed both girls' faces as they turned, along with everyone else, to see the student who had taken the first seat position from their friend. Recognition crossed their faces when they settled on the figure that stood up.

"What?" Kohaku breathed. "No way…"

Selene froze in shock.

_Titus, _she thought as the student rose up to accept his position, _so you went to this school when you were younger? I never knew._ Then, her eyes zeroed in on a clapping Sai, who was looking onto the scene knowingly. _Sai, if you're with him, then that should mean that something big is going to happen, something that is connected to Titus._

"Titus never told us that he went to Magnostadt Academy." Kohaku murmured to her friend. Then, she glanced over at Selene. "Selene, did he ever…?"

'_No.' _She signed. _'He never spoke much about his past when we…he talked. Though, he did mention that he and Aladdin became friends in their youth.'_

Kohaku gave Selene a sad look. "Selene…"

'_Don't look at me like that, Kohaku. Familiar faces are bound to come up now and then.' _The blonde sucked in a deep breath. _'Titus was important to me, yes, but the magi I knew died a long, long time ago. This person is different.'_

Kohaku took Selene's hand and gave it a squeeze. "It must be hard."

'_It is.'_ Selene wanted to say as Titus fully turned around and looked in her direction, eyes landing on Aladdin, who was sitting right beside her. Her heart trembled at the loss of wisdom and warmth in those blue eyes.

(Gone. Exhausted. Withered up.)

(Her fault.)

'_It…really is.'_

* * *

"Well, brat. You finally did it."

It was subtle, but Kohaku was able to hear the pride in her tutor's voice as he roughly ruffled her hair. She accepted the fond action without any fuss as she beamed at him.

"It's all because of your help, Doron-sensei!" She bowed. "Thank you very much for you support and attention!"

"Damn right you should be thankful. I had to take time off my work in the 5th Authorization District because of you." The man growled with only the slightest hint of a hitch in his voice. Kohaku made no comment on it. "Don't slack off on your training, brat, or I'll personally track you down and beat it all back into you. Got it?"

"Yes, sir!" Kohaku nodded firmly. "I'll do my best!"

Then, she boldly went over and hugged him.

"Thank you, sensei." She repeated. "For everything."

Doron cleared his throat and nudged Kohaku away. "Get packing, brat." Then, without looking at her, he made his way out of the training room, leaving Kohaku alone.

She didn't take it to heart. Doron wasn't good with showing kindness.

Kohaku felt lucky that he even let her hug him in the first place, so she counted that as a win.

"Mou, what's got you so happy, Princess?"

Kohaku whirled around and smiled brightly at the familiar voice. "Sai! It's great to see you! Selene told me that you were here, but you went to Balbadd before I could visit!"

"It's fine. You were working hard." Sai assured her as he patted her head fondly. "So, who was that grumpy guy who passed by? He was all red in the face. Did it have something to do with you, Princess?" He asked slyly.

"Oh, I was just saying thank you to my tutor." Kohaku said innocently. Then, she grabbed his sleeve and began dragging him out of the training room. "I promised to meet Selene that I'd meet her at our new room after I finished talking with Doron-sensei. C'mon, Sai! Don't you want to see her?"

Sai chuckled and followed the excited girl. "Maa, maa, I got it. It's no good to keep my cute, little sister waiting, after all."

* * *

'_Thank you again for helping out, Padma.'_ Selene signed to her classmate as they made their way to Selene's new room. Beside her, Padma Patil smiled. She was one of the students who had gone through the efforts in learning sign language to interact with Selene. The blonde appreciated the girl's efforts and considered her a friend.

"Oh, it's no trouble, Selene! I already moved in with my roommate, so I have a bunch of time. Besides, it's so adorable how Kohaku is going through the efforts to thank her tutor." She cooed. "Parvati would think the same if she was here! Ah, it's too bad that she can't to magic. She would've _loved _to meet Kohaku."

A thought suddenly struck Selene. _'Padma, are you a twin?'_

"Why, yes I am. How did you know?"

'_I guessed.' _Selene lied as she nervously recalled the passionate _Harry Potter _rants her brother sometimes lapsed into. She made note to never bring Padma in Sai's presence since she even resembled the character she shared the name with.

Her brother, as much as loved him, loved the fictional series _far_ _too much_.

"Wow~!" Padma marveled as she stared at Selene's room. "Your room is so big! You're so lucky, Selene!"

Joy filled Selene's chest at the sight of the dorm. It was indeed a huge space. She had a feeling that Kohaku's tutor had something to do with this arrangement. Padma wandered into the room first. "So, where do you want to put Kohaku's things, Selene? Here?"

'_Yes, there would be nice –_

Selene was interrupted mid-sign when a grubby hand tangled into her hair and yanked her out of the room. Padma shrieked as the same was done to her. The blonde struggled against her captor's hands as she tried to reach for the poisoned needles in her right pocket.

"What are you doing to us?!" Padma yelled fearfully before crying out indignantly when her hair was yanked at again. The same was done to Selene after she tried to kick her aggressor on the shin. "Get your hands off of Selene! Don't you know who she –

The words died on Padma's mouth when she looked up to see the ringleader of the abuse. Selene, too, stopped in her struggling when she saw who it was.

_Titus_

Selene didn't want to believe that was him. But how could she not when it was all playing out in front of her eyes? She couldn't count him out as a simple bystander. She wasn't stupid or swamped in too much denial for that. These…these _brutes _were manhandling her and Padma and all he was doing was standing there and _watching_.

(Watching like all those hateful, hateful eyes did as she laid dying with her throat was _burning,_ _burning, BURNING_–)

"I heard that this was the most spacious room here." The one holding her commented, snapping Selene out of her mental breakdown. She forced her eyes to rip away from the other blonde to glare defiantly at her captor. The long-nosed one holding Padma sneered back at Selene. "That's why this is Master Titus' room. Get away from there!"

Burning hot anger that she hadn't felt in years bubbled up Selene's throat. She felt – no – she _needed _to express this burning feeling _somehow _before it burned her up in the inside and made her all bitter and dark like she was before she met Shion. But Selene couldn't say anything to let out this anger, this _frustration_.

She _couldn't say anything._

"Well? What are you waiting for? Make way for Titus-sama and find another room!" Fatty demanded gratingly. "And take that low-life with you!" He added while giving Padma a distasteful glare. "Wench dares to talk back to an Alexius. What imprudence!"

That was the last straw for her.

'_How __**dare **__they call Padma such a horrible name!'_

Selene spat at the bully's shoe in retaliation. She took pride when her spit reached its mark on the student's ridiculously styled shoes. All eyes stared at the blonde in shock as she held her chin up defiantly. She waited for the bully's next move.

"Titus-sama, what should I do with her?"

Beside him, Titus' blue eyes looked over at her as if noticing that she wasn't an ant after all. For a hopeful moment, Selene thought that maybe, _maybe _there was a little piece of the Titus she knew and cared for that was already there after all. Maybe he would stop this madness like the Titus she knew would.

Then, the moment was gone and Titus' attention was drawn somewhere else.

"Do what you want. I don't care." He said dismissively as he began making his way across the room to someone else Selene couldn't see.

Selene couldn't help but look at the ground in frozen disbelief.

'_So…that's it then. Titus really is gone.'_

"You bitch!"

Then, without warning, a foot – the same foot she had spat on almost a minute before – lashed out and connected with _some_ part of Selene's body, making a horrible _crack_ing sound. It seemed that the bully wasn't going to let go of her insult that easily.

For a moment, Selene saw white. Then, the horrible, gut-wrenching pain came. Selene bent over and cried out silently as agony filled her chest. Her eyes squeezed shut as she tried to mentally shut out the pain. Distantly, she took note that the kick probably broke two or three of her ribs.

"Selene!" Multiple voices cried out in unison.

Even though her mind was focusing on dulling the pain, her ears were able to catch the sibilant hisses of concern coming from her right.

_Kukulcan?_

Hands gently rested on her shoulders as they urged her body to straighten out from its defensive position. Though her chest burned, the healer part of Selene knew that this was necessary. She felt her back rest on someone's chest as healing magic flowed through her body.

"Hang on, Selene. I'll try taking away the pain as soon as I can, okay?" Selene heard Sphintus say. Then, she felt him shift a little to the side. "Oi, what the hell do you think you're doing?!" He yelled irritably. "You're going way too overboard treating Selene like that! And _you_, yeah I'm talking to you, rich brat. How can you stand and let this happen, huh?"

Some people gasped at the gall that Sphintus was showing. Even Selene was surprised that the Heliohapt native was sticking up for her in front someone from such a powerful family.

'_Sphintus…didn't you say you came here so you could raise your impoverished clan's reputation by becoming an accomplished magician and marrying a rich noble?' _Selene thought miserably._ 'How can you do such a thing if you go against Titus? He won't show you any mercy.'_

Selene knew that now.

Titus, as expected, bristled at the insult and pointed his wand at the healer's direction. "You-? You dare call me a 'rich brat'?! Come over here and I'll show you the difference of our powers, commoner!"

"No thanks!" Sphintus denied vehemently while pulling Selene closer.

Titus sneered. "Oh, so you're all bark but no bite, huh? Pathetic."

Selene felt her friend stiffen indignantly. "Of course not! I'll come over and show you what I can do if I could, but I'm treating an injured patient here! What, so you want to hurt Selene _more_? I thought you were a genius, _idiot_!"

"Why you-!"

"_Mou…what's going on here?"_

The air seemed to crack as the third voice entered the argument. The crowd immediately separated and revealed an eerily calm Sai and a confused Kohaku.

* * *

Sai's eyes lazily accessed the situation.

'_This was supposed to be the scene when Titus attempts to make friends with Aladdin.'_ The shape-shifter thought as he regarded the scene in front of him with some confusion. _'But why is he arguing with Sphintus instead? Wasn't that kid too scared to speak out against lordling the other time around? What changed? Did I miscalculate and accidentally stretched the rubber band?'_

Beside him, Kohaku let out a horrified gasp. "Selene!"

All thoughts about the mission flew out of Sai's mind as he whirled around to follow Kohaku's eyesight. His unscarred eye zeroed in on his little sister's slumped over form. He automatically made a beeline toward Selene, ignoring everyone else.

Titus acknowledged his entrance into the scene with a smug smile sent at Sphintus' way as if to say, _'you're in for it now'_. "So, you're finally here, Sai? Just in time. This commoner just insulted the Alexius Family's name. Since it was my family that gave you support, you should defend it!"

Sai didn't respond.

Sphintus raised his staff in front of Selene's body defensively when Sai came close. "D-Don't get any closer to her! She's injured!"

"Mou…calm down. I won't hurt her. Or you."

"Don't worry, Sphintus. Sai's a friend. If he says that he wouldn't hurt you, he won't." Aladdin assured from the sidelines, finally making Sphintus relent and give access to Sai.

Sai knelt down and peered at Selene's shadowed face. "Selene, are you still conscious?"

At the sound of his voice, Selene looked up. _'Brother?'_ She mouthed in surprise.

Sai's eyes narrowed dangerously at the bruises on Selene's face. She even had a split lip. His grip on his staff tightened as he turned to Padma and smiled. A shiver went down the other student's spine at the expression. "Can you tell me who did this to both of you?" At the girl's hesitance, Sai's smile cracked a little, revealing his impatience. "It's a good idea to tell me _now_ before my mood gets bad. Believe me. You don't want to see me at my worst."

Padma gave in. "Th-Them." She said as she pointed at the goons behind Titus. "They did this to us."

"And him?" Sai asked as he gestured over to Titus. "Did he touch either of you?"

"N-No. He just watched."

"Ah, I see. Thank you for your cooperation." Sai rose up and brushed off his robes. Then, he whirled around to face the culprits. "Gentlemen." He greeted the two with a fake smile as he walked toward them. "You recognize me, yes?"

"A-Ah, of course, Shambal-sama!" Fatty exclaimed with a stutter. "Who wouldn't know the esteemed magician from the Shambal Tribe?"

"Yes, and one backed up by the Alexius Family!" The Long-nose chimed in.

Sai nodded along with them with a patronizing smile. "Yes, yes. I'm the grandson of Shambal Ramal and supported by the Alexius Family, which means I'm pretty important. You understand that. Very good. Very good. Now…" Sai's hand snapped out, punching the fat one in the stomach. Then, he proceeded to break the ridiculously long nose of the other. Both when down howling.

"Go ahead. Scream. Cry." Sai encouraged them darkly. "Beg for your life. It hurts, doesn't it? Well, both of you should've thought twice before _you laid your filthy hands on my sister_."

Many people began looking between Sai and Selene, now recognizing the similarities between the two.

Titus also looked between the two siblings, horror beginning to fill his features. "I…Sai…I didn't –"

"I know." Sai interrupted Titus. "I know you didn't know and I know you didn't do anything to her directly. I won't hold any of this against you. It's how you were raised to act. It's not right to blame you for that." He walked past him and took Selene from Sphintus' arms. "But still, I'm angry that Selene is hurt. I don't want to talk to you right now or I might say something I might regret. Understand?"

"Wait! Wh-Where are you taking her?" Sphintus asked.

"The medical room. As much as your help is appreciated, she needs experienced treatment." Sai answered him shortly before giving him another look. "That reminds me. What's your name?"

'_Sphintus.' _Selene signed, answering in his stead. _'He's a friend.'_

Ah, Sai remembered now. This was Aladdin's annoying roommate and prospective healer. He eventually became friends with Titus, didn't he? And now he was someone Selene considered as a friend.

"Sphintus Carmen, huh?" He mused as the boy straightened himself under Sai's attention. "You stood up to Titus and me to protect Selene. I'll remember that."

Sai then proceeded to take Selene to the med-bay, leaving everyone else behind.

* * *

As a princess in both lives, Kohaku rarely bowed to anyone.

She had her pride as a royal. No matter the situation, she would never bow to anyone she didn't respect.

That was why, when everyone bent over in one knee upon the sight of Mogamett, she remained standing next to Aladdin. She pasted on a bewildered expression for show, of course, but she still stood despite Sphintus' hisses to 'get down'!

Matal Mogamett was indeed an imposing figure since Kohaku was so small. She didn't need to hide her trembling as she was placed under the enormity of the man's power.

'_So this is the power of an experienced magician!'_

"Are you the one they call Aladdin?" The old man asked. Then, he stretched out both of his hands. Aladdin had his staff ready in front of him in moments. Kohaku, on the other hand, remained timid. It wasn't wise to show her cards so early into the game. Being obvious wouldn't help even if they were found out.

Kohaku tried not to flinch back when she felt the old man's hand land on her head.

"I wonder…if I had grandchildren, would they look just like you two?" Mogamett wondered aloud with a chuckle. He withdrew his hand from Aladdin's head, leaving him bewildered. He turned and placed his full attention on Kohaku. "And you must be the talented Kohaku I have been hearing about from my magicians. I know you must be a bit busy moving into your new room child, but would you mind speaking with me in my office?"

Kohaku knew that she had no choice.

"Not at all!"

* * *

"So, was Titus a lover in your past life or something?" Sai wasted no time in asking his sister when they were left alone by the medics. Selene flushed and shook her head. _'No. Where did you get that sort of idea?'_

Sai hummed. "Well, it was your reaction when you looked at Titus during the graduation ceremony for one. Kohaku told me a few things too, which implied that you had some sort of relationship with him in the past…er, not-future."

'_Titus was a patient of mine during the war.'_

"Oh? So, a 'doctor, patient' sort of romance?"

Selene threw her pillow at her brother's face. _'It's not like that, Sai!' _She signed when he was able to see her. _'I never viewed Titus that way! He was already interested in someone else.'_

Sai chuckled. "Sorry, sorry. I just wanted to tease you a little, Selene. I believe you. But still, past patient or not, it doesn't explain why you reacted so strongly when you saw him. If it wasn't romantic interest, then what was it?"

'_When Shion brought us over to Reim, I was assigned to Titus because his personal medic…passed away.'_ Selene frowned to herself as she signed this. _'Though Titus was a powerful magi, his body was slowly deteriorating since he was using too much power to protect Reim from the outside forces of Al Thamen. I wasn't as good as the healer before me, but I was the best that they could offer at that time. I befriended him. He didn't mind that I couldn't talk. He talked enough for both of us. Titus trusted me with a lot of his feelings since I couldn't really 'tell' anyone. We were close.'_

Selene hesitated.

"Go on." Sai encouraged her.

'_I…couldn't save him. It was my fault.'_ Selene finally confessed as remorse crossed her face. _'His body deteriorated because of my incompetence and Reim fell the next day.'_

Sai nodded along. "I get it now. You have survivor's guilt." He wasted no time in pulling his little sister in for a tight hug. "So you've been bearing that feeling for so long. I'm sorry that I didn't notice this sooner."

Selene buried her face into the crook of her brother's neck. Sai continued making comforting sounds as he rubbed comforting circles around her back.

"Did you know that big brother also felt the same once upon a time?" Sai hummed as he continued to comfort his sister. "Back when he was lost. Back when he used to have Marius…no, it was even before that. It was probably before he was even your brother at all."

Selene lifted her face from Sai's shoulder and listened more intently.

"Before I was "Sai", I used to be "Remy". Remy was a foolish, naïve boy, who trusted the wrong person and felt jealousy towards someone who didn't deserve it. Because of his foolishness and jealousy, someone died. Do you know where I'm going here, Selene?" When she shook her head, Sai's good eye misted over as he recalled the event. His fingers traced his wrists for the phantom scars that weren't there. "Though he wasn't directly involved, Remy was filled with so much guilt that he decided to end it all."

Sai's breath hitched.

"Remy didn't know what he left behind until it was too late. No, he didn't even _think _when he made that stupid decision. He had parents who understood and accepted him. He had a little sister who depended on him. He even had a baby brother on the way who would've looked up to him if he wasn't so _stupid_." His nails raked down his arms, avoiding the veins. "So…you can feel sad, Selene. You can even blame yourself a little. It's in your nature to be that kind. I understand. But, don't make the same, stupid mistake as big brother did, especially not for a ghost of a future that won't even happen. Don't let that sort of guilt consume you. You're too good for that. Understand?"

Selene nodded and wiped the tears from her face. She leaned out of Sai's hug and took his scratched wrist.

'_You too.' _She signed as she healed her brother's minor wound.

Sai tilted his head to the side. "Hmm?"

'_You're too good to be consumed by guilt too.'_

The older Shambal sibling threw his head back and laughed.

"Ah Selene, you're too kind."

(Your brother isn't the good person you think he is. Not in the slightest.)

* * *

Kohaku tried to relax as she sat across from Mogamett. To calm her nerves, she carefully sipped on the tea that was placed in front of her. She didn't dare speak first. It wasn't wise to make a move before a more experienced player. It was better to see how they played the game before jumping in.

"Do you like the tea?" Mogamett asked kindly.

"Yes, sir." Kohaku responded automatically, making sure to sound tentative and shy. It was a good thing that she knew how to act the part since it had been her original personality. "Darjeeling tea, right?"

"Yes, yes, you seem to know your teas."

Kohaku nodded. "Mama loves having variety in her tea, so I have different types every day." She said, omitting the fact that Seishin couldn't cook anything edible for her life and made the maids do it. "A-Ano, if you don't mind me asking, why am I here? I'm not in trouble, am I?"

"Oh no, no! On the contrary, I want to commend you for your abilities. I heard from one of my magicians that you could perform magic without a staff. It's a very impressive feat for someone so young!" The Chancellor praised her. He gestured over to a potted plant that sat on the table between them. "My dear, would you mind showing me?"

Kohaku raised a hand and willed the plant to grow. The plant did so, blooming as it expanded until it became too big for its pot. Kohaku winced when all the dirt spilled from the broken pottery. "I'm so sorry! I can't control my magic too well without my staff! I'll clean this up!"

Mogamett chuckled and waved his staff, disappearing the dirt and the broken pot.

"No need. That was impressive, Kohaku." He praised her. "Tell me, were you always able to do things like this, child?"

"Well…I did summon a borg a few times without a staff, but that was it." Kohaku confessed. "I didn't know I could do magic until recently."

Mogamett nodded musingly. "Hmm, I see. Well, it's fortunate you were able to come to this school. Abilities like this are rare." He leaned back into his chair. "I would like to personally help you in refining your magic abilities without a staff."

Kohaku choked on her tea.

"Ch-Chancellor, you're not really saying…"

"Yes, child. I'm offering to personally tutor you."

Kohaku shook her head, disbelief completely written all over her features. "But you're a really busy person! How could I ever-? I mean, I'm very honored that you're even considering to take me under your wing, but…but…I don't think I'm so good that it'd be worth taking time off your busy schedule to actually _teach _me…"

Mogamett chuckled.

"I have heard many great things about you from Doron, Kohaku." He assured her gently as the red-haired girl tried to calm herself from the overwhelming offer. "He has never praised a young magician, not even his own subordinates, but he has said nothing but praises about your improvement in magic. There is no doubt that you would be 'worth my time', as you put it. You should have more faith in your abilities, child."

"Doron-sensei did?"

Warmth spread through Kohaku's chest at the mention of her crabby tutor. For him to praise her in front of the Chancellor was possibly the highest honor she could get from the poisonous Life Magician.

Kohaku…couldn't turn down the Chancellor's offer. Not only because this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that could bring her magical abilities to its greatest height, but also because she didn't want to disappoint her tutor.

"Chancellor Mogamett, I would be honored to learn from you." The Kou Princess said. "But…my other classes?"

"You will have the chance to attend them, of course. It's no good to stunt a young magician's learning simply because of this old man." He chuckled. "Which reminds me, since you have already proven your talent to me, it will not be necessary for you to engage in a Battle Exam despite your high scores."

Kohaku tilted her head, this time in genuine confusion.

"Eh? Battle…exam?"

Matal Mogamett gave Kohaku a startled look. "Oh? You don't know? Your friend Aladdin and another brilliant student named Titus will be battling against each other tomorrow."

* * *

After making sure that Selene was comfortable in the bed the medical room provided, Sai made his way back to his room. He paused at the doorway for a moment when he heard the soft voice of Titus talking to himself. No…that boy was probably speaking with Scheherazade. Sai turned the knob.

At the sound of the door opening, Titus looked up from his seemingly one-sided conversation. His sleeves were pulled back and the magic suppressors on his wrists were glowing.

"Sai!" Titus was on his feet in a moment. "You're back…um…"

"Was I bothering you?" Sai asked stiffly. "Should I go back outside?"

The blonde shook his head and pulled his sleeves over his wrists. "N-No! I was just finishing up with Scheherazade-sama. You don't need to go outside or anything."

"Hmm. I see."

"Yeah…"

Titus lapsed into an awkward silence. Sai made no effort in encouraging the conversation. Instead, he waited for Titus to either pick up the conversation again or to let the tension between them continue. When it became clear that Titus wasn't going to speak any time soon, Sai turned and made his way to his bags and began unpacking.

"Um! Sai, I…is your sister okay?"

Sai straightened out his books. "Yes." He replied shortly without pausing in his actions. "_Selene_ should be completely healed by tomorrow."

Titus shifted from foot to foot, growing more and more distressed by every second. "Sai, you…I mean, I'm…no…what I'm trying to say is…" The blonde took a shuddering breath and looked down dejectedly. "This is harder than I thought."

Sai paused in his unpacking and looked up at the blonde. When Titus saw the expression on his roommate's face, the blonde broke down. Tears began streaming down his face, surprising Sai to the point that he broke from his expressionless look.

"I'm sorry!" Titus wailed loudly as he fell into a heap on the middle of the floor. "I'm really sorry that I let them hurt your little sister! I'm sorry that I didn't stop them! Please don't be angry with me anymore, Sai! _Please don't hate me_!"

After a minute of wide-eyed staring at the crying mess in front of him, Sai forced himself out of his shock so that he could make his way over to the young Alexius. He helped the boy up and began wiping away the boy's tears. "Hey, hey, I'm not sure who put that idea into your head, but I'm not going to hate you for not stepping in or anything like that."

"R-Really?" Titus asked hopefully. Sai took one look at his teary face and was immediately reminded of a golden retriever puppy. Usually, in this sort of situation, he would tease Titus and pretend to still be angry about the whole situation, but that would be like kicking a pathetic, cute puppy.

And Sai was no puppy kicker.

"Yes, Titus." He sighed. "I might be angry that Selene was hurt, but I'm not angry at you. It's not your fault that you were raised to act like one of those Alexius royals back in Reim. You're still learning. I forgive you. Just…get rid of those followers." Sai's teeth gritted. "I might kill them if I see them again."

Titus nodded shakily. "I already did. You'll never see them again."

"Good."

"…Sai? Will you be watching my battle exam tomorrow?"

Sai tilted his head. "A-re? A battle exam? Let me guess. They're pitting you against that other brilliant student. Aladdin, right?"

Titus' expression soured at the mention of the blue-haired child. "Yes, that vulgar brat. He had the nerve to –" Titus cut himself off and blushed in embarrassment. Sai mentally chuckled when he remembered how Titus and Aladdin's first meeting went in the manga. So the kid ended up groping Titus after all. "Never mind. It's not that important."

Sai ruffled Titus' head with a hand.

"Mou, I'll be watching your battle tomorrow, lordling. Don't worry. I'll be cheering you on at the front row." He gave his head another pat. "Give it your best."

Much to Sai's horror, tears began welling up in Titus' eyes once again. "S-Saiiii! Thank you!"

"Oi, oi, stop crying, lordling. It's not becoming of an Alexius noble like yourself. Didn't that magi tell you that? Besides, I can't handle crying people."

_They're too honest._

When Titus managed to calm down, Sai gave his roommate a firm look. "Don't get into any more trouble tomorrow. You already caught the Chancellor's attention, so nothing suspicious for the time being. Got it?"

Titus nodded. "I won't, Sai!" He promised.

'_Look at me.'_ Sai thought to himself wryly as he watched Titus bounce back to his curious, enthusiastic self. _'For once, __**I'm **__the mature one. Jazzy-chan would surely flip if she was seeing this.'_

* * *

Yasmine sneezed.

"Yasmine-sama, are you alright?" JunJun asked in concern from beside her. Yasmine turned to her with a soft smile. "I'm fine, JunJun."

"Are you sure?" ReiRei spoke up from her other side. JinJin nodded in agreement. "It wouldn't be good to be sick this soon when we're preparing to leave for Magnostadt."

That was true.

"I'll check with a physician when I have time, but I'm sure it's just a minor thing." Yasmine assured them. "I'll be going ahead now to see how Kougyoku is doing."

After saying her goodbyes with Kouha's attendants, Yasmine made her way over to the temple. She bypassed every Al Thamen member without a second glance before reaching Kougyoku's room. She entered casually without knocking. "Hey." She called out. "I wanted to stop by. Is this a good time?"

Kougyoku looked up from her scrolls and smiled weakly at Yasmine. "Yeah, I guess. Are you leaving already?"

"Not yet." The blindfolded woman assured her friend. "We still have until tomorrow. How is it so far?" She asked, gesturing over to Ping's will. "Did you find anything yet?"

Kougyoku moaned and covered her face. _"Nothing._ Her will just claims that I'm her successor and that I should be regarded as an important figure and blah, blah, blah. All official stuff. There's nothing here that actually tells me anything helpful."

"The drawings are pretty." Yasmine noted as her eyes traced the lotus blossoms lined up on the edges of the paper. "Did she do this all herself?"

"Ping loved to paint when she had time." Kougyoku sighed. Then, she turned to Yasmine. "What about you? Have any luck in your own message? I heard that Haku-chan's household member caught a mistake in Amani's translation. Boy, it's pretty rare that she would make a mistake like that."

"Amani isn't perfect. She can make mistakes like anyone else." Yasmine reminded Kougyoku. "Besides, the Toran language is still a mystery to all of us. Not only are they the only race who doesn't use the common language as their primary language, but they're also connected to the dungeons."

Kougyoku poked at Yasmine's sleeves. "So? What do they really say?"

"_Eyes that can see past mountains and devour eras."_ Yasmine quoted. "It's not too different. It actually makes more sense. My eyes never had the ability to 'create mountains'. But 'devour eras'? That makes absolutely no sense."

Kougyoku groaned. "I guess we're back onto the drawing board then. Though, I feel sorry for Sai. He has to worry about finding out his ability _and _get good grades in Hogwarts."

"Magnostadt Academy." Yasmine corrected her friend with a smile. Then, her smile dimmed. "Are you sure you'll be fine on your own? Amani is already back at Balbadd with Kouryuu and I'll be leaving soon. I know _they_ haven't tried anything yet, but what about later? Are you sure you can handle them on your own?"

"I'm already doing fine for now. My presence here alone inhibits most of their movements. It should at least give Judal a little more time to train."

Yasmine frowned. "And their leader?"

"Haku-chan will be here with me to make sure she won't do anything funny. Stop worrying! He has a dragon!" Kougyoku insisted. "You should start worrying more about yourself instead of the rest of us, Yasmine. You have your own problems to deal with, like the relationship between you and Kouha." She nodded seriously. "You really need to clear that up with my brother. He's starting to get impatient."

Yasmine looked at Kougyoku quizzically. "Huh? Clear what up?"

Kougyoku sighed and shook her head. "I'm starting to see why he's so frustrated. Look Yasmine, how do you see Kouha?"

"A friend." She answered automatically.

"Yes…_and_….?"

"The ideal sparring partner." Yasmine added, unsure of where Kougyoku was going with this. "Kougyoku, can't you just tell me? You know I can't play guessing games for my life."

Kougyoku rubbed her forehead. "Okay, let me phrase it another way for you. Say, if Kouha finds a pretty girl, settles down with her, and have children with her, how would you feel?"

The crushing feeling in her chest surprised Yasmine. Her eyes flew wide open behind her blindfolds. "I…I would feel happy for him." She responded, her tongue feeling strangely heavy as she said this. Yasmine felt frustrated with herself at how insincere she sounded. _Of course, _she would feel happy for Kouha! He deserved to find and marry a wonderful girl!

Kougyoku, meanwhile, was grinning madly at the feelings that she was seeing flow out of Yasmine. _'Kouha owes me big time.'_ She thought smugly as she sent Yasmine away with that little thought in her head.

Mind buzzing, Yasmine had the sudden urge to visit Kouha. On her way there, she bumped into a maid. "Oh, sorry about that." She said dazedly as she nodded to the woman. "Um…Ming Hua? Miss Seishin's friend?"

"Yes. That's me." The woman nodded. "Are you all right? Should I get a physician? You look a bit flushed."

Yasmine shook her head. "I'll be fine. Thank you for your concern. Good day." From the corner of her eye, she caught sight of the maid behind the woman. By the looks of the woman's nose, it was a bit crooked. _'Maids could get into fistfights too? Or abuse?'_ Yasmine wondered as she walked past the dark-haired woman. _'Probably the latter since she doesn't look like a native here.'_

"Good day, Blessed Child." Ming Hua responded with a strange smile.

Yasmine thought nothing of it. Her mind was still unclear. What did Kougyoku mean by 'clearing up her relationship with Kouha'? Why had she reacted so poorly to the idea of Kouha being happy? Why was she feeling this way lately?

(Was she really such a terrible person?)

'_Maybe I should ask Kouha.'_ She decided as she made her way to his room. _'He'll know. This is something about us.'_ "Kouha." She called out as she made her way to the door. "Can I come in?"

The doors were thin, so Yasmine could hear the shifting of bed sheets and someone cursing from the other end. Her erratic heartbeat that had somehow risen at the sound of his voice suddenly spluttered into a dead stop when her eyes saw what was happening through the door. "Wait a second, Yasmine! I'll be right there!"

Yasmine averted her eyes as the door slid open to reveal a messily clothed Kouha. His normally well-kept hair was all other the place. Behind him, Yasmine saw a pretty girl peering at her curiously from the covers. Kouha scratched the back of his head sheepishly when he followed her line of vision. "Sorry. You sort of got us by surprise. What is it, Yasmine? Do you need something?"

"I…" For once, Yasmine seemed to be at a loss. "Sorry for interrupting. I was trying to find my way to a physician and I got lost."

"A physician?" Kouha asked looking concerned. He leaned forward and placed a hand over her forehead. "You look a little flushed, but I didn't know that you were coming down with something. How are you feeling?"

_Miserable._

"I'll be fine." Yasmine sighed as she leaned away from Kouha's hand. "I just need a physician to check on my condition. We need to travel by tomorrow, so I don't want to cause any problems."

"One of the medical rooms should be at the left wing of this area. Do you want me to take you there?" Kouha asked.

Yasmine shook her head. "It's just a quick trip. You don't need to bother. Thanks and sorry for bothering you two."

As she walked away, Kougyoku's words echoed in her mind.

'_Say, if Kouha finds a pretty girl, settles down with her, and have children with her, how would you feel?'_

"I don't…want it." Yasmine confessed to herself quietly. "Kouha finding someone to settle down with…I don't want it."

* * *

That had been a close call.

"I told you to keep your head down, Camilla. Why didn't you listen to me? We almost got caught by a Blessed Child." Ming Hua scolded her companion sharply. "You should feel lucky it wasn't the other one who already saw your face."

Camilla paced irritably around the room.

"Hiding, hiding, always hiding!" She snarled. "_Why _do they want me here in Kou when I can be somewhere else?!"

"Think of it as your punishment for attacking Prince Shion without thinking about the consequences." Ming Hua said as she took a seat. "But it's more because the Blessed Child of Kou finally revealed her identity. All of our targets are now officially in plain sight. Now, it's only the issue that we get rid of our targets as soon as she can."

Camilla sneered. "Oh, _them_? They're sitting ducks. They were _always _sitting ducks! I don't know why it even took us this long to finally make the move to get rid of them."

Ming Hua sighed. "The stress of being cooped up for so long is finally getting to you, I see. Usually, you wouldn't ask such stupid questions." She ignored Camilla's glare. "Each of us are assigned to our own Blessed Child to eliminate. We were made for that purpose. But what if we killed off the ones we knew about like you said? The rest that survive would go into hiding and we would _never _be able to find them all."

Ming Hua turned her gaze toward the lattice screen beside her.

"Our main priority is to destroy them before their successors are born. Only then would the cycle of the Blessed Children be permanently broken."

Camilla smiled bitterly. "Do you really believe that? They have an awful habit of coming back no matter how Al Thamen tried to wipe them out or convert them in the past."

Ming Hua sent the other woman a look.

"We are not Al Thamen. We won't fail."

* * *

"Queen Eirenne, you have a guest waiting for you outside your chambers."

Eirenne looked away from her mirror and sent a brief, annoyed look at the slave's way. "Send them away. I'm not in the mood to meet with anyone today. My husband won't be able to visit our bedchamber because he's tired from work _again._" She pouted at her reflection."Honestly, that husband of mine can't read in between the lines."

The slave bowed. "Your majesty, the guest claims that he is a…_personal_ friend of yours and that he needs to have an audience with you immediately."

The queen's primping halted. "What did he say his name was?"

"He didn't –

"Well, why didn't you _ask _him?! It's common courtesy to ask someone's name." She snapped. "You useless slave! Why can't any of you do anything right?"

A hand gently settled on Eirenne's shoulder, cutting her off. She looked at the offending hand in disgust before turning her gaze to the slave. "What…are you doing? I can't have your head for this."

"That would be unwise." The slave dared to say. Eirenne glared at the slave's imprudence. "Why not?! I can call the guards here right now to end your insignificant life you vermin!"

The 'slave' took off the standard, thin headdress that all Eirenne's slaves wore, revealing a man's face. "That's because it would raise suspicions, Eirenne dear. And I would really prefer for that not to happen."

The angered look melted off Eirenne's face the instant she recognized the man behind her. She turned from the mirror to face her surprise visitor fully. "Raul, dearest! It's been so long since you personally dropped by to visit me! How did you manage to enter my room without anyone noticing?"

"Well, as you can see, I…'borrowed' this nice outfit from one of your slaves. I hope you don't mind the mess I made in getting it. Was she important to you?" Raul asked as he took off the dress. Eirenne waved her hand dismissively. "Of course not, she was just a slave. And about the mess, I'll just make one of the guards clean it up later."

Raul chuckled and looked her over properly. "Ah, I've forgotten how beautiful you are, Eirenne." He kissed the back of her hand before looking up at her slyly. "Of course, that is to be expected from the most beautiful woman in Heliohapt."

"Oh stop it, Raul you flatterer." Eirenne giggled. Then, she tilted her head. "So? What brings you here in Heliohapt? You were at Reim the last time you contacted me, weren't you? Did that chit priestess find you out again?"

Raul shook his head ruefully. "It was only one time, Eirenne. No need to dig up old mistakes. I'm careful. But no, it wasn't Scheherazade. Actually, it seems that our favorite plant in Sindria was found out."

Eirenne gasped loudly. "Camilla? But she's the best!"

"She claimed to be so, but look how quickly she was found out. And by a brat, no less." Raul shook his head disappointedly. "Ah well, no use crying over spilt milk. But it does look like we should be making our move soon."

"What about Camilla? Is she still alive?" Eirenne clucked worriedly.

"Alive." Raul confirmed. "Ming Hua is housing her for the time being in Kou."

Eirenne sighed in relief.

"And speaking of Kou, it seems that their Blessed Child took up the priestess position. Very bold move of the girl." Raul noted with a satisfied grin. "And now we know her identity! Ren Kougyoku, Eighth Princess of Kou and Royal Priestess. Ming Hua will be keeping an eye on her, so let's just focus on the medium. Seeing that the Blessed Children are servants of Solomon, there's bound to be one or two of them at the scene, no?" The man's grin gained a predatory edge as he said this. "And when we find them there...the hunt begins."

"Magnostadt. Right?" Eirenne giggled. "I can't wait!"

* * *

"Hey, shrimp. What'cha doing all alone over there?"

Askan jumped in his seat when he heard his older brother's voice. He turned sheepishly at Hakkan.

"Oh…um….nothing really, Hakkan-nii. I-I'm just working on my studies."

Hakkan walked over to Askan's desk. "Still?" He asked, making the younger boy blush shamefully and turn his eyes on the ground. "It's h-hard!" He insisted weakly. "I don't understand some things so I c-came to the library to research!"

"Hey, hey." Hakkan laughed while making calming motions with his hands. "Don't worry. I believe you. I was just curious." He picked up one of the scrolls and read it over. When he was finished, Hakkan made a face. "No wonder you were having such a hard time. This is Professor Thutmose's assignment. He's always giving hard readings. Hey, I already did this assignment before. Want me to help?"

Though surprised by the unexpected offer, Askan nodded eagerly. "Yes please!"

Askan found that Hakkan was nicer to him lately.

It wasn't as if Hakkan was never nice to Askan. Even before they went to Sindria, Hakkan was a good older brother. He used to always be kind and gentle with others. He even laughed a lot too. But then, Hakkan's personality changed the more he spent time with Eirenne. It didn't help that their father never acknowledged them.

(It was terrible of him, but Askan never thought of Eirenne as 'mother'. Not ever.)

Hakkan became arrogant and rude, copying their mother's mannerisms in hopes of gaining their father's attention and praise. He even began pushing Askan away with Eirenne's encouragement. Askan began to fear for his brother as his personality took a downward spiral that the younger brother didn't like. But what could he do? He was weak, useless, little Askan with no strength or power.

And then they met Shion.

Though he was the same age as Askan, Shion was confident and strong. He had his father's pride and attention and the love of his people. Even at his younger age, Askan could feel the charisma that Shion had and looked up to that. Askan thought that Shion might've been what Hakkan could've been if their mother hadn't influenced him so much.

Shion was everything that Hakkan wasn't. Shion had everything that Hakkan didn't.

(Hakkan probably saw it too.)

"…got it, shrimp?" Hakkan finished his explanation. Askan nodded and quickly scribbled his brother's explanation down. "Uh huh. I think I understand now. Wow, it's way easier when you say it, Hakkan-nii!"

Hakkan crossed his arms with a satisfied smile. "Hmf! Of course! I'm your big brother! I'm the best at everything, you know!"

"Ehhhhh…."

Hakkan flinched at the doubtful look that crossed his little brother's face. "O-Oi! What's with that look?!"

"Well…Shion _did _beat you pretty bad back in Sindria…"

Hakkan flushed brightly at the mention of Shion. "Th-That's different! She – I mean – he took me by surprise! And I was going easy on him since he was a g – a younger guy! S-So there!" Then, a funny look crossed his face. "Why am I even explaining this to you anyway, shrimp. And when did you get so cheeky?!"

Askan snickered. "You got your ass kicked, Hakkan-nii~!" He sang while dodging his older brother's flailing arms.

"Why you-! Come over here, shrimp, and I'll show you some real ass-kicking!"

"Nooooo!"

Askan's big brother was just about back to normal. And he had Shion to thank for that.

* * *

And that's where I'll be leaving this chapter. Here's some Omakes!

* * *

**Chibi-Omake: Chibi Adventures in Reim III (or, How Alibaba Reacted to the News)**

Hel, Jamal, and Opal all stood around Alibaba as they told him the news.

"A boy…the baby is a boy. Ren Kouryuu." Alibaba repeated, looking a little dazed. "And my sister is fine? There weren't any complications, right?"

"She's as healthy as a person can ever be." Jamal assured Alibaba cheerfully. "Congrats! You're an uncle now! Tell me, how does it feel?"

Alibaba sat down. To the trio's surprised, the blonde appeared depressed. "Um…dude? Shouldn't you be, like, jumping around like some madman? Your sister just had her baby! Shouldn't you be happy for her?"

"Yeah, I am. But…I missed it. I missed everything. While she was going through labor all alone, I was all the way over here in Reim. I couldn't be there for her." He said bitterly. "I wanted to be there."

Opal patted Alibaba awkwardly on the back. "Hey, it couldn't be avoided in your situation. Even Shion couldn't attend because of the politics."

"Yeah…I know…"

Hel huffed. "Just get stronger, so you can barge into Balbadd and visit your sister whenever you want. That's why you're training, right? Eventually, they'll let you see your sister and your nephew. For now, just train and get stronger."

"Um, Hel? It's not that simple, buddy. Politics can be pretty hard." Jamal hedged.

"No, he's right." Alibaba interrupted the younger boy with a determined gleam in his eye. "It's no use moping around when I can get stronger. Hey Hel, would you mind lending a hand in my training?"

Jamal winced. "Hey, do you know what you're asking for here? It's _Hel_. Not exactly the easiest sparring partner, if you catch my drift."

"Okay." Hel said acceptingly, picking up one of the training swords.

"Wait, seriously?! You're going to train him?" Jamal squacked.

"I'll watch." Opal announced gleefully, making her way to the stands.

Jamal threw his hands up. "You're encouraging them?! Alibaba might _die!_ Aren't you even the slightest bit concerned about his well being? This is Kohaku's past father we're talking about!"

"Hel won't kill him." Opal assured him. "Maim him, yes. But he won't kill him."

"You're all _crazy!_"

Opal sent him a strange look. "Says the whack-job scientist who constantly toys with the nature as a hobby. Don't you usually like doing these things?"

"…Yeah, you're right. I was just trying to act like a mature adult so I can tell Kohaku that I tried." Jamal admitted while taking a seat next to Opal. He produced a bag of popcorn out of nowhere and began munching on it. "Want some?"

"_Hell_ yes."

* * *

**Adventures of Judal: Turtle-sensei**

Judal hated Yunan with a fiery passion that he didn't know he was capable of feeling.

"Ten more laps to go, Judal-chan~!" The blonde man sang as he floated beside the panting Judal. "You can do it! Just a little more to go! And then, we'll do twenty push-ups after you're done!"

Stamina? Judal had none before he landed himself in the Great Rift. When Yunan discovered this, the man wasted no time in improving that part of the ex-dark magi.

"Shut up, Turtle-sensei! I already know!" Judal snapped at the older magi.

"Huh? What kind of nickname is that?" Yunan whined as he floated around Judal. The dark-haired magi shot the feminine man a dirty look. "You hide in small, dark places and wear green like a stupid turtle! You're slow too!"

"Judal-chan, you're so mean!"

"I don't care! Now stop making me talk! I'm trying to run the stupid laps!"

* * *

Okay, so this little extra thing is something I wanted to try. It's an interaction between the past and the present. The idea is: a younger version of the character would write down a dream or hope about the future and the present character would write a response. I found that Ohtaka did something similar with the main cast and thought it was cool!

If people like this, I might do the same thing with other characters.

* * *

**Time-Capsule Letters**

Amani:

_What's the point of trying to save them if it's hopeless in the first place? I want Alibaba to at least have a good future._

Response: _Try anyways. And don't worry about Alibaba. He'll be fine._

Yasmine:

_I'll become strong enough to get Raja and me out of this place. I'll even meet a handsome prince too! Awesome-sauce, it'll be like the fairy tales!_

Response: _Stop being so naïve. Reality doesn't work like that. But…the prince isn't half bad._

Kougyoku:

_I'll show everyone how powerful I can be even if I'm a girl and a bastard child! Those cows won't know what hit them!_

Response: _You'll meet someone very special and say those exact words in the future. Hold onto him and head-butt him extra hard to make a point._

Sai:

_I just want to live a comfortable life with that idiot Marius._

Response: _Don't kid yourself. Happiness like that doesn't come to people like us._

Shion:

_I want to live as a fisherman in a quiet town with Mom and Uncle._

Response: _I remember that dream._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Titus and Selene: As she explained to Sai, Selene took care of Titus during the war. For an unnamed reason, Titus' body began to deteriorate. His personal medic (guess who) died in crossfire of a battle, leaving only Selene to take care of the blonde. They became close and she was devastated when she couldn't save him.
> 
> Padma and Parvati Patil: They belong to J.K. Rowling. Not mine. It's a crossover thing.
> 
> The Bully Scene: It might not seem like it in the anime, but in the manga, one of the girls getting harassed by the Magi!Crabbe and Magi!Goyle looked like a blonde. I couldn't get the thought out of my head and ended up replacing the girl as Selene. The idea of adding Padma came after. (I'm such a shameless Potterhead.)
> 
> Kohaku, Mogamett's Student: Come on. Don't tell me that you didn't expect this. Kohaku has so much untapped potential because of her ability to produce powerful magic even without a staff. There's no doubt that the Chancellor himself would try to help her personally.
> 
> Titus the Bully: Yes, Titus is an amazing, wonderful character who needs to be loved an protected. But people tend to completely forget what he did before he became friends with Aladdin. He was actually quite the little shit. But then again, he was poorly influenced by how society viewed his "Alexius" title, so he's not completely in the wrong. He's young. Sai understands this.


	42. Chapter 41: Another Step Forward

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sai, Kohaku, and Selene continue their life at the School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Meanwhile, Yasmine and Kouha's relationship takes a couple steps back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Onwards

"Mou…didn't I tell you not to get into any more trouble, lordling?"

Sai was not amused.

From across the room, Titus sat behind bars. Earlier that day, he had attacked Aladdin after the match in panic because the younger boy had discovered his identity. Though Sai had expected this to happen, he was still a little disappointed at his impulsive actions. Titus looked down at his hands shamefully. "I'm sorry. I got impatient." He apologized to both Sai and Scheherazade. "To think there was another magi subordinate…wh-what should I do now?"

The jewels on Titus' wrists flickered.

Sai lifted his gaze up to the ceiling as Scheherazade relayed her message to Titus.

'_Well, at least this means the rubber band snapped back.' _He tried assuring himself as he leaned against the opposite wall. _'But still…this worries me. Shion said that the actual 'turning point' of the world's end should be coming soon.'_

"Sai, what do you think should I do?" Titus asked, snapping the dark-haired Blessed Child from his thoughts. His good eye rolled over to the blonde's anxious face. He sighed and straightened himself up. "Apologize, of course. Threat or no, you attacked a fellow student in front of a whole audience."

Titus nodded miserably. "Yes…you're right. I should do that. How is he?"

"Mou, don't worry. Since he didn't face the full brunt of your nasty attack, Aladdin just has a minor concussion. He's not up yet, but he has that Carmen boy and my little sister looking after him. He should be up in a little bit." Sai informed the blonde. "They'll be letting you out in another hour, so drop by his room before you get back, okay?"

Titus nodded.

"Well! Since that issue is all settled, I'll be going back to our room." Sai announced as he made for the door.

"Wait!"

Sai paused mid-step and turned around at the blonde's cry. "A-re? What is it now, lordling? Scared of being alone? You know this is called an isolation cell for a reason. It's punishment for being bad." He wiggled a finger and tutted. "I can't stay and keep you company. It's against the rules, so you better brave it through like a big boy."

Titus flushed indignantly. "It's not that!" He huffed. "It's just…why aren't you angry with me?"

At Sai's inquiring expression, Titus reiterated his question. "Scheherazade-sama is still upset with me for attacking Aladdin…but you just scolded me a little before going back to normal. Why aren't you disappointed in me? Didn't I do wrong?"

"Again, attacking your fellow classmate was the wrong thing to do. But, you're obviously sorry about it, which shows me you learned your lesson." Sai shrugged. "You messed up, but you're growing from it. It's natural to make mistakes. Humans aren't perfect."

Titus frowned and looked at his hands. "But…I'm not 'human'."

"You are a clone made from the Magi of Reim, a copy of a 'human' being." Sai agreed. "But I, as a twin, am also a clone of another human being. To me, you are just as human as I am." The Blessed Child said nonchalantly. "Anyone can argue with me on the subject, but from what I can see, you are human."

"I see." Titus nodded. "Sai? You said that you are a twin. Does that mean you have another sibling?"

Sai shook his head, face becoming unreadable. "My sibling was stillborn."

"Oh. I'm sorry for asking."

"Maa, you didn't know. Besides, I never knew if it was a boy or girl." He hummed. "It was a long time ago, anyways. Is that all, lordling?"

Titus nodded.

"I'll be leaving, then. Don't forget to speak with Aladdin before you come back." He reminded the blonde before departing. He yawned and stretched while nodding over to the sleeping guard. "Keep up the good work." He said sarcastically as he lifted the sleeping spell off of the lower magician.

When the magician woke, Sai was already long gone.

* * *

Selene's eyes focused intently on Aladdin's sleeping face as she slowly monitored his health with her magic. Sphintus was snoring softly on the chair at the other side of Aladdin's bed. He had exhausted himself in making sure that Aladdin's brain and vitals were stable. Selene had taken over when the Heliohapt native began nodding off.

'_So young.'_ Selene mused as she ran a hand through his bangs. _'Aladdin is only twelve, just a child. He shouldn't have the world's burden on his shoulders at this age.'_

But the world wasn't so kind on the young, was it?

'_No. And I am the proof of that.'_ Selene thought wryly.

Yet, the Aladdin in this time was so cheerful despite having so much responsibility. He was so hopeful and carefree, which was a stark contrast in the weary and sad magi she had encountered in her memories. That Aladdin was far wiser and knowledgeable about the darkness in this world. He, along with King Alibaba and…_that man_, had been important teachers and guides for Shion.

Everyone was so different before the world's end. She was always thrown aback by the major differences between the people in the past and the nonexistent future.

'_Everyone has gone through too much.' _She realized. _'I…won't let them go through that again.'_

"Pssst, Selene."

Selene snapped out of her thoughts and turned to the doorway. Sai waved at her as he peered in the room cautiously. "He's still sleeping, isn't he?" He asked, gesturing over to Sphintus. At Selene's nod, Sai's form relaxed and he strolled into the room. "Mou, he looks pretty relaxed. Think he's having pleasant dreams?"

'_I hope so.'_ Selene confided to her brother. _'With everything that he's going through, Aladdin deserves at least a little break.'_

"True. Children shouldn't be fighting adult battles." Sai sighed as he ran a hand through his hair. "Titus should be coming soon. Do you mind moving your friend out of the room?" At her panicked look, he chuckled in assurance. "Ah, Aladdin will be fine. Titus only has the intention of apologizing. Genius magician or not, he's still a child."

'…_If you say so, I'll do that.'_ Selene signed grudgingly, thinking back to the incident the other day. Her chest was still sore from the abuse that she endured. And the look Titus had when he attacked Aladdin…it still haunted Selene. But still…Selene trusted her brother. That trust was only seconded by her loyalty to Shion, which the two siblings shared anyways. _'I trust you, Sai.'_

Sai's smile took a more sincere edge to it at her message.

"Maa, thank you Selene. I know that this is hard for you. Sorry for asking this much." He made a move to leave and hesitated. He turned back to his sister. "Hey, you…won't hold Titus' actions against him forever, will you Selene?"

Selene's eyes widened at the uncertainty tinting her usually confident brother's tone. She looked up to see her brother sporting an uneasy expression as he waited for her answer.

'_No.'_ Selene signed finally. _'I'm just letting my emotions from the past get the better of me. I have already forgiven him, Sai. It's just…'_

"I understand." Sai assured his sister quickly. Then, he shook his head and let out a laugh in disbelief. "The fact that you already forgave him alone is amazing, Selene. Thank you. Don't feel like forcing yourself into doing anything you don't want to do, okay?"

'_Okay.'_

"Good." Sai nodded and continued his way out, confidence regaining his steps. "I'll be going, then. I'll leave everything else to you."

Selene continued to watch her brother make his way out until he left the room all together. He left as silently as he came. Her eyes slowly traveled back to the still-sleeping Sphintus. She leaned over and gently woke up her companion with a shake.

"Hmm-huh? Wha-? Selene?" Sphintus was roused from his sleep at her touch. He blinked tiredly and rubbed his eyes. "Did something happen? Do you need any help with Aladdin?"

Selene shook her head and took out a scroll. _'No. I'm actually finished. He should be fine by tomorrow morning. Why don't we head back to our rooms? I'm sure that a chair isn't the most ideal sleeping place.'_

Sphintus stretched and winced. "Yeah, you're right." He glanced at Aladdin worriedly. "Are you sure he'll be okay on his own?"

'_If it makes you feel better, let's visit him early next morning…after we get our rest.'_

"Let's do that." Sphintus agreed, standing up. He checked on Aladdin one last time before nodding. "He's stable." He turned to her with an impressed look on his face. "You're right, Selene. Almost all his injuries are gone! Wow, what you did was pretty high-level stuff…and you managed to do this in such little time, too!"

Selene blushed at his compliment.

'_You flatter me too much, Sphintus Carmen. I'm sure that it was mostly thanks to the experienced medics and you. I only did a small part.'_

Sphintus shook his head. "No, this was all you. Aladdin was worse off before you took over. I remember because I couldn't ease the bruising over here…and the swelling on the right side of his head! Even the medics couldn't do anything about that! But you somehow managed to heal that in a few hours. You're amazing, Selene." He said sincerely while looking up. "You really are a genius."

Selene wasn't a genius, not really. Honestly, the only reason she was so good was because she had a clearer image of the human anatomy compared to everyone else. The knowledge she amassed from the far-more advanced medical information from the other world was more than enough for her the work through the complicated things the magicians and healers have in this world.

That was all.

'_Thank you'_ was all she could write with a polite smile before they exchanged their goodnights and made their separate ways to their respective rooms. The whole way, Selene had a bitter taste in her mouth.

"_You're amazing, Selene."_

Not yet.

Selene knew that she _could _be amazing, but not yet. Not when she had ghosts hovering over her shoulders.

('I need to become stronger'.)

* * *

"_Dwell in my body, Andromalius!"_

Shion stood across from his father in his full djinn equip. He smiled in elation at the familiar feeling of Andromalius fully being assimilated with him. Across from him, Sinbad calmly equipped into Focalor's djinn equip. "Ready, Shion?"

"Mn!" Shion nodded excitedly as both took flight.

Though Shion was a bit rusty at keeping his djinn equip on for an extended amount of time at first, his body eventually remembered what to do from his older memories. His improvement in using his djinn equip improved by leaps and bounds since then.

Shion swerved to the side when his father sent a small cyclone-like attack at his way. In return, Shion sent a blast of energy at his father, which the older easily avoided. Mentally, Shion grimaced at the size of his attack. _'It's not big enough.' _He thought grimly as he readied himself for the next attack that his father would send.

Sinbad sent the same attack with a little more force this time.

'_I'm either going to regret this or this will actually do something.' _Shion thought as he met his father's attack head-on instead of dodging it like he had always done so far. He made his energy blast smaller and sharper as he swung his weapon once again, aiming specifically at the weakest spot in the small cyclone. To his elation (and relief since he was sure that he would've been blown clean away if his gamble had failed), his attack managed to cleave his father's whirlwind in half, dispersing the attack all together.

Sinbad paused in his attacks in surprise by his son's new move. Shion took this opening and rushed towards his father. He grunted in mild frustration when his father managed to dodge his weapon at the last moment. _'Dammit…almost.'_

"Your swordsmanship is improving." Sinbad noted as he continued dodging Shion's swipes. "Your attacks are getting more focused too. Good. You're even meeting my attacks head-on now." He praised before sending an even stronger attack. This one was a bit more difficult for Shion to handle, much to his displeasure.

'_No good, he's pushing me back. If this goes on any longer, I'll run out of magoi and lose the spar. I guess I'll have to do…__**this**__.'_

The sword in his hand shifted as Shion mentally willed it to shift into another weapon. A satisfied smile settled on his lips when he felt the familiar weight of his more preferred weapon of choice.

Sinbad regarded the change of weapon with interest. "Oh? I didn't know that you could do that, Shion."

"I couldn't really do it well enough since my magoi control was all wacky, but I'm confident enough to bring it out now." Shion explained as he held up a sling made of cloth and metal. He began swinging it to gain momentum as he flew around his father. "Though…I'm not sure if hitting you with this would be a good idea. I can't really control the strength of it yet. Mind giving me a target, Father?"

Sinbad sent out his whirlwind attack in response to Shion's request. The Prince focused the energy blast into a tightly condensed ball before he released it from his weapon. The energy ball reached its target. The moment it made contact with the eye of the cyclone the whole thing exploded, sending both father and son flying back from the force of the explosion.

Shion, with much effort, righted himself in mid-air. From the corner of his eye, he saw that his father had already done the same thing. Their gazes met and Shion laughed sheepishly. "Ahahaha…oops?"

"You didn't expect that?" Sinbad asked critically as the two slowly descended. Once their feet touched the ground, they dispelled their djinn equips. Shion scratched the back of his head sheepishly. "It was kind of an experiment. I never knew it would react that way."

Shion was genuinely surprised by the explosion his attack made. In the nonexistent future, he had used this same attack against his bigger enemies. They had toppled giants with the accuracy and strength of the condensed energy beam, but that was all it did. Not once had they exploded with this much force.

'_Maybe it's because my body can't handle the strength of the attack? It's way smaller than it was since the last time I did this.'_

It did sound like a plausible explanation.

"Well, that attack was impressive, even if it was a bit dangerous. Don't try doing that without me to supervise you, okay? I don't want you to get hurt." Sinbad said. Shion nodded quickly. "Don't worry, Father. I won't."

"SIN! SHION!" Both father and son's heads whirled around at the sound of a very concerned and annoyed Ja'far.

"If he asks about the explosion, it was one of Jamal's experiments he left behind." Sinbad offered, knowing that the freckled advisor would never let Shion go for another training session if he found out the cause of the large explosion.

After taking another look at Ja'far's expression, Shion nodded hastily. "Yeah. Let's go with that one."

* * *

The next day, the newly minted second years were finally given permission to explore certain districts of the city.

Sphintus had promptly invited Selene, Kohaku, and the recovered Aladdin to go out to explore the city district with him. Much to his shock and slight indignation, Titus had also accompanied Aladdin.

"Hello, Aladdin. Sorry to keep you waiting." Titus greeted the blue-haired boy serenely, completely overlooking Sphintus' existence. Then, he grabbed his hand and began dragging him away. "Okay, let's go."

"Hey, wait a minute-!" Sphintus called out after Titus irately before the blonde could get too far. "You don't come out of nowhere and drag people away like that! Give Aladdin back, you rich brat!"

"Oh, so it's the annoying commoner again. Tell me, Aladdin, is he your attendant?"

"_I'm not an attendant!"_

While Titus and Sphintus bickered, Sai slid up between Selene and Kohaku, who had watched the whole interaction silently so far, and wrapped his arms around their shoulders. "Boo."

Kohaku jumped and squeaked adorably. Selene didn't make any noise, but the surprise was clear on her face.

'_Sai? You're here too?'_

"Of course. How could I ever miss out on a chance to spend time with my two favorite girls?" Sai patted Kohaku's head and gave Selene a quick kiss on the cheek. "Besides, the little lordling wanted to have fun in the city and, as his babysitter, I can't leave him alone. It's like hitting two birds with one stone." He raised his voice. "Titus, this isn't the time to fight with your classmate like children. Besides, I think you have something to say to my little sister, no?"

At Sai's words, Titus snapped out of his argument with Sphintus as his blue eyes landed on Selene. The girl stiffened under his attention and glanced away from the noble, shuffling closer to her brother and Kohaku.

Titus tentatively walked up to the trio, ignoring Sphintus' demands to 'stay away from her!' A genuinely remorseful expression overtook his face as he guiltily took off his hat. "Selene-san…I've done something horrible to you. Letting my attendants do those things to you…I'm…I'm…" Titus struggled with his apology, causing Sphintus to snort derisively.

Sai sent the Heliohapt native a sharp look. Sphintus backed away, but kept his sour expression. He turned back to Titus. "Go on." He encouraged.

Face flushing brightly, Titus fisted his right hand and positioned it over his chest before making a circular motion. Selene's eyes widened when she recognized the action.

'_Sign language? When did he-?'_ Selene's gaze went up to Sai, who smiled knowingly in response. "He insisted on learning."

She turned back to Titus.

"I-I'm sorry. Even though I didn't hurt you directly, I still didn't prevent it when I could. And that was wrong of me. Forgive me?" He asked nervously, still making the motion.

Selene was quick to give in. She had been intending to forgive the blonde upon her brother's request, but his sincere apology made any negative feelings she held toward him disappear in an instant.

'_I forgive you.'_ She signed. _'I would like to get along in the future as friends.'_ She added, much to her brother's surprise.

"She forgives you, Titus." Sai translated. "And she wants to be friends."

Titus visibly brightened at her offer of friendship and took her hand. "Yes! Thank you, Selene! Let's be good friends from now on!"

Then, he proceeded to drag her and Aladdin away. "Let's go!"

Sphintus' eye twitched as his hand snapped out again to stop the Alexius noble in his tracks. "Oi, Oi! Don't drag Selene away too, you rich brat! And don't forget me!"

Sai chuckled. "Maa, what a rowdy bunch. Well, it's a good thing that we're here to keep them under control, ne Kohaku-chan?"

"…"

"Kohaku-chan?" Sai blinked and turned his attention to the Kou Princess.

"…They completely forgot I was there." Kohaku sulked moodily as she crossed her arms. "Titus, Sphintus, and Aladdin completely overlooked me when they did that whole bonding thing. Selene couldn't say anything about me so she doesn't count." She pouted even more. "Those meanies."

Sai let out a cackle at her expression and swooped Kohaku's small body into his arms. "Mou, that shouldn't happen to our little princess~!"

Sai then proceeded to carry Kohaku over to the group where he eased them into the current conversation. Kohaku was still a bit huffy at first for being ignored, but the cheer and energy of the group eventually made her forget about their unintentional exclusion. At the end, Kohaku was laughing and talking animatedly with the rest.

* * *

"Hey Yasmine, let's spar! I promise I'll hold back this time!"

"Sorry, Kouha. I'm a bit tired. I think I'm still a little sick."

"Hey Yasmine, do you want to eat together?"

"It's my turn to be lookout. I'll be eating outside."

"Hey Yasmine, why don't we-?"

"Not now, Kouha. I'm a little busy. Maybe next time."

"Hey Ya-!"

"Later."

Kouha didn't know what happened, but through the whole trip to Magnostadt, Yasmine had been avoiding him. No, he wasn't imagining things. Kouha knew Yasmine long enough to recognize the signs of discomfort whenever he was around and her less than subtle attempts to get away whenever he came into the scene.

'_What did I __**do?!**__'_ The third prince wondered as he watched Yasmine walk away from him _again_. It frustrated him to no end that he knew that he did wrong but didn't know what.

"Kouha-sama, is there something wrong with you and Yasmine-sama? Both of you have been distant lately…" JunJun spoke up from beside him. The other members of Kouha's battalion closest to them nodded in agreement.

Kouha sent his men a rueful glance. So they noticed it too?

"I think I made her angry."

Mirrored expressions of horror and crossed everyone's faces at his confession. Kouha sweatdropped at their synchronized reaction and lifted his hands soothingly. "It's fine! It's fine! She's not hitting me around like she does with Sai, so it's probably a stupid thing I did accidentally."

"But still Kouha-sama, you need to fix the issue quickly it's too late!"

"Yes, after all that time, we don't want you to lose Yasmine-sama!"

"That's true. A maiden's heart is a very complicated thing. It's best to clear things up before the relationship becomes impossible to repair."

"It's hard to see you two fight, Kouha-sama! Let us help!"

"You guys…" Kouha was completely moved by his men's determination to help him. "Yeah, I'll take your help. I want to clear up any misunderstanding I have with Yasmine. Thanks."

But Kouha had spoken without thinking because less than an hour later, he found himself locked in one of the caravans with Yasmine. Kouha realized too late that he should've checked what their 'plan' was before he gave them permission to meddle. He forgot that they went over-the-top sometimes like he did. He laughed sheepishly when he felt her glare at him accusingly behind her blindfold. "Kouha…"

"Hear me out! I have a reason for doing this!" He said hastily before she could do anything violent. "I wanted to talk to you."

"Isn't there a better way to get my attention than making your men lock me up with you?" She asked rhetorically. Kouha frowned. "Well, yeah. But the 'better ways' didn't work since you were avoiding me." He kept his tone light, but the accusation was still there.

Yasmine froze and turned her face away as if she remembered something. "Sorry."

"I need a little more than that, Yasmine." Kouha pushed as he moved himself closer to her. He frowned when she shuffled back. "Yasmine, what did I do wrong?"

She flushed and looked down at her hands. "You didn't do anything wrong. It's nothing. Really."

"That's bullshit and you know it." Kouha stated flatly.

"I…you're right." Yasmine finally relented with a grimace. She completely avoided eye contact with Kouha as she rolled her response around in her mouth before she finally blurted it out. "I'm embarrassed."

"…Huh?"

Yasmine scowled as her face slowly, but surely turned red. "When I walked in on you doing…_that_…I accidentally saw…through the door…yeah…" She cleared her throat awkwardly. "So, forgive me for being a little embarrassed about the whole thing."

Kouha's eyes widened. "Oh."

"Yeah, oh."

"So…did you really see _everything_?" Kouha asked with genuine curiosity. Yasmine flushed and covered her face in mortification. "Solomon, Kouha! _This _is why I didn't want to talk to you about this! I don't want to remember it anymore!"

Kouha's expression became cheeky. "So you did."

"_Shut up! It was an accident!"_

"My, my, Yasmine. I didn't know that you were so shy~!" He teased as he moved closer to her. This time, she didn't move away since she was too busy trying to recover from her embarrassment. "Well, did you enjoy the view, at least?"

Yasmine glowered at him dangerously. "Kouha, if you don't stop now…"

Kouha laughed. "Okay, I'll stop. I'm sorry." Then, his face brightened up as an idea hit him. Yasmine looked at him warily. "You know what might help? Taking a break. We haven't winded down and talked for a while ever since we started this whole trip."

"Well…I guess that's okay. What do you have in mind?"

"Let's go out drinking! Why don't we stop by one of the towns? It's just a mile from where we are and I heard their alcohol is great!"

* * *

The day out had been amazing, Sai had to admit.

The group had explored every nook and cranny of the magical city. The sights that they saw ranged from amazing to…well, _magical_. Selene had especially enjoyed the magic carpets that the city had offered.

Yet, Sai couldn't completely appreciate the sights of the city.

(Knowing about the magoi furnace under his feet, how _could_ he enjoy the mass production of magic and the apparent subservience of the non-magicians to the magicians?)

But since everyone else seemed to be having fun, Sai kept his personal feelings to himself. It wasn't something that should be brought up at this time anyways.

"Look, Sai! It's a cat! Meow! It said meow!"

No, it didn't feel right, especially when it concerned Titus. The sights that the city offered had enchanted him the most out of the whole group. He had smiled brightly as his eyes took in the simpler sights. Sai couldn't help but envy how it was the simpler things that made him amazed.

'_I used to be like that too. Once.'_

But it had been that wide-eyed innocence that had ruined everything hadn't it? It was that ignorance and simplicity that made Remy jump into things headfirst without considering the consequences of his (selfish,_ selfish_) actions.

"Sai?"

Sai was broken out of his dark thoughts by Titus' inquiring voice. He looked up to meet the concerned expressions of the whole group. Well, aside from Selene who gave him this knowing looking that read _'you're putting yourself down again?'_

Ah, Sai knew that he taught her too well. He missed the days when she would wear a constant expression of adorable confusion as he showed her the ropes of dealing with a world that didn't always accept them.

"You're really out of it, Sai. Are you tired again?" Titus asked innocently, drawing out a giggle from Kohaku and an amused snort from that Carmen boy. Sai was a bit disgruntled by the blatant reveal of his love of sleep, but he didn't show it on his face. "No. Just thinking, that's all. But, speaking of sleep –" Sai took this moment to yawn exaggeratedly. "–I think it's time to go back to the Academy, don't you think? We've been out for a bit too long."

All eyes turned to the setting sun, just realizing the time. While the others seemed accepting of this fact, Titus didn't look to eager to leave.

"D-Do we really have to go now?" The Alexius noble asked, looking a little lost as his hand fumbled with each other nervously. "I-I-I mean, it's a bit early to do that…right?"

Sphintus took another look at the sky. "I don't know. It _is _getting a bit late…"

"I think we should go back soon. There are some things that I need to ask the teachers." Aladdin added with a meaningful glint in his eyes that Sai caught.

'_Ah, so the kid knows what's up.'_

The downtrodden look that Titus made drew out a defeated sigh from the shape-shifter. "Maa, I guess the rest of you have something to do. Why don't you all go ahead while I stay back with lordling, here? I just remembered that there was something nice that I wanted to buy before I go back."

Sphintus shot him a disbelieving look. "Eh, really? But weren't you the one who suggested that – ow!" A well-aimed elbow to the ribs cut off his sentence. The healer turned to glare at the perpetrator only to blink in confusion at Selene.

The blonde smiled apologetically, somehow making it look genuine despite her obvious guilt in the action. _'Sorry about that, Sphintus, I was so tired that I ended up bumping into you. Did it hurt a lot? I'm sorry if it did.'_

"N-Not at all! Actually, I hardly felt anything!" The Heliohapt native fumbled as he was hit full-force with the younger Shambal sibling's charm. Though a bit rough at reading sign language, Sphintus knew enough of the basics and through Selene's expressions what message she was trying to convey. "Heh, I guess we'll be going now since we're pretty exhausted from running around the place."

Kohaku nodded. "I need to be going back too. I have my first private lesson with Chancellor Mogamett tonight."

Sphintus whirled around at Kohaku's statement, shock written over his features. "Wait, what?! You have a private lesson with _who_?!"

"Chancellor Mogamett." Kohaku repeated blankly. "Don't worry, Sphintus. Our lesson shouldn't be until two more hours."

"Two more-!" Sphintus looked like he was going to have a heart attack. "That really _is _important, Kohaku! We need to go back immediately! It's no good if you're late! Let's go, let's go, _let's go!_"

Sai chuckled as he watched as the rest of the group hurried back to the academy before turning back to Titus. He bowed mockingly, holding out his hand to the blonde noble. "Shall we, lordling?"

Tentatively, Titus took Sai's hand. The shape shifter nearly flinched in surprise at the action. He had only intended the action to be sarcastic, but apparently the younger teen had taken him seriously. _'Though, it's my fault for assuming that he would understand sarcasm.' _Sai thought wryly._ 'He only lived in this world for a little more than a year, after all. He's Scheherazade's clone.'_

And yet, despite being an artificial creation by the hands of a powerful Magi…

"Maa, where should we go next?" Sai asked gently as his fingers closed around Titus' smaller hand. "Is there any shops that we missed? What about backtracking to that fountain we passed earlier? I heard that they put up lanterns after sunset. Want to go there first?"

Titus' expression brightened immediately at Sai's suggestion and began pulling the other boy with renewed vigor. "Yes!"

* * *

"Hey…Kohaku-chan, Selene? You know something about the 5th District, don't you?"

Both girls paused in their steps and shared a look upon Aladdin's abrupt question before they entered the academy. Sphintus looked between them with confusion written all over his face. "Wha-? Selene? Kohaku? Is that true?!"

"…Yes." Kohaku confessed after a brief pause. "I came upon the information accidentally when I was tutored under Doron-sensei. He works in the 5th District when he isn't tutoring me, you see…"

Sphintus leaned in, interested now. "Well? What did you find out? And what's with all the mystery of the 5th District?"

"I can't really say much since we can be overheard, but…" Kohaku's voice lowered, "the 5th District consists of over 200,000 people and is located underground."

Sphintus doubled back at the information Kohaku revealed. He looked at Selene for confirmation. The blonde nodded in agreement. _'Kohaku isn't lying.'_ She signed. _'She wouldn't lie about things like this.'_

"But that's so many people! And they're all…they're all underground?!"

"Shhh! Keep your voice down! Do you want us to get caught?" Kohaku hissed sharply while discreetly glancing over her shoulder. "It's a huge risk enough that I'm even tell you this. Doron-sensei doesn't even know that he gave me this information. He just…let things slip when he rants."

In truth, Doron _did _rant about his job. He would let pieces and snippets of information fall out as he carelessly complained about 'looking after an untalented brat'. Of course, these sorts of rants were immediately halted when she showed her talent _without _her staff.

But most of the information that Kohaku was revealing now came from Sai.

Not that she would say that out loud, of course.

Aladdin's nodded slowly. "I see. Thank you, Kohaku. I'll be sure to tell Titus when he comes back. I won't hold you back from your lesson, so I'll see you tomorrow."

"Okay! I hope it helps!"

As Kohaku began making her way towards Mogamett's office, she glanced back at Selene and sent her a silent message.

'_Make sure they go to the 5__th__ District tonight.'_

The blonde gave her friend an almost imperceptible nod.

'_Don't worry. I will.'_

* * *

Yasmine knew that this was a bad idea. Why did she even agree to this?

All of Kouha's men stumbled about the tavern in celebration as drinks were passed around. Two hours had barely passed since they entered the place and more than half of the men were either passed out or close to doing so.

She swam through the crowd as she searched for pink hair. Her sharp eyes quickly got ahold of the familiar flash of pink and she was walking toward Kouha in an instant in fear of losing him in the crowd again. She saw him chatting with JunJun. ReiRei, and JinJin.

"Kouha?" Yasmine called out, hoping that he was sober.

All her hopes were dashed out when her friend opened his mouth.

"Yasmine? Oh look! It's Yasmine-chaaaaaan!" Kouha slurred as he stumbled about the room towards her. JunJun, ReiRei, and JinJin trailed after him worriedly but he slapped their hands away whenever they got too close. "No!" He scolded them patronizingly. "It's not nice to touch people in strange places without permission. Yasmine told me so!"

All eyes landed on the said person with either amused or knowing expressions.

Yasmine slapped her forehead and groaned. She wanted nothing more than to bury herself into a pit and never come out. "Don't give me that look. It's not like that." She snapped defensively.

"Not like what, Yasmine-chan?" Kouha asked innocently. "Oh! We're talking about that time when I helped you take a bath, right? You looked pretty without clothes." He admitted, causing many of his subordinates to break into hysterical laughter.

"Already that far into your relationship you two?"

"Ah man, couldn't you have waited for another month, Prince Kouha? I lost a bet because of that!"

"Prince Kouha, you dog!"

"So, how far have you gone with her, eh?"

Yasmine flushed at the comments being thrown around. She grabbed Kouha and began dragging him out of the soldiers' lodge. "Please excuse us. I'll be escorting Kouha back to his room."

Much to her shame, catcalls and wolf-whistles followed her on her way out.

"Yasmine~! Where 're we goin'?" He slurred and hiccupped. Kouha clung onto her arm and began to drag his feet like a spoiled child. "I don't wanna gooooo! It's so _fun _there! Let's have fuuuuun, Yasmine!"

Dammit Kouha!

Yasmine grabbed the pink-haired prince and threw him over her shoulder with ease. He was surprisingly light for a boy his age. "Wheeeee!" He cried out in childish fascination. "Wheeeee! I'm FLYING!"

"Yeah, yeah, keep it down, you drunk." Yasmine grumbled as she readjusted her grip. "People are going to stare."

"But that's o-kay, Yasmine. 'Cause I dun care what they think. You shouln't eitherrr!"

"Right."

Yasmine walked right into the room that Kouha rented out with him in tow and ignored the stares she received.

"Okay," She sighed as she deposited her friend onto the bed, "there you go. All safe and sound in your room just as promised. Feel free to puke all over the floor when you like. I'm out."

Suddenly, Yasmine found her face being gently cupped by a hand. She tried pulling herself away but she discovered that Kouha had a _really _strong grip. "Such pretty, pretty eyes." Kouha murmured drowsily as he unraveled her blindfolds. She stiffened at his touch. "Such a pity that they have to be covered."

"If they weren't, you'd die." Yasmine informed the drunk dryly as her eyes slid shut. "Now, hands off before I put a bruise on that girly face of yours."

Kouha's nose wrinkled. "**Not **a girl." He denied as he removed his hands. "I migh' look it but 'm not!"

"Yeah, yeah, I know."

"But I know someone who is a girl!" Kouha exclaimed proudly. Yasmine rolled her eyes and began tucking him into bed. "Congratulations." She said dryly. "You're talking to one right now."

"A really, really pretty girl." Kouha drawled on dreamily as if she didn't speak at all. "I think I like 'er a lot."

Something bitter rose up Yasmine's throat at his drunken admission. "Oh?" She asked while clearing her throat. "And who is this pretty girl?" Her mind flashed to the pretty girl who had been with Kouha when she accidentally walked in on them.

Kouha giggled.

"Her name is Yasmine. But shhh! It's supposed to be a secret so don't tell her, okay?"

Yasmine choked.

("Me?")

"Yeah." She finally said when she managed to recover. "Your secret is safe with me."

"Promise?"

Kouha regarded Yasmine seriously. So seriously, that she almost believed that he was still sober. But then, he hiccupped, completely ruining the serious moment and causing himself to descend into a fit of giggles. "Good~!"

Yasmine sighed, her head throbbing in pain with the new information about Kouha's true feelings about her and the barrage of conflicted emotions that came along with that new discovery.

"Good night, Kouha." She made a move to leave but was stopped once again.

"Give me a good-night's kiss!" Kouha demanded.

Yasmine sighed and leaned over to press her lips on his forehead. "Good night, Kou-_mmph_!"

In her last life, Yasmine had shared kisses with many boys. Ranging from cute kisses on the cheek during elementary school to the awkward but sweet kisses shared during high school, Harley had experienced it all. Her favorite had been from her prom date in her Junior Year. The kiss had been romantic and sweet. It had all but sent Harley over the moon.

This kiss, or whatever Kouha was trying to do to her mouth, was nowhere close to sweet or romantic. It was _sloppy_ and _wet_ and tasted like alcohol and – _what was his tongue doing there?!_

Yasmine squeaked and punched Kouha away.

"_Ow."_ Kouha whined as he cradled his bruised cheek. Tears began rolling down his face. "That _hurts_! Why'd ya do that?"

Yasmine bit her lip guiltily and placed her hand on the spot where she hit him. "Sorry. You…surprised me. Are you okay?"

"Give me another good-night kiss and I'll forgive you." Kouha muttered as he sulked.

"…Kouha, that was _not _a good-night kiss." Yasmine sighed and shook her head despite the warm feeling bubbling up her chest. The corner of her mouth quirked up. "Never mind. It's pretty late. Why don't you go to sleep? I'll give you the good-night kiss tomorrow when you're sober."

She stood up to leave only to be stopped by Kouha once again when he grabbed hold of her sleeve.

"Promise?" He asked in a small voice.

"…If you remember this." Yasmine conceded with a flush as she continued making her way out.

'_Like __**hell**__ I'm going to remind him about this if he forgets it tomorrow.'_ She thought aggressively to herself as she made her way to her own room. _'That kiss was horrible!'_

It was the most unromantic kiss she had ever received in her two lives!

…So why wasn't her heart calming down?

* * *

Somewhere in Reim, a whole neighborhood was woken up by a loud voice screaming profanities and death threats into the sky.

* * *

Sai _knew _that he wasn't going to get any sleep that night.

He knew it, but he was still angry that he didn't get his eight hours of sleep. He was almost as vicious as Kougyoku was when waking up and that was saying something.

Unfortunately, his roommate had no sense of self-preservation. That, and he was all-too-eager to please Scheherazade since he slacked off a little on his information gathering.

Personally, Sai thought that she was being a bit too hard on the kid. It was only the beginning of the second year, after all. It's not like espionage ended after a day. It took time.

But that was just him.

Titus dragged him, Selene, and Aladdin (and he guessed that the Carmen boy counted too…) to the 5th District. Thankfully, they didn't have to take the embarrassing 1st District detour like in canon because of Kohaku little insight about the population count in the lowest district.

'_What should we expect?'_ Selene signed as the main trio flew on ahead towards the 5th District.

'_We're going to have our magoi sucked out of us so be careful.'_ Sai signed back. _'And I think there's something about a tiny scholar and an eternal pit of doom.'_

'_Be serious.'_

'_I am.'_

Before they could carry on their silent conversation, the trio in front of them stopped.

Sai's unscarred eye landed on the underground cities below them.

"Ah. So we're here."

* * *

Hakkan wandered around the hallways aimlessly as he pondered about the strange dream he woke up from. It was almost like a nightmare, with all the fire and bodies all around him, yet he had felt content standing there in the center of it all.

And Shion…an older Shion had been standing across from him.

"She looked so upset with me." Hakkan thought aloud as he recalled the fire in his eyes. "And…a little sad. I wonder what I did that made her look like that?"

It was a very strange dream.

"She actually looked like a guy in my dream."

Which was disturbing since she wasn't. A guy, that is.

Before Hakkan could muse any further about the dream that he woke up from, he bumped into someone in the hallway. He jerked back in surprise. "Ah, sorry about that. I wasn't looking where I was going."

The other person, a man, chuckled. "It's fine. I was also a little caught up in thought." Then, he peered at Hakkan's face before snapping his fingers in realization. "Ah! My bad! You're one of Eirenne's sons, aren't you? You have some of her features here and there. Yes, definitely Eirenne's. It's amazing how genetics work."

Hakkan regarded the stranger warily.

"How do you know my mother?"

"I'm an old friend of hers. Your father's too." The stranger claimed as he gave a bow. "My name is Raul. Nice to meet you."

"Hakkan."

Raul's interest seemed to perk even more at the boy's name. "Is that so?" Then, he boldly stepped closer to the prince and took a closer look. "Hmm…how curious. You wouldn't see it in the moonlight but…_ah_, there it is. I see. So you _do_ have similar features here and there. It's amazing how genetics work."

"You already said that." Hakkan blurted out, unnerved by the blatant invasion of space. "I think I stayed up a little too late. I'll be going back to my chambers. Good night, Raul." He said stiffly as he quickly walked away from his mother's self-proclaimed 'friend'.

Behind him, he heard Raul giggle in amusement as if he discovered something indefinitely entertaining.

Hakkan involuntarily shivered at the sound. "Creep."

* * *

And here I end the chapter. Don't worry! I have three omakes waiting for you!

* * *

**Chibi Omake: Chibi Adventures in Reim IV (or, How Hel Told His Mother)**

"I met him."

Hel had considered and reconsidered telling his mother about meeting that man. Though he had originally decided to keep her in the dark, Hel realized that it was something that he would have to break to his mother eventually since he was targeted by assassins, which meant, by extension, that she was in danger too.

Maya had stared at him blankly for a full minute before his statement fully processed in her mind. Simple sentences like these would've required more clarification if it was anyone else, but she had always understood her son. It was one of the things that Hel loved about his mother.

"Ah…you did?"

Hel was afraid that his mother would faint. Thankfully, she didn't.

"Yes."

Maya floundered for a moment before asking, "How is your father?"

Hel was floored by her reaction. He had expected her to be angry or sad at brining up his father, but his mother had simply reacted as if Hel brought up an old acquaintance's name.

"Healthy as a herbivore could be." Hel said shortly as he wrinkled his nose at the memory of his last encounter. "He is not my father." He made sure to add.

"Of course. You're Hel Alexius now." Maya assured him before smiling bemusedly. "The encounter wasn't good, was it? Alma had always been terrible at making a point. But that had only made him seem all the more charming to my eyes back then." She recalled wistfully.

Hel looked down at his mother's expression. "He asked about you." He said quietly. "That herbivore didn't deserve to, but he asked about you."

"He did?" Maya asked, unsurprised. "Ah, I told him to forget about me. Foolish man. So he's been harboring guilt this whole time?"

Hel wanted to question his mother's choice of words, but swallowed it in favor of another statement.

"The herbivore also asked me to give you this." He said a bit sourly as he held out a wrapped package. Hel had been tempted to throw it into the sea the moment Armakan gave it to him, but the Pharaoh had been adamant in having the gift given to his mother. _"It was hers."_ He had told Hel. _"I never got the chance to return it to her, but it was hers Make sure she gets it."_

Maya accepted the package, eyeing it curiously. Then, her golden eyes widened at the shining, metal object that fell out. Hel's mouth pulled back into a snarl at the sight of the pretty piece of jewelry. So the herbivore was trying to woo his mother back with that, was he?

Hel's angry thoughts halted when he saw his mother hold it to her chest reverently.

"Long time no see, old friend." His mother whispered to the golden anklet. "I thought I had seen the last of you a long time ago."

Hel blinked in shock when he saw a familiar symbol glow on the jewelry.

'_A metal vessel? My mother…she's a dungeon capturer?!'_

* * *

**Omake: A True Queen**

"Ri Seishin, by the orders of the new Empress of Kou, step down from your position as general and continue your duty as the First Imperial Prince's wife in the palace."

"I refuse."

"…Pardon me, my Lady?"

"I refuse."

"Do you dare go against the Empress' orders?"

"Yes, I do."

"Such impertinence! Though you are the wife of Prince Kouen, what gives you the right to go against the orders of your king?"

"I was made to believe that the expansion of this country is the most important of all our goals, thus preventing my husband from taking his rightful place on the throne."

"Yes, but-

"_Then_, wouldn't removing me, a powerful general, from the frontlines be counter-effective to our cause? Wouldn't it go against the last emperor's will? Wouldn't it give my husband all the reason to take the throne now?"

"…But your duty to produce an heir-

"Would be useless if my husband is not there with me. It does take my husband and me being together for the conception of another child to be possible. Come now, you do not _really _believe that women becomes pregnant just because some divine being wills it so."

"How vulgar of you to speak of such things in public!"

"And how arrogant of you to assume that I am not aware of what you are doing! I will not be separated from my husband, nor will I allow him to conquer lands without my presence and guidance! I remain by my husband's side and he remains by mine. I am his wife. This is my duty. You will not prevent this wife from doing her duty, will you? Great Empress?"

"Yes. As a widow, I know of your pain and worry. But as a wives, we must remain here in the palace."

"As an _Imperial _Wife, I will not loiter around in the palace walls when I could shed blood for this country. I will not sit back and embroider as harm befalls my brothers and sisters. I will not be miles away from my husband when I could be by his side, conquering the world and giving him a son."

* * *

**Adventures of Judal: Sleeping Beauty**

Judal didn't mean to stumble into the small room after the first day of training. Honestly, he had been trying to find the bathroom so he could wash his face from all the sweat.

The rukh had led him over to the small room when he asked for directions. Yunan had taught him that they could do that.

"What the heck?!" Judal exclaimed when he stumbled into the room that was definitely _not _the bathroom. He looked around in panic when he couldn't find the exit. "Stupid rukh. Stupid Turtle-sensei."

'_The rukh will always show you the right way' _his ass.

Judal looked around the room and blinked in surprise at the bed at the other end of the room. Curiosity getting the better of him, Judal walked toward the bed. He was surprised to see someone in it.

For a brief moment, Judal thought that it was the stupid Turtle-sensei who was sleeping there, but then he realized that there was some features that was noticeably different form the mellow magi.

The figure was female, for one.

Judal cleared his throat uncomfortably. "Um, hello…Miss?" He winced at the polite address. Dammit, he sounded like Chibi! But still, this woman might be the only one who might know how to get out of the strange room so he had to be nice. "Sorry to interrupt you on your beauty sleep, but I'm a bit lost. Do you mind pointing the way out?"

The sleeping woman didn't respond.

"Hello? Hey, are you even alive?" Judal became a little nervous at the idea that he might be stuck in a strange room with a corpse. His hand shot towards her neck as he checked for her pulse. Much to his relief, the woman was still alive.

Then, it hit him.

"Oh." Judal said dumbly. "You're Chibi-er Chibi's mom, aren't you?"

So this was her. Ranya.

"What are you doing in here?"

Judal whirled around to meet the uncharacteristically cold eyes of his teacher. Yunan glared at his student as he waited for Judal's answer. The once dark magi bristled defensively. "I didn't come in here on purpose! I was trying to find the bathroom and the rukh lead me here, Turtle-sensei!"

Yunan relaxed at Judal's explanation. "Ah, I see. So she had been calling for you." His eyes glanced at the still form of his sister with sad eyes. "Ranya must've been curious when she sensed you." He floated away from his sister. "Come, I'll show you the way out."

Judal followed his teacher out of the strange room, giving the still form of Ranya a last glance.


	43. Chapter 42: Breaking Point

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sai doesn't like to think about the time before he was "Sai". Present circumstances force him to do so anyways.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Onwards

Sin, hopelessness, and depravity tainted the air of the underground ring of Magnostadt as Sai stepped into the 5th District. He paid no mind to the feeling of his magoi slowly being sucked out of his body as his good eye roamed around the bodies littered outside the lined up houses either because of too much liquor or too much 'medicine' or…something else that the shape shifter didn't want to contemplate on.

Sai wondered if this was what hell looked like.

"Lookie here! Distinguished High Magicians!" One woman sandwiched between two men crowed as he and the others passed by. Sai turned his eyes away from the sight, brushing off the initial shiver of disgust and proceeded to make his way. He didn't come here to judge a stranger's habits after all.

He ushered the rest of the group on. "No need to stare." He chided them like a parent would to their child. "We didn't come here to sightsee, right?"

Titus turned back to Sai with a curious expression. "Sai, what were they doing?"

"That's a question for later, lordling." He deflected the question smoothly, resigning himself to the fate of teaching his roommate about how children were conceived and, if his gander was right, the rest of the pleasant things about puberty. "Right now, we need to focus on the mission at hand, no?"

Much to Sai's relief, Titus didn't pursue his line of questioning any further.

'_How cruel of them to trap their own people in such a dark place.'_ Selene signed to Sai as she stayed back to resume her discussion with her brother. _'And it seems that you weren't joking when you said that there was an 'eternal pit of doom' in here. Why is that there?'_

'_Guess.'_

Selene was a clever girl. She got it in a few seconds, judging by the horrified look on her face.

'_Wait, Sai –_

"Hey, are you alright?!"

Both siblings turned at Sphintus' cry of alarm. Titus' light disguise had long-since worn away by the magoi-sucking nature of the district. Sai knew this scene. In both Sphintus and Aladdin's arms was a little girl. Titus was beginning to make his way over to the scene as Aladdin tried to get help from the surrounding townsmen. Selene rushed over to help Sphintus in healing the little girl.

When Sai managed to catch a good look at the child's face, everything seemed to slow and stop around him.

'_Marga.'_ The logical part of his brain supplied. _'A character who Titus becomes fond of because of their similar fates.'_

'_Maggie.'_ Remy's voice – a quiet, barely-heard but _powerful _thing that Sai had thought he had managed to lose long ago – overpowered everything that was Sai. _'That's our sweet, little sister. Our responsibility. We abandoned her remember?'_

Sai knew that Marga was too young to be Maggie. Remy's little sister had only been five years younger than him. He knew that it wasn't logical to pin his past life on this little girl just because she shared Maggie's tawny hair and cobalt eyes, but he just couldn't help it.

Sai was quick to sweep Marga from Sphintus' arms the moment he cried out that he couldn't do anything about her magoi – _Fool, you're thinking too much with your emotions. How do you expect to be a healer if you can't think straight in stressful situations?_ – and summoned a protective borg around the two of them. It wouldn't prevent their magoi from being sucked out forever, but he knew that it was the best thing he could do until Titus creates his curtain of magic.

"H-Help me." Maggie – _Marga,_ his mind supplied, _her name is Marga _– begged as she reached out to Sai pathetically. His heart jerked just as pathetically at the sight as he took her small hand into his. "Don't worry. We're going to help you. You're not going to die yet."

Both Aladdin and Sphintus' eyes widened at the gentleness and calmness the older magician was showing to the child. Selene, on the other hand, didn't look as surprised. She was familiar to this side of her brother, but she was also confused by how uncharacteristically open he was this time.

Yes, Sai usually didn't like showing this side of himself to others, but he didn't care right now.

"Can you tell me which one of these houses are yours, sweetheart?" Sai questioned the child gently. "We need a place where we can help you while you lie down. Can you point your house for me?"

With much difficulty, Maggie – _Marga_ – raised her hand and pointed to her home. "Over there…mister…"

"Thank you."

Sai wasted no time in spiriting the child inside. He pointedly ignored the stares aimed at him from the inhabitants of the district as he entered into the construction the little girl called home.

Titus was quick on creating a magical curtain for Marga as Sai tucked her into bed.

"Feeling better?" He asked after the child's ragged breathing slowly eased. The girl nodded and smiled at both Sai and Titus thankfully. "Thank you, Misters."

"No worries." Titus responded cheerily with a proud smile before turning to shoot Sphintus a smug look. "Anyways Sphintus, you were pretty useless back there."

"Shut up!"

Sai snorted at the small banter before turning his attention back to Marga. "So, where are your parents? They must be worried about you."

"No." Marga responded simply. "I don't have a father and my mother died a little while ago. She was sick, so she died when they took her magoi."

Sai nodded thoughtfully. "Is that so? I'm sorry for your loss….ah, how rude of me. What's your name, sweetheart?"

_Maggie_

"Marga."

"What a beautiful name." Sai complimented as he ignored the district inhabitants explaining about the workings of the magoi production facility. Since he already had a good idea of the system, the information was useless to him. "My name is Sai. It's very nice to meet you, Marga."

Marga smiled. "Nice to meet you, Sai."

Both were quick to fall into a confortable conversation. Sai was good at keeping her interest with his storytelling skills and making her laugh. Eventually, Titus also joined in on their conversation.

"Marga, do you like books?" Titus asked.

"Yeah, but I don't understand them. To be honest, I don't know the characters. Today, I went out to learn from someone who was able to read, but I collapsed on my way back." Marga explained as she unraveled her scroll to show the two magicians. "I want to study. My mother said if I become a scholar or a doctor, maybe I could go to the world outside."

Sai doubted it, but he kept that particular thought to himself.

"And what would you want to do once you get to the world outside?" Titus asked. Sai also tilted his head forward, showing the younger girl that he was listening.

Marga giggled, flushing in excitement at the thought. "You know…I only know what my mother told me, but I want to see a city with a sky….with dogs and cats…with buildings…I just want to see a normal city!"

Both males' expressions seemed to halt at her simple dream.

"I see." Titus answered. "That's good."

"…"

Sai stood up and retrieved his staff. "I know you're there Aladdin." He called out casually. "Why don't you come over here? Marga here wants to see a city. Think you can do that with me?"

* * *

Kohaku wondered if this was what having a grandfather was like.

During the whole lesson, Mogamett seemed to have more vigor as he helped her control her staff-less magic. He was genuinely interested in her progress and he was patient whenever she made mistakes. He was also very forthcoming with information whenever she asked high-level magic questions.

"Ah, you remind me of one of my students." Mogamett commented once during their lesson. "She was like a daughter to me. She, too, was always curious and very talented."

Kohaku knew that he was talking about Yamraiha.

(Does he know? About who she was and her connections to Kou?)

Kohaku made sure to appear bashful and thrilled at the news, which wasn't too much of a lie. She truly was proud of how fast she was improving.

"Ah, how late it's become." Mogamett commented suddenly, breaking Kohaku's concentration on her recent spell. "Ah, I'm sorry about making you lose your focus Kohaku-chan, but it's getting late. It seems that I had so much fun that I forgot about the time."

Kohaku was disappointed that the lesson had to end, but her young body agreed to the Chancellor's verdict. Her eyes were heavy and she felt as if she would fall asleep on her feet any moment.

Mogamett chuckled as Kohaku yawned and rubbed her eyes. "See? You look exhausted, child. Go back to your room and rest so you can take your classes tomorrow. I'll have one of my magicians take you to your room. Lilimana?"

A female magician walked in. Kohaku blinked at the soft pink color of her hair. Though she had grown up with family members who sported various shades of She bowed respectfully to Mogamett. "Yes, Chancellor?"

"I know that you need to go do your rounds in the 5th District soon, but would you be kind to bring my student safely back to her room?" He asked.

The woman nodded and beamed. "Of course, Chancellor! It's no problem at all!"

After saying her goodbyes and thanks to Mogamett, Kohaku obediently followed the older magician out of the room. The woman, Lilimana, regarded Kohaku curiously before smiling at the younger girl. "Hello, I'm Lilimana. It's very nice to meet you, Kohaku."

"It's very nice to meet you too Miss Lilimana." Kohaku returned the greeting politely as her mismatched eyes wandered toward the woman's hair. Noticing the child's gaze, Lilimana's hand came up to her hair and she smiled nervously. "Ah…does my hair bother you? I know it's a strange color…"

"Oh no, not at all! My family has a lot of red and pink hair, so I can't really say that it's strange, Miss Lilimana! It's just…I've never seen that pretty shade of pink before." Kohaku answered honestly. Though not as eye-catching as her aunt Kougyoku's pink, Lilimana's pink reminded Kohaku of the sakura blossoms that Shion once gifted her with during their travels. The moment the memory crossed her mind, she flushed and mentally shook her head. _'Ah! This isn't the time to think about these kind of things!'_

But still…it's been a year since Kohaku last saw Shion. She missed him.

"Oh ho~ I know that look." Lilimana sent the little girl a knowing smile. "It's a boy, isn't it? I heard that there was a young genius around your age. Is it him?"

It took Kohaku a moment to realize that she was talking about Aladdin.

"Aladdin?! Oh no, he's just a friend!" Kohaku insisted as she shook her head quickly. "He wasn't the boy I was thinking about!"

"Oh, so it _is _a boy."

Kohaku didn't know how to respond to that. It just seemed like she was digging herself deeper and deeper into a hole that she couldn't seem to get out of.

Thankfully, she didn't have to answer.

"Lilimana! What are you doing here? Why aren't you at your post in the 5th District?" Both Lilimana and Kohaku looked towards to speaker to see an upset Myers storming towards them. When she noticed Kohaku, the harshness in the woman's gaze softened. "And you, what are you doing outside the dorms so late, Kohaku?"

"Hey now, Myers-senpai, I can explain –

"No excuses!" The woman whirled back to her colleague. "Fifteen minutes late, soldier. _Fifteen minutes._ Do you know how out of schedule you've probably thrown Doron from with your absence?"

Lilimana's nervous smile turned cheeky at Myer's words. "Maa, maa, senpai, I think you're overthinking about this. I'm flattered that you feel that Boss would be _that _worried about me. Really."

"Why you-!"

"I was having my lesson with the Chancellor, Instructor Myers!" Kohaku was quick to explain as she took Lilimana's hand. "But…we sort of lost track of time. He had lots to teach me, you see! So, he asked Miss Lilimana to take me back to my rooms so I won't get into trouble for staying out so late. It's not her fault, Instructor!"

Myers turned to Lilimana. "Is that true?"

"Yeah, it's true." Lilimana confirmed with laughter in her voice. "I wasn't slacking off or anything like that. I thought that the Chancellor's favor wouldn't take too much time, so I thought that I would help out the kid. It's no good to have Kohaku-chan wandering on her own so late, right?"

Myers sighed. "Still, my brother needs you down in the 5th District. He's shorthanded enough as it is."

"Um, I don't mind going back to my room alone if you're both short on time, Instructor, Miss Lilimana." Kohaku spoke up as she wringed her hands nervously. This woman, Lilimana, was part of her tutor's division. And, knowing what would happen in _that district_, Kohaku had a feeling that keeping both magicians away from there would cause more problems for her friends. "We're actually really close to my dorm anyways. Thank you!"

And then, before either woman could argue, Kohaku hightailed over to her room before anything major could result from her holding up the two magicians.

* * *

"_I'm going to bring Marga up to the surface."_

Though Titus was the one to say this, it was Sai who picked Marga's small body up and begin making his way out the of the 5th District. He paid no mind to the crowd barring his way. He just wanted to bring Marga out of this dark place.

Children like her shouldn't be kept in a dark, hopeless place like this. They should be thriving in the light. There was no way that any child would deserve this kind of treatment.

'_But isn't that just your guilt talking? Admit it. If she didn't resemble Maggie so much, you probably wouldn't have given her a second look and passed her off as a supporting character.'_

Probably. Sai was no fool when it came to his own emotions. He knew that he was simply projecting his feelings for his other life's younger sister onto this girl, this _character_, but still.

But still.

Sai couldn't help but _be_ selfish. It was one of the baser qualities that he kept even when he left the identity 'Remy' behind. He didn't stop being bitter. He didn't – couldn't – let go of his guilt toward Amani to this day even after she forgave him from his sins. He had the tendency of never letting go of certain things that would probably harm him more than help him. It certainly contradicted the self-preservation that Marius drilled into his head.

But, it was what made Sai who he was.

'_If you do anything rash, you'll mess things up.'_ The voice in his head warned him as he reluctantly left Marga when he heard that the high-class magicians were coming over to check for magoi-deficient goi. _'She's just a girl who looks like Maggie. She's not Maggie.'_

Sai knew.

Marga was Marga and Maggie was Maggie.

Marga was born in this world and Maggie was born in another.

Marga was five and Maggie was twelve.

Sai knew.

(Really.)

It was just that Sai was a huge sucker when it came with children. That was a fact that Shion had taken advantage of in the beginning of their relationship. Of course, the shape-shifter got back at him with merciless pranking and verbal bullying (which sometimes, Sai admitted, went a little too far when he looked back). There was just something about their eyes and naivety that seemed to get him every time. Not only that, they had the tendency of being super-adorable.

Now put that together with a Maggie lookalike.

"Sai? Are you okay?" Aladdin dared to sneak in a soft whisper as Sai's good eye remained focused on Marga's trembling form. "You look…tense."

Sai didn't answer. Though he did react a little when he felt someone grip his right hand tightly. His eyes trailed over to the side to Titus. The blonde looked just as distressed as Sai felt. Though he wasn't in a better state, Sai squeezed back in assurance.

'_She'll be fine.'_ Sai usually would've lied easily, but found that he couldn't.

Both the Blessed Child and Titus tensed when Marga collapsed. Sai gritted his teeth as the magician – Moron or something – held her up like some rag doll as the elders begged for Marga's life.

Then, everything stopped for Sai as Marga was dropped into the large pit.

Before he knew it, he was jumping in right after her with Titus. They grabbed her before safely bringing her back up to the surface safely. After assuring himself that Marga was fine, Sai stood back up and turned to the _scum_ who had tried to throw her away like she was trash.

He shook, surprising even himself with the amount of anger that was crawling up his throat and through his body.

"You."

'_If you do anything rash, you'll mess things up.'_

Fuck that. Sai didn't care anymore. He was too angry to think straight. He was too angry to consider that what he was going to do next would probably get him expelled from this Academy, if not executed first. The academy student raised up his staff in challenge, making his opponent sneer back.

"What are you intend to do by making us your enemies?"

"Mou, nothing really." Sai responded with ice lacing his voice. "I just don't like bullies who pick on children, that's all. They make me _sick_."

Doron snapped his whip-like staff, making carnivorous-looking plants form from the end. "All who threatens Chancellor Mogamett's magoi source will be executed." He announced with glee in his voice.

Sai readied his own staff as a smirk crawled up his lips.

Oh? A Life Magician?

Perfect.

He'll give him a taste of hell.

"_Ainfijar jahannam."_

* * *

_There was fire everywhere._

"_Why, Hakkan?"  
_

_Shion pointed his weapon at the traitor's throat. The steel in his eyes wavered for a moment as it revealed the vulnerability that he truly felt. Hakkan had been his closest confidant. He had been Shion's right hand man, his most reliable comrade._

_So…why?! Why did he turn away from the cause they had been fighting so long and hard for? How could he do this? How could he raise his sword at their comrades?_

_(How could he raise his sword at _ _ **her** _ _?)_

_Shion knew that he should feel uncontrollable rage towards his former friend for doing the things that he did. But now…_

_Now, he was just tired._

_Hakkan turned to Shion with a serene expression on his face. It was as if he didn't notice the chaos and the destruction going on around them._

"_Isn't it obvious? I hate you, Shion. So much. Because of you…because of you, I had to do this. Everything that you hold dear to you should just burn up and disappear. You wouldn't have understood if I didn't do this, Shion. I needed you to understand. Do you understand?"_

"_Yes, I understand, Hakkan." Shion said tiredly._

"_No, Shion." Hakkan giggled as he pressed forward, making a shallow cut on his throat in the movement. "No, you don't understand. I don't think you ever will. But that's okay. Because I also –"_

_Shion's eyes widened at what Hakkan said next._

"_Hakkan, you–_

"_Finally." He breathed, interrupting Shion's sentence. The man looked all the more peaceful now that he revealed his most agonizing secret. "Finally…now that there's nothing in the world left for us to miss, we can go to __**her **__now with no regrets. Together."_

_Then, with a wink, Hakkan took out an explosive from behind him and detonated it._

"_Good night, Shion. Sweet dreams."_

_For a moment, everything was light for Shion. Then, everything went dark._

* * *

Shion woke up in sweat.

He took deep breaths as he tried to calm himself from his most recent nightmare. He was sure that the shriek he made woke up the whole palace. The Sindrian Prince drew a hand over his eyes as he laughed bitterly to himself.

"Another nightmare?"

Shion looked up from his hands to the doorway where his father stood. He silently nodded with an apologetic smile. "Sorry, Father. Did I cause a big commotion?"

"It's fine. I took care of it." Sinbad said, not quite answering Shion's question. He came over to the side of Shion's bed. "Was it Camilla this time? Or was it about that Al Thamen member who tainted you?"

Shion could understand why his father was asking about those two events. Camilla had opened old wounds he had forgotten. Ithnan, on the other hand, forced him to reject Veteran as a separate being, which wasn't a bad thing, per se, but it wasn't a good thing either.

His nightmares had begun once again in earnest after he made amends with the Veteran. Though the Sindrian Prince could no longer hear his voice anymore, his nightmares came back in full force.

This time, though, the events that played behind his eyes were different. Familiar, since most of his flashbacks to his war days played out in a similar manner, but they were also different since they were events that Shion didn't remember. It was like watching a movie play out.

…Except, movies weren't this real. They didn't _fit _into the blank spots in his memories like these scenes do. It made him sick and scared to see that he had unconsciously blocked so many things about the war.

Worse yet, Shion had a feeling that there was more to come that Veteran was holding back for his sanity's sake.

"Shion?" He heard his father ask again.

"Fire." Shion responded quietly as his hands clenched underneath the sheets as Hakkan's answer echoed in his head over and over again. "This time, I dreamed about fire."

* * *

The next morning, Kohaku waited anxiously as everyone flooded into the auditorium. She had woken up extra early to save seats for her friends. _'I hope no one got seriously hurt down in the 5__th__ District…'_

Kohaku almost cried in relief when she saw Selene and Aladdin come into view. The pair took turns in explaining what happened the night before.

"Sphintus and Titus were brought to the medical wing." Aladdin assured Kohaku before faltering while shooting a nervous look at Selene's way. "Though…Sai was brought to the isolation cell because of what he did."

Kohaku sent an inquiring look at Selene's way. _'He attacked a high-class magician with a very lethal spell.'_ The blonde signed with worry written all over her face. _'Since he didn't kill anyone, my brother wasn't expelled. But still…'_

"He attacked a high-class magician?" Kohaku parroted in disbelief. "Sai usually wouldn't do something like that. Was anyone hurt?"

Aladdin shook his head. "No one was hurt badly, though…the high-class magician Sai attacked was a little…_burned_…."

'_It was your tutor, Kohaku.'_ Selene added a little reluctantly, making the younger girl's mismatched eyes widen. _'Doron is fine. A little burned, yes, but he was able to evade most of Sai's attacks.'_

Though Kohaku was relieved that her tutor was still alive, there was still Sai that she had to worry about. Selene must be worried sick too. Kohaku gave her friend a concerned look. "And Sai?"

Aladdin winced. "Sai is…"

"Sai is currently held in an isolation room."

Kohaku whirled around and was pleasantly surprised to see Titus and Sphintus. "Oh thank Solomon! You're both in one piece! Are you two alright?"

"Yeah, the healers nursed us kindly. And not only that, it also seems that from now on, we'll be able to enter and exit from the 5th District freely." Sphintus responded.

"What?!" Aladdin exclaimed. Selene's face mirrored Aladdin's expression.

Sphintus pointed over to Titus. "As soon as that guy began to complain, the Chancellor gave us permission. He wants to return to Marga's side no matter what."

'_What about my brother?'_ Selene signed almost desperately, looking in between the two boys. _'Did you see him? Was he treated as well? What will they do to him?'_

"He was treated, Selene." Sphintus was quick to soothe the panicking girl. "I made sure to heal what I can back in the 5th District, but the medics patched the rest of his injuries up. They were kind to him too. Since Sai didn't put up much a fight, I'm sure that your brother should be released by tomorrow."

Selene let out a sigh of relief.

'_Thank goodness.'_

"Don't worry, Selene." Aladdin assured the blonde comfortingly. "Sai will be fine."

"Will he really?"

Though unheard by the rest of the group, Kohaku caught Titus' mutter. She turned to the other blonde curiously and saw that his hands were clenched tightly on his lap. She opened her mouth to question him. "Titus –

"Chancellor Mogamett?! He's teaching this class?!"

The exclamation completely deterred the young girl from voicing her question. Her mismatched eyes trailed over to the front of the auditorium. Kohaku's attention was completely captured by the lecture.

By the time the 'Ideology Lecture' was over, Kohaku had long forgotten what she wanted to ask Titus.

* * *

"_Three thousand and twenty-seven bottles of beer on the wall. Three thousand and twenty-seven bottles of beer~!"_

Sai sang to himself as he tapped lackadaisical rhythms onto the prison walls. His guard had long since given up on stopping him from making the noise.

"_Take one down. Pass it around. Three thousand and twenty-six bottles of beer on the wall! Three thousand and twenty-six bottles of beer on the wall. Three thousand and twenty-six bottles of beer~! Take one down. Pass it around –"_

"Academy Student Sai Shambal."

Sai's singing stopped abruptly at the professional tone and turned his good eye to the door of his prison to scrutinize his visitor. She was a blonde with a monocle. Sai distantly remembered seeing her from somewhere, but he couldn't put a finger on it.

'_Must be a minor character.'_

He blinked and straightened instinctively when he saw the old man beside the woman. Ah, now _this man_ Sai recognized.

"Chancellor." He greeted shortly with an informal nod.

"Show some respect." The blonde woman demanded coldly as she regarded the prisoner with undisguised disdain. "This is the Chancellor you're speaking to!"

Mogamett raised a hand in front of the blonde woman, cutting off anything else that the woman was planning to say to him. "Forgive him, Professor. He's young and still has much to learn. I would like to speak with him alone. Professor Irene?"

Professor Irene shot Sai one last dirty look before nodding and leaving.

"I suppose you have something you want to ask me." The dark-haired man drawled while leaning back casually on his stool.

Mogamett nodded agreeably, completely undeterred by Sai's rudeness. "Yes, I do. You've caused a bit of a ruckus last night in the 5th District. You even managed to hurt one of my high magicians."

Oh yes, Sai remembered. He managed to get a few shots of his take on the Fiendfyre Spell in before the guy got him with his nasty plant monsters. He was burned, but not as much as Sai had hoped.

Pity.

"How are your injuries, Sai?" The old man asked kindly. Sai tilted his head over to the side. "Fine, thank you. How are the lordling and my sister?"

"Selene and Titus are healthy and fine." Mogamett chuckled. "They were worried about you too, especially young Titus. Both of you are very close, aren't you? It's good to see students getting along."

Sai's hackles rose slightly when the old man mentioned his sister and Titus.

'_Is he going to use them against me?'_ The shape shifter wondered as he eyed Mogamett warily. His relaxed pose had long since crumbled. "What do you want from me?"

"Ah, ah, I'm not trying to make an enemy out of you, Sai. It's the complete opposite, actually. I want to understand you so I can help you." The Chancellor assured Sai. "I promise that I will not harm Titus or Selene. They are precious students of this academy."

Sai relaxed minimally. "That's good to hear." He said neutrally. "But my question still stands. What do you want from me?"

"To understand you, Sai. You are a very talented magician for your age, yet you harmed Doron. From what I heard, you reacted violently because of a young Goi. Is that true?"

"Her name," Sai stressed dangerously, "is Marga. Not Goi. And definitely _not_ trash."

Mogamett regarded Sai almost pityingly. The old man's expression rubbed him the wrong way. His teeth clenched as he did his best to swallow his anger.

"Does the child remind you of someone? Is that why you reacted so strongly, Sai?"

Sai froze.

'_Hit it right on the nail.'_ A part of him thought with reluctant defeat. _'This old man is better than I thought. But that's expected from an Albus Dumbledore counterpart.'_

"Was it the guilt of not being able to protect someone? Or perhaps, did she remind you of your younger sister?" Mogamett continued questioning Sai. It took the shape shifter a few seconds to realize that the old man was talking about Selene.

"If that's all true, aren't you just helping this child called Marga for your own self-satisfaction? You're trying to heal some kind of emotional injury by doing this, no?"

Sai didn't like talking to Mogamett. This man was able to see through like Kougyoku usually would. It was as if he knew him personally.

Just who was this man?!

"…Yes. To all of them." Sai finally answered as all traces of a smile disappeared from his face. Then, he snorted. "Hey, you're pretty good at this, old man. Guess you don't need to 'understand' me after all. It seems that you already got that part down. It's like you know me inside out. Did we meet somewhere before?"

Mogamett chuckled. "No, but I think that I'd remember Raul's face, even if we haven't been in contact in a long time. You and Selene resemble your father very much."

Now _that _statement hit a very sore nerve. Sai surged forward violently as both of his eyes burned with an untold amount of rage. "Take it back, old man." He snarled lowly as his hands banged against the bars of his prison. "Selene is _nothing _like that monster. Don't you ever dare say something like that to her or I swear I'll-!"

"Sai, what about Raul makes you so angry?" Mogamett asked with genuine concern. Sai hated how the old man seemed completely unconcerned that he lashed out violently. Sai hated how _caring _and _worried _the old man seemed about Sai's emotional state.

'_You don't know me! There is no way in hell that someone like you could ever understand someone like me.'_

"Since you seem to advocate magicians so much, I don't think that you'd understand the amount of pain that man caused." Sai answered blankly. "Just know this: That man is not my father. He is not Selene's father. We want nothing to do with him. Ever."

Mogamett looked remorseful. "Ah, I see. I'm sorry for offending you Sai. I don't know what Raul had done to make you feel so strongly, but I will respect your privacy. How regrettable, though, that you don't have a good relationship with your father." He sighed. "Though we don't understand each other yet, I hope that we can come to understand each other, Sai."

Seeing that Sai didn't want to continue the conversation, Mogamett stood up.

"I'll have my magicians release you tomorrow, Sai. Please come to my lecture."

The dark-haired magician laughed sardonically after Mogamett was long gone. "Ha! What a joke! 'Please come to my lecture'? As if I had a choice to begin with!"

If Sai wanted to go back to the 5th District again to get Marga, he'd have to sit through the whole lecture.

"Ah~ I need the others." He said to himself quietly. "I need Bee-chan. I need Kou-chan. I need Jazzy-chan. I need Princeling."

The shape shifter covered his face with a hand.

"I need the others."

* * *

"My lady, you have a visitor."

Amani looked up from her work and smiled. "Oh, Leah. Good afternoon! Who is it?"

Leah sighed impatiently and pulled out the person hiding behind her. "This guy was standing around for a while around your room. I decided to just bring him in." She said as she pushed him forward. The person stumbled a little before looking up.

A sheepish Hakuryuu smiled nervously.

"G-Good afternoon, Amani-dono."

Amani stood up from her desk with pleasant surprise written all over her features. Then, when she recovered, she greeted her brother-in-law with open arms. "Hakuryuu, it has been a long time since I last saw you."

"I-It was only two months." Hakuryuu weakly protested before he gave in and returned her hug.

Amani drew back with a concerned look. "Though I'm happy to see you here in Balbadd, what about Kougyoku? Will she be fine alone?"

"Sister Kougyoku sent me here, actually. Though I insisted that she come over to Balbadd with me for her safety, she was stubborn in retaining her position as High Priestess. I wouldn't have left her in such a sensitive condition if it weren't this urgent. There was a bit of an…issue concerning Tiare. She suggested that I go to you."

"What happened to Tiare?"

A hand tapped Amani's shoulder, making the woman whirl around in surprise. When her eyes landed on the figure behind her, her brown eyes widened at the sight. "Tiare! My, you've grown! And your stealth has improved. I hardly sensed you behind me."

The little girl that had once been just a little taller than Aladdin was now half a head shorter than Amani. Her figure had also matured during their separation. Amani's smile faltered a bit. Though Tiare was a growing girl, the change was a bit drastic for two months.

"We think it might be a side-effect in eating Zagan's body." Hakuryuu explained when he saw the question in her eyes. "Tiare has been growing and eating more lately."

At his comment, the Toran girl jabbed him in the ribs, downing Hakuryuu with the strength of her hit. Tiare paid no mind to this as she shot her master an offended look. "Are you calling me **fat**?!"

Oh dear.

"No Tiare." Amani was quick to calm the girl before she could cause any more harm on Hakuryuu. "He was only explaining how you managed to grow into a beautiful young woman in such a short time."

"Oh." Tiare blinked and relaxed, mood turning a complete one-eighty as she smiled sweetly at Hakuryuu. "Thank you, Master!"

Hakuryuu let out a pathetic groan.

Tiare gasped. "Oh no! Master, I'm sorry! I did it again!"

"Again?" Amani questioned as she helped the younger girl help Hakuryuu up. "You've been experiencing mood swings, Tiare?"

The Toran teen nodded miserably as tears began welling in her eyes. "I don't mean to, but I get angry or sad over the smallest things! My stomach has been hurting for a while and my skin's all itchy!"

"Itchy?" Amani repeated blankly. She recognized all the other symptoms, but the itchy skin was new. "Do you feel itchy now?"

Tiare shook her head. "No, it's usually when I'm a dragon."

This was a bit confusing.

"I'll try to look into it." Amani finally said. "But first, we need to bring you to the guest rooms. Your visit _has_ been a bit unexpected."

"But aren't you busy, Amani-dono? We can find the rooms ourselves." Hakuryuu insisted as his eyes wandered over to her desk. Amani's eyes followed his and she smiled.

On her desk was a blank scroll.

"Ah, no. I'm done with my work. I was planning to wake Kouryuu up from his naptime, actually." Amani paused for a moment when her sharp ears caught the faint sounds of her son rousing from his nap from the room next door. "Would you two like to say hello?"

* * *

Yasmine stood at the foot of the hill where the whole group had decided to take a break from traveling. Her blindfold lay at her feet as she stared off into the sunset with an almost awed expression.

"So _that _was what it meant…" She murmured to herself almost breathlessly as she looked at her arms. "To think that all this time, the answer to everything was _right there_ all along."

"Yasmine?"

Yasmine turned at the sound of Kouha's voice. "Kouha?"

The pink-haired prince pointed over his shoulder. "Dinner should be ready soon. What are you doing all the way over here?" After the question left his mouth, Kouha's eyes widened. "Yasmine, you're not wearing your blindfold!"

Though this was not said with fear (Kouha was more the type to express glee in these sort of situations for a reason Yasmine couldn't understand), Yasmine's hands automatically came up to cover her eyes.

Kouha was faster. His hands snapped out to catch her hands.

"Hey, why cover them so soon? It's rare to see you without those blindfolds."

He leaned in closer, making Yasmine's breath catch.

"You have beautiful eyes, Yasmine. You shouldn't cover them up."

"_Such pretty, pretty eyes. Such a pity that they have to be covered."_

Yasmine's face burned at the memory. Even now, her lips tingled from the kiss that he had given her. She turned away from him sharply as she took back her arms. Kouha looked at her curiously as she grabbed her blindfolds and hastily tied them back on.

"Let's go. You said that dinner was ready, right?"

Kouha nodded slowly. "…Yeah. Hey Yasmine, are you okay? Your face is a little–"

"It's just the sun." Yasmine said quickly as she inconspicuously patted her cheeks. "And I was a little excited. You shouldn't worry about it."

"Excited?" Kouha repeated, surprised. "About what?"

Yasmine smiled to herself as she walked forward.

"I was able to crack a very hard riddle that an old friend gave me."

* * *

Kougyoku quietly regarded the Al Thamen member sitting across from her.

"You know. If your group wasn't trying to kill me and destroy the world, I would actually feel sorry for you." She finally said as she poked him on the forehead. The Al Thamen member automatically collapsed onto the table. Kougyoku rubbed her forehead and stood up. "Thank you for your help. You'll feel a bit drowsy when you wake up, but you won't remember that I was here."

Kougyoku left the room smoothly without a look back as she took out Ping's will from her robes. Vinea flashed from within her sleeves, making the princess smile and coo. "I know. It's boring staying here, right? Don't worry. We'll be able to go all out soon."

Then she turned to the scroll in her hands. "Thank you, Ping. I wouldn't have been able to do this without your clue."

Solving the clue turned out to be quite simple, really. Kougyoku didn't know how she didn't see it before. Sammi had truly tailored these clues for them to solve.

"I need to write to Shion and the others about this." She muttered to herself as she recalled what she managed to glean from the Al Thamen member with her newfound ability. "This is big."

* * *

Seishin and Kouen helped each other into their armors. The movements between the two were smooth and unhesitant from the habit of doing this ever since their younger years in the battlefield.

"This brings me back." Seishin mused as she spared a glance at the armor her husband was helping her put on. "It's been a while since I wore this. I don't think my old ones fit anymore."

"It's been a while." Kouen agreed, as he looked his wife over with approval in his eyes. "As I thought, you look most beautiful in armor."

Seishin drew her husband in for a quick kiss. "You flatterer. Just be happy that I forgave you for sending our daughter away to a far off country." She hummed as her husband rested his forehead on hers.

"We will be picking Kohaku up the moment we reach Magnostadt." He rumbled in assurance.

"We better. My baby has been away from me too long." Seishin teased while sneaking in another kiss. A quiet gasp sounded at the doorway. Both husband and wife turned to the sound to find a wide-eyed Ming Hua and her maid. "O-Oh, I'm sorry for interrupting, Seishin. I wasn't aware that your husband would be here."

Seishin laughed and detached herself from Kouen. "It's fine, Ming Hua! I was the one who invited you over anyways."

The maid beside Ming Hua handed over a box to her mistress. Ming Hua held out the wrapped gift to her childhood friend. "For you, my friend. And your husband. I hope that both of you will be successful in conquering Magnostadt."

Seishin accepted the gift with a smile before hugging Ming Hua tightly. "Thanks, Ming. I wish you luck too. You're leaving the capital to visit a relative, aren't you?"

"Yes." Ming Hua responded after she drew back from the embrace. "The trip is safe and I will be traveling with my maid, Camilla, so don't worry Seishin."

Seishin laughed.

"Still, Ming, I worry, you know?"

* * *

Eirenne peppered her firstborn son's face with multiple kisses as slaves carried the Queen's whole wardrobe onto the ship. Askan stood a little bit away, waiting patiently for her to leave.

"Mommy will be going out for a little trip, okay? Don't miss me too much, Hakkan dear." She cooed as she brushed his hair back. Hakkan nodded distantly as his eyes didn't quite look at her. "Yes, mother." He said obediently.

Raul looked onto the scene with a large amount of amusement.

"I think we need to be leaving soon, your majesty."

"Oh, you're quite right, Raul! Just let me give Hakkan one more kiss and we'll be off!" The woman said and did just that. She glided over to the ship and waved at Hakkan from there. The firstborn hardly bothered to respond to her frantic waves as his mind wandered elsewhere.

'_Good riddance.'_ Askan couldn't help but think when the ship was out of sight. There was no question why he felt that way with his mother. Lately, Eirenne had been clingier with Hakkan, showing him off to Raul with whatever chance she got. He didn't really like his mother's 'friend' either. The man spoke and acted strange that set the little boy on edge. _'I hope they never come back and leave Hakkan-nii alone.'_

Askan looked over at his dazed brother and pulled at his clothes. "Hakkan-nii? Why don't we go back in? You look tired. Did you even sleep last night?"

"…Shion…"

Askan tilted his head quizzically. "Huh? Brother? What about Prince Shion?"

Hakkan blinked and looked down at Askan as if he didn't know he was there the whole time. "Oh, Askan. The boat isn't here anymore. Did mother leave already?"

"You're _really _out of it, Hakkan-nii."

"Yeah," Hakkan said dazedly as he followed his little brother back in. "I…I think I need more sleep. I've been having the strangest dreams lately, Askan. You wouldn't believe it…"

* * *

From within his lamp, Andromalius reared up in defense at the dangerous presence that made itself known in this world.

"_Household Members!" _The djinn cried out. _"Awaken and protect your King!"_

* * *

"Ack! I submit! I SUBMIT!"

All eyes stared with mixed surprise and horror as Maya stood over the downed soldier with a sweet smile. Behind him was a large pile of downed soldiers. "Really? But I'm still_ a little _upset about what you and your friends said concerning my husband's Finalis Corps. According to you, they were 'weak and spineless dogs of the military'…right? Or did you not mean it?"

The soldier shook his head rapidly as he began to cry. "I didn't mean it! I was wrong! Please, spare me!"

Meanwhile, the whole Finalis Corps watched the whole scene with wide eyes.

"Wow! Look at her go!"

"She's so fast and scary!"

"Do you think she's going to join the Finalis Corps too?"

"Captain's wife is so badass! She's awesome! I'm glad that they finally got married!"

"I think I know where Hel got his temper now…"

Hel sighed at the spectacle. Ever since he gave told his mother about the assassin, Maya had been training heavily in order to protect him. Though he was more than capable of taking care of himself, Hel let his mother think what she liked.

Besides, it was fun watching Muu gape at his mother whenever she displayed her strength. Though she wasn't as strong as Hel or Muu, Maya still displayed the speed and ferocity that the Tenzan Demon Clan was very well known for.

From beside him, Opal laughed. "Your mom is pretty cool. Your step-father is pretty lucky to have her." At his scowl, she nudged him affectionately. "Hey, I'm proud of you for giving him permission to marry your mom. It must've been hard."

It was.

Hel swung his sword and blinked in surprise as something red streaked in front of his blade. The training dummy that he had been testing his strength on was completely demolished by his swing.

The soldier that his mother was terrorizing shrieked loudly. "What sorcery is this?! My blood! It's floating! It shouldn't do that!"

Hel looked at his sword and saw that the red streak had been blood. He raised his sword again and blinked when red liquid floating beside the panicking soldier rushed over to his blade and wrapped around it like little, red snakes. "What?"

Opal looked at his sword. "Cool. I guess you activated your Household Vessel. Congrats."

Hearing the envy in her voice, Hel gestured over to her hammers. "You try."

With an excited gleam in her eyes, Opal swung down her hammers. Large pillars of fire rose from the impact of the hammers. She looked down at her weapons before looking up happily.

"Awesome."

Meanwhile the poor soldier whimpered as he took in the sight.

'_What was with all these monsters in Reim?!'_

* * *

Jamal stared at the pan in his hands.

Well…it _had _been a pan a few seconds before. Now it was a pretty cool-looking machete.

"Hel is going to kill me."

As cool as it was that he managed to turn a pan into a lethal weapon, that pan had been Maya's favorite.

Then, much to his surprise, the machete shifted back into a pan. Jamal blinked and turned the pan back into a machete. And then back into a pan. And then back into a machete. And then he turned it into a pike.

"Hmm."

Jamal thought hard and was gleeful when he managed to turn the pike into a small gun.

"I don't know how I managed to do it, but this is pretty cool. I'm totally going abuse this."

* * *

"WHOA!"

Kikiriku stared in shock at the ice that shot out of his Rampaging Unicorn weapon. Across from him, Hinahoho stared at his son with shock as he tried to wiggle himself out of the block of ice that his son somehow managed to trap him in.

"Solomon! Dad, I'm so sorry! I don't know what happened!" Kikiriku cried out as he rushed over to break his father out of the ice.

"This is great! We need to tell Sinbad." The Imuchakk Warrior chuckled joyfully, confusing his son. "…Congratulations on activating your household vessel, son."

Kikiriku's mouth fell open before he slapped a hand over his face.

Of course. It had to do with Shion. Why was he even surprised anymore?

* * *

Somewhere in the Great Rift, a pair of blue eyes opened.

* * *

And here ends the chapter.

Here's an Omake of our favorite dark magi!

* * *

**Adventures of Judal: Night Talks**

Judal didn't know what made him come back to this room the nights that followed. Whenever everyone in the wooden household fell asleep, Judal would sneak back into the room where Chibi-er-Chibi's mother lay. At first, he'd just drop by to check on her rukh and say a few words. Then, for some reason, he stayed longer to talk to her.

He spoke about Chibi-er Chibi and the Idiot King. He assured her that they were fine and that her son was growing to be a strong king candidate.

"I don't even know why I'm doing this." Judal commented to himself one night after he confided to Ranya's sleeping form about his fears of not being able to protect Kougyoku. "Stupid Turtle-sensei would probably had a thousand more push-ups for sneaking in here every night. And for what? You probably can't even hear me."

Ranya's body remained unresponsive, proving Judal's point.

A black rukh fluttered across Judal's face, frustrating him. Though he knew that the woman herself was pure from depravity, Judal could sense the curse that plagued her body. He had to admit that his teacher did a good job in keeping the curse stagnant for the time being.

Judal snatched the black rukh glared at it.

"Stupid. Let her wake up already."

Much to his surprise, the black peeled away in his hands, giving way to a light rukh.

"…Huh?"

Judal released the rukh before grabbing another dark rukh. For the rest of the night, he did his best to peel as many dark rukh as he could.

When he returned to his bed, Judal had gotten rid of most of the taint.

Unbeknownst of him, Ranya's finger twitched.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Maggie: She was Remy's little sister in his past life. Marga resembles her very much, which is why Sai is so attached to her. He's very well aware that he's just caring for Marga out of guilt but does it anyways.
> 
> Lilimana: This magician is no OC. She actually appears in the manga as a minor character. She has pink hair in the anime. She's part of Doron's team of magicians. And her name was called out by Mogamett in the manga. She will be important later on in the story (or I wouldn't have introduced her).
> 
> FiendFyre: A very nasty fire spell cast in the Harry Potter series. Sai invents a very similar spell based on this and uses it on Doron.
> 
> Mogamett and Raul: Mogamett and Raul are acquaintances, who ran into each other at some point in their lives. Mogamett was impressed by his ability in magic while Raul was amused by Mogamett's Magician's Country. Mogamett knows nothing about the experiments that Raul does as a pastime.
> 
> Teen Tiare: Yes, I decided that our cute Toran baby needs an upgrade and since she should be 14 now (Morgiana's age in the beginning of the manga). Still, I had to make it interesting, so Tiare will be going through some interesting...changes aside from her growth spurt.
> 
> Third Degree: If it wasn't clear enough, everyone except Sai managed to discover and unlock their Third Degree abilities. Try guessing what they are!
> 
> Cursed Children: They're beginning to make their way towards Magostadt.
> 
> Chibi Household Members!: Aside from a magician!Selene, the rest of the Chibi Generals are finally living up to their names with their upgrades! (I hope you all appreciate Jamal's with Yasmine finally being aware of her feelings for Kouha).


	44. Chapter 43: Soft Spot

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mogamett opens a discussion that divides the students within the school. Sai continues to hate on him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Onwards

They let him out in the evening.

By then, Sai had regained his composure. He had enough time to himself to pull his scattered emotions back together after Mogamett left his cell. Though he was frustrated that the Chancellor was able to get under his skin so easily, Sai was able to get some new information about that wayward _sire _of his.

'_So, he knew Mogamett, did he? I didn't think Raul is the sort who would attend Magnostadt Academy.'_ Sai mentally mused as he casually made his way back to his room. Though his name made his spine shiver in rage every time it was mentioned – _because __**how dare he **__even replace Remy's wonderful father and make Selene suffer like that because of some twisted curiosity?_ – A very instinctive part of Sai's mind whispered that his _sire _was important somehow in the scheme of things. _'Ah well, at least I know where to get the information if I ever get too curious about him.'_

Sai shuddered to imagine when that day would come, though. He didn't look forward to speaking to Mogamett again. That man seemed to see through him too well for a stranger.

"I wonder…" Sai murmured as he paused in his steps, "Was he able to see through me because I was like _him_?"

The shape shifter took a moment to think to himself before shaking his head.

"Not a time to think about that now." He muttered to himself as he continued to walk to his room. Already, he had risked his position in Magnostadt Academy with his reckless and selfish actions. Though he didn't regret most of it, Sai knew that his actions would bite him in the ass later. Not just that, Selene would also be placed under suspicion because of their relation and her involvement in the incident. Hopefully, they wouldn't give her a hard time –

"Sai!"

Sai barely managed to keep himself upright as a flash of yellow flew across the room and into his chest. His breath caught as the wind was knocked out of him from the over-exuberant hug. His hand came up to give the crying blonde a few, quick pats on the back. "Mou, did you miss me that much?"

"The Chancellor promised that you'd be released by this afternoon. When they didn't let you out by the time the lecture was over, we thought…we thought…" Titus descended into another fit of sobbing as he clung onto his roommate even tighter. Sai closed his eyes and let out a heavy sigh. "You thought that they might've changed their mind and offed me, is that it?"

The blonde nodded.

"Maa, sorry for making you worry. There was a little issue with the guards, so my release time was postponed. What about Selene? Is she crying too?"

Titus sniffled and shook his head. "She said that you were fine and that you were probably causing trouble."

'_Atta girl.'_ Sai mentally commended his younger sister for keeping a clear mind.

"Good. Now that I'm finally back, I'll be going to sleep. Good night, Lordling." The shape shifter detached his roommate from his self and made his way over to his bed. He collapsed on top of the covers, not even bothering to change his clothes. Sai closed his eyes and began to fall asleep.

Silver eyes snapped back open when he felt another body climb onto the same bed and cling onto his side.

After a moment, Sai cleared his throat awkwardly.

"Lordling, your bed is over there."

Titus didn't move.

Sai pinched the bridge of his nose. "Mou, aren't you too old to be afraid of sleeping alone?"

"…"

"…Fine. You can stay. I'm too tired to argue with you anyways." The shape shifter finally relented as he closed his good eye in defeat. Sai moved over to give the blonde more room. He felt the other boy perk up beside him before shuffling closer. "Thanks, Sai. I'll go back to my bed tomorrow. It's just…I'm glad that you didn't get expelled or killed because of me."

Sai found himself at a loss for words.

Titus flushed at his roommate's silence and turned away. "A-Anyways, I'll fill you in on today's lecture tomorrow. Good night, Sai."

'_Maa, maa, what is this? Defeated by a kid? I'm getting too soft.'_ He mentally chided himself as he reached over to put out the candle beside him. The flame sizzled out the moment Sai's fingers closed upon the wick. The room was immediately bathed in darkness. _'Ah well. It's better than being emotionally manipulated by the Dumbledore lookalike. If it's Titus then…it should be fine.'_

Sai drew the blanket over both of their bodies and settled onto his pillow. Silver eyes flickered over to the body outlined by the moonlight.

"Good night, Titus."

* * *

Askan peered into the room where Hakkan tossed and turned in his sleep.

"…no….that's not…all of them, did I really…no…No…NO!"

Hakkan's movements became more and more violent as time passed. Askan could only guess what he was dreaming about that was giving him so much grief.

'_Hakkan-nii…'_ The younger Heliohapt Prince thought miserably as he watched his brother helplessly. _'What should I do? He never had nightmares before. Why is he like this now?'_

No, it wasn't like Askan was completely clueless to how these nightmares started.

"_Are you sure that this will make him stronger?" _Askan remembered overhearing Eirenne ask Raul one night when they thought no one else was around. It was one of the perks of being the ignored prince. Askan had gotten very good at hiding and making his presence nonexistent. _"My little Hakkan might not be able to shoulder a dark metal vessel, Raul."_

"_Don't worry. I didn't inject him with a dark metal vessel, Eirenne dear. Even I know that a child's body won't be able to handle something like that."_ Raul as responded soothingly. As always, his voice made Askan sick. _"What I gave him is more of a kick starter to what is already there – a seed that will bring out his full potential. He has the blood after all."_

'Seed? Dark metal vessel? Just what was Eirenne and this strange man meddling with?' Askan had wondered to himself as he continued to listen to the conversation.

"_A seed? Oh Raul, you can't be talking about –_

"_Yes. It's __**exactly **__what I'm talking about."_ Raul had answered with an emotion equal to smugness in his voice. _"The other candidates couldn't handle the dark seed. Your son was the only one who was able to accept it. Can't you see, Eirenne dear? Hakkan is a strong boy. You should be proud of how powerful he is."_

Askan could imagine his mother gloating face. _"Of course he is. He's my little darling."_

"_Yes."_ Raul agreed. _"And now, with the Medium prepared in Magnostadt all that's needed is the elimination of the Blessed Children and that little prince so we can achieve our dream without problems."_

"_Oh Raul."_ Askan heard Eirenne sigh. _"The chaos, the misery, the depravity that we will make them go through…it will be __**perfect**__."_

Askan had no idea what they were talking about. He still didn't. But he knew one thing: Both of them did something to Hakkan-nii and it was making his brother suffer.

It was their fault.

Askan shook with so much anger that it even surprised himself. He knew that Eirenne was a selfish woman, but he thought that she wouldn't do anything to Hakkan. She favored him as her precious first child, after all.

But now, Askan wasn't so sure.

'_Who can I turn to?'_ He wondered. He wasn't one to have many influential friends. Aside from Prince Shion, who he only interacted with a handful of times, he only had-

"Hel-nii." Askan whispered to himself as his green eyes widened in hope. "I need to find a way to talk to Hel-nii."

But that meant that he would have to go to Reim. Alone.

'_Could he really…?'_

The younger prince looked at Hakkan again. The sight of his brother strengthened his resolve.

'_Yes. He had to.'_

"Don't worry, Hakkan-nii. I'll find a way to fix this." Askan whispered. "Hold on just a little bit more, okay? I'll get help."

He turned away from his brother and left the room.

* * *

"…_Shion_…" Hakkan moaned feverishly to himself as Askan scampered away to pack. "I didn't want this. I didn't want any of this. Sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, everyone…I'm –"

_So sorry_

_I'm…so…_ _ **so ** _ _sorry that it had to end up like this._

(But I had no choice, you see.)

* * *

Hel shuddered as he felt a strange sense of foreboding run through his spine.

"Hel-chan? Is there something the matter?"

The part-Finalis teen snapped back into attention when he heard the soft inquiry from across him. Hel cleared his throat and shook his head. "I'm fine, carni-Scheherazade-sama."

The blonde priestess laughed at his minor blunder and poured the teen some tea. "Feel free to call me what you like, Hel-chan. From what I heard from your friend, it's a compliment coming from you."

Hel twitched.

"Jamal, was it?" Scheherazade inquired delicately. "I heard that the young man is very bright. Do you think that he would like to stay in Reim for a little longer before he returns to Sindria? I'm sure that he'd be interested in exploring our Intelligence Department."

"The cr – Jamal already has plans on reuniting with his older sister. Trying to keep him away from her any longer than necessary would be a bad idea." Hel said smoothly.

Hel knew what the old bobcat was trying to do. Scheherazade was clever enough to realize what a treasure Jamal was with his ability to create things and think outside the box.

It was too bad that the crazy inventor's alliance was already with someone else.

Scheherazade nodded gravely. "Oh yes, I've heard many things about that. Your friend is very devoted to his sister. Family is important so I can understand that." The magi smiled. "Please do tell him congratulations for activating his household vessel. His sister is a metal vessel user, yes?"

"Yes. Gamigin. He's an earth-based djinn." Hel didn't correct the woman across from him on her assumption. She still assumed that Hel's household vessel was connected to Barbatos. _'As if I'm going to explain to her that we're Shion's household members.'_

"Ah, I see. Perhaps I should invite his sister over for tea some day." The small woman commented airily as she handed over the steaming cup of tea. "Now, tell me about your parents, little Hel. Are Muu and Maya doing well?"

Hel nodded, glad for the change in subject. "Both of them are happy. Thank you for arranging the wedding so quickly." He said genuinely as he thought back to his mother's happy expression on her wedding day. Though it annoyed him to no end that the fake herbivore – Muu – didn't stop crying at the end of the ceremony, Hel was happy for his mother. "The fake – ah, _Muu_ wanted the ceremony done as soon as possible for some reason."

Muu proposed to Maya literally on the day Hel gave him his (reluctant) blessing. It annoyed Hel how_ desperate_ the fake herbivore seemed to be on tying the knot with his mother. It was as if he expected Hel to withdraw his (again, reluctant) approval at any second.

'_He should have planned the ceremony out a little more.'_ Hel mentally criticized as he thought back to the event. The wedding ceremony had been fancy, yes, but it had also been hastily put together. _'Mother deserved a little more effort.'_

Not that Maya actually minded. She wasn't the sort to care about those things. She was just happy that she was finally married to the man she loved.

The magi smiled. "Please don't blame Muu. He was just very excited to gain your blessing. I must say, even I was a little surprised at your change of heart. What made you re-think your opinion?"

"He redeemed himself." Hel said shortly and didn't expand on the subject. "I decided to trust him with mother. That's all."

"Well, that's good." Scheherazade said agreeably. "I'm sure that Muu won't disappoint you. He's a very good man."

"He is." Hel finally conceded after a beat. His red eyes looked away from the blonde as he said this. Then his eyes flickered back to her warningly. "Tell him and Reim falls."

"I won't." Scheherazade promised, completely unaffected by the young Finalis' threat. "We can't risk Reim falling after all."

* * *

Sai had to hand it to the old man. He was _good_.

There was no wonder why he had so many magicians supporting his cause. Mogamett made a strong and sound argument when explaining his reasons. Sai was impressed that this man managed to make his poor treatment of the goi sound like some generous action.

And yet, all Sai could feel was disgust.

Mogamett could just as well be preaching about the superiority of humans with blue eyes and blonde hair and it still wouldn't make a difference to him.

'_Ah, this is making me feel sick.'_ Sai thought as his good eye wandered around the room to take in the faces of the students. _'Dressing up human cruelty with pretty words, who does this guy think he is? A martyr? How conceited. And look at the rest of them taking it all in like little sheep.'_

But Sai kept his complaints to himself. Titus and Aladdin were already speaking up enough, so the shape-shifter decided to sit back and let someone else do the talking for once.

"The magicians and goi are two different species!" The Chancellor's voice boomed loudly in the room as he delivered his belief to the students. "The species with superior intelligence and reason must control the species that don't have those qualities and guide them towards a more advanced world!"

Sai closed his eyes. It was almost too painful to watch.

'_Just a little more and then you'll see Marga.'_ Sai chanted to himself mentally as his fists tightened at the sound of Mogamett's voice. _'Just a little more…and you'll see her again. This is nothing.'_

"We magicians were born in order to guide this grieving world toward the right path!"

'_This is nothing.'_

* * *

After the meeting, everyone gathered to discuss about the Ideology Reformation Lecture. Debates and arguments were slung back and forth as many of the students tried to make head and tails with the large amount of information they were given before.

Sai simply stayed out of it all. He needed a moment to calm down.

'_Are you okay?'_ Selene signed to him tentatively. _'You look a little pale. Was it because you spent so much time in the isolation cell? Should I go and get some water for you?'_

The corners of Sai's mouth turned upwards at his little sister's fussing as he ruffled her hair fondly. "Mou, how can I be unwell when you're here? Don't worry about me. I'm just a little tired. But I'm feeling better now since my cute sister is right beside me~!"

Selene accepted her brother's affectionate gesture with a small grin.

" – What about you two Sai, Selene?" A magician spoke up, gaining the attention of the two siblings. Many eyes landed on the pair expectantly. Some eyes wandered over to the scarf around Selene's throat and the scar over Sai's face. "What were your experiences?"

Selene stiffened and fidgeted with her scarf self-consciously.

"Come on, Selene. Tell us. I'm sure that you have something to say." One of the female magicians – _An Artemyrian _– wheedled as she angled herself closer to the blonde. Sai shifted in front of Selene defensively as he pinned the girl down with a steely stare. "Hey, aren't you asking the wrong sibling? Not everyone here knows Selene's sign language, you know. Why not me? _Hmm?_"

"Well, since Selene and I are classmates –

"_I _think it has nothing to do with that at all." Sai interrupted her with a narrowing of his eye. "We're classmates too, or did you forget? We were both in Second Kodor for a bit before I moved up to First. Alecta, was it?" He drew out her name slowly. "I scare you, don't I?"

The girl flinched and stammered but did not deny Sai's claim.

'_Sai?'_ Selene questioned from his peripheral vision. _'It's fine. I can tell them –_

Usually, Sai would wait until his sister was finished with her sentence, but he wasn't done with the Artemyrian girl.

"I think you already know what happened, right? Since you're being so pushy about it." Sai tilted his head to the side. "Hmm, I wonder if you were one of the ones who just _watched _her as she bled. It _would _make sense for you to know if you were there too. Were you?"

Alecta shook her head in denial. "I wasn't there! I just – I just heard about what happened from my friends, that's all!"

From behind Sai, Sphintus turned his eyes curiously over to Selene. "I heard part of the story from you, Selene. But what are they talking about? Was it really such a big deal?" The dark-haired magician heard the Heliohapt native whisper. Oh? So his little sister had deemed the boy worthy enough to confide that information to? When did these two become this close? Sai really was losing his touch.

"It was." Sai confirmed in his sister's stead, making Sphintus flinch in surprise. "A-Ah, really? Um, do you mind…?"

'_Brother? You can tell them.'_ Selene signed. _'It really doesn't bother me anymore. And many others shared their own stories…so…'_

Sai took a deep breath. "Selene and I had different mothers, so I didn't know about her until I stumbled upon her by chance when I was traveling through Artemyra with some friends." A bitter expression spread across his face. "Because she displayed some…unique…abilities concerning her voice, Queen Mira herself had decided to _fix _the situation with her own hands." In a softer voice, Sai added, "She was only twelve."

Horror and realization marked most of the faces now, as the other students understood what happened.

"Just because she was different…her voice was –

"By _Queen Mira_ herself?!"

"Poor Selene."

"Did they actually do that to her because she had magic? How unfair!"

Selene traced the ugly mark on her throat. _'Queen Mira is not a cruel ruler. Though I didn't understand it then, she had been thinking about the safety of the people. If she truly wanted me dead, I wouldn't be here.'_ She signed, but her eyes were sad. Kohaku translated Selene's words to the people who didn't understand sign language. _'I just wish that she didn't need to take my voice away to do that.'_

"That still doesn't make it right." Sphintus argued while shaking his head. "Twelve." He repeated to himself. _"Twelve."_

Suddenly emboldened by the response of the crowd, Alecta turned to Sai. "It was the same for you, right? You were hurt too because of you were _different_."

'_Hit it right on the nail, that one. And yet, so far from the truth.'_ A sardonic voice in Sai's mind snorted as the dark-haired Shambal sibling did his best to keep his face composed. Unfortunately, his lack of reaction encouraged Alecta to dig even more into his past. "It was the goi who did this to you, wasn't it? Were they afraid of your power too?"

"Goi?" Sai repeated. "Ah, well, many people did lots of crappy things to me in my life because I was different, but this thing," the silver-eyed magician ran a finger down the side of his face, "this thing wasn't inflicted by a goi."

"Not Goi?" Alecta repeated, but was ignored.

"Don't just assume that only goi are capable of doing terrible things." Sai concluded shortly. He then turned away from the other students, signaling the end of his participation in the conversation. He wasn't in the mood in disclosing such personal information to a group of people he hardly knew.

Besides, it was _Raul_. They were better off not knowing about him in the first place.

* * *

"Ah, land ho! Finally, I thought we would never reach the ports." Raul commented happily as the port came into sight. Beside him, Eirenne leaned over and narrowed her eyes as she strained to get a better view of the port. "And we have company waiting for us."

"Company?" Raul tensed slightly. It was barely noticeable, just a slight shifting of his shoulders. "That's unexpected. Who is it? Tell me what your eyes see, Eirenne dear." Her companion drawled from beside her. "Friend or Foe?"

After a moment more of watching, Eirenne jumped and squealed. "Oh! It's Camilla and Ming Hua! I'm so glad that they managed to leave Kou without any problems!"

Raul's form relaxed a bit at the mention of the other Cursed Children.

"So they're right on schedule, then. Good. Then there won't be any delay from here on out."

Honestly, he couldn't wait they reached shore. The sooner they got off this boat, the sooner they would start making their way towards Magnostadt.

'_I can't wait to get my hands on those Blessed Children.'_ Raul thought, shivering in excitement. _'They would make the most ideal test subjects for my next experiment. Imagine what I would learn!'_

Raul giggled. He couldn't wait!

* * *

Marga was happy to see Titus and Sai again. She didn't have many friends in the 5th District since everyone was sure that she wouldn't live very long, but she managed to make so many in one day!

Sai and Titus were so nice to her too. Sai carried her back to her home when she fell and Titus made her chest feel better with his magic. They spent a long time talking to her. They even showed her what a real city looked like with Aladdin's help!

They also protected her. When she was thrown away by the tall, scary magician, they caught her and brought her back up like birds.

Marga felt so lucky. And to see them again made her chest feel warm.

But…

Who was that old man with them? And why does Titus look so angry? And why did Aladdin look so worried? She looked to Sai for assurance but found that the silver-eyed magician was also upset with the old man.

Was this man a bad person?

Suddenly, the old man picked her up from her bed and dangled her in front of Titus and Sai. The way he held her was uncomfortable and strange, but Marga was too weak to wiggle out of this stranger's grasp.

"You want to bring her with you to the surface, right?" She heard the old man ask.

'…_The surface?'_

Marga looked from Titus to Sai. Was she hearing things? Did that old man say that she could go to the surface?

No. That can't be right. How could that be true of Titus was making that face like he was going to do something terrible? The old man then said something else about 'other' children' that made Titus cringe and shake.

"Think hard." The old man reminded Titus as he held her out even more. "Well, Titus?"

Titus hesitated for a moment.

"Maa, maa, enough."

Before Marga could even blink, a pair of hands abruptly snatched her from the old man's uncomfortable grip. She was cradled protectively into a more comfortable grip. To her joy and relief, Marga discovered that it was Sai who took her.

"Enough with the hesitating. Can't you see you're making Marga nervous?" The dark-haired magician scolded his blonde roommate lightly. He then patted her head comfortingly. "Besides, the longer we stay here, the worse Marga will get. We need to take her to the surface as soon as we can, right?"

Marga looked from Sai to Titus.

"R-Really? Are you really going to take me up to the surface?"

"Of course we are, sweetheart." Sai cooed as he placed her down to the ground. He turned to a gaping Titus. "Isn't that right, Lordling?"

Marga turned to Titus hopefully.

Will they really-?

"Yes." Titus choked, tearing up as he gathered her up into his arms. "Yes!"

Marga cried out happily as she threw her arms around Titus. She couldn't believe it at first, but it was true! She was going to go to the surface! Marga felt as if she would burst with all the joy she was feeling at the moment.

"Thank you! Oh, thank you! _Thank you!_"

* * *

A small smile flickered across Sai's lips as his good eye took in the scene. He made a move to join them, but was stopped by a sound behind him.

Mogamett chuckled at the scene. He appeared genuinely happy for the blonde student. "So you like her so much, huh?"

Sai's eye narrowed at the old man's wording. The Blessed Child was originally going to let Mogamett's subtle emotional manipulation over Titus slide since Marga was able to come up to the surface, but the way he talked about Marga…

'_It was as if she was some stray that we took pity on.'_

"I'm happy for you, Titus!" Mogamett continued.

(Something in him _snapped _just then.)

"Mou, Chancellor…you really shouldn't bully Lordling like that." Sai commented casually as he got off his knees. He made sure to keep his voice low enough for the happy pair to not overhear him. "It all good and fine if it's me…but Titus is fragile. If you push him too far, he might break. And if that happens…"

Sai trailed off threateningly before picking the sentence back up with a fake smile. "Since he's an Alexius Noble, he doesn't have the same thick skin as me. Please be more careful with his feelings."

The old man's smile didn't waver. "Of course, I apologize for distressing him. I simply needed him to understand –

"Lordling doesn't need to understand anything." Sai cut him off sharply. "Heavy things like that…he's too young to worry about those. He's allowed to be selfish without worrying about consequences. Next time, please leave the hard stuff to me. Alright, Chancellor?"

Mogamett chuckled. "Of course, of course. I'll be sure to keep that in mind next time, Sai. You and Titus are very close, aren't you? It's good to see that my students are getting along so well."

'_Threat. Threat. He's a threat.'_ Sai's instincts screamed as he looked at the calm, older man across from him. _'Leave! Get out! He knows your weak spots. He's too good at this. Take Selene and Lording and Marga and run, run, run, __**run**__!'_

He ruthlessly quashed that instinct. Where would he

Sai retained his fake smile.

"Of course. I'm in charge of Lordling. He's my responsibility."

* * *

"Wow! Wow! Wow~!"

Marga's eyes shined brightly as she took in the sight of the city. In her excitement, she dragged Titus and Sai everywhere, asking little questions at every sight and expressing complete joy in seeing the things she only heard in stories.

Very much like Titus' reaction to his first experience of the city, Marga was fixated by the simplest of things.

(Sometimes, her reactions made Sai's chest constrict since he knew that she deserved better than this.)

"Titus! Sai! It said meow! The cat said meow!" Marga squealed as she pointed at the shocked feline. Titus laughed along with her encouragingly. "Yeah! It said meow!"

Marga continued to lead them around the city a little bit more before she collapsed into a fit of coughing. Even though he had expected this, Sai's heart still leapt up his throat. Titus looked over the little girl with concern. "Are you alright, Marga?"

"Why don't we take a little break?" Sai suggested as he rubbed her back soothingly. "I'll carry you if you still want to see the rest of the city. We shouldn't stress your body any further."

Marga surprised both Sai and Titus by tugging on their sleeves.

"Um…Thanks for bringing me outside. I'm really happy! I love you!"

A happy flush covered Titus' face at Marga's proclamation. He enthusiastically hugged her. Meanwhile, Sai simply patted Marga's head, but the warmth in his eyes was undeniable.

"Hey guys!" Kohaku called out as she came over, unintentionally breaking the moment. Beside her, Selene smiled with excitement shining in her eyes. Much to Titus' delight and Marga's confusion, she held out a package of sweet buns. "We have sweet buns!"

As Marga was introduced to the concept of sweet snacks, Titus settled beside Sai, who was lost in thought.

"Aren't you going to have some, Sai?" Titus asked curiously, holding out a sweet bun in front of the Blessed Child. Sai broke out of his line of thought at the action. "A-re? Is that for me, Lordling? It's fine. You can have it. I'm not too fond of sweets."

Titus' eyes widened as he nearly dropped the offered sweet bun. "Y-You don't like sweets?!"

Sai nodded in confirmation. "Yeah. I don't like seafood either. Why? Is it so surprising that I don't like something you find so tasty?"

Titus nodded sheepishly. "How can you _not _like sweets?" He wondered disbelievingly as he took a bite out of the sweet bun. "They're so good!"

A smirk skittered across Sai's lips. "Well, you're a child, Lordling. Children love sweet things, so I don't think you'd understand."

The blonde stopped chewing and scowled. "Stop treating me like a child, Sai!" He crossed his arms and pouted. "Hmf! The only reason why I don't understand is because you don't tell me anything about yourself."

"Fair enough." Sai agreed with a chuckle. "I like salty and spicy kind of food. Sour candy isn't too bad either if I'm in the mood for it. I also like Bee-chan's cooking."

"Bee-chan?" Titus parroted. "Who's that?"

Sai's expression softened. "A very good friend who I've known for a long time. That's all you need to know."

'_Which reminds me, how is she right now?'_ He wondered as he thought about the more inconspicuous Blessed Child. _'Probably spoiling that kid of hers rotten like she always does when she mothers people.'_ He thought fondly as Titus tried and failed to catch his attention again.

'_I hope Amani is well and happy.'_

Completely unnoticed by Sai, Titus gave up on his endeavor to recapture the other magician's attention and spent the rest of the small break sulking moodily.

("…What's so special about her anyways?")

* * *

"Hello, my little prince. Did you nap well?"

Amani lifted her son from his crib as he slowly blinked away the sleep from his eyes. Kouryuu opened his tiny mouth and yawned cutely. Behind Amani, Tiare made soft sounds at the adorableness that was Kouryuu. Despite the dragon girl's frequent mood-swings, Amani discovered that her temper was more controlled in the presence of smaller and weaker creatures. Though she didn't trust Tiare enough to let the younger girl hold her son, Amani allowed the girl to accompany her when she woke her son up from his daily naps.

"He's so cute." Tiare sighed as Kouryuu gurgled at her in recognition. "And tiny!"

"Isn't he?" Amani agreed as she kissed the top of her son's head. "But Kouryuu is already teething." She was quick to angle her head back as he eagerly grabbed for the jewelry around her neck. "His dexterity is also improving."

Lately, Amani found that she had to be more careful with the objects she placed near her son. Though he didn't put every single object he got his tiny hands on into his mouth (thank Solomon), Kouryuu tended to grab for the dangerous objects like his mother's hairpins or his father's spare brushes.

"He's growing so quickly."

That fact always made Amani both proud and sad.

"Amani-dono? Tiare?" Hakuryuu peered into the room cautiously. Amani gestured him over while holding up a now wide-awake Kouryuu. "Ryuu-chan, say hello to your Uncle!"

Kouryuu babbled his greetings excitedly as his small hands reached out for Hakuryuu. The scarred prince was quick to come over and take Kouryuu out of Amani's arms. The baby did his best to throw his arms around his Uncle's neck as he affectionately nuzzled him.

Hakuryuu smiled shyly at his nephew's enthusiastic greeting. He had come a long way from the days when he all but panicked when Kouryuu was deposited into his arms. He became well accustomed to holding the baby after many tries.

"Aw, do you like Hakuryuu better than Mama?" Amani asked teasingly as she pretended to pout. Completely gullible to his mother's teasing, Kouryuu's eyes widened and began to tear up in pure panic. He separated himself from Hakuryuu and reached out to his mother, eager to prove her assumption wrong.

Laughing, Hakuryuu handed him back to Amani. "Of course not, Kouryuu. We all know that your mother is too wonderful for me to even be considered competition."

Amani accepted her son back into her arms and laughed even more when Kouryuu burrowed his face into the crook of her neck. "Don't worry. Mama already knows that you love her." She said reassuringly. "Now, why don't we go and pay your father a visit?"

Kouryuu bounced in Amani's arms in excitement at the mention of 'father'.

"Yes, yes, we're going. Hakuryuu? Would you like to come with us to visit Koumei?"

"I'm sorry, Amani-dono, but I need to attend the war meeting that I need to go to so I won't be able to come with." Hakuryuu apologized with a strained smile.

Amani tilted her head to the side in genuine confusion. "Ah? Do you mean the one in two hours?"

"…Yes." The scarred prince cleared his throat and looked away. "I – Kouen insisted that I come a little early to speak with him about something. Ah – it's a minor matter! Really!" He insisted at the sight of her worried expression.

"Okay. I believe you." Amani said calmingly before he could ramble any further. "I'm happy that you're getting along with Kouen now. I was a little worried at first since you were so upset with him a few months back…but I'm glad that you cleared any misunderstanding you had with him. You've really matured, Hakuryuu." She praised genuinely.

Hakuryuu flushed brightly at her approval and looked down. "I…ah, thank you, Amani-dono. It makes me happy to hear that." He scratched the back of his neck awkwardly before turning away. "I'll be leaving first. Please bring Tiare with you. I'm sure that she wouldn't want to sit through the war meeting."

"Okay." Amani agreed as Tiare shifted into her dragon form. After Hakuryuu hastily left, Kouryuu turned to his mother with a quizzical expression.

"Ah?" He gurgled.

Amani sighed. "Your Uncle Hakuryuu won't be coming with us."

"Na?"

"No." She confirmed seriously. "He's busy. But Tiare will be coming with us. Right, Tiare?"

Tiare rumbled affirmatively while waddling ahead of the mother and son before pausing and sending them an impatient look as if saying, _'Well? What's taking you two so long?'_

"We're coming, Tiare."

From the corner of her eyes, Amani barely caught sight of the glimmer of scales scattered around the ground before a flap of Tiare's wings scattered them all into the air and out of sight.

* * *

Kohaku stared at the zemi recommendation letters strewn across her desk. More than half of the cards were involved with subjects that she hadn't even shown interest or talent in.

"Wow," Padma marveled as she took in the sight of the amount of cards on top of Kohaku's desk, "you have so many, Kohaku-chan!"

"But that's expected from someone who's directly being tutored by Chancellor Mogamett himself, right?" Alecta commented from the other side of the room as she sniffed at the letters on Kohaku's desk. "I bet that's the only reason why someone so young as you even _got_ a recommendation."

Kohaku's smile became strained at the Artemyrian's words.

'_Ah…so there are people like her here, huh?'_ The Princess of Kou thought as she mentally shook her head at the (physically) older female. _'It's better to ignore these sorts of people.'_

Sai lazily spoke up from his seat. "The color green doesn't suit you, Alecta. Instead of obsessing over cute, little Kohaku-chan's recommendations, why don't you focus on your own? Oh wait." The silver-eyed magician deliberately paused for a moment to flick his good eye over to the empty desk in front of the Artemyrian, making her flush in shame. "You don't have any."

"W-Well, what about you, then?" Alecta challenged as she did her best to regain face in front of the many ears that were listening into the conversation. "I don't see any recommendations on your desk either!"

Sai lifted up a single card. "That's because I'm holding it." _Moron_, went unsaid, but it was heavily implied in his tone.

As Alecta drowned in her own shame, Kohaku peered over to the recommendation letter with curiosity shining in her eyes. "_Aberrant Magic Application_?"

"Mn." Sai shrugged. "I'm guess they were impressed with the spell I invented. All the same, this class will be useful in improving my abilities." He turned over to his little sister and patted her on the head. "Two recommendation letters? Congratulations. Of course, you got the _8__th__ Type High Level Healing Magic _zemi because of your natural talent, but _Magic Biology_? How unexpected. Do you want to take that class instead?"

Selene shook her head while taking a quick glance at the recommendation card in Sphintus' hand.

'_I think I'll focus more on refining my healing skills. I will also request for an independent study on poison.'_

"I see." Sai nodded slowly before turning his attention onto Titus. "And you, Lordling? Which class are you going to pick? You have a lot of classes to choose from." He appraised as he looked over at the multitude of letters strewn across the desk. "Impressive."

Titus flushed at the praise and quickly snatched a card from the table. "Th-This one."

_Magic Item Production_

Sai smirked. "Perfect~!" He purred, pleased with the blonde's choice. "Though…it's a pity that we won't be attending the same zemi. Are you sure you'll be fine on your own, Lordling?"

"Stop it! I'm not a child!" Titus retorted, chagrined by Sai's question. "Of course I'll be fine on my own, Sai-baka!"

"Maa, maa, it was only a joke." Sai's eyes returned to Kohaku. "So, what about you, Kohaku-chan? Have you already decided?"

The little girl nodded affirmatively.

"Yes. The class I'll be taking will be…"

Tiny hands snatched up a card before holding it up.

"This one. This is the class I want to take."

_Magic Military Strategy_

Sai took a moment to stare at the card before bursting into a tiny fit of giggles and snorts. "Ah, as expected of you. I should've known that you'd choose that zemi."

'_Since that would be what a Princess of Kou would do.'_

('Since that would be what Amani would do.')

* * *

"Miss Lilimana?"

Kohaku was genuinely surprised when she was met with the sight of the pink-haired magician when she attended her first zemi class. The pink-haired professor laughed at the young girl's expression and gestured over to an empty seat encouragingly.

"It's good to see you again, Kohaku-chan. Take a seat. Class is about to start."

Kohaku quickly took her seat before giving Lilimana her full attention. She ignored the glances she received from her older classmates. Here, she didn't have time to care about the opinions of others.

She came here to learn.

Lilimana smiled approvingly at the determined gleam in her youngest student's mismatched eyes and turned to the board to begin her lesson.

* * *

_Everyone,_

_I know that this is a short-term notice, but I managed to get more information on the Cursed Children by chance. I can't really write down the details since I don't have time, but I know their identity._

_Aside from Camilla, there is Queen Eirenne of Heliohapt, Ming Hua from the Kou's Noble 'Wu' Family, and Raul._

_I don't know much aside from that. If you know or find out anything useful about any of them, please inform everyone immediately._

_Currently all four of them are planning on coming over to Magnostadt. I don't know any more details on what their actions will be, but we need to be careful. I'll be waiting for all of your responses._

_Best, _

_Kougyoku_

* * *

For once, Sai hated that he was right.

'_Ah, I knew it.'_ He thought as he gingerly burnt the little message into ashes. _'Raul is going to be a problem. A __**big **__problem.'_

If that man was anything like him…

Sai slowly exhaled from his nose to calm himself down. Beside him, Selene was watching him carefully, not as affected by the contents of the letter as her brother was. To her, Raul had only been a name connected to the bitterness of her birth mother and the reason why she lost her voice. Selene had no issues with changing her view of her birth father from "apathetic" to "antagonistic".

'_We'll be fine.'_ She signed as she took his hand.

"I won't let him anywhere near you." Sai promised her solemnly as he squeezed her hand. "That man…he would definitely try to use you if he ever knew you existed. Make sure to steer clear from him. Okay?"

'_Don't worry about me. It's __**you**__ he's trying to kill, remember? Worry about yourself, Sai!'_ Selene signed with an aggravated expression. Then, her face fell when a thought hit her. _'…What are we going to tell Kohaku?'_

"The truth." Sai stated with a grimace. "It's what she deserves. Besides, who else is going to give her mother a heads up about this new development?"

* * *

Jamal edged away from Hel nervously as the young Finalis stared blankly at the note in front of him. "Opal?" He called out. "Can you come down? _Please?_"

"Why?" The blacksmith asked lazily as she came down the stares. Her laidback posture stiffened immediately when she caught sight of Hel's expression and the note in front of him. "Oh. Bad news?"

Jamal opened his mouth, but was cut off by a low chuckle. Both Opal and Jamal stared as Hel's chuckles gradually turned into loud, uncontrolled laughter.

It wasn't a very nice thing to hear.

When Hel calmed down, he looked back up to Opal and Jamal with excitement burning in his eyes. "Bad news?" He repeated. "No, this is good news. This queen was the woman who hurt mother. Now I have a good reason to eliminate her permanently…right?" Hel looked down at his sword with consideration before turning his attention to Jamal. "Crazy Herbivore, look more into our household vessels. I want to know all the limits and strengths of these weapons so I can properly fight her in Magnostadt."

"Okay." Jamal squeaked. "Whatever makes you happy, buddy. Just…don't laugh like that again."

* * *

Shion crumpled the note and tossed it away. He reached over his desk and pulled out a familiar game board. With a smile, he began to arrange the pieces. "Thanks, Kougyoku. This is the information that I need to move forward."

Shion placed a 'King' piece onto the board with an audible _'tap'_.

"Okay, time to adjust the game plan."

(This time, _this time_, I won't fail.)

* * *

"AHHH!"

Judal and Morgiana simultaneously burst into the wooden house, summoned by Yunan's shocked cry. They were met with the sight of a broken tray and scattered pieces of tableware strewn all over the ground. In the middle of it all was Yunan, staring at something in pure disbelief.

The magi's eyes followed his teacher's line of sight before pausing at the fourth person in the room.

Weakly leaning on the doorframe, Ranya somehow managed to give Judal a friendly wave.

"Judal, right?"

Judal didn't trust his voice so he just nodded.

"Thanks for clearing away the taint. I don't know how you did it but…" Ranya lifted a hand, causing many pure rukh to fly over to her open hand, "it was enough for me to fight the curse on my own."

"Eh?" Yunan finally spoke up, looking from Judal to Ranya. "Sister, did Judal really –?"

"Yes." Ranya confirmed shortly, voice turning cold. "And not only did he do that, Judal also visited me every single night to tell me stories about my precious, baby Shion unlike a certain _someone_."

Yunan flinched at her accusation and looked down at his hands in shame.

"We'll talk about this later." Ranya promised before turning back to Judal. She caught sight of Morgiana. "Oh? You must be Morgiana, my brother's other student."

"Hello." Morgiana greeted awkwardly. Judal could tell that she was confused about the whole situation.

With much effort, Ranya then pushed herself towards the dining table and took a seat. She gestured for the teens to follow her lead. "Come over! Solomon knows it's been a while since I had an actual conversation with another human being. Talk to me. Tell me how the world is like right now."

"Tell me more about my son and his friends."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hakkan's Situation: So, he's pretty much a guinea pig for Raul's most recent experiment. Something about the 'dark seed' planted into him connects him to the older version of him in the nonexistent future. Whether or not it will affect his personality and identity as a whole will be further revealed in the future.
> 
> Mogamett the Bully: I know that he's a pretty swell guy, but I always felt that he bullied Titus a little bit when it came with Marga. It rubbed me the wrong way, and I'm sure it rubbed Sai the wrong way too. I like Mogamett as a character, really. His decision to stay with the souls he forced into depravity is admirable. But that doesn't mean I will overlook his faults. Just because he did some good things doesn't make him a saint.
> 
> Hakuryuu and Kouen: They talked things out and cleared away the misunderstandings. Though Hakuryuu isn't all buddy-buddy with him, his relationship with his older cousin/step-brother is absolutely better.
> 
> Magical Military Strategy: This class is canon. Kohaku, like Amani, was interested in military strategies and the like. It also helped that she has an Uncle who's a genius in that area. I want to improve Kohaku's abilities so she'll be ready for the future battles.


	45. Chapter 44: Unfair

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sometimes, Sai would wonder when life would take away the next thing that makes him happy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Onwards

Sai's eyes slowly opened as the morning light filtered into the room that he and Titus had rented out for Marga two days before. Though he loved to sleep more than anything, his life as a wanderer taught his body to automatically wake up with the sun in order to cover as much ground as he can before the sun set again.

The shape-shifter's eyes rolled toward the window before letting out a quiet sigh when he estimated the time.

It was too early to head over to the academy.

Sometimes, the habit was bothersome when it came to the incidents when he actually had the time and leisure to rest. Ah well. Sai could at least get a head start on making a big breakfast since he had time. It wasn't like he was going to fall asleep again at this point.

Before Sai could even consider rolling out of bed, something shifted at his side. He froze at the movement and cautiously turned his head. _'Oi, oi, __**oi. **__Don't tell me…'_

The blonde hair that met his vision confirmed his suspicions. The Lordling had once again snuck into his bed. Sai ran a hand down his face in irritation. By this point, he knew that it would be pointless to convince his roommate to stop his childish habit. Titus was surprisingly stubborn when he really wanted something Sai had discovered early on. Grey eyes glanced over to the other bed to check on Marga to find the bed completely empty. His good eye snapped back to his bed in search for the little girl. To his relief, Sai found her nestled in between him and Titus with her most recent scroll in her grip.

Marga shifted a little, as if sensing Sai's gaze, before she settled on a comfortable position. The little girl let out a little, happy sigh before her breaths evened out again.

Titus decided at that moment to move closer to Sai and Marga. Sai reached over and placed his arm in front of Marga like a barrier so Titus wouldn't accidentally crush her with his moving around. Fortunately, the blonde's movements settled after he latched onto the said arm as if it was a teddy bear.

'_This is nice.'_ Sai thought despite feeling Titus cutting off the blood circulation in his arm and Marga's scroll jabbing him in his side. It wasn't the most comfortable situation in the world, but the Blessed Child felt oddly content in this position.

Lulled by the rhythmic breathing of the other two, Sai slowly fell back asleep.

* * *

"Sister, shouldn't you be sleeping? You look exhausted."

Ranya didn't turn to the speaker. Morgiana and Judal had long before retreated to their respective bedrooms after satisfying Ranya with many stories about Shion and his friends.

"I think I slept long enough, Yunan." Ranya stated quietly, not taking her eyes off of the table. Tentatively, Yunan sat on the chair positioned across from his sister. After a few seconds of tense silence between them, he finally spoke up. "Ranya, I know that you're upset with me but –

"Upset?! Yunan, I'm _furious _with you right now_._" Yunan flinched when his sister's frigid, blue eyes pinned him down with a glare. "Judal told me everything. You took Shion to a _dungeon_? And _kicked him into it?_"

Yunan winced. "That…was an accident."

"Not only that, you let him wander around the world at _five! _At that age, you barely let me wander around on my own from the _house_. I had to run away in order to get a little bit of freedom, but you let Shion travel around the world _by himself_?"

"Shion is a very mature child, Ranya." Yunan tried to placate her. "And he wasn't alone in his travels. He had four, very mature friends to look after him and make sure he was safe."

Ranya shot Yunan a scathing look. "You told me that _you _would keep my son safe, Yunan! You told me that he's somewhere where Al Thamen couldn't find him!"

"Ranya –

"You _lied_ to me." Her anger began to recede as pain and betrayal took its place. "Yunan, why? You had no reason to keep everything from me, especially when it's about Shion."

Yunan guiltily looked away.

"I did have a reason." He confessed quietly. "I hated it, but I had a reason. I know that it doesn't make things better, but everything that I did was to ensure that you and Shion are safe and alive."

"…Was it the rukh again?" Ranya asked after a small pause, voice a little calmer. "Did they…tell you something?"

Yunan looked down sadly and shook his head.

"No, the rukh didn't tell me anything this time. It was Shion. He was adamant in leaving the safe haven I originally intended for him to stay in. I didn't lie to you about that, Ranya." He said earnestly. "I told him no at first…but your son was stubborn in his decision to leave. No, that's not right. Shion was desperate. I don't know what it was, but he was afraid of something. The rukh shared his fear too. Ranya, I _had _to let him leave. If I didn't, he would have run away like you did. At least, in this way I would know where he was."

Ranya frowned. "But why didn't you tell me?"

"Shion told me to keep it from you. He was convinced that the curse would spread if he worried you too much with his adventures." Yunan explained. He continued tentatively, taking note of her reactions as he went. "I know that he's a child, but you need to understand that Shion is different from all the other children. Everything that he's done so far was carefully planned and calculated. Even I find myself forgetting his true age. Shion promised that he would explain everything to both of us once you wake up."

Ranya let out a sigh and covered her eyes with a hand. "He sounds as if he has the weight of the world on his shoulders."

"Ranya…your son is a very special child."

"Yes, you told me that when he was born. He almost brought storms, earthquakes, and eruptions with him, just like Sin." There was an unmistakable tremor in her voice at the mention of the father. "Yunan? Was what Judal said true? Was it really all a misunderstanding?"

Yunan's expression closed off at the mention of the Sindrian King.

"I don't know about that." He said, voice slightly tense. "All I know is that Shion was under his care for more than a year now."

Ranya let out a sigh.

"That's enough." She murmured. "Even if it isn't a misunderstanding…that's enough."

* * *

Shion stumbled out of his room with sleep still clinging onto his eyes. He mentally cursed his body's habit in automatically walking up at the first rays of sunlight.

Then again, it wasn't his habits that woke him up this time.

On his way to his destination, some of the maids and soldiers stopped to either coo at his bed hair or greet him with laughter in their voices. Shion was too tired to properly return their attention. He doggedly made his way through the hallways until he finally reached the familiar set of double doors.

Sinbad was startled from his sleep as the doors were flung open. He blinked when he saw his son stumble into his room.

"Shion? What are you doing up so early?"

Shion didn't bother to answer his father's question. He scurried over and crawled under the covers of the bed, settling right next to his father. He yawned widely and closed his eyes.

Sinbad wasted no time in wrapping an arm around his son. "Nightmare?" He asked.

"Nah." He felt Shion shake his head. "Jus' felt like sleepin' here."

"Okay." Sinbad accepted before he too closed his eyes. "Sleep well, Shion."

"Nigh'."

* * *

When Lilimana was finally given the opportunity to teach one of the courses with Myer's recommendation and Doron's reluctant permission, she was over the moon. Finally, she was able to prove herself as a teacher for the students in this school!

Not only that, her new teaching position meant that she was no longer required to make her nightly rounds in the Fifth District.

It wasn't that she disliked her Boss or her co-workers. Lilimana genuinely cared for all of them, even her prickly boss.

But she hated her job.

Walking through the district night by night and seeing the transformation in her co-workers' usually kind personalities shift into something completely different, Lilimana didn't think that she would be able to do it anymore.

The only thing that got her through her night duties was the gruff words of gratitude her boss would give her at the end of her shift, rarely accompanied by a short pat on the head.

'_Ah, it should be 'senpai' now, right?'_ Lilimana thought giddily as she was reminded once again of her current status in the academy. _'I'm a zemi professor now!'_

"Ano, Professor Lilimana? I'm done with the exercise."

All eyes snapped over to the youngest student in the class. Kohaku showed no reaction to the attention she abruptly gathered with her soft announcement. She waited patiently for Lilimana to come over and check her work.

"Ah," Lilimana finally managed to say, "Isn't that a bit too…quick, Kohaku-chan? I only gave you and your classmates the assignment ten minutes ago, after all." Not only that, the tactics required to solve this particular problem was too complicated to be finished in that short of a time. "Why don't you check it over?"

Lilimana mentally winced after the words left her mouth. It sounded as if she was underestimating Kohaku and patronizing her because of her young age. Perhaps, she really _was _viewing her youngest student in that kind of way. Lilimana couldn't help it. Kohaku was only nine years old, after all.

Fortunately, Kohaku didn't seem to take any offense to this.

"I have already checked over my work three times, Professor."

'_Ah, so she's __**that **__kind of prodigy.'_ Lilimana thought dryly with a little bit of disappointment. Kohaku had seemed to be a modest and shy little thing when they met. _'Well, time to knock her pride down a few pegs. It's no good for a child her age to be arrogant.'_

Lilimana calmly stood up and walked over to Kohaku's desk. She took the piece of parchment and looked over it.

She opened her mouth in preparation in informing the younger girl to re-do her work. Lilimana was quick to snap her mouth shut when she read what was on the page. Her eyes widened in shock at the detailed notes and choices that covered the whole paper. "What?!"

The rest of the students began to whisper to each other at their professor's reaction.

'_No. Impossible. In such a short amount of time…she…'_ Lilimana swallowed. "Kohaku-chan, did you really do all of this in ten minutes?"

"Yes." Kohaku confirmed calmly.

"…I didn't teach you how to do this yet." Lilimana stated as her eyes glossed over the other side of the page. "How did you know? This is all very complicated, Kohaku-chan. Did you have any past experience in military strategy? Who taught you?"

"My aunt." Kohaku replied simply. "She enjoys playing games that are similar to this, so she taught me whenever she had the time."

'_So she learned from 'playing games', huh?'_

"I see."

Lilimana handed the paper back to her youngest student. She felt a new sense of respect towards Kohaku and mentally swore to never underestimate her student again.

'_A true prodigy. This girl has great potential in becoming a great strategist.'_

"Well done, Kohaku-chan."

'_I need to meet with the Chancellor about this.'_

* * *

"Oi, girl. These bandages are scratchy. Can't you do anything about this? Better yet, you should hurry up the healing process so I can get out of here. Aren't you a certified healer, Miss Genius? What's wrong with you?"

Selene did her best to ignore Doron's scathing words. She regretted volunteering at the healing room the moment she was assigned the cranky magician. Since she was the youngest, the night shifts were assigned to her. Selene didn't quite mind about working during the evening, but she was tired and her patient wasn't helping.

'_I am just an academy student.' _Selene wrote. _'What makes you think that I would be able to do something that the more experienced healers can not?'_

Of course, that was a lie. Selene was more than capable of getting rid of the burns with her knowledge in anatomy and her knowledge in cell growth.

She just didn't want to heal the jerk. Selene had a feeling that the horrible man would be even more insufferable out of the bed. At least now he's in no condition to bully innocent, little children or go after her brother.

"Of course." Doron scoffed derisively. "Talented or not, a newbie will always be a newbie."

Selene comforted herself with the knowledge that she had the ability to deteriorate his skin with a simple touch. The various types of poisons that she could shove down his throat were also soothing to the blonde.

'_I can try to do something about the irritation on your skin.'_ Selene suggested, making an attempt to be kind to the man. He _was _her patient, after all. _'It's the least that I can do.'_

Doron sneered again, but allowed Selene to check on the bandages.

By the time she was done re-dressing the wound and soothing the skin with her magic, Doron was noticeably more relaxed and less cranky.

'_How is it?'_ She wrote. _'Does it still itch?'_

"No. It doesn't." Doron grunted in surprise before he hastily corrected himself. "The bandages are too tight."

Selene nodded patiently, surprising the high-class magician for some unknown reason. _'Understood. I'll loosen them up shortly.'_

As the blonde loosened the bandages, she caught the many glances that the older man sent her.

"…Not bad, newbie." He grudgingly muttered under his breath. "Not like your brother at all."

Selene took offense to that and made it clear through her eyes.

Before Doron could respond to the younger magician's challenge, the doors of the healing ward flung open, revealing an overly excited pinkette. The woman was out of breath, but she didn't allow such a thing to stop her from reaching her target. When her eyes settled on Doron, a wide smile spread across her face from ear to ear.

"Boss! I mean, Senpai! I have really great news!"

"Lilimana?" Selene made sure to file the woman's face away in her mind. Her name sounded familiar. She wondered why. "Good news? Are you saying that I can leave this place and get back to work?"

Lilimana took a moment to give her 'senpai' a pitying look. "Sorry, no. Your body is still recovering. But!" She quickly interjected before Doron could get his word in. "The good news has something to do with the little girl you tutored! Kohaku-chan!"

'_Kohaku?'_ Selene thought. _'What about Kohaku?'_

* * *

"So I hear that you've been doing well in your classes, Kohaku-chan." Mogamett commented pleasantly as he poured the little girl a cup of tea. This night, there was no lesson.

That fact alone sent the Kou Princess on edge.

'_What does he want?'_ She wondered. _'He hasn't tried anything yet, but Sai seems wary of him so I shouldn't let my guard down.'_

Kohaku nodded and accepted the drink. "Yes. I'm learning a lot from Professor Lilimana."

The old man chuckled. "On the contrary, I've been hearing that it's the opposite. You are passing through the lessons in leaps and bounds. Your professor is afraid that she is holding you back with the pace she's giving."

"I'm still learning very much." Kohaku insisted.

And it was the truth.

The military strategies that were enforced by the magicians were a little similar to her Uncle Koumei's tactics, aside from some minor differences. Because of magic, some corners could be cut in the alignment of troops and the choices in battle.

Though the pace was a bit slow because of her personal experience in her past life, Kohaku was learning very precious information. Al Thamen consisted mainly of magicians from another world. Even Gyokuen (Kohaku shuddered to ever call that woman her grandmother) was a magician.

Kohaku was determined to know her enemies' tactics inside out by the time the confrontation came.

Completely oblivious to the thoughts in her head, the Chancellor chuckled. "I'm very well aware of your interest in the subject. Fear not, I will not prevent a student from following her passion. I was only going to suggest that you take extra classes. You are familiar with Doron, yes? Since he is currently recuperating from his injuries, I think that he would be the perfect teacher!"

"Really?!" Kohaku's mismatched eyes lit up at the prospect of working with her beloved tutor again. "I would love that! Thank you very much!"

* * *

"Lordling~! Marga~! I'm home! And I got some sweet buns!" Sai proclaimed loudly as he marched into the room with the treats in his hands.

"…"

The shape shifter frowned when he didn't hear the telltale patter of small feet running toward the doorway. He cautiously entered further into the room. His stance relaxed when he caught sight of Titus sitting on the stool in the middle of the room. Sai's eye flickered over to the sleeping Marga.

"Mou, Marga is sleeping early tonight." Sai commented casually while setting the bag of sweets down on a table. Titus didn't look up or answer to his comment.

Sai frowned and walked over to the blonde.

"Lordling? You're a bit spacey tonight. Anything wrong?"

Titus looked up and opened his mouth. For a moment, Sai was convinced that the blonde was going to tell him something. Then, the vulnerability in the boy's blue eyes closed off abruptly as smiled perfectly. "No. Nothing is wrong, Sai. I'm just a little tired after taking Marga to the healers."

Sai caught the lie the moment it left the blonde's lips. Though it was delivered quite well for a person who only lived in this world for a little more than a year, Sai was specifically trained to sense lies as well as he made them. He was tempted to call the noble out for the lie.

"…If you say so, Lordling."

But Sai let it go.

"Anyways, I bought some sweet buns on my way back home." He said, changing the subject. Fortunately, the blankness in Titus' eyes came back to life at the mention of the sweet snacks that he quickly became fond of. With a smile, Sai gestured over to the table. "Eat some while they're still warm."

* * *

For the next couple of days, Titus was in a state of reverie. His attention in conversations was seldom present and it became common for someone to call out to him to rein him back to reality.

His actions were beginning to concern his classmates, especially Aladdin and Sphintus. He even caught Selene sending him glances now and then.

The only one who seemed to leave him be to his thoughts was Sai. Instead of giving the blonde relief, the Blessed Child's apathy to his plight frustrated and saddened Titus. "Don't you care about me?" He wanted to ask Sai. "Why aren't you asking me if I'm okay? Aren't you wondering what I'm worried about?"

But Titus couldn't ask him. He wasn't even sure if Sai knew about his temporary lifespan.

(He didn't know if Sai would _care._)

Titus was filled with so many confusing and conflicting emotions that he didn't know what to do with himself. All he could do was to keep up the appearance of being completely fine while trying in vain to sort out his feelings about his impending return to his 'mother'.

Titus was afraid.

He didn't know why. Shouldn't he be happy that his mission was almost over? It was the purpose of his existence, after all.

So…why? Why did he feel so afraid? Why did he feel so dissatisfied and empty?

"_Your role will end too, Titus."_

Titus understood that he was merely an artificial creation of Scheherazade. His existence was only meant to be temporary, as were the many brothers and sisters before him. He knew that he was meant for a short life. He knew.

Yet…

"Earth to Lordling." Titus was ripped from his thoughts as a hand landed on his shoulder. "Enjoyed frolicking with the clouds?"

Titus stared at Sai blankly.

"You've been staring at the same page for twenty minutes." Sai revealed to the blonde. "And your zemi class was over a long time ago. I think we should be heading back home, don't you think?"

Titus flushed brightly in shame. "I –

"Don't worry. It was a trying week." Sai assured the flustered blonde. "You've not been yourself ever since your last conversation with Scheherazade." At Titus' surprised look, he chuckled. "Maa, did you think that I didn't notice you lying to me?"

"…"

"How long do you have, Titus?"

Titus jerked at the question.

"Not so long, then." Sai concluded, frowning. He took a seat next to the now pale blonde. Titus swallowed and turned away. "You knew?"

"Yes."

"Did Scheherazade-sama tell you?"

Sai shook his head ruefully. "You know more than I do that she trusts me as far as she can throw me. No, I figured it out on my own. Creating life is an impossible feat in itself, even for an old magi, so I suspected there were some setbacks."

Titus tried to laugh, but it only came out as a hysterical wheeze. "Well, you were right. I am made from Scheherazade-sama's rukh. My lifespan is almost to its limit. Once my mission there is over, I must 'return' to her." The blonde's vision began to blur as he felt tears gather in his eyes. He did everything he could to hold them back.

"I'm fine with it. Really, Sai. I knew that this would happen. All my brothers and sisters had to go through this. I –" Titus choked. "I…I'm completely…"

_Fine._

…_Right?_

"You're not." Sai said quietly. "You're not fine. And that's okay. You have the right to be upset about your position."

It was as if a dam was broken within Titus. The numbness in his chest gave way to a feeling of intense pain and loss. It started with a tear, which increased to two, three, and maybe ten more. Then a hiccup climbed up his throat after the tears turned into small pairs of streams, only to be interrupted by a loud, ugly sob.

Sai wrapped an arm around Titus' shoulders and drew him into a hug. The blonde cried even harder.

"Cry. Scream. Break something. All are natural reactions for people in your position." Sai said. "What you're going through is unfair. Understand, Titus? You're not wrong for being upset or afraid." He drew the blonde back. "Now, tell me the truth. How do you feel about this?"

Titus' lips trembled.

"Sai, I don't want to die."

"Of course you don't." Sai murmured before hugging Titus again. "Of course you don't. And I'm sorry."

It wasn't until three hours later when Titus was finally spent from his tears. Sai didn't leave his side for a moment the whole time.

* * *

When the pair returned to their room that night, Marga greeted them both with a huge hug. She worried over Titus' puffy eyes and the absence of a smile on Sai's face.

"Titus, are you okay?" She asked. "Did something bad happen?"

"He was just stressed." Sai spoke up smoothly. "Learning magic here is pretty hard. Why don't we make him feel better?"

Marga nodded solemnly. "I know what to do to make him feel better."

"Oh?"

"Warm milk and honey!" The little girl proclaimed. "The old lady next door taught me how to make it. I'll go and make some now!"

Sai chuckled. "What a great idea." He turned to Titus. "What do you think? Up for some warm milk before we go to bed?"

Titus nodded and smiled hesitantly.

"I'd like that, Sai."

* * *

Lately, Titus was acting strange.

Since she was usually with Titus and Sai, Marga became very good at reading the two. She knew what to look for when she wanted to see the truth when Sai lied to others and when Titus became worried.

But right now, she didn't know what was happening. After the night she made Titus some warm milk, he's been acting funny. Marga knew that he used to love to sleep together with her and Sai, but he suddenly stopped after that night. He also jumped and turned red a lot whenever Sai looked at him.

Marga was beginning to get worried. What was wrong with Titus?

(She hoped it wasn't the milk.)

Sai seemed just as confused about Titus' actions as she was. But he seemed to take the change with a stride. Personally, Marga thought that Sai was secretly sad. She would be too if Titus suddenly started to act all scared around her.

Right now, Sai was speaking with a pretty girl at the sweet bun stand. For some reason the lady was stubborn in holding the conversation she was having with Sai. Her eyes never left Sai's the whole time. She seemed nice, but Titus looked upset with her for some reason.

"She's pretty." Titus tried to say casually as he accepted the sweet buns from Sai. Marga was confused. Didn't he dislike the pretty girl?

Sai shrugged. "Maa, I guess. But she's not my type. I prefer blondes."

'Type'? Marga looked between Titus and Sai with confusion. What were they talking about? Why did it matter if Sai thought the girl was pretty or not?

"Really?" Titus' voice sounded tight. In a lower voice, he muttered to himself, "So, if that person was blonde…" Then, he stood up and excused himself suddenly. Marga stared after him helplessly. Why was he so angry?

Beside her, Sai rubbed his face, looking tired for once.

"Mou, it seems that he found out. I suspected that he might have but…" He exhaled heavily. "I don't remember dropping any hints."

Marga tilted her head to the side. "Sai? What did Titus find out?"

"Well, that I like boys."

"…So?" Marga chirped in confusion after a beat of silence. For some reason, she felt as if her answer was important to the dark-haired magician. "What's wrong with that?"

Sai patted her head, relief settling in his features. "Well, not everyone is as accepting as you, Marga. Most people in this world think it's…wrong for a boy to like another boy that way. It's a bit unfair, but that's how it is."

"Like how the scary magician thought it was wrong for me to live?" Marga asked quietly. "That kind of unfair?"

"Yes."

"Then _they're_ wrong!" Marga stated defiantly. "And…Titus will see that too…right?"

Sai chuckled. "Don't worry, Marga. Lordling is just not used to these things. He's more new to the world than you think. He'll come around eventually."

Marga hoped so. She loved both Sai and Titus very much. She didn't know what she would do without either of them.

* * *

"_I'm not interested in girls."_

_The confession came out of nowhere. Honestly, he had only meant to decline Amani's offer in pairing him up with a pretty girl back in Kou. It was uncharacteristic of her to be interested in another person's love life, but she had noticed that Sai had been sending her looks from time to time whenever she received a letter from Koumei. "A lot of the maids were speaking about you after your last visit to the palace." She had said before he blurted out the truth like a moron._

Stupid. _Sai hadn't meant to slip up like that. He hoped in vain that Amani and everyone else would just dismiss his comment as something else._

_Of course, that wasn't the case._

"_Ah." Amani said and nodded understandingly. "I thought that would be the case. Well, I suppose some of the soldiers and the servants would be happy to hear that. You're quite popular, Sai."_

_What._

_Sai found himself emotionally thrown off balance by Amani's casual comment. His eyes flickered over to Yasmine and Shion to gauge their reactions. He didn't bother to look over at Kougyoku since he was well aware that she knew long ago._

_Yasmine appeared completely unruffled by the news. Shion's expression was shocked for a brief moment before it relaxed into a considering look. "Huh. You're gay." The child finally said. "So _ _ **that's ** _ _why you didn't give those pretty dancer girls in Reim a second glance. Or any pretty girl period. It makes sense now. Why didn't I see it before?"_

"_Don't worry, Shion. Sai is a pretty good actor so no one would've seen it without someone pointing it out." Kougyoku assured the time traveler consolingly. "Though, he was a bit obvious when he was Remy."_

_Yasmine snorted. "A bit?"_

"_Okay, it was really obvious." Kougyoku finally conceded, sending Sai an apologetic look. "But we couldn't walk up to him and just __**tell **__him that! Remy tried really, really hard to hide it. Even Phoebe saw how hard he tried and didn't tell him."_

_Sai, understandably, was caught between feeling relief and mortification. Had he really been that obvious in his past life? Sai was never more grateful for his ability to outwardly keep his composure._

_If it weren't for that, he'd be screaming._

"_Mou, stop telling the kid tall tales. You're all exaggerating." Sai drawled, only to be met with a set of deadpan expressions._

"_We're not." They chorused._

"_It was a bit painful to watch, honestly." Kougyoku added in for an extra measure._

_Shion, meanwhile, was laughing to himself. Sai didn't bother to hide the glare that he shot at the child. Shion shrugged helplessly as his chuckles increased._

"_Sorry, sorry." He apologized after he recovered from his laughing fit. "It's just…It's the first time that you're actually getting flustered over something for once, you know? I feel a bit closer to you and I'm happy for that. I never got to get really close to the other Sai so I'm relieved that I'm at least getting to know you better."_

"…"

_Sai stared at Shion for a long moment before scoffing and turning away from the turbaned child._

"_Closer? Don't be so conceited, boy. I still don't think of you as my king."_

_(But he would.)_

* * *

'_Good job today, Sphintus.'_ Selene signed with an encouraging smile. _'You impressed many of the teachers today with your performance.'_

Sphintus puffed up his chest in pride. "Of course! I'm a Carmen and our family has always been talented in medicine. And…you already knew all that." He scratched the back of his neck and looked down shyly. "You were pretty good too, Selene."

Mentally, he cursed at himself.

'_Pretty good?' Is that the best you can do, Sphintus?! Anything would've been better than that half-assed compliment!_

Completely oblivious to Sphintus' mental plight, Selene began to sign again.

'_Would you like to visit Marga with me? I'm going over today to drop off her medicine. Aladdin can come too. I'm sure that she would be happy to see you again.'_

Of course, Sphintus said yes.

And that was how he got roped into spending the rest of his day running around with Marga. The little girl was thrilled to play with the Heliohapt native again, since this wasn't their first time. Unfortunately for Sphintus, Marga was far more energetic than she used to be.

"This is too much~! I can't follow her anymore." He panted as he collapsed onto Aladdin. "You're so full of energy lately, Marga!"

Titus laughed happily. "Right? And it's all thanks to the academy and Selene."

Selene smiled and nodded to Titus in acknowledgement. The warmth that she directed towards the Alexius noble made Sphintus' chest tighten. He began to feel anxious when Titus smiled back.

(In the depths of the well-hidden insecurity in his mind, Sphintus knew that when it came to it, he wouldn't be able to amount to someone like Titus.)

_Please, no. Please, please, no. _He prayed desperately.

"Sphintus you're too heavy! Move!" Sphintus was pushed off of an irritated Aladdin. "Geez! Does your horsepower only amount to this? You're only cool when it comes to using healing magic!"

His pride was stung by the blue-haired boy's words. With a small glance towards Selene's direction, Sphintus rose to the challenge. _'I'll show him!'_

"You bastard! I'll show you it's not like that!"

An hour later, Sphintus stood in front of his culinary creation with a smug look on his face. Aladdin and Titus drooled shamelessly at the delicious food set in front of them. Marga looked eager to dig in.

'_It looks delicious, Sphintus.'_ Selene signed, eyes shining at the variety of food in front of her. _'I never knew you were so good in cooking. Sai would love it. He's terribly picky with his food, but you're right at Amani's level in cooking!'_

He didn't know who this 'Amani' was, but Sphintus was elated to hear the compliment.

Behind him, Titus frowned.

"Selene, does Sai call this Amani…'Bee-chan'?"

Sphintus thought that it was a strange name to call someone. Selene nodded. _'Yes.'_ She signed.

"Is…Is she blonde?"

'_Yes.'_ Selene confirmed.

Titus looked close to tears.

"Sai?" Marga spoke up, not noticing the state of the blonde beside her in her excitement. "That's right! He's not here yet! Can we wait for him?"

"Well…the food…"

'_We can heat it up with magic later, can't we Sphintus?'_ Selene asked.

Sphintus was quick to relent.

"Fine."

* * *

"Sphintus, can you teach me how to cook?"

Sphintus looked over at Titus. "Huh? Why so suddenly, Lordling?"

Titus flinched at the nickname and began to tear up. The pipe in Sphintus' mouth fell out as the blonde genius of the academy began to sniffle. "You're really good, Selene said, right? Almost good as…_her. _So, so I need to know how to cook so…so…he…"

'_He?'_

Sphintus wasn't an idiot. It was obvious that Titus had a crush on whoever he was talking about. Though he was relieved that the person was obviously **not **Selene, he had a feeling that he knew this mysterious person. Very well. Thinking back at the previous conversation, he was able to quickly connect the dots.

"Wait. You're talking about _Sai_?!"

The panicked look that Titus sent him conformed his suspicions.

"Just what do you see in that – oh, never mind. Come here. We don't have much time before he comes so stew would have to do."

Sphintus cursed his soft heart. The mix of relief and empathy towards Titus' plight convinced him to help the Alexius in his little love trouble. And who knows? Maybe he can take advantage of this later if this works out.

* * *

Sai was surprised when he was met with the sight of his little sister when he came into his room. Selene smiled in greeting. _'Welcome back.'_

"What's the occasion?"

'_Sphintus decided to cook dinner for us. You should try it, Sai. It's good.'_

"Sai, welcome back!"

Sai smiled slightly at the sight of Marga's wide smile. _'I'll go tell the others that you're here.' _Selene signed as she went over to the kitchen, leaving the two alone. The little girl rushed forward and grabbed into his leg. He patted her hair while hanging his hat. "I'm back. Did you have a good day?"

The little girl nodded enthusiastically. "Mn!" Then, she started to tug the shape-shifter to the dining room. "Hurry! Dinner's ready and everyone is waiting for you."

Upon entering the dining room, Sai took one look at the food in front of him and went for the door.

'_Nope.' _He thought as he determinedly avoided eye contact with the dead fish placed on the middle of the table like some freaky piece of art. _'Not in the mood for this today.'_

"Oh no you don't, Shambal."

A pair of surprisingly strong hands grabbed onto the dark-haired male and yanked him back. Sai glanced at his captor and blinked. The Carmen boy? How uncharacteristically bold of him.

Curious, Sai allowed the Heliohapt native to maneuver him to a chair. He glanced at the fish in front of him and mentally shuddered before turning his good eye back at Sphintus.

"I'm good, thanks. I'm not a fan of seafood." Sai generously informed the younger magician. "Now, if you can just let me –

Sphintus pushed the dead fish away and pushed forward a bowl of soup.

"This doesn't contain any seafood."

Okay. But that still didn't mean that he was going to eat.

Sai opened his mouth.

"_Eat_." Sphintus stressed. His tone somehow managed to convey _eat now or the next meal will be your own ungrateful tongue on a platter _while also retaining the usual grudging politeness that he always showed when speaking to him.

Sai was impressed. For someone who was somewhat afraid of him, Sphintus was showing quite a bit of spine today. And for _homemade cooking_, of all things.

Sphintus shot Sai a _look._

Sai wisely chose to pick up his spoon and start eating.

"Hmm," he hummed as he shoveled the soup into his mouth, "not bad. Selene wasn't lying when she said that you were talented at cooking."

Sphintus coughed, making Sai's eye narrow in suspicion. The shape-shifter slowly lowered the spoon from his mouth as he took a closer look at the Heliohapt native.

"O-Oh, did she really?" He asked. Sai's sharp ears caught the slight stutter in the boy's voice. Noticing Sai's sharp gaze, Sphintus guiltily averted his gaze and cleared his throat. That was all it took for it to finally click in Sai's mind. _'Ara? It seems that the Carmen boy has an interest in our Selene.'_

Instead of being upset at the revelation, Sai only felt amused.

(Come now, he wasn't anything like _Jamal._)

Selene could take care of herself. He didn't feel that it was necessary to drive the boy away from his little sister. Honestly, Sai couldn't blame the Carmen boy for his infatuation. Selene _was _a very cute girl.

'_Whether he's suitable for her or not is all up to Selene.'_ Sai concluded mentally as he turned his gaze away from Sphintus and back to his soup. "Yup." He answered casually as if he hadn't discovered Sphintus' not-so-hidden secret. (Sai mentally chided himself for not noticing this earlier. Looking back, it _was _pretty obvious.) Sai took another spoonful of the soup. "This is good."

Sphintus grinned before turning to a quiet Titus. "Heard that, Titus? He said that it was good! I _told_ you the soup was fine."

Sai whirled around and faced the blonde properly, surprise lighting his features. "Ara? You made this, Lordling?"

Titus' eyes flickered away from Sai's inquiring gaze.

"…Yeah."

"Huh." Sai looked at the soup thoughtfully before finishing it all up, not leaving a single drop in the bowl when he was done. "Not bad for a beginner. With more practice…"

He pretended not to see the happy expression on Titus' face when he said this.

"I'll-I'll practice some more then! For tomorrow, I'll try to work on things like chicken or meat or-!"

"Titus." Sai interrupted as gently as it was possible for him. "Those take a while to master. Try starting with the easier things next time, kay? You already impressed me with this." He gestured over to the soup. "Whatever you make, I'm sure that it will be good."

"But I don't have…okay, Sai." Titus looked up and smiled. "I'll do that."

Sai's stomach clenched at the expression on Titus' face. He realized just then why Titus seemed so desperate to cook all the complicated food as soon as he could.

"_But I don't have…."_ Time.

Mentally, Sai cursed Scheherazade.

…But, since there were other people watching, Sai pasted on a smirk while pointing over to the next simplest dish on the table.

"Mou, Lordling, did you make that one too?"

* * *

When Hel heard the knock at dinner, he felt a strange sense of déjà vu. That feeling was also accompanied by the feeling of anxiety. Hel's eyes flickered over to Jamal to ensure that he didn't accidentally lock the Sasanian out again.

Jamal stared back at Hel with a shrimp sticking out of his mouth.

He swallowed.

"What? You want me to get that?"

Hel stood up and turned to his mother. "I'll get it." He slid off his chair and made his way to the door.

When he opened it, Hel instantly got himself an armful of…someone.

"Hel-nii!" A little voice shrieked. "I found you!"

Askan. What was he doing here?

"What are you doing here?" Hel asked before looking around cautiously for any signs of..._anyone else_ who might have accompanied the little boy.

Askan looked up and sniffled, panic written all over his features. "I really, really need your help. There's something wrong with Hakkan-nii and I don't know what to do!"

Hel was about to ask something else but then he noticed Askan shivering.

He sighed. "Get inside. It's colder here in Reim than it is in Heliohapt. You can join us for dinner. You can tell me everything there."

* * *

Sai wasn't even surprised when he saw Titus leaving Marga's room with the haunted expression on his face. He stopped right in front of Sai.

'_So it's time.'_

"Going to Mogamett?" Sai inquired softly.

Titus nodded silently.

"I see."

"…Are you disappointed in me, Sai?"

Sai shook his head. "It shouldn't matter if it disappoints me or not. It's your life and your choice. If you think that going to the old man might help you live longer…I say you should go for it. But if it really matters to you what I think about this, I'm not disappointed."

"Marga told me what you said to her." Titus confessed. "I think…I think both of us misunderstood each other. I don't mind that you don't like girls." He swallowed nervously. "Actually, I'm happy that you don't."

At Titus' words, Sai was on high alert. It was rare, but he had misread the situation in his fear of being rejected. If he had thought about it a little more, Sai would've realized that Titus wouldn't have minded about his preference because of his exposure to Reim culture. Similar to its parallel counterpart, Ancient Rome, homosexuality wasn't uncommon in Reim and was normally accepted. The realization of his mistake made Sai look back into the past events, which slowly, but surely, painted a completely different picture.

'_Oh Solomon, I'm an idiot.'_ Sai thought as he felt himself nod. "Okay." He somehow managed to say. "Okay, I think I'm understanding the situation now. Or I think I do. I don't want to misunderstand anything again. Titus, do you or do you not like me?"

Titus swallowed again and nodded quickly.

"Yeah. I do."

"Okay." Sai repeated before running a hand through his hair. "Wow. This is…just, give me a second to properly process this. Don't take it the wrong way." He quickly added when he saw the dejected look in Titus' eyes. "Overall, I'm flattered and a little happy that you see me this way. Really. It's just…"

"Unexpected? Too fast?" The blonde meekly suggested. Sai nodded back. "Yeah. Definitely both." He barked out a laugh and ran a hand over his face. "Titus, you're too young for me. You know that, right?"

Titus winced. "I know. And while I really want to say that I would wait for you until I'm old enough to understand everything, it's not possible."

"I'm not exactly the most stellar example for an ideal boyfriend."

"That's okay." Titus assured Sai. "I'm not perfect either. And I don't need to be that for me if it's too fast. I just…I just wanted you to know."

There were no warm, bubbly feelings or immediate realizations that he was in love with his roommate after the confession. Sai wasn't even sure if he viewed Titus romantically or if he would at all in the future. If there was any future with Titus. All Sai knew was that he saw so much of the 'him' that he used to be in Titus and that Titus was undeniably important to him.

"You're important to me, that's something that I'm certain about." Sai finally said. "I can't promise to love you, but know that I'm willing to give this a try if we ever find a way to keep you alive. How does that sound?"

Titus' face crumbled at the reminder of the time limit, but he was happy with Sai's decision.

"I like that."

Sai thought it was unfair that Scheherazade gave her clones such a short life. If Titus had the ability to live longer than he did, he was sure that Titus would haven chosen the right person that he deserved and not settle for someone like him.


	46. Chapter 45: War Cry

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> War is coming and friends take different sides.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Onwards

"Okay brat, you're clever, but you shouldn't be too wishy-washy with your decisions or stickily with the details. You need to give some room for any unexpected factors that might screw up your plan."

Kohaku nodded at Doron as she reworked her strategy on the board. Under the will of her magic, the miniature figures moved around the mock 'battlefield'.

Professor Lilimana frequently used the magical object when she taught the class. Since the bedridden Doron was currently tutoring Kohaku, the academy made an exception and let Kohaku have one too. Sai had a field day when he discovered that "wizard's chess" existed. Well…the game was close enough to chess anyways.

"How about this, Doron-sensei?"

Doron scanned the board again before nodding. "Good." He said simply. "That's it for tonight."

Kohaku let out a sigh of relief and sunk back into her chair.

"Sensei, when will you be released from the healing ward?" She asked as she began to pack away the magical board and its pieces. "Your burns weren't that serious, were they?"

Doron snorted. "I'm completely healed. The stupid healers won't let me leave this place!"

"They're only being careful. I heard that you had burns all over your body because of Sai." Kohaku defended as she looked at her teacher worriedly. "It looked really serious. Sai can be very mean when he doesn't like someone."

Doron looked disgruntled at the mention of the troublemaking magician.

"That bastard…he caught me off guard, that's all." Then, he turned to Kohaku suspiciously. "You sound like you know him."

"I do." Kohaku admitted freely. "He's my friend's older brother. We're not that close, but I heard enough things about him to know what he's capable of. There are few who don't fear him because of his reputation. But…"

"But?"

Kohaku looked up. "He's very nice to children. So, he's never done anything mean to me. Actually, he's protected me a lot."

"So what are you trying to say? You want me to forgive the bastard?"

"Not forgive. Sai broke a law. You have the right to be angry with him in that respect. But I hope you don't go after him after you get out of the healing ward." Kohaku said. "Since you're my tutor and he's my friend, I'd prefer that there would be no fighting."

Doron stared at Kohaku for a long time before sneering and looking the other way.

"Fine. The Chancellor wouldn't be happy about me messing with the students either so he's off the hook for now." He tilted his face upwards so Kohaku could see the worry that flashed across his eyes. "Brat, you shouldn't be so close to rule-breakers like him. Those types will only get you into trouble."

Kohaku smiled sweetly.

"Thank you for your advice, sensei, but you don't have to be worried about me. I can take care of myself."

"Brat! I'm not worried!"

* * *

"Kouen, I'm worried."

Kouen looked up from his scroll at his wife's murmur. The whole army had temporarily halted their march towards Magnostadt to rest. Completely used to the war-like lifestyle, Seishin made no complaints in sharing a floor bed with her husband.

Personally, Kouen thought that this arrangement was far more comfortable than the beds back in the palace. At least here, the soldiers knew to give him and his wife some space.

It was a while since Kouen was able to be close to Seishin like this. In the palace, the young, single noblewomen and their fathers wouldn't let him be for a moment so they could attempt snatching him away from his wife's side. They weren't successful, of course. But Kouen was still annoyed. He envied Koumei since _he_ was able to see _his_ wife every night without too much trouble.

Fortunately, Seishin didn't mind the constant separation too much. She understood only too well how the palace worked and was understanding of Kouen's situation. She had always been a strong and independent woman. Though she wasn't as fiery and passionate as she used to be before Hakuyuu and Hakuren's death, Seishin was rarely insecure or anxious about anything. That was what made her a strong, well-respected general of Kou.

But now…

Now, his wife was _worried._ It was unlike her to be nervous before a battle.

Kouen tossed away the scroll and gave her his whole attention. Reading can be done some other time.

"What is it? Did you hear something from Kohaku?"

Seishin shook her head.

"No…it's not that. She's fine…for now. But I have a bad feeling about this, Kouen. You know the 'bad feelings' I get before a horrible battle back in our war days? I'm having it again. I don't know what it is…but it's bad. _Really _bad. I felt it this strongly before. I thought it was just a silly feeling last time, but then Hakuyuu-sama and Hakuren…" Seishin trailed off before rubbing her face. "Am I crazy for depending everything on a bad feeling?"

Kouen considered the notion for a moment before shaking it away. "No. I trust your instinct, Seishin. I'll send a message to Kouha to get Kohaku for us and I'll tell our soldiers to keep themselves sharp in this battle." He assured his wife, making her relax a little. "If you say that there's something wrong, then something is wrong. Even that strange woman trusted your 'bad feelings' back when we were children."

Seishin smiled ruefully at the memory.

"I thought you didn't like her."

"I was suspicious of her." Kouen corrected his wife. "That woman hardly left Hakuyuu's side for a moment ever since she came into our lives."

Seishin laughed. "You were jealous of how close they were, you mean. Admit it, she was completely fine until Hakuyuu-sama began to spend more time with her instead of you."

Kouen grunted but didn't say anything to deny the fact. "Still," he insisted, "she was a strange woman."

"Ranya was." Seishin agreed with a fond smile as memories flickered across her eyes. "And yet, she was one of the most loyal friends that I ever made. It was because of her that I was able to get two djinn vessels. Solomon knows how many times she saved my life when she took me out traveling the world with her."

Kouen scowled. "She took you away for a _whole year_."

"Are you still sore about that?" Seishin exclaimed while grabbing her hair in frustration. "Geez, both of us were trying to have our own fun since you boys were holding us back! Besides, I got way stronger, didn't I?"

"Still."

Seishin rolled her eyes.

"Shion is her son. Though he resembles his father, there is a lot of his mother in him and you still like him enough to set him up with our daughter. If it wasn't for the petty grudge you hold against her, both of you would have been great friends."

"…So you knew?"

"What kind of idiot do you take me for?!" Seishin asked, looking completely offended by the surprise written over Kouen's face. "I've known Ranya for _years. _Of course I knew! Shion is _obviously _her son! He has her eyes and charming personality."

Kouen coughed and muttered something under his breath. Seishin made a move to whack him lightly over the head. Her sudden movement jostled a nearby object. Seishin winced when she saw that she had accidently spilled Ming Hua's gift all over the ground. "Ack….I messed up!"

"There's no use eating any of these now." Kouen sighed as he helped his wife clean up the mess. "They were going to go bad anyways. Why didn't you eat them sooner?"

"They looked so pretty…I didn't want to eat them…" Seishin sniffled as she mourned the loss of her snacks. "Ming Hua~! I'm so sorry~! I've committed a grave sin!"

Kouen snorted at his wife's antics, earning himself a hard smack.

* * *

"Ow!" Yunan whined as he clutched his shoulder. "Ranya, what was that for?"

"For all this time…you kept Ipos, Seere, and Bifrons in that old, small drawer?! And you didn't even think to check on their state the whole time?!" Ranya cried out as she clutched her djinn vessels to her chest. "Yunan, how could you!"

Yunan began to cry. "I'm so sorry, Sister! I completely forgot about them!"

"Like that will help me forgive you!"

Judal and Morgiana watched the exchange between the siblings with a distant interest as they ate the food that Yunan had hastily cooked up for them. Judal mentally appraised the number of djinn vessels that Shion's mother managed to capture.

'_Well, she __**is**__ Chibi-er Chibi's mother.'_ He rationalized in his mind as he chewed on the bread thoughtfully.

Ranya huffed at her brother angrily before turning her attention back to the metal objects in her arms. She hastily wiped away all traces of dust and dirt from her beloved vessels.

"I'm so sorry for not waking up sooner." Ranya apologized genuinely to her djinn vessels. "You guys must've been pretty worried, huh? Especially you, Ipos. Don't worry. It won't happen again."

Judal's brow raised when the Seals of Solomon on each metal vessel reacted to Ranya's words. "Huh. Never knew they can do that."

"Usually, they don't." Ranya agreed. "But being rukh sensitive has its perks when it comes to communicating with your djinn along with other things."

"Can Chibi-er Chibi do that too?" Judal couldn't help but ask.

Ranya glanced at Yunan. The blonde magi pulled his hat over his face, no longer crying. "Shion is…well, he has shown instances of communicating with his djinn. Yes."

Ranya clapped her hands happily at the news.

"As expected of my cute son!" She praised her son excitedly, pride shining on her face. Judal was beginning to see why Shion spoke so fondly of his mother despite her unintentional absence in his life. The adoration that Ranya had toward her son was obvious. "I can't wait to finally see how he's improved! When will we start making our way to Sindria, Yunan?"

Yunan cleared his throat nervously.

"About that…"

* * *

"We're going to Magnostadt."

Kikiriku wasn't surprised by Shion's abrupt decision. He was actually wondering when Shion was going to make the call. Sinbad, on the other hand, was completely thrown off by his son's announcement.

"Magnostadt?" Sinbad repeated. "Why so suddenly?"

Sharrkan, who overheard Shion's declaration, swooped over to the young prince's side with a suggestive smile. "Oh ho~ my prince, do you want to visit your little lady friend that badly? Afraid that she might've found someone else during the whole year you've been apart?"

At Sharrkan's words, Shion sagged as completely outlandish scenarios came into his mind. "…Do you really think that would happen…?"

"Of course not." Kikiriku assured the depressed prince with a brotherly pat on the back. "Kohaku would never do that. Besides, didn't she write to you just last week? She's pretty busy with her extra classes so she wouldn't have the time or interest to do things like that." The Imuchakk Warrior sighed. "And you have other things to worry about, Shion. Like explaining to King Sinbad why you want to go to Magnostadt."

"Right." Shion straightened his pose and cleared his throat. "Well, Judal wrote to me – for once – and he wanted us to know that there is something sinister that Al Thamen planted in Magnostadt."

"Something sinister?" Sinbad repeated.

"Yes. Apparently, they're trying to create some sort of…medium? I'm not too sure about the details, but it's something that Aladdin intended to look into when he decided to go to Magnostadt."

"You're still in touch with Aladdin?" Sinbad asked with surprise.

Shion nodded sheepishly. "We don't really write that much. Actually, I haven't heard from him until recently. Kohaku was the one who told me about Al Thamen's plan. Kougyoku also wrote saying that Al Thamen is planning something fishy."

"Ah, yes. She became Kou's priestess, didn't she?" Sinbad nodded as he recalled the small fact. "It must have been hard for her to get you this information. I should thank her properly. Maybe an invite to Sindria would do? I'm sure that her current position must be stressful."

'_You mean you'll lure her into coming over to Sindria and try to make her Sindria's Blessed Child by using the 'I'll protect you from the scary Al Thamen guys' card.'_ Shion translated in his mind. _'She won't be easily won over like that, Father.'_

"Kougyoku can handle herself." Shion assured his father. "Don't worry. She's planning on stepping down from her position soon. She just wants the issue in Magnostadt to be settled."

Sinbad hummed. "It's not going to be that simple, Shion. Even if we go over there right now, we would need to inform Chancellor Mogamett and gain permission to enter the country, which would take a while."

Shion and Kikiriku shared a look before Shion looked back at his father with a nervous smile.

"I don't think that permission is going to be necessary in this case."

Sinbad looked at his son questioningly.

Shion opened his mouth to explain.

* * *

"There is going to be a war between Magnostadt and Reim."

Sai paused in his sentence for a moment before his lips stretched into a smile.

"…ne? _Chancellor._"

Mogamett wasn't surprised by Sai's knowledge in the upcoming war. The boy was intuitive to his surroundings and almost always calm whenever he is faced with what others would perceive as a difficult situation in his position. It seemed that the boy had many qualities like his father despite the strong dislike that the son held toward his parent.

"Ah, I see that you are already aware of what is coming, Sai." Mogamett said. "Were you aware of Titus' situation?"

"Don't you mean 'are you Reim's spy too'? You need to be more direct, old man, or you won't be getting the answers that you want." Sai said casually as he took a seat. "By the way, the answer to that question is 'yes'."

Mogamett hummed and nodded. "It's as I thought. Please don't be alarmed, Sai."

"I'm not."

"My only intention is to protect all magicians, no matter where their alliances lie, which includes you and Titus."

"And doesn't that thought make my heart feel all warm and fuzzy." Sai drawled sarcastically as his good eye flickered over to the sleeping form of Titus on the couch across the room. "I see that the Priestess didn't hold back on poor Lordling. Mighty nice of you to lend him the couch."

Mogamett sighed. "The poor child –

"Oi." Sai's voice suddenly ran cold. "I don't care about your skewed view of this world, but don't you dare see Titus as another sheep to your ever-growing flock. Don't give him your pity. He deserves better than that after he threw his own country away to achieve individuality."

"…Of course." Mogamett said apologetically. "I apologize, Sai."

Sai nodded curtly at the old man. "So, what do you want with me at this hour? Don't you think it's a bit early?"

"I am just curious in what you are planning to do now that young Titus is allied to Magnostadt now. Though I know that you are loyal to Reim, I hope that you will be understanding in Titus' situation since both of you seem to be very close." Mogamett stated seriously.

Sai stared at the Chancellor for a long time before bursting into a fit of snorts and giggles. "Maa, I keep forgetting that you don't know my relationship with Reim and Scheherazade, huh?" He leaned back with a satisfied smirk. "I have no loyalty to that country and magi…nor do I have any loyalty to any other country or magi. I was just doing a favor when I agreed in looking after Lordling. That's all."

"And which side will you stand in, Sai?"

"This side, of course." The younger magician answered without hesitation. "My connection with Reim was over the moment that Priestess saddled me with babysitting duty. After I left Reim to learn here, any connection or obligations that I originally had with that country was finished. Reim means nothing to me now."

"And Titus?"

Sai smirked.

"Well, I _did _agree that I would watch over and protect Titus no matter what. In a way, I'm still holding onto my little bargain with Scheherazade." The younger magician leaned back on his seat. "Don't worry, old man. You won't find me as an enemy to Magnostadt in this little war. Actually, you'll be finding me right in the frontlines…if you'll take me."

"Magnostadt will accept any help that is offered, Sai, especially the help of someone as talented as you." The old man tilted his head inquiringly. "I suppose that this means that you will finally accept the status of a High Class Magician?"

Grudgingly, Sai nodded. "Yeah, I'll take it."

In a lower voice, he added,

"You're doing all of this for Titus. It'll be wrong not to fight."

Mogamett tilted his head gratefully.

* * *

"Thank you." Askan said nervously. A mug of a sweet drink, a common treat for children in Reim, was placed in front of him as he sat awkwardly at the dinner table. Though nervous at first, Askan eventually relaxed with the help of Hel's presence and Muu's friendliness. Maya was also quick to swoop in and fuss over the little boy when she noticed him.

(Maya's eyes had widened a little, he noticed. Askan didn't think that it was too important, but it seemed that she knew whose son he was…? But then, why was she so accepting? Eirenne, he knew, would have tried to off him on the spot.)

"Askan, was it? What are you doing all the way here in Reim? Your parents must be so worried!" She scolded lightly as she wrapped a warm blanket over his tiny, shivering body. "Did you come here alone?"

Askan nodded shyly.

"Well, that's no good then! We need to tell your parents where you are so they won't be too worried!"

The boy shook his head. "Don't worry about that! Th-They won't be worried, Miss. I don't think that they know I'm even gone yet."

Maya's mouth fell open while Hel slapped a hand over his face and muttered something foul under his breath.

"Still, we need to let them know we have him." Muu insisted quietly as he rose to his feet. "I'll go and inform Scheherazade-sama about this. I think Pharaoh Armakan would appreciate knowing that his son his safe in our hands."

Askan jumped. "You…"

"Wouldn't it be even more surprising if I didn't know the names of the only two sons of Pharaoh Armakan, Prince Askan?" Muu asked not unkindly. His eyes flickered from Askan and Hel.

(So he knew.)

"Maya, can you come with me?"

Hel stiffened as he shot a sharp look at his guardian. Muu held up his hands to the teen calmingly. "Don't worry, Hel. I'm not upset with her. Your mother already told me everything about her past. There are no secrets kept between us." He laughed. "Though, I'm open if you ever want to talk to me about it. Just know that I still consider you my heir no matter who your father is, Hel. Okay?"

'…_What?'_

Hel glanced over to his mother. Maya smiled reassuringly to her son. "Muu is telling the truth. Stay with your friends and your little brother and watch over the house while we're gone. Oh! And be sure to see that Askan eats dinner."

"Yes, mother."

"Then! We'll be leaving~!" Maya excused herself while threading her arm around her husband's proffered one. "Let's go, Muu."

"Yes, dear."

In moments, Maya and Muu were out of the house, leaving the children all alone.

Hel rubbed his forehead. "That fake herbivore…"

Opal walked over to her boyfriend and hugged him from behind.

"Told ya he wasn't such a bad guy." She murmured as she briefly pressed her lips on his cheek. "Calm down. I know that you expected him to get angry and throw you and your mother away, but can you give the guy at least a little faith? Muu loves your mom and he seems to love you too. Talk to him about this later, kay?"

Hel didn't respond but he reached over and placed his hand over hers.

Meanwhile, Jamal plopped himself right next to the little boy and tousled his hair affectionately, surprising Askan. "So you ran away from home, huh?"

"Y-Yeah."

"That's pretty cool. Mind if I ask how?"

Askan fumbled with the mug in his hands. "Th-The servants don't really notice me most of the time since they're mo-more worried about Hakkan-nii. Fa-Father is too bu-busy to notice that I'm not th-there."

"Yeah, I get where you're coming from. My old man doesn't really care where I run off to either. It's good that you're being independent!"

"Jamal, don't encourage him!" Opal snapped as she raised a fist threateningly. "You're putting weird ideas into people's minds again!"

Jamal clutched onto his chest as if grievously wounded by her words. "Weird ideas? _Opal_. I'm trying to _praise_ the kid for doing such a great job! It's not easy traveling on your own, you know. Besides, I bet he has something important to tell us since he came _all the way over here _to see Hel."

All eyes turned expectantly to Askan.

The child struggled a little with his words. Jamal and Opal shared a look. "Hey…if you don't want to say, kid, you don't have to."

Askan promptly burst into tears.

"I…I need Hel-nii's help! There's something wrong with Hakkan-nii and I don't know what to do!"

Hel blinked. "The Sna – your brother needs help? From what?" He asked as gently as he could as he patted his younger half-brother's back awkwardly. "Tell me."

"N-Nightmares. Hakkan-nii wouldn't stop sleeping." Askan sniffled. "I-I-I thought it was just too much studying or stress…but it wouldn't stop no matter what medicine the doctors gave him. Then…I heard Eirenne and that other man talking about Hakkan-nii…and how they did something to him…something about a 'dark seed' and a 'medium' and Magnostadt…"

As Askan spoke, understanding flashed across Jamal and Opal's faces.

"They're probably talking about _that _thing that those goons planted in Magnostadt." Opal stated. "So they're going to be there too, huh?"

"Definitely." Jamal agreed while turning to Hel. "Hey, isn't that right Hel…buddy…?" He trailed off uncertainly as he saw the expression on the part-Finalis' face. Opal squeezed his shoulder when she noticed the same things. "Hey, what's with that face? Bad flashbacks?"

Hel swallowed.

"Dark seed." He repeated slowly as he turned his attention to Askan. "Are you _sure_ that's what you heard? Are you _sure_ it wasn't anything else?" He stressed, red eyes looking desperately over his younger brother's face as if it would result in a different answer.

Askan gulped and nodded. "I-I'm pretty sure. Raul said –

"_Raul?!"_

Hel spat out the name as if it was poison, making poor Askan jump in his seat. The adopted Alexius shrugged Opal's arms off him as he began to pace. The dark-haired girl didn't take any offense to his callous action, more worried about Hel's state of mind.

Jamal was the only one out of the three who was brave (and stupid since he has zero self-preservation period) enough to speak up. "So…are you planning on telling us anything or nah?"

"…We need to help the Snake." Hel forced out.

"Come again?! I thought you didn't _like_ the guy!" Jamal squawked. "I mean, sure, we can help the kid out since he's technically your little bro too, but what can we do? Barge into Heliohapt and give your old man a reason to keep you there?"

Judging by Opal's expression, she seemed to agree with Jamal's assessment.

"Better than what might come next if we don't get that thing out of the Snake as soon as we can." Hel growled. "We might even be too late –"

Before he could finish his sentence, the door opened, revealing a serious Muu and a slightly distressed Maya.

Hel knew that look all too well.

"Fight?" He asked Muu curtly.

The half-Finalis general sighed. "Yes. Because of a disagreement between Scheherazade-sama and Chancellor Mogamett, we will be going to war with Magnostadt. Prepare to leave tomorrow, Hel."

Opal stood up. "I'm coming too."

Muu looked like he wanted to argue, but was interrupted by Jamal's enthusiastic voice. "Hey, you guys are going to Magnostadt? Take me with you!"

"Don't bother to argue with them." Hel informed Muu before the man could stop them from coming along like a normal adult would do. He pointed over at Jamal, who was smiling like a loon. "That crazy herbivore would find a way to _swim _all the way to Magnostadt if he had to."

"But for a small kid like him that's not –

"Logic doesn't apply to crazy. Just let them come."

And so the argument was finished before it began.

Though he was frowning now, Hel had no doubt that Muu would paste on a charming smile tomorrow and let them come without a fuss when the whole Finalis Corps and the rest of the Reim army were dispatched to the magical country.

Once, Hel would have called that deception and weakness.

Now, he called it 'strength' for it was something he couldn't do for Askan, who was looking at him for support.

"War?" He asked quietly. "Wh-Wh-

* * *

"What should I do?"

Sai looked up from changing into his High-Class Magician Robes when Titus spoke. Outside, the whole city was in total chaos. People were scrambling for their belongings and trying to flee from the country. Even the students were ruffled by the announcement of war.

"Fight, of course." Sai stated offhandedly as he plopped the ridiculous-looking hat over his head. "There's a war. There's a country. There are people. We should protect it all, no? Or maybe just give up on the whole thing and go back to Reim."

"_No."_ Titus denied strongly and covered his mouth in surprise.

Sai smirked and picked up another hat, identical to the one on his own head, and placed it on top of Titus'.

"That's what I thought."

"Sai?"

"Yes?"

"When will they come?"

Sai hummed thoughtfully as he calculated the numbers in his head. "Well…considering the possibility that Scheherazade would probably send the troops over as soon as she can…it should be about…two or three days until the war starts."

Titus flinched.

"Maa, maa, don't be so guilty. It was bound to happen sooner or later with Kou. Honestly, I think it's about time that Magnostadt took a stand for a change. Call it fate or whatever, but I'm sure that this battle was supposed to happen in the long run."

"Do you really believe that, Sai?"

Sai nodded.

"Absolutely."

Then, he glanced out of the window and chuckled at the sight of the scrambling people running around like headless chickens. Running away, Sai could understand. But then again, these were all the wealthy who depended completely on the magicians. Honestly, if they trusted the 'lord magicians' for the mundane functions of everyday life, shouldn't they believe in them to protect everyone from the upcoming war?

But here they are, running away at the drop of the hat while the inhabitants of the 5th District were stuck underground, helpless.

(The thought left a bad taste in the shape shifter's mouth.)

Sai couldn't help it. He _had _to poke fun at the sight, for his sake and Titus'.

* * *

"My, you can practically cut through the tension in the air lately."

Kougyoku tried to smile for her sister-cousin attempt on making the mood light, but it only came out as a grimace. Hakuei walked over to her side. "Yeah. The Chancellor of Magnostadt declared war against Priestess Scheherazade just two days ago. This might make things easier for En-nii or harder depending on the situation."

Hakuei smiled confidently.

"We'll succeed."

"Yeah." Kougyoku said with less confidence. "Definitely."

Hakuei frowned.

"You've been working too hard, Kougyoku. Has mother ever given you a break ever since you became priestess?"

"Nope."

"Then you should rest." Hakuei encouraged.

Kougyoku sent Hakuei a wry smile. "And give any of these guys a chance to cause any trouble? No thank you. I think I'm fine playing guard dog for all of them until Judal comes back."

"…_Will_ he come back, I wonder?" Hakuei mused out loud before she correcting herself when she realized her mistake. "I mean! He _will_. He will come back to Kou. At least…to see you…"

Kougyoku smirked, assuring Hakuei that there wasn't any harm done. "Don't worry, I think that way too sometimes. What if he doesn't want to come back to Kou? What if he prefers to travel all over the world instead like his teacher? What if he doesn't want me anymore? But I know him. Even if it's not for me, he'll definitely come back for Tao."

"But he'll come for you _and _Tao." Hakuei assured her sister-cousin a little bit sadly. "And I think that he might take _both _of you away if he ever decides that he wants to travel the world."

'…_And leave me behind.'_ Kougyoku heard Hakuei think to herself softly.

"I think that he'll bring you too if he can." She assured the older woman, making Hakuei flush and Kougyoku curse to herself. "Ah, sorry, sorry, I read your thoughts again. But it's true. Tao loves you very much, so Judal would have to bring you too if he ever wants his big brother to budge from Kou."

"Do you really think that?"

'_Are you sure that Tao won't leave me again?'_

"Yeah. I'm pretty sure. Tao really loves you. I can see and hear truths, remember? Sometimes, it's surreal how much that guy loves you." She smirked when she saw Hakuei blush. "Awww, you two are too cute. That reminds me…since the stuck-up old fogies probably won't accept your relationship with Tao, does that mean both of you are planning on eloping? I can totally help you guys out on that!"

"_Kougyoku!"_ Completely mortified, Hakuei threw the nearest object at the Blessed Child (which was a small pillow) to shut her up. Kougyoku easily dodged it and continued to laugh at the color of her sister-cousin's face.

* * *

"_Come on, you can aim better than that!"_

Hakkan murmured to nobody with a silly smile across his lips. His eyes were still closed, but his body seemed more relaxed than ever. Behind his eyelids, Hakkan dreamed about being taller, stronger, and more charismatic than he thought he could ever be. He dreamed of having friends – why did all of them look familiar? – and leading an army that respected him. He dreamed of being in love with a beautiful woman and having a twisted rivalry with a killer machine.

He dreamed of being friends with Shion, who – strangely – seemed awkward and unsure of himself, a far cry from the younger Shion Hakkan met back in Sindria.

"_I'm doing by best, Hakkan, but you know I'm not as good with the sword as you."_ Dream Shion panted with a boyish grin. _"Cut me a little slack, will ya?"_

For some reason, the smile that Dream Shion wore pierced through Hakkan's heart and gave him the feeling that he would never see that smile again. Ever.

But why? How? Who?

(Who do you think?)

"_Hahaha, I have no idea what you're saying, Shion! I was holding back on you the whole time!"_ Hakkan felt himself saying with an innocuous smile. _"Are you asking to hold back on you even more, oh great king of mine?"_

King? Distantly, Hakkan felt that the title seemed to _fit _with the image of Dream Shion in front of him despite the small flaws and awkwardness in the young man. It was the kindness, Hakkan decided, and the rare strength in his eyes that made him seem that way.

Yes, this man was someone Hakkan would have followed to the ends of the earth.

"_Hey, stop calling me that! I'm no king."_ Dream Shion insisted with a little bit of annoyance. _"Everyone is calling me that lately and I hate it! I'm not a king! Can't you see that I'm just like everyone else? I'm just Shion!"_

The desperation and lonliness that he heard from Shion confused Hakkan.

Why?

Why was he so upset when it was the truth? Why did he sound so afraid of holding a power that he deserved more than anyone else? Why didn't he try to get the position that would undoubtedly make it easier to achieve his goals?

Hakkan wanted to ask him this.

But all Hakkan could do was apologize sincerely and nod. _"You're right. You're just Shion to me. I was only joking when I said that. Sorry."_

But Hakkan wasn't. And he didn't understand. He just didn't –

* * *

"Understand?" Amani asked her son. "Mama will be leaving you with Auntie Zaynab for this week since she needs to help Papa. Try to be friends with little Zassan, okay?"

Kouryuu regarded the ugly, gurgling baby across from him with the same resigned acceptance that Koumei would have when the topic of paperwork or war meetings came up. He looked back at his beloved mother and pouted. Amani held back a sigh. Her son had the same anti-social attitude as her husband. Oh well, at least her son was going to _try_, which was more than she expected from him in the first place.

"Don't worry, Ghost. I'll do our best to look after your kid while you're gone." Zaynab assured her with a smile. "Zassan was needing a playmate anyways."

Amani knelt down to press a kiss on Kouryuu's forehead, which the baby enthusiastically returned with adorable clumsiness.

"Be good."

Reluctantly, Amani drew herself away from her child and began to leave, much to Kouryuu's confusion and growing distress.

Amani pretended not to hear the soft whimpers as she made her way out of the room.

(Solomon, it killed her to leave her child but she _had _to do this. There was no other way to protect him just in case any Al Thamen members broke into Balbadd Palace while she was summoned away to Magnostadt.)

"Is this about the upcoming war I've been hearing about?" Zaynab asked quietly as she led Amani out of her small but cozy home. Out of all the things, the ex-member of the Fog Troupe was grateful that her princess was thoughtful enough to give her a home outside of the palace walls to raise her son. Though it did hinder her ability to properly serve Amani, Zaynab was mindful of the small spy network that was set up amongst the citizens still loyal to the memories of the Saluja Dynasty and made herself useful.

Amani nodded grimly at the subject of war. "Yes. It was announced two days ago. I'm sure that the Reim Army is close to the shores of Magnostadt by now."

"Really, what were they thinking? Challenging a big country like Reim is suicide." Zaynab muttered, shaking her head.

"Is it? From what I remembered, a certain group of thieves decided that they could go against the royalty of their own country with their own strength despite their small numbers." Amani reminded her friend with a sly smile. "Would that be considered 'suicide' too?"

Zaynab flushed.

"That was completely different! And you were part of it too, Ghost!"

Amani laughed in agreement but the fondness it entailed about the memory didn't quite reach her eyes. She quickly changed the subject. "For now, I will be helping Koumei prepare for the upcoming war. He doesn't know it yet, but Kouen will be needing both of our help directly."

"You always seem to know these things, Amani." Zaynab mused. "It's as if…well, no. That would be silly, wouldn't it? It's not as if you could peek into the future or anything like that."

"Of course," Amani echoed, "that would be silly."

"That second prince should feel like the luckiest man alive to be married to a great woman like you." Zaynab announced rebelliously. Thankfully, no one was close enough to catch her words. "He better be treating you right, Ghost. You might have been raised in the slums with us, but you're still our princess and Blessed Child, through and through."

Amani smiled gratefully. "Thank you, Zaynab. But I don't think your concern in necessary. Koumei already treats we so well and…" Her expression softened. "I'm happy."

Zaynab looked resigned. "You love your husband that much, huh?"

"Yes." Amani affirmed. "I do. And I must return to him now before he starts to worry."

"Worry?" Zaynab repeated with an unladylike snort. "Does he know what you're capable of? Or does he think that you're just a helpless damsel without your fancy djinn powers?"

Amani's sly grin answered her question.

Zaynab burst into uncontrollable laughter.

* * *

"Solomon, that's _hilarious_!"

Yasmine sighed as Kouha almost fell of his horse in his laughter. She didn't think that the idea of a war between two countries would be funny to normal people but…well, Kouha wasn't exactly the best example of a normal person.

"So all we have to do is watch them tear each other apart before scooping up the pieces!" Kouha exclaimed gleefully. "Those Reim dogs won't know what hit them!"

"Or, they will win and conquer Magnostadt." Yasmine deadpanned as she clutched onto the reins of her own horse tighter to keep her balance.

Kouha pouted.

"Awww, don't say that, Yasmine! You're being such a downer!"

"…Hel and Opal probably are going to be there. Jamal too." Yasmine revealed as she tried to calm her skittish horse down. She clicked her tongue in frustration when her efforts only served to agitate her steed even more. "I'm just…worried. They're all going to face a bunch of talented magicians."

"Couldn't you just tell them to _not _go?"

Yasmine sent him a look from behind her blindfold.

"Hel is an Alexius. Opal is more or less his lover. And Jamal…well, little brother or not, he's old enough to make his own choices." She sighed. "But still, there's a high chance that they're going to get hurt."

'_Then again, it might be the magicians who are in trouble instead of the other way around.'_ Yasmine realized when she remembered just **who **Hel, Opal, and Jamal really were despite their appearances.

'_An ex-killer machine, a bloodthirsty blacksmith, and a mad scientist, all are very formidable even in the presence of experienced magicians.'_

"The first two should know what they're going into. And your brother…" Was it just Yasmine or did Kouha just _shudder_? "…I have a feeling that your brother is going to be just fine."

"Really?"

"Yeah. Trust me. He'll be fine." From the corner of her eye, Yasmine could see Kouha's expression struggle between irritation and reluctant respect. "I can feel his bloodlust a country away. A person like that won't be defeated easily in battle."

Yasmine blinked.

"A country away?" She repeated before it finally struck her.

Jamal was always protective over her whenever there was a male who expressed a romantic interest in her (though she would never comprehend _how _they were attracted to her in the first place). It would only make sense that he would overreact whenever _Kouha _was around her since he…he…

"_I think I like 'er a lot. Her name is Yasmine. But shhh! It's supposed to be a secret so don't tell her, okay?"_

Yasmine mentally groaned as she buried her face into her horse's neck in embarrassment. How was she supposed to answer to _that _confession? She would have answered it honestly if she confronted her friend about it immediately when he was sober, but her pride had prevented her from doing so. Yasmine admitted to herself that it had been a mistake on her part by delaying it to the point that it would be way too embarrassing to bring up again in a casual conversation.

"Yasmine?" Kouha asked sounding a little worried.

"I'm sorry for Jamal." She could only say helplessly as she tried in vain to banish away the memory of the confession and the (horribly executed) kiss. There. Maybe now, Kouha will think that she's embarrassed because of Jamal's actions.

Unfortunately, it was then when her horse stopped moving. It just stopped _right there_ as if it sensed her urge to run away and paused in its movements out of spite. Knowing her luck with animals, that was probably the case.

'…_of all the goddamn things-!'_

"Yasmine?"

She heard Kouha get off his horse. Her breathing quickened only slightly when she felt the weight of his hand on her shoulder.

"Yasmine? Look at me."

(No thank you.)

"I told you I'm horrible with animals."

Kouha snorted. "Everyone has their weaknesses. Come on, Yasmine, ride with me instead."

(That makes everything worse! _You're _the source of the problem here!)

"Wouldn't that be uncomfortable for you? And your horse?" She asked, hoping that he would back off on this. "I wouldn't want to impose."

(Please take a hint!)

Kouha sighed and Yasmine relaxed. Then, much to her shock and horror, she felt her body being hefted _off_ of the horse – much to the creature's evident relief – and then deposited onto _another_ horse – much to the other creature's evident horror (and hers).

Seeing the shock in her expression, Kouha huffed with a little victory.

"You know, this is the first time I've ever surprised you." He stated offhandedly as he mounted his horse. Yasmine was forced to wrap her arms around Kouha's waist as he started his horse. "Maybe I should do things like this more?"

"Don't you dare." Yasmine warned him. She let out a squeak when the horse jerked suddenly and clung onto Kouha for dear life.

Kouha was completely content with the situation.

"Not bad, right?" He asked teasingly.

Yasmine's temper flared.

* * *

"Shut your crass mouth! You are in the presence of my nephew and his friends! Your manners are setting a horrible example for my brother!"

"Make me, you prissy noble!"

Hel sighed as he heard Myron and Lo'Lo argue again. Opal rubbed his back comfortingly as she, too, winced and grimaced at the spectacle.

"They're like children." He muttered sourly. "You'd think that they would learn to keep their arguments less rowdy."

"Says the guy who destroyed the entire soldier's barracks because of a hissy fit." Opal deadpanned.

Hel sniffed. "That was completely different. Those herbivores dare call themselves the protectors of a country when they're completely weak."

"I can't argue with you there. Their sword form is terrible."

"A-Ano…"

Both teens looked down between them. Askan shuffled shyly at the attention before pointing at Myron and Lo'Lo (who were _still _arguing). "Sh-Shouldn't we do something?"

"Nah." Opal said dismissively. "This happens _all _the time. Hel's stepdad usually calms everything down." She craned her neck. "Oh look, there he is!"

Hel watched lazily as Muu placed himself in between the squabbling pair, only to be accidentally thrown back. Now this brought some memories. Hel had unintentionally injured the general the same way when he was brawling with some soldiers, wasn't he? Instead of getting into trouble, he ended up being recruited into the Finalis Corps because of his talent and strength.

"Is he okay?" Askan squeaked as he watched Muu fly back with wide eyes.

"He can take it." Hel assured his little brother. "I did worse and he's _still _alive."

"O-Oh."

Hel watched Alibaba come over and help Muu up. The blonde had improved in skill and strength during the past year in Reim. Hel made sure of that whenever he dropped by the Coloesseum.

"Do you think he's going to do good during the war?"

"He better have improved enough to contribute. I didn't waste my time for nothing." Hel growled under his breath as his lips curled up into a feral parody of a smile. "Or I'll _bite him to death_."

Alibaba, meanwhile, felt an ominous shiver run through his spine.

'_I hope this isn't a bad sign.'_ He prayed before facing the sea.

"I have a bad feeling about this…"

* * *

"You too?" Sai asked Selene when she shivered.

'_I hate war. There are going to be some death from both sides. Are you sure you won't need me in the frontlines?'_ She signed. Her brother laughed and shook his head. "Nah, there will be many magicians who would need your help. Stay here with Carmen, okay?"

Sai looked toward the Heliohapt native and pinned him down with a firm look that was uncharacteristic of him. "If anything happens, I'm trusting you with my sister so the end result should either be her being completely safe and uninjured or you dead on the ground. Understood?"

'_Sai!'_

Despite Selene's protesting, Sphintus nodded solemnly.

"I will."

"You promised." Sai warned him before sighing. "Well, all that is said is done. I will be seeing you both after this is all finished."

Grabbing his ridiculous hat, Sai catapulted himself out of the window and used his staff to fly in order to join with the other high-class magicians, who were at the edge of the barrier surrounding the country. Farther away, Sai saw battle as ships beginning to gather on the shores.

When he reached his destination, he immediately took his position.

"To war!" A magician snarled next to him, looking all-too-eager to unleash his magic onto the "pathetic goi" who dared to wage war against his country. "Down with the arrogant invaders! For the Chancellor!"

"For the safety of our families!" Another voice cried out.

Other voices added in to the cry.

"For magic!"

"For freedom!"

"For Magnostadt!"

Sai tilted his hat down.

_'For us.'_ His mind screamed with the others. _'For the future, for the world, and for myself.'_

Because of those reasons, Sai was going to shed blood today. He was going to send hundreds, if not thousands, of bodies back to Reim for families to cry over. He was going to cover the whole field with his hellfire. He was going to do this and he wasn't going to regret it. Not for a moment.

Even if his reason is completely selfish.

* * *

And here, the Magnostadt War begins.

Because of the wait, I have an Omake over here! Enjoy!

* * *

**Omake: Tao and Hakuryuu's First Meeting**

"Hakuryuu! Welcome back!"

Like any other doting brother, Hakuryuu wasn't exactly comfortable with the idea of his sister having a romantic interest or a lover. He already had a heart attack after her return from the Tenzan Plains (with the whole misunderstanding about Aladdin being a buff, almost-naked man).

But _this…__**this **_was something completely different.

It was completely rude of him, yes, but Hakuryuu completely skipped the reacquainting stage and dived right into the 'who-the-fuck-is-_that guy_-and-why-are-you-holding-his-hand?!' stage.

Silently, of course. He didn't want to make a scene.

Hakuei remained completely oblivious to Hakuryuu's inner turmoil. Why was she close to this…this…stranger! Who was he? And what was his intention towards his pure sister?

Hakuryuu had the strongest urge to lop the stranger's head off, but the logical side of his brain reminded him that there were people watching and that it would technically be cold murder.

(But his sister's _purity!_)

"Hakuryuu, this is Tao. He's a very important person of mine who I met during my travels to the Tenzan Plains." Hakuei introduced the masked bodyguard to her little brother. "Tao, this is Hakuryuu, my little brother."

Tao bowed respectfully in Hakuryuu's direction.

"Hello. It's very nice to meet you, Hakuei-sama's younger brother. I hope that we can get along." He greeted him warmly, much to Hakuryuu's growing dismay. Oh no, he was _nice_! _How _was he supposed to hate him now?!

"Breathe, Hakuryuu." Amani reminded him as Kouryuu began to fuss in her arms.

Hakuryuu took a large gulp of air.

The movement that Amani made caused Hakuei's attention to land on the baby. She immediately whisked past her little brother and began cooing at the baby. Tao and Hakuryuu were left behind and ignored completely by the two women as they showered their attention on Kouryuu.

"He looks healthy. I'm glad that the delivery was successful for Princess Amani." Tao spoke up. Hakuryuu took note that the stranger – Tao – appeared very interested in the spot right next to Amani.

But it was empty.

"What are you looking at?" Hakuryuu asked curiously.

Tao blinked before his eyes crinkled in a way that suggested that he was smiling. "Oh, nothing really. Well, it used to be something, but it's not there anymore."

"Not there anymore?" Hakuryuu repeated.

"Yes. It moved on." Tao said airily as he turned his attention on the baby. "Or did it stay? Ah well. Either way, both scenarios are correct in a sense."

'_Strange.'_ Hakuryuu couldn't help thinking. '_This man is very strange. He doesn't make any sense.'_

Then, as if he heard something, Tao's eyes flickered over Hakuryuu's shoulder.

Hakuryuu looked over his shoulder.

There was nothing there.


	47. Chapter 46: My Side

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> War is finally here.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Onwards

There was something familiar about the land to Hel when Reim's ships landed on shore. He supposed that it must've been a place that he had visited during the time he was – _would have been_ – The Weapon. Hel could see himself mechanically making his way toward Magnostadt or some other small town near the border of the country and laying ruin to it just because he could. Hel could never forget the rush and the enjoyment The Weapon felt when he heard the screams of his prey and felt the crunch of bone or rock under his knuckles. The Weapon had flourished in the battlefield and didn't have a care in whatever pain he inflicted on others. Hel didn't know what Shion saw in The Weapon that convinced him that 'Hel' could be saved, but he was forever thankful for his fellow carnivore's help in bringing humanity back to him.

But it was different now. Hel was no longer a servant of Al Thamen, nor was he a thoughtless killing machine. Some could assume that this change made Hel weaker than he was as The Weapon. Perhaps. But, Hel was convinced that he also gathered a different and better sort of strength.

He now had a leader he respected, comrades he would die for and they for him, his mother, and Opal.

Yes, especially Opal.

Hel glanced at his girlfriend's direction. His breath involuntarily hitched for a brief second as he processed the thrilled expression she wore at the sight of a new country and land that was right before her. Her lips pulled back into a sharp, hungry smile that made him wonder once again how lucky he was to find a jewel like her. All those meek, shallow birds that those noblemen called 'beautiful beyond compare' ironically held no candle against what his Opal had. She was a _lioness _with a passion and strength that Hel respected.

'_This is the woman I'm going to spend the rest of my life with.'_ Hel thought before mentally rearing back in surprise at the certainty that he possessed in the mental statement. _'I…want to spend the rest of my life with her.'_

Was this how Shion felt? Hel remembered feeling annoyed with his fellow carnivore's endless love-struck gushing about his mate. But now, he couldn't help but relate to his unofficial leader's feelings since he was technically on the same boat.

Opal felt Hel's eyes on her, so she turned her attention over to him. "What is it, Hel? You've been staring at me for a while."

"You're beautiful." He told her honestly, making Opal blink in surprise before it melted into amusement. "I guess your new dad has been giving you lessons in being a charmer, huh?" Her eyes softened. "Thanks. You don't look too bad yourself, handsome."

Hel flushed, making Opal laugh and leaned forward.

"H-Hel-nii? Are you feeling okay? Your face is all red." Askan pointed out innocently when he came into view, unintentionally making the pair jump. "O-Oh…I'm sorry…I didn't mean to surprise you…"

"It's fine." Hel said abruptly, forcing himself to calm down. "Did Muu send for me?"

Askan nodded bashfully. "Yes. He's wondering why you didn't get off the boat yet. Most of the troops are already making their way toward Magnostadt."

Hel sighed and patted Askan's head. "Thanks. Now, get back under deck where it's safe. The crazy herbivore will stay back to look after you along with some guards. We'll be back soon so don't worry."

"O-Okay. Be safe, Hel-nii!"

Hel made his way off the ship with Opal at his side. When his sandaled feet landed on the sand, soldiers of many ages turned to him and greeted him with smiles and respect shining in their eyes. Hel might have been feared for his strength back in Reim, but now it only gave the troops confidence in their victory over Magnostadt.

'_If only they knew…'_

Hel's red eyes inspected the troops critically as they stood straight and proud in front of him. There was no underestimation or fear in their eyes as they returned his gaze with determined stares.

These soldiers weren't anything special. They were simply herbivores dressed in metal. In reality, these men were just average fathers, sons, brothers, and husbands trying to do their nation proud by expanding their territory.

And yet, here they were.

"You make Reim proud with your service."

Hel didn't know what came over him. He wasn't the sort to interact with the lower men. Judging by the surprise written over their faces, the soldiers didn't expect such a thing either.

Hel turned his face forward and began making his way towards the rest of the Finalis Corps. He felt Opal squeeze his shoulder. "I'm proud of you. It might not seem like it, but your words made those soldiers respect you a lot more as a leader."

"They're going to die." He informed her quietly, an unknown emotion swelling in his chest. It just felt wrong to allow these men to march off to their deaths without hearing those well-deserved words.

"And most of them will." Opal agreed. "That is the consequence of war. The fact that you acknowledge their efforts and their sacrifice makes you more of a leader. You're learning, Hel. You wouldn't have thought this way at all back…back then."

He wouldn't have.

Honestly, The Weapon would have just regarded these soldiers as cannon fodder or nuisances.

Hel quietly made his way over to Muu's side. Opal settled herself between Myron and Maya.

The General looked over to Hel with a smile.

"Hel! I've been wondering when you'd be coming. I'm glad you're here." His eyes flashed with an almost imperceptible hint of nervousness as he tentatively approached the next subject. "I know that you're more comfortable acting on your own in spars, but the battlefield is completely different. I need you to follow my orders. Okay, Hel?"

"Yes, sir."

All conversations seemed to halt at Hel's answer. Muu's smile seemed to widen even more at the acknowledgement. "That's good. Don't attack the enemy until I say so."

Another nod.

"Understood."

"Oi, this brat is scaring me." Hel heard Lo'Lo murmur not-so-quietly at the side. "Did someone hit him over the head or something? He _hates_ not being able to take part of a battle. Why is he suddenly being all obedient?"

"Shut up." Myron hissed. "Can't you see that Brother is finally being accepted by little Hel? Don't ruin the moment!"

Hel ignored both of them.

"Any other orders?" He asked instead, keeping his eyes forward and his back straight.

Muu shook his head.

"No, Hel. Just watch and wait for my signal."

* * *

Kohaku stood beside Mogamett nervously as she watched the projection of the battlefield with a sinking heart.

"Chancellor? Why am I here?"

"Because you are needed, of course. Professor Lilimana told me about your talent in military strategy."

Kohaku nodded slowly. "But, wouldn't it be better if I fought with the others?"

The old man smiled at her patiently and patted her head. "I confess that doing that would help our cause greatly because of your growing abilities without your staff. But, I will not. Kohaku-chan, you may be very talented in magic, but you are too young to be placed in the frontline."

'_Well, he does have a point…but…'_

"I want to fight with my friends." Kohaku confessed to the old man. It just felt so _wrong_ standing safely within the walls of the city while Doron-sensei, Instructor Myers, Titus, and Sai were giving their all to fight for their respective causes. Kohaku knew that she was more than capable of standing next her friends. She had gone through the horrors of war before.

Kohaku's grip on her staff tightened.

"You are a good child, Kohaku-chan." Mogamett said after a small pause. "I understand how frustrating it can be to be in such a position. But it is also our duty to guide our fellow magicians and lessening the damage that would be caused in our side. Your abilities will lead us to our victory while protecting your friends."

The red-haired girl stared at Mogamett, gratified by his words.

"…Chancellor, are you really leaving the responsibility of the lives of Magnostadt's magicians in my hands?"

"You are a clever girl with an insight that is far beyond your years." Mogamett assured her as he turned to the projection. "Kohaku-chan, I am confident that these lives will be safe in your care."

'…_What is he up to?'_

She's too old to be in the frontlines but she's mature enough to control the strategy of the whole battle?

Something…something wasn't right.

"A-All of them?"

There must be something else in this arrangement, right? She was only nine. Why would he trust a _child _with something important as–?

"Don't feel too nervous, Kohaku-chan. Think of this as a test for your abilities."

Wait.

"A test?"

Does he really-? Does this man really think of this whole battle to be so insignificant that a _nine-year-old _is put in charge of the magician's military strategy just so he could test her abilities?

"Yes. This is a very rare opportunity for you, Kohaku-chan. You will find that nothing compares to the real battle when it comes to testing your abilities."

'_He doesn't even think of the Reim soldiers as a huge threat. Because they are __**goi**__.'_ Kohaku realized with a sinking heart. This attitude was all too familiar to her. She had worked under Doron after all. _'But he doesn't know the truth! Hel…Opal…and even Jamal might be amongst the squadron. If I was really the inexperienced prodigy he thinks of me as, then we'd be completely beaten because of Hel alone.' _

"Can you please do this for me?"

'_I will not let those lives be lost because of his arrogance.'_

Kohaku's mismatched eyes turned to the projection.

"I will try my best, Chancellor."

* * *

Aladdin flinched, alerting Selene and Sphintus.

"It's starting!"

"What?! Are you talking about the war?! Hey Aladdin, shouldn't we go help Titus and the others after all?" Sphintus questioned as he looked at his roommate uneasily. Beside him, Selene shuddered.

"But…I'm the only one who can stop the Chancellor's "power"."

Selene nodded in understanding. It was why they were here in Magnostadt in the first place, after all. Whatever Aladdin was planning, it was Selene's full intention of seeing that he succeeded. It was Shion's wish for it to happen after all.

Sphintus, on the other hand, had no idea what was happening.

"What the hell are you talking about?!"

Aladdin's eyes looked haunted as he raised his head to face the two people in front of him.

"If I don't stop it…everyone will die."

* * *

"_Ainfijar jahannam."_

Screams and howls filled the air as the smell of burnt skin reached Sai's nose as he sent his lethal fire attacks at the troops. "Mercy!" One screamed. "Mercy, please!"

Mercy? In the battlefield? That person must be delusional. Or completely unfit for the job. Just what the heck did he expect when he signed up for this? Glory? Praise? A high position? Those things are just meager rewards after surviving through hell like this. Did he really think that being a soldier would be _that easy_?

Sai walked over the screaming soldier and continued clearing the persistent Reim soldiers away from the barrier.

'_Just a little bit more.'_ He thought to himself as he sent out another fire spell. _'They'll stop coming when they see it's pointless. They'll run. __**Please **__run.'_

But they didn't.

Beside him, Doron snorted. "Persistent goi." He sneered as he made his plant monsters eat a few dozen more soldiers before sitting back and watching them scramble. "Oi, troublemaker, control your magic. It's burning away my plants!"

Swallowing the bile that rose in his throat, Sai forced himself to laugh as he heard the _crunch _of bones as one of the plants gobbled up a Reim soldier.

"Mou, cut this student some slack. I'm driving away the enemy, aren't I? If it's too much of a problem, move those things farther away from my line of fire."

Doron looked ready to spit insults.

"Or am I overestimating your abilities, Doron-_sama_?" Sai asked sarcastically, not really paying attention to his racist superior. There was fresh row of soldiers that needed to be burned over.

"_Che."_

Sai took that as his win. Turning his attention back at the Reim troops, he was met with the sight of floating rocks and acid rain.

"Huh. They don't hold back, do they?" He asked as he sent out a warning flare. When the next line of men didn't relent on their battering on the barrier, Sai was forced to let out a bigger fire spell.

The closest were incinerated the quickest. The ones who were farther out foolishly tried to run over to the acid rain to put it out.

Unlike normal fire, it didn't go out. Sai made sure it wouldn't.

They died screaming.

(If he had known what he would use his spells for, Sai wouldn't have created them in the first place.)

And so, after seeing their comrades' fates, the soldiers made a large ring around Sai's range, afraid of burning to death in his hands.

He didn't blame them.

"…Good job." Doron praised reluctantly as he looked at Sai's work. There was a little admiration in his tone.

Sai wanted to tell him to shut up.

He purposefully burned away Doron's plants instead.

* * *

Jamal was unnaturally quiet ever since the war began.

It made some of the soldiers nervous. They spent enough time with the boy to know about his…unique personality. The fact that he wasn't giggling to himself or smiling was a sure sign that there was something wrong.

"Um…sir?" One of the soldiers asked the boy awkwardly, unsure of how to approach the usually open and amicable child. "Is there something wrong?"

Jamal tilted his head.

"Well, it depends." He hummed as his eyes rolled up to the sky. "Those balloon ships look awfully familiar."

The soldier fidgeted. "O-Of course. They were your design, Jamal-sama."

"I don't remember giving anyone permission to use them." He said flatly. "Not to mention, I don't even remember _showing _any of this to anyone. Who went through my stuff?"

Nobody answered.

"I hate plagiarism. It's pretty much a bunch of assholes and losers copying other people's stuff without asking them. I hate it even more when it's _my inventions _being used for something like **this**." He said while gesturing over to the battlefield. There was repressed fire in his voice as the scientist trembled ever so slightly. "What else did you steal from me?"

The nearest soldier bristled at his accusation. "We're using these tools for a greater good! Reim needs these weapons!"

"What. Else. Did. You. Steal. From. Me?" Jamal asked tightly.

As if to answer his question, explosions came from the ship. Jamal's eyes widened when he caught sight of black balls shooting from the air balloons and hitting the barrier, shattering small parts of it almost instantly. Some of the black balls made it past the barrier and hit whatever was behind it. He hissed.

"Cannons?" He asked, anger now evident in his voice. "Out of all my inventions, you're using my _cannons_? Those were supposed to shoot out _fireworks _and make people smile_!_ Not do something like…" _This._

Jamal stared in quiet anger as he watched the barrier slowly go down.

The soldier scoffed at the Sasanian's expression. "Stop being so selfish and look at it from our perspective. You're inventions are saving _lives _here."

"No, they're _not_." Jamal spat out bitterly. "They're _taking _them. All of you just took something that was supposed to be innocent and turned it into something horrible. You just made me responsible for the thousand lives behind that barrier!" He shouted, making all of the soldiers freeze up and shut their mouths.

Jamal glared at every one of them and spat at their feet.

"…I'm never going to forget this. _Never._" He swore. "So you and your country better watch your backs."

Then, before the soldiers could grab him, Jamal jumped ship. Literally.

* * *

Selene was shocked by the amount of patients that was brought into the building. She didn't waste a moment in healing as many people as she could. The injuries that many sported were horrifying. She wasn't even aware that the weapons Reim had were capable of giving such grievous wounds. Some of the magicians had lost their arms or legs. Others were in pieces and were already dead.

As she worked on them, Selene distantly heard Sphintus retch at the violence that was inflicted upon their fellow magicians.

She would've tried to comfort him, but now was not the time. She needed to close the hole in this man's abdomen…she had to try and save this woman's arm…this soldier's leg…reattach his shoulder…support her leg…

(Just what weapon did Reim use on these people?!)

The amount of patients seemed endless. It frustrated Selene when she lost some of them simply because of _time_. And she didn't even have the time or energy to mourn. She just moved onto her next patient.

(Selene dreaded to think how many more would come once the _Finalis Corps _entered into the war.)

"This is horrible." She heard Sphintus whisper before he too plunged himself into saving as many people has he could.

(But what could be done about it? This was war.)

* * *

Kohaku tried her best to lessen the body count of both sides as she arranged and re-arranged the positions of the soldiers and the magicians.

'_Titus…Sai…please be safe.'_ She prayed as she re-accessed one of her choices and tweaked some more. _'No need to be wishy-washy about your choices, Kohaku. Remember what Professor Lilimana and Doron-sensei taught you. Don't disappoint them now because you're fussing over the details!'_

Kohaku's mind screeched to a halt.

'_I'm already fussing over the details.'_ She realized morosely when she re-evaluated the plan mapped up in her mind. _'If I really want to save more people, I'll have to completely forget about limiting the amount of deaths that we might inflict on the Reim side.'_ Kohaku bit her lip. _'There's no choice. I _have _to go all out.'_

The Kou Princess took a moment to mentally apologize to her friends.

'_Hel…Opal…Jamal…I'm sorry. Please, _please _don't hold back since I won't be holding back from now on. I can't recklessly turn my back on the magician's lives when I'm responsible for them!'_

Kohaku's face hardened as she rearranged everything and started the whole thing over from scratch.

Behind Kohaku, Mogamett watched with growing satisfaction in the young girl's growing determination in helping her fellow magicians. He watched approvingly as Kohaku sent out the order to hand out magical items to the soldiers in order to push back the Reim troops long enough for the magicians to gather their wits and strength. Her method was simple, but it was the most effective that she had thought up of so far.

A magician came into the room and quietly informed the Chancellor about the completion of the magic tool. He nodded and dismissed the magician. The old man then called Kohaku over, much to the young girl's frustration. "Chancellor, we don't have any time to waste! We might be successfully holding up our defenses at the moment, but the magic in the tools are limited and the soldiers' energy will –

"Kohaku-chan, you have done well." Mogamett interrupted the young girl before she could finish. "Thank you for your hard work. I'll take it from here now."

"What?" Kohaku asked. "But I didn't do anything…"

The old man patted the child's shoulder comfortingly. "Nonsense. You bought us a significant amount of time. I'm impressed with your skills, child. But you can rest now."

"Rest?" Kohaku repeated, looking worried. "Chancellor, the war isn't over yet! My friends need me!"

Mogamett found her concern for her fellow magicians admirable. Despite her age, the young prodigy hadn't failed to show concern for her fellow magicians' wellbeing. Though her compassion for the goi has shown to be the young girl's most prominent flaw, Mogamett acknowledged that she held talent in military strategy. He was confident that Kohaku would grow and become an admirable magician.

"Do not worry about that. The war will end soon." He promised her.

Instead of being comforted by his words, Kohaku only looked more concerned.

"Chancellor…what do you mean by that?"

* * *

If there was anything that Hel despised more than slavery, it was the feeling of helplessness. He hated being aware of his weakness, his uselessness in the situations that required his strength the most. That was mostly why he had joined Al Thamen's ranks as their _Weapon_. Strength and power came easily when he was with them and he grew to depend on them. Hel remembered using that power to raze across the lands, bringing death and horror to everything and everyone that crossed his path.

Right now, Hel was witnessing a genocide that was greater and quicker than his own and there was nothing he could do. He was too weak. He was too slow. He was too –

_Helpless_

They were there for a moment. And then, they were all gone.

Hel heard his mother gasp.

"Solomon, they didn't deserve to go like that." He heard her murmur in horror. He thinks that he hears a little bit of anger in her voice too, but he was far too upset to properly process anything.

Hel couldn't do anything. He had just _stood there _and _watched _as all of the men he didn't know well enough to call comrades were _burned away _within a blink of an eye. _He didn't do anything while they all died._

_Helpless_

Hel wanted to rip apart something. Anything. His blood burned under his skin as he shook.

Whether he shook out of grief or anger, Hel didn't know. He couldn't tell. He just _burned_.

And then, as if the amount of destruction wasn't enough, the seemingly innocent tools that had just blown his comrades away, began to recharge. The lucky soldiers who were out of range from the first blast began running the other way in fear. Hel didn't blame or fault them.

"Not again." Opal snarled. "They already made their point with the first blast. How many men are they going to blast away before they're happy?!"

Hel couldn't take it anymore. He turned to Muu. "Permission to –

"Permission granted, Hel." His captain answered immediately, much to the young teen's surprise. Muu smiled grimly in response to Hel's expression as he gestured for the rest of the Finalis Corps to move forward. "I can't take it either. I know that we have orders…but it would feel wrong to not do anything at this point. Let's join in, shall we?"

* * *

Sai let out a breathy laugh when he saw the flashes of red hair join into the fray of fleeing soldiers. The magician next to him sent him a strange look. "What's so funny?"

"We're so screwed." The scarred magician chortled as he leaned on his staff.

"What do you mean? We're _winning_. We just decreased one-third of the entirety of Reim's troops!" The other spell-caster stressed. Sai fell into another round of snorts and chuckles. "Oh, yes we did. And that's going to bite us all in the ass in a few seconds and it's going to bite us _hard_."

A distance away from where they stood, the magic weapon finished charging.

Sai exhaled audibly and reached into his sleeves. The magician watched the young man curiously before his expression gave way into incredulity at the weapons in Sai's hands. "_Goi weapons_? Why would you want to use those when you have a perfectly fine staff?"

"You know what's the main problem about magicians?" Sai asked rhetorically as he set his grey eyes on the battleground. "They depend way too much on the concept of having supernatural powers that they completely set aside their physical abilities."

"There's nothing that the goi could do that can beat us now!" The magician argued, yet Sai heard the fear creeping into his voice. "We'll be able to fight anything off as long as we have our staffs with us."

Sai tossed his charams up into the air almost playfully. "Oh? And what happens when our staffs are completely useless in what's coming for us? Maa, maa, don't give me that dirty look. I know what I'm talking about."

The magical tool shot at the Reim troops for the second time.

"I suggest you run. Your borg won't protect you from what's coming now."

* * *

Maya cut through the battlefield, taking down soldiers and magicians far more quickly than the other Finalis, clearing the way for her husband and her child.

There was once a time when she would have been _thrilled_ to experience a battleground like this. When she was younger, far before the time she had to wear chains, she thirsted for the feeling of overpowering the weak and the testing of strengths with an equal opponent.

Maya blamed her father's blood for her feral tendencies during her youth. It was only the saving grace of her mother's training that prevented her from descending into the path of a berserker.

Her mother did not accept anything less than perfection, even when it came to beating enemies down to the dust. The Demons in the Tenzan Plain killed and destroyed their enemies with _grace _and _perfection _after all.

As Maya effortlessly crushed another borg (and the magician inside the borg as an extension), she wondered how her son was faring with the whole situation. Despite his tendency of falling prey to her father's bloodlust, Hel was barely a young adult, not even an adult.

How would her son deal with his first kill?

Maya was sharply torn from her worries when a magician hit her with a lucky spell. She immediately dodged the next one with a sharp lunge to the right. Maya prepared herself to retaliate, but was interrupted when a small body _crashed _and _shattered _the borg.

"_Kamikorosu."_

Those were the last words the magician heard.

One swipe was more than enough to break the borg. It was enough to reach the magician behind it and…kill him. There was the familiar sound of a skull crunching under the force of Hel's powerful hands. Maya heard it all. She saw it all.

And Hel…Hel simply moved onto the next soldier and magician.

Maya knew better than to freeze in the middle of a _battlefield._ So she didn't. But the shock of seeing her child kill and move on so quickly didn't wear off for a while.

Hel killing someone wasn't what horrified her. Maya knew that things like that were inevitable in war no matter how much to broke her heart.

No, it was the fact that Hel acted as if _it wasn't his first time._

_When?_ Maya wondered with a sinking heart as she continued to fight. _When did he kill? How long ago was it? Why didn't I know this?_

Horrible wasn't even _close _to what Maya felt when she realized that she didn't know everything about her son anymore.

The only comfort she had in this situation was that she would no longer have to worry, at least, about her son freezing in mid-battle.

* * *

When Aladdin reached the battlefield to dismantle the magical tools, he saw that someone else had already beaten him to it.

"Sai?" The blue-haired boy said in surprise.

The Blessed Child smirked and waved at the little magi casually. "Yo, Aladdin." He greeted him casually as he dismantled another killing machine. Around him was about a dozen, knocked-out magicians. "You were a little late, so I decided to go right ahead and get rid of these. You don't mind, do ya?"

Aladdin sighed in relief. "Thank you, Sai."

"Maa, it's not like I did it for you. Mass genocide through bombing isn't really my thing even if the enemies are annoying." Sai shrugged. "Well, now that I saved you some time, why don't you take off those suppressors? I think it's about time, ne?"

Aladdin nodded in agreement as he reached for the stones embedded in his wrists.

"Yes, it's time to stop this sorrowful war!"

…

Both magicians waited for the rukh to once again supply the young magi with magoi.

Finally, despite the battles and the deaths that were going on around them, Sai chuckled. "I guess it'll have to take some time before you get your special powers back, huh? Mou, isn't it a relief that it was just me who saw you do that? If you did that in front of a whole crowd, that would've been _embarrassing!_"

Aladdin laughed sheepishly. "Yes, you're right." He agreed, trying to imagine how _that _scenario would have went.

"Let's go and gather up some of the magicians to back up Lordling for the time being. I think he's battling with General-san. How about it?" Sai suggested, granting a rare act of mercy to the poor, flushing boy. Aladdin nodded hastily in agreement and took flight.

* * *

"Let's go back to Reim, Sir Scheherazade!"

Titus fought back against the instinctive rush of fear when he heard Muu's cheerful voice. He dodged and parried against the powerful swipes of the Finalis Captain's sword. The blonde did not delude himself into thinking that the strength the man was using now was his full power.

This man was the best swordsman in Reim. He was not to be underestimated.

So Titus didn't. He didn't want to be captured. He didn't want to return to Reim where his already short life would end even more prematurely by Lady Scheherazade's hands.

"I won't!" He cried out. "I'm not Lady Scheherazade! I'm only one of her clones yet…I only lived for just a year yet...I've become an independent human!"

Sai and Marga's faces flashed across his eyes, strengthening his determination.

"So that's why…I will not lose! Not even to you! Because I've found important people I want to protect!"

Muu's expression revealed nothing as he continued his attempts in downing Titus from his magic-fueled flight. He didn't even bat an eye to one of Titus' more explosive spells and dodged it without too much hassle.

"Important people, you say?" Muu repeated with a strange look on his face. "I'm glad for you. But you don't understand, you can't live together with them."

'…_What?!'_

"The flow of time, the way your body is made, and even the fate you were given, these are all different from theirs because these are unnatural! And the same goes for us." Muu explained with certainty. It was the _knowing _in the half-Finalis' eyes that made his words hit Titus the hardest. "That's why you shouldn't be conceited. You should bear it in mind and you shouldn't avert your eyes from what you really are!"

Titus shook his head in denial.

"You're wrong! I want to be with them forever!"

"You _still _don't understand?!" All feigned friendliness slid off of the general's face, revealing the exasperation and incredulity that he had been feeling the whole time. _"You are a monster. You cannot be human. You are a life that shouldn't have been born in the first place!"_

Titus would've been lying if he claimed that those words didn't hurt. It stung to hear that he wasn't human, that he wasn't _natural. _But at the same time, it wasn't something that he hadn't heard before. In reality, Titus heard worse. It was something that happened frequently ever since he stepped into Magnostadt Academy. Mogamett had said some things that hurt, but it was Sai whose words always, _always _reached deep and ripped out any insecurity that he tried burying in his heart.

He hated and loved the shape-shifter for it.

Sai's blunt words made him hurt and feel horrible about himself, yes, but Titus was able to use that and make himself _better_. He acknowledged his flaws and either changed it or accepted it.

Sai made him stronger.

"**You're wrong."** The blonde repeated once more with more strength. "I am human! I might not be created the same way as you were and I my existence might be unnatural, but my precious people…" Titus thought of Sai and gripped his wand tighter. "They don't care about that! They don't care about that at all!"

"You're a fool." Muu gritted out and then the blonde saw it.

A weakness. An insecurity.

It was brief and easy to dismiss, but Titus' time with Sai taught him that every little thing counted when it came to analyzing and judging another person. It might be wrong. Titus wasn't as talented as Sai in reading people to be completely confident in his guess.

But what else did he have?

"Am I?" Titus challenged, praying that he was right. "Or are you projecting, General Muu? Are you afraid that your own precious people won't accept you for the monster you are?"

Muu paused. It was only for a second, but he _paused._

That was more than enough for Titus.

In a blink of an eye, Muu was flung back a good distance away by a powerful spell.

* * *

Maya kicked the barrier. She completely ignored the magicians surrounding her, focusing all her energy on the glowing anklet. _'Where is it?'_ She mentally questioned herself as she randomly kicked at different parts of the barrier. _'The troops already weakened the barrier enough for there to be a weak point. It's close. I can feel it! But where? Where?'_

Maya kicked at the barrier again.

This time, it cracked.

A smile crawled across Maya's lips. _'Found it.'_

Behind the barrier, soldiers began to panic .

"Impossible!"

"What is she doing?!"

"_Someone stop her!"_

Maya took a few steps back in preparation to make the final kick that would finally shatter one of the many barriers around the country. On her ankle, her djinn vessel began to thrum eagerly.

"Not so fast, _Goi_."

Maya shouted as a plant wrapped around her left leg and lifted her up. She unintentionally let out a feral snarl as she was brought face-to-face with a smug magician.

Unlike the other magicians, this one seemed to have his own style of fashion. The chains that adorned his neck and the bareness of his chest made Maya wince. He looked too much like one of the pleasure slaves she encountered in the past for comfort.

"Oh for Solomon's – Put some clothes on!" She snapped out reflexively.

The magician's smug expression slid off his face as he gaped at his prisoner.

Maya didn't know if it was out of shock or embarrassment, but she felt the vines loosen their grip on her leg. She took the opportunity to wiggle her way free from its grip. She jumped away from the plant's range before the magician could try and capture her again.

'_He's powerful.'_ Maya mentally noted. _'If I want to take down this barrier, I would have to take him and his plants down first.'_

She smirked. _'Lucky me. Everything on the ground is __**my **__prey.'_

"Spirits of Servants and Favors," Maya chanted as she dodged an angry spell from the magician, "in the name of my Magoi and my will for a greater power, I order you and your members, come forth, Ronove!"

* * *

Opal and the soldiers looked up in alarm as the whole ground began to shake. Then, quite abruptly, there was silence.

The barrier broke a second later.

"What the fuck just happened?!" Opal hissed.

A little ways away from her Hel dropped the soldier in his grip and rushed over to her side. "Let's go." He ordered sharply. "That was Mother. If she had to use her djinn equip so soon…we need to go to where she is."

"Why? Is she hurt? Is that why she used her djinn?" Opal asked, completely alert.

Hel shook his head. "No. That's not what I'm worried about. Whatever prey she had problems with should already be eliminated. What I'm worried about is the time limit."

"Time limit?" Opal parroted. "Wait, your mom has a time limit to her abilities like your stepdad? I thought she had a good amount of magoi!"

"She does." Hel said shortly. "She has too much. That's why we have to go over there and make sure she doesn't go over the time limit."

* * *

"A-re? The barrier broke already?" Sai mused as he regarded the shattered barrier almost curiously. At his side, Aladdin stared at the spectacle in shock. "H-How?! Sai, who did this? Do you know?"

Sai tilted his head. "Well~ It seems that a little birdie was keeping _quite _a bit of information from me. It seems that Reim has another dungeon capturer within its ranks."

"Another?!"

Sai nodded. "Yeah. I'll go down and check it out. You go on and gather up the magicians."

Aladdin looked at Sai with worry. "Are you sure that going alone would be a good idea? If this person was able to take down the barrier on their own…"

"Oh, don't worry. I'll be careful." The shape-shifter smirked. "Just worry about your own problems, yeah? Didn't you have this really good plan that involves drowning and electrocuting the enemy?"

Aladdin frowned is disapproval at Sai's wording of his plan but nodded nevertheless. "Okay. I'll leave the barrier to you, Sai."

"I won't take long."

* * *

It was a funny thing that one, simple moment of distraction could decide the fate of a battle. But such was war.

For Muu, it was his insecurity about how his family viewed him.

For Titus, it was the breaking of the barrier.

And now, the blonde was paying for it, just as Muu had done. Titus barely had any air left in his lungs to scream out in pain when Muu punched him down from the air. He didn't even have the energy to flinch away as the general pulled his limp body up.

"I apologize for being so rough, Sir Titus, but I'm short on time." He glanced towards the direction of the barrier, worry flashing across his eyes briefly. "Lady Scheherazade needs you back and I'm not planning on wasting any more precious time. Let's go back to Reim, Sir Titus."

Titus opened his mouth to argue, scream, _anything _but no sound came out. He slumped in defeat.

Despite his victory, Muu didn't look so happy either with his constant glances towards the broken barrier's direction.

"Impatient, are we General-san?" A faux-friendly voice asked from above.

Titus' eyes widened.

'_Sai!'_

Muu's eyes narrowed as he regarded the Blessed Child with weariness. "Sai." He greeted carefully. "I see you've changed forms again. How has Magnostadt been for you? I hope that Lady Scheherazade's patronage made things easier for your education."

"And I see you're as obvious as ever." Sai snarked back, his smile taking a darker tone as he stretched out a hand. "Now…mind giving Lordling back?"

Muu smiled back. It wasn't kind.

"That would be insinuating that he was yours the first place. Sir Titus belongs to –

"_No one."_ Sai interrupted coldly, dropping all 'nice' pretenses. His good eye glowered at the half-Finalis. "Titus belongs to no one but himself. Now, remove your hands from him before I blow you up."

Muu scoffed. "As if –

Sai interrupted him once again, but this time, it was with an actual explosion. The shape-shifter was careful enough to avoid hitting Titus with the spell too. The moment Muu's grip on Titus slackened, he snatched the blonde and spirited them both away.

"Sai." Titus rasped, as he clutched onto his clothes. _"Sai."_

Sai shushed him.

"You did good, Lordling. Sorry for not coming sooner. Thought that reinforcements would come for you." He murmured apologetically as he enveloped the blonde with healing magic. Titus blinked in confusion as he felt the pain in his chest being alleviated. "How…?"

"Because Selene." Sai said simply as he began descending from the sky. "And also because I'm a genius. Obviously."

"Obviously." Titus parroted with incredulity. Then, he looked at his surroundings curiously. "Sai, where are we going?"

"To the barrier. There are things I need to check out before I hand you over to a proper medic. Selene preferably." The dark-haired man explained airily as he swooped over and past the battle that was going on around the broken barrier. Some magicians nodded at the pair in acknowledgement before throwing themselves further into battle. "Don't worry about them. Aladdin already has a plan. It's uncharacteristically evil but…it's what we need."

"And what plan is that, herbivore?"

Sai almost dropped Titus in surprise at the familiar voice. A grin creeped up across his lips as he looked down. "Mou, isn't it little Hel and Opal? Fancy meeting you two here."

"What plan?" Hel repeated with a challenging glimmer in his eyes.

Sai tilted his head thoughtfully.

"Hmm…what was it again? I think it might've been something about drowning or electrocuting. Or maybe both? Maa~ I can never be too sure – whoa! Hey! Watch it, I'm handling an injured here!" Sai complained as he narrowly dodged a sharp swing from the irate ex-gladiator. Hel growled. "Don't make me ask again, herbivore."

A great, flash of lightning interrupted the pair's exchange. Both Hel and Sai were very well aware that it wasn't naturally caused.

"Huh," The silver-eyed magician commented, "well that was faster than I expected."

Hel was up to his face in moments.

"What. Happened."

"Magic. Very high-class, lightning magic happened to be exact." Sai drawled sarcastically. Unfortunately, his witty response was not well-received, judging by the harsh punch in the face that Hel delivered.

Sai flew back a good distance with Titus in his arms. He just barely managed to angle his body in a way that best protected the already-injured blonde from the impact.

Still, Titus whimpered.

Now, Sai was usually a very patient person when it came to his allies, but he just had _enough _of the antics of the Alexius Family as a whole. He understood Hel's rage. He really did. It was the Finalis Corps, a group that was practically a second family to him, who were facing the brunt of Aladdin's nasty plan. But did that mean he had to do what he did knowing that it would send Sai flying back with a not-so-okay Titus in his arms?

No. No he fucking didn't. It was completely unnecessary and it pissed him off.

"_Now you've done it."_

Sai picked himself back up and placed the blonde down at the side.

"You can fly, right?" He asked. When Titus nodded, Sai smirked with satisfaction. "Good. That means you can fly over to where Aladdin is. There will be help there. Fly to Aladdin as fast as you can, okay?"

"…Okay."

"Good. Now, don't wait up for me. I have a naughty child to punish." Sai said grimly.

* * *

"Opal."

The black-haired girl turned to Hel curiously. "Yes?"

"Go check on Mother for me."

Opal opened her mouth to argue, but closed it when she saw the look in his eyes.

"Fine." She huffed. "Just don't hurt each other too much, okay? I get that you're supposed to beat him up since he's the enemy and all that but we shouldn't forget that we're all in the same side. That doesn't mean you shouldn't knock Sai down a peg or two." She added the last part cheekily.

"…Thank you."

"Good luck." Opal wished with a quick kiss on his cheek. "You'll need it."

* * *

"_Kamikorosu."_

"You took the words right out of my mouth, little Hel. Let's _dance._"

* * *

Aladdin felt the familiar thrum of magoi rush through his veins.

Completely overwhelmed, he released his power, revealing his true status to the world.

"Aladdin…what are you?"

* * *

It felt almost like forever before Maya managed to force herself away from her djinn equip. She breathed heavily as the form reluctantly deteriorated itself from her body. Completely spent, she landed on her knees, staring blankly at the carnage she caused around her.

Hopefully, she didn't kill _all _of them. She tried to hold back on her attacks after all.

Maya grimaced. "I overdid it again."

Ten minutes

It was far more time spent in the djinn equip than she was used to. It was only by pure luck that she was still conscious and standing. A second longer and her body would have exploded from the ridiculous amount of magoi thrumming through it.

It was one of the setbacks of being a half-Tenzan demon. She was both blessed and limited by her body's ability to hold a great amount of magoi. If she had been born a full-demon, she would have enjoyed this ability without fearing the consequences of holding _too much _magoi.

Ronove's special ability of amplifying a person's physical ability didn't help much with Maya's condition either since it also meant that the toll her attacks took on her body was amplified as well.

"Miss Maya? Miss Maya! Where are you?"

Maya knew she was saved when she caught sight of her son's adorable girlfriend.

"Over here, dear! Thank you for coming this far to check on me!"

* * *

"Urgh!"

Sai coughed out blood. His hands gingerly skittered over his chest as he felt for the damage. It was definitely bruised. There's no doubt there. Sai just hoped that he sported less than two broken ribs. _'Ouch.'_ He mentally complained as he tried and failed to get back onto his feet.

Across from him, Hel breathed heavily, barely hanging onto his sword. Cuts ranging from shallow to deep decorated his arms and legs. He limped over to the hunched over shape-shifter and held his sword at Sai's neck. "Give up, herbivore."

Sai spat at Hel's foot. The ex-gladiator barely flinched as the blood splattered onto his sandal.

"Shouldn't it be the other way around, little Hel? I'm actually going _very _easy on you right now. I didn't even activate Barbas yet. And seeing that I didn't turn your little body into barbecue, I think that there's a lot of slack I'm giving you." He said sweetly. "_You _should give up while you can, kid."

Hel's lips pulled back into a snarl as he not-so-lightly slammed the hilt of his sword onto the back of Sai's neck. The Blessed Child was stunned for a few moments, but somehow managed to hold onto his consciousness.

Sai closed his good eye and gave his head a sharp shake. He regretted the action almost immediately when he felt his head ring. His hissed and raised a hand to cradle his hurting head only to feel a stinging sensation on his neck. His eye flew open looked down.

The blade was back on his neck.

"_Submit."_ He heard Hel demand.

Despite all the pain in his chest, Sai cackled. He even dared to grab the blade and bring it closer to his neck.

"Oh, but I don't want to, little Hel. You see, I don't feel like willingly rolling over and losing to a brat today. Try again next time in some other battle when I'm not trying to fight for something important." He sneered as the wound on his neck bled. "No, I won't 'submit'."

"Don't make this so hard, herbivore. Submit….just submit before I'm forced to subdue you through other means." Hel said through gritted teeth. "_Please_. I don't want to do any more of this."

Sai tilted his head to the side.

"Maa…now that sounds a bit like begging. Why are you begging, little Hel?" He asked amusedly. "You're not a kid anymore. You should understand that there are no prisoners in this situation. This is war. Even if I do give up…it wouldn't make a difference. If you don't act now, one of your Finalis buddies will destroy me in your place. Go on. You have the upper hand. Wound me, knock me out, or simply just kill me and be done with it. You have orders to follow, after all. I'm a threat and an enemy to Reim since I openly injured your general."

"…"

"Well? Your move, soldier."

Hel squeezed his eyes shut and lifted his sword…

…Only to be swept away by a great body of sand.

Sai blinked.

"Huh, not what I expected but okay. I'll take it."

* * *

Everything that followed after that went exactly the same as it had in Remy's memories. The Reim soldiers were pushed back, Muu faced off with Aladdin in his djinn equip only to be stopped by a new and improved Alibaba, and Scheherazade finally decided to put an end to the ridiculous war…for the time being.

Yes, everything went the same. The rubber band had snapped back into place as predicted.

Though this knowledge should have given Sai relief, it only made him filled with trepidation.

Why?

Well, it was a bit silly, but it was because this was exactly where the details of the storyline stopped for Remy. He hadn't gone further with the manga for…personal reasons. He was busy. And then he died.

The small form of Scheherazade turned to Sai after inviting Aladdin and Alibaba over to speak with her.

"…"

"…"

"Sai. Would it be too bold if I asked you to come too? There are many things I must speak about with you concerning Titus."

'_Does she know?'_ The Blessed Child wondered, not revealing his true thoughts as he accepted her invitation with a nod. _'I shouldn't jump into conclusions yet. But, if she does, it wouldn't change anything.'_

"Maa, if it has to do with the Lordling, how can I refuse?"

* * *

The soldiers were all exhausted and weary from their recent battle. Some began to move away from the city and back to the ships. The Finalis Corps lingered a little while longer because of Scheherazade's presence.

It was then when the youngest member of the Finalis Corps felt it.

Bloodlust

It was subtle and barely recognizable, but Hel felt it and knew just _who_ it was aimed towards.

That was why he didn't hesitate to angle himself in front of Muu as a flash of red streaked right into him. Hel easily caught the person, but was surprised to see who it was.

"Crazy herbivore?"

Jamal grabbed Hel by the shoulders with a feverish look in his eyes. "They used my ideas without my consent, Hel. _They used my ideas without my consent._ Everything that I worked my ass off to think up and improve was stolen from me. And do you know what else happened? They turned my fireworks into cannons_. **C****annons**_, Hel. People _died _because of my inventions. Why? _Why?_ Did you even know?!"

When Hel managed to process the entirely of Jamal's ranting, he glanced at Muu. Jamal's eyes followed. Hel knew in an instant that the man had been partially responsible for the theft of the scientist's hard work.

"Did you?" Hel asked quietly, making Jamal stiffen.

"Yes." Muu confessed without any shame or regret in his actions. "Scheherazade-sama believed that it was the best way to protect Reim."

Hel barely managed to grab Jamal has he lunged for the Finalis General. Fire blazed in the Sasanian Prince's eyes as he looked ready to snap Muu's head off with his own, bare hands.

"Stop." Hel ordered his friend firmly. "You're not thinking rationally."

"I don't _want _to think rationally! That bastard just willingly handed over my work as if it was his to give!" Jamal shouted angrily as he wrenched himself away from Hel's grip to point at Muu accusingly. _"He needs to pay!"_

"I won't let you do this."

"_Don't underestimate me, __**buddy**_._"_ Jamal snarled as he poked at Hel's metal breastplate, causing the part-Finalis to lean back involuntarily. "I might be a scientist, but that doesn't mean I don't have the skills to kick your ass right now. I used to be the _fucking Knight King of Sasan_. That's not a title to be fucked around with. I _earned _it **without **a stupid djinn vessel, so I'm pretty sure you won't be that much of a problem."

Hel's eyes narrowed. "I won't let you do this." He repeated again.

"**Get out of the way, Hel!"**

"**No."** Hel asserted just as strongly. "If you attack him now, you will be considered an enemy to Reim and I would be forced to attack and arrest you, which I do _not _want to do to a friend. Don't make me do this, Jamal."

Jamal's struggles weakened at Hel's words before it stopped completely. The redhead let out a dry sob as he broke down in front of Hel. The part-Finalis could only watch helplessly as the other boy cried in his arms.

"Look at what they've done with my inventions." Jamal sobbed. "I think I hate your stepdad now because what they did with my ideas…it's _horrible._ I made those cannons to shoot out fireworks for Kohaku-chan's birthday, not _cannonballs _to blow people into pieces! I made those air balloons for Selene since she likes magic carpets so much, not so people could kill other people easier! Those ideas were for _peace, _not **war! **I didn't want…I didn't want…"

Jamal cried harder.

"I didn't want for this to happen! I thought things were going to be different this time! I thought I was actually going to save more people but _nothing changed_! People are still killing each other and I made it worse!" He shook his head. "I…I don't want to make things anymore." He whimpered. "If people are just going to twist all of my ideas into death weapons, I don't want to make things for this world anymore."

Hel didn't know what to say. So he didn't say anything.

He just held the sobbing Sasanian.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hel's Relationship with Muu: It's definitely improving by leaps and bounds, but the respect that Hel shows for Muu in this chapter isn't one that a son has for a father, but what a lower-ranked soldier has for his higher officer. Muu also understands this, but is still hopeful of their relationship improving in the future. (Yeah, good luck with that, Muu.)
> 
> Jamal's Feelings: Now technically, Jamal plagiarized the works and inventions from our world. He's actually very aware of this and tries his best to keep his copying low-key. He sticks mostly to normal household items because he knows what would happen if he brought one of the bigger weapons - like guns - into the Magi world. It's more of a nightmare-come-true when Jamal sees his inventions being used for the exact things he didn't want them to be used for. He practically brought these mass-murdering weapons into this world and he blames himself for it. (Then again, most of his anger is directed towards Muu, Scheherazade, and Reim's Science Department.)
> 
> Kohaku's Feelings: She was a tactician in the nonexistent future, so she's more than aware of the consequences that comes from a simple choice. Her original intention was to minimize deaths, but she dumped that idea because of the responsibility she felt towards the magicians.
> 
> Ronove: He is the Djinn of Servants and Favors. Like Muu with Barbatos, Maya can only use her djinn for a limited amount of time because of her Tenzan blood. (Please feel free to ask more about this subject.) Despite the setbacks, the amplified abilities allow Maya to cause earthquakes and shatter magical barriers.
> 
> Muu's Insecurity: It's a truth that Titus managed to find out about the General. Muu feels that he is out-of-place and a creature who shouldn't exist in this side of the world because of his knowledge in the Finalis' true identity. He's also afraid that Maya and Hel would see him in the same way if they ever found out. Those nasty words he told the blonde must've been more out of self-hatred of his existence. But at the same time, he shouldn't have said that.


	48. Chapter 47: Spoken Catalysts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Even during the temporary ceasefire, Sai can't catch a break.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Onwards

"_**I can't promise to love you, but I know that I'm willing to give it a try if we ever find a way to keep you alive. How does that sound?"**_

* * *

Sai shifted uneasily within the confines of the small boat he was on with the four other people.

Water wasn't something that Sai liked. It was a trait that he shared with Yasmine, though she wasn't as disinclined to seafood as he was. Sai supposed it had something to do with his natural connection to fire magic.

(But then again, Aladdin was the same and he wasn't fearful of ships.)

Sai gritted his teeth and forced himself to calm down. This wasn't the time to flounder over personal phobias. He would just have to deal with it until the little meeting was over.

"How are you, Sai?" Scheherazade inquired politely. Sai knew that it was only for formality's sake, but he was still distantly surprised that the magi was still attempting to play nice with him even after the little stunt he pulled against her favorite general.

"Peachy." He drawled with a faux smile. "You?"

She inclined her head. "A little stressed because of the war, I confess. But I'm fine aside from that, thank you."

Titus, who sat in between Scheherazade and Sai, glanced at the pair anxiously as if he was waiting for something to explode.

Sai personally thought that his fears were slightly justified, knowing himself.

"Wait, _Sai_?! _You're __**Sai?!**_" Alibaba half-yelled, unknowingly breaking the tension between the magi and the Blessed Child. The blonde clammed up immediately when Sai's good eye landed on him. Alibaba gulped and edged away a little, obviously uncomfortable with the unwanted attention. It was clear that he regretted speaking up. A slow smile began to curl on Sai's lips as he regarded Alibaba's discomfort with dark amusement. "Well, well, _well_, isn't it good, old Ali-dork? It's been _so long _since I last saw you. Sindria, right?"

Alibaba shuddered at the familiar voice. The face was a bit different, but the blonde knew the shape shifter's voice. "Y-Yeah." He gulped.

Sai gave Alibaba another onceover before snorting. "So you met Gramps." He stated dryly.

Alibaba blinked, his initial discomfort replaced by confusion.

"Gr-Gramps?"

Sai snorted. "Hello? Sai _Shambal_? Thought you would've made the connection since he's been training you for the past year."

Comprehension filled Alibaba's eyes. "Oh right! You're Master Shambal's grandson. Sorry. I sorta forgot about that." He scratched the back of his neck nervously. Sai lost interest in the subject by this point, so he decided to be merciful to Amani's brother for once.

"Congratulations on officially being an Uncle, Ali-dork." Sai drawled with a half-smirk. "Better meet little Kouryuu soon before you become a stranger. You already have three other uncles competing for the 'most-favorite-uncle' position."

Alibaba spluttered. "You know I can't meet him in my situation!"

"Yeah, yeah. Say that to the kid. I'm _sure_ that he'll understand and take it to consideration when he ranks you." Sai responded sarcastically.

"_Oi!"_

Sai picked on Alibaba a little more before letting the blonde simmer down. Aladdin was eager to pick up the conversation and turn it into something more positive for the blonde. Sai, meanwhile, sat back. He was satisfied to see that his grandfather managed to drill a proper backbone into him in the past year.

Of course, that didn't mean that he would acknowledge the blonde's growth _aloud_. Sai enjoyed teasing Amani's lesser counterpart too much to do something like that.

"Sai." Titus hissed, tugging on his sleeve. "You shouldn't be so disrespectful in front of Scheherazade-sama or she'll be upset!"

"So?"

"_Sai!"_

Sai huffed. "Fine. I'll behave."

Titus sighed in relief and slumped into his seat. Alibaba, too, relaxed at Sai's acquiesce and became more animated in his conversation with Aladdin and disregarded Scheherazade's presence, much to Titus' dismay.

Fortunately, the almighty Scheherazade didn't seem at all displeased by the pair's enthusiastic interaction.

Actually, much to Sai's displeasure, she looked as if she was having the time of her life by simply watching Alibaba and Aladdin talk and laugh as they caught up. His good eye wandered over to Titus and narrowed at the bewildered expression that crossed the blonde's face.

'_Never saw her smile like that ever, huh?'_ He thought a little bitterly as his insides gave a little twist at the thought. _'Should've seen it coming. Why give affection to a child with a limited time of life?'_

Titus' attention from the giggling Scheherazade was broken when he felt something on his hand. He looked down just in time to see Sai's hand interlock with one of his own. He looked up to the Blessed Child with confusion crossing his features at the unexpected act of affection.

Not that he minded too much. It was just that Sai rarely did these things. Titus knew it was because Sai thought the action showed weakness. But Sai, despite his tendency of hiding any signs of vulnerability from even himself, was holding his hand in front of Scheherazade.

(The thought melted a little part of him in his chest and Titus wondered not for the first time if this – _this _– was what love felt like.)

(He knows it's too fast and premature, but he didn't even have the _time _to find out if there was more to this that he was missing.)

Titus gave the hand a thankful squeeze before letting go.

"So," Sai interrupted the moment between the Aladdin and Alibaba as he leaned toward Scheherazade, "what did you gather all of us for, Priestess? Hmm? I'm sure it's not just for small-talk."

And just like that, the content look in the woman's features was wiped away.

"That is correct, Sai. There is much to talk about." She sent him a pointed look that made him tense slightly. Did she know about…? No. And even if she _did _know, it wouldn't matter. Sai wasn't planning on keeping his not-certain-yet-but-still-there relationship with Titus. "But, my main concern is about what Aladdin mentioned. What are you afraid of?" She inquired the younger magi.

Aladdin's grip on his staff tightened, all calm fleeing from his features.

"I am afraid that Counselor Mogamett may realize Al Thamen's 'dream'."

* * *

"_**L-Lord Mogamett! A message…from the Kou Empire!"**_

* * *

Selene found it a bit ironic that there was so much blood and death in an area that was considered a place of healing.

She squeezed her eyes shut as she was forced to give up on another patient. _'Too much blood loss. Not enough time. Move on before another one is lost.'_

A few rows (yes, _rows_) away, Sphintus snarled to himself alerting Selene that he, too, lost another patient. Selene couldn't help but share her classmate's frustration. What was the point in learning medicine if there was nothing she could _do_?! It was like her failing Titus all over again.

Selene stopped crying by this point. She had cried a whole sea worth of tears at the atrocious wounds that she witnessed within the duration of one day. She wondered how many more would die during the upcoming battle against the monster Mogamett would create.

The thought made her breath hitch and look over to the strangely still magician.

'_Please no. Please don't create such a thing.'_ She silently begged as he mind flashed through the memories of the Black Bird. _'Too many lives were lost today. Don't add more into the count. Please.'_

Please.

But her silent cries remained unheard as Mogamett finally turned away from the sight of his dead and dying people. He left with the intention of creating more corpses in retaliation of what was lost.

Selene knew more than anyone else about the darkness and hate that lurked in the old man's eyes.

She had the thin line on her throat to prove it.

* * *

"_**You're a traveler from another time."**_

"_**That's right. And you're a traveler from another world."**_

* * *

_It's hard being a magi_, Aladdin confessed to himself at one time after he woke himself up from one of his vision-dreams about the world that once was. He wondered if Shion experienced the same thing.

(Shion probably did. Aladdin wasn't deaf to the screams that sometimes woke him up at night when he was at Sindria.)

But that little thought was only temporary. Aladdin knew that there was a bigger picture to this, a bigger plan. So, he bore the responsibility and continued to accept the visions.

And then there was Shion's big secret.

It was an accident. Aladdin didn't mean to see what he saw. His intentions were to save his second King Candidate from the curse. And yet, he discovered more than he honestly ever wanted to about the strange boy.

(Well, now that Aladdin knew the circumstances, Shion was actually relatively normal for a time-traveling, traumatized king from a different time.)

Despite Aladdin's determination to bear his personal weight, it was comforting to know he wasn't alone in his internal suffering. Just like him, Shion bore a great, terrible knowledge that he wouldn't – _couldn't _– tell.

But, as amazing as Shion was, he wasn't Alibaba.

"It doesn't matter, you idiot! It doesn't matter if it's so complicated or if it's so dangerous or if it's something that has to do with just you! You don't have to worry about it alone!"

It was a relief finally confessing his worries to his first friend. Even with the throbbing of his head from the sharp hand-chop Alibaba abruptly delivered to his head (a version of the whack Aladdin gave to his blonde friend in Balbadd), the young magi felt lighter than he ever was in _months_.

"Yeah…thank you, Alibaba!"

_It's hard being a magi._

But Aladdin personally thought that, despite the difficulties, it was worth it.

For a reason that he didn't know, Aladdin's eyes turned toward Sai when he wiped the welling tears from his eyes. He wondered whether the Blessed Child knew about Shion's secret and, if he did, what Sai's role was in this whole attempt in saving the world.

Aladdin knew that Sai wasn't one of the ones who were brought back from the nonexistent future. None of the Blessed Child were.

How did they fit into this?

(And why – _why _– did their personalities and actions seem so _familiar_ to him? And the language they sometimes used with each other…Aladdin couldn't help but feel a pang of nostalgia at the sounds that he didn't understand. They couldn't be…could they?)

Aladdin wanted to ask, but then the shape-shifter suddenly requested a private conversation with Scheherazade. The woman accepted readily with the terms of including Titus too. Though unhappy with her request, Sai agreed.

_Later,_ Aladdin promised himself, _I'll ask him later._

* * *

"_**Your role will end too, Titus."**_

* * *

"Whatever you're trying to do with Titus, I would like you to stop." Scheherazade went straight to the point as she shot a disapproving look at Sai. "Whatever grievance you have towards me should be dealt with directly with me, not through him."

Sai met her cold gaze unflinchingly. "And what," he drawled lazily, "do you think I'm trying to do to Lordling?"

"Do not try avoiding the subject, Blessed Child! You are trying to manipulate my son by taking advantage of his naivety! I will not allow you to play with his emotions for your own amusement!"

Titus placed himself in front of Sai, stuttering defenses towards his mother figure.

"Lady Scheherazade, it not what you think!" He insisted, cheeks flushed. "Sai isn't doing that at all! Please, believe me! I was the one who –

"Titus." Scheherazade interrupted him sharply. "Did you forget who he is? Sai is the Blessed Child of lies. I know what his kind is capable of and they are not above _pretending_ certain emotions."

"Maa, that was a little harsh, don't you think, Priestess?" Sai spoke up, tone _just _between laughing and snarling. "Some of my predecessors might have abused their abilities in that way, but I have a bit more _integrity_ than to take advantage of a young mind like Lordling's."

"Forgive me for my reluctance to believe that."

"Forgiven, Priestess."

Sai was smiling. He was smiling, but Titus knew with a certainty that he was upset with his mother figure.

"Lady Scheherazade," Titus interrupted, _firmly _this time, "please stop this. This was _my _choice. I decided to view him romantically through _my_ own volition. Not his and definitely not yours. Please respect my choice and leave it be. I trust him."

Sai whipped his gaze from Scheherazade and stared at Titus with suspended disbelief. It took a moment for the blonde to realize that he was shocked by his admission of _trust _in the Blessed Child.

Scheherazade, on the other hand, kept her gaze on the Blessed Child before relenting.

"…I understand, Titus." She sighed finally but not without shooting a sharp, warning look at Sai's direction. "I'll respect your decision."

'_Don't hurt him.'_ Her look had conveyed.

Which, Sai thought, was _very _hypocritical of her. Very.

But, for the sake of moving the conversation forward (and for Titus since he apparently wanted her approval more than anything else), Sai swallowed an instinctive sneer and simply nodded, hoping that it would be enough to appease the old magi.

"What is it that you wanted to speak with me about?" Scheherazade inquired, hard tone unyielding.

Completely unruffled with her coldness, Sai gestured over to Titus. "I want you to keep him alive. Please." He added with only a slight strain in his voice, showing his vulnerability and desperation in that one, simple word.

The woman blinked. The cold look melted into confusion, which then turned into horror and then it settled with regret. Sai recognized the _look_. It was the _look_ that his predecessor – Marius, his name is _Marius_ since he deserved to be remembered as more than another, dead Blessed Child – used to give him when he thought Sai wasn't looking.

(He knew now that Marius had felt guilty about raising Sai to face the world with him only to eventually leave him alone.)

Long story short, Sai didn't like that _look_. At all.

Titus, on the other hand, did not notice her expression. He was too nervous and anxious for her response to read the answer on the downward curve of her lips and the distressed furrow of her brow. He tried convincing her with soft apologies and tentative requests for forgiveness. Scheherazade, in turn, decided to delay the inevitable by apologizing to _him _for her crappy treatment of her artificial son – which was very overdue – and going into great detail about her connection with Reim.

It sounded too much like a monologue to Sai. He was oh-so-tempted to cut the priestess off and demand her to _spit it out already and get the horrible news over with_.

But he didn't. Why? Because a weak part of him wanted to continue swimming in the delusion that there was still hope for Titus.

Sai wanted to say that he was hurt by his early revelation. He wanted to say that he was completely _ripped apart_ by Scheherazade's unspoken answer. But then he'd be lying. He wasn't. He was just…disappointed. Disappointed, upset, and resigned.

Well, this was what he got for hoping.

"I'm really sorry…Titus." Scheherazade finally caved when she couldn't take the look on his face anymore.

Titus' expression blanked.

"Wha…? What do you mean, Lady Scheherazade? I don't understand." And he truly looked like he didn't.

(But he knew. He must. And if not, he will.)

"Tell him." Sai didn't ask. He _ordered _and _demanded _and both he and the old lady knew that she had no choice but to answer him.

"Titus, I would like for you to keep on living, but the real Scheherazade's body is at its limit." She explained, much to Titus' growing horror. Sai bit his lip to hold back a snarl. "At best, it will die in a month. At worst, it will die in just a few days. And once it dies, we will return to the rukh and our ego will disappear without a trace..."

If emotions had sounds, Sai knew the exact moment Titus' hope would've made the shattering sound. He also knew that his own, which had been tentative and small in the first place, wouldn't have made a sound.

Honestly, there wasn't enough hope left in him the first place. It was a miracle that he even managed to delude himself to think…even for a moment…that…

Well, that didn't matter now, did it? Everything was over. There was nothing left to fight for now. All he could do is to make sure that the month – or days, Sai wasn't going to risk being optimistic again – to make things count for the Lordling. He'll grieve and get angry later. Now more than ever, Titus needed him to be emotionally strong.

He wasn't at the moment. But that was fine. He was the best at pretending.

"Well. Thank you for your time, Scheherazade-_sama._" Sai finally spoke up, voice deceptively calm as he placed a hand on the blonde's shoulder. "But it's getting late. I think that it's time for us to leave. Marga is still back home waiting for us."

Titus made a small sound that sounded suspiciously like a sob at the mention of Marga.

"Sai? Sai. I want – I want to go home now. I want to see Marga. I want…I want…"

While everything about Titus shattered, Sai's mask only hardened.

"Yeah. Let's go home."

_He thought that there was a chance that they could be happy._

(Dumb, right?)

* * *

"…_**Chancellor, are you really leaving the responsibility of the lives of Magnostadt's magicians in my hands?"**_

* * *

Kohaku used to pride herself for being a great tactician. Back when she fought in the war against the Black Bird, she calculated the best ways in preserving as many lives as she could. She had been the one who personally guided her king – _her Shion_ – through the basics of how to lead an army and what to expect on the battlefield.

But now…_now_, all she could feel about her so-called talent was horror and shame.

Kohaku knew that it was illogical to completely blame herself. It had been the Chancellor's call to activate the horrible, bomb-like weapon after all. It wasn't her choice to commit manslaughter.

She knew.

She _knew._

But she still felt like the worst human being in the world.

(Guilt is funny like that.)

"Stupid Kohaku." She muttered to herself as she pulled her hat over her face. Behind the black cloth, the Princess of Kou verbally tore herself down. "Look at what you did. What if Hel or Opal were there in that blast too? Stupid, _stupid_ Kohaku. If you only – oh, _why _are you so useless?"

Her mismatched eyes stung as she tried to hold back her tears. Kohaku opened her mouth but, whatever she was going to say – a reproach, an apology, _anything _really – was interrupted by a pair of magicians walking down the same hallway.

Kohaku hastily wiped her eyes and straightened her position. The pair walked past her, too immersed with their conversation to notice her presence.

" – can you believe it? I had to treat a thousand magicians. A _thousand_. It's more patients than I get in a _year_."

"That's war, I'm afraid. Just be glad that Reim suffered as much as we did."

Kohaku quietly winced at the subject of the conversation and began to turn away only to pause at what the conversing magicians said next.

"Did you hear? The battle isn't over yet. I heard that the Kou Empire is striking next."

Kohaku almost let out a cry at the news, nearly revealing to the pair of conversing magicians that she was listening in. Fortunately, anything that may have escaped from her was drowned out by the other magician's shout.

"The _Kou Empire_?! Are they really going to strike us after what we've just been through? Do those _Goi_ have no shame?" One of the magicians spat.

"They're worms through and through." The other agreed. "Don't worry. I heard that the Chancellor is planning to take care of it."

Kohaku was sure that the magician said something else, but she stopped listening then.

The Chancellor was planning to take care of it.

The _Chancellor _was planning to _take care of _the Kou Troops.

Images of the ashes left over from the mass genocide that the Chancellor committed through his magic-fueled cannons flashed across Kohaku's memories as she tried to control her breathing. She could hear the sound of her blood pounding in her ears.

This could happen to her people.

This could happen to her _family_.

"Papa. Mama." Kohaku whispered to herself with horrified realization.

Grip tightening on her staff, Kohaku began to run. When she reached outside, she jumped up and into the air, paying no mind to anyone who called out to her to come back down.

She had no time to try and convince a hateful old man from hurting her family. She had no time to consider what warning the Kou Troops – _her people_ – could do to Magnostadt as a whole. And really, what can she really do? It was either the magicians or her family and, as Kohaku loathed herself for making the choice, she was certain of her choice.

All Kohaku can do is to warn her family and her people before they too were burnt out of existence.

* * *

"_**The only ones I want to save are the magicians! I don't care about the Goi! I don't care about how you maggots will die! You vile, greedy, fucking worms!"**_

* * *

The Chancellor of Magnostadt was very well far away from all the magicians and Goi before he finally allowed his hatred taint and seep into his rukh.

Mogamett loathed them.

Yes, indeed, he despised the ungrateful, greedy Goi with all of what was left of his heart and soul. The rest had been consumed and abused by the Goi he had trusted and helped in his youth.

Mogamett knew now of the harm that helping the Goi would bring. Compassion? Generosity? Giving any of the sort to their kind only resulted with pain and death.

_Death_, Mogamett's mind whispered the word again as he remembered the bodies lined up, row by row in front of his eyes.

How dare they?

How _dare _they?

"My, my, you're looking your age, old man. Something happen?"

Mogamett paused in his strides at the voice.

"Sai." He gritted, not even attempting to keep the impatience out of his voice. At any other time, he would have listened the young magician's backhanded comments and veiled insults with tolerance. This wasn't the time. "Not now, my boy. As you can see, I'm a bit busy."

"Oh?" Amusement tinted the voice of the speaker. "I'm sorry, but I don't think I'm this 'Sai'. Never heard of or met the fellow, though I confess that I'm a bit interested in meeting him. I've never seen you lose your temper with anyone – aside from me, of course."

Mogamett stalled and whirled around. He met the amused gaze of a magician he never thought he would see again and gasped, "Raul."

"It is I." Raul agreed, tipping his hat toward Mogamett's direction. Briefly, the old man wondered which poor magician the clothes belonged to and if the person was still alive. Catching his line of thought, Raul lifted his hands calmingly. "Peace, old friend. You know I do not kill fellow magicians. Though, you should take note that the owner_ will_ have a nasty headache when he wakes." His silver eyes glittered with mirth and mischief as he confessed this.

Mogamett sighed. "I did not expect you."

"Usually, you'd be less shocked whenever I make my surprise visits." He noted amusedly. "My, my, it seems that your age really _is _catching up to you."

The Chancellor sighed. "I am glad to see that you are alive, Raul. Truly. But I'm afraid that you picked an inopportune time to visit. We are at war."

"Yes, yes, the recent battle between you and the Reim Empire. A rather bold move for only one artificial boy, no?" Raul criticized lightly. "Many magicians died."

The old man's grip on his staff tightened, causing his fingers to turn white.

"He is a _magician_. And all magicians are under my care."

"You'll never go very far running a country with that kind of mindset, old man. Sometimes, sacrifices are necessary. As I said before in the past, you care too much." The other man sniffed as he took off his hat and tossed it over his shoulder. "Well, for magicians that is. The Goi on the other hand…"

"Why are you here, Raul?" Mogamett asked irritably. He respected the other magician. Truly. Though his methods in gaining knowledge were questionable, Mogamett appreciated Raul's wit and honesty. But right now, the old man was stressed and angry. He had no time for Raul's games. Not now.

Raul hummed. "Well, I confess, I did not come to Magnostadt for a just a friendly visit. Unfortunately, I have some, ah, _business_ I need to handle. A favor for a friend of a friend."

"Is that so?"

"Yes. You've heard of the Blessed Children, haven't you?"

Mogamett's eyes narrowed with disgust swimming in his eyes. "Yes. Those false magicians."

Raul chuckled. "Not exactly false magicians, old friend. Just young Goi with something extra that makes them formidable during a battle. I was given a nice tip that all four of them will be making an appearance in this upcoming battle."

"I didn't give any of them permission to enter my country."

"Of course. But Magnostadt is going against Kou soon, no? From what I hear, that country already has the loyalty of two Blessed Children. One is their native princess while the other is connected through marriage. Rumors also say that the trickster Blessed Child is considering allying himself with Reim. So, it is ensured that three out of the four Blessed Children would be making their appearance in the battle field."

Mogamett nodded slowly. "I understand. Do as you wish with them. Their deaths will only help Magnostadt's cause."

"Mmn. Thank you for the permission, old man." Raul stated simply even though they both knew that he would've gone after the Blessed Children even without the Chancellor's permission. Then, he clapped his hands. "Well? Weren't you going somewhere before little old me bothered you? Oh, don't look at me like that. You should already know by now that I'm nosy by nature. I know all about your secret weapon, Matal Mogamett. Since I took some of your precious time, let me help you out a little bit."

Raul's smile took a sinister undertone as he encouragingly led Mogamett to the deepest sector.

"I happen to know quite a lot about dark djinn."

* * *

"_**Oh, so **_**that's **_**how you truly look like."**_

* * *

As horribly unfair everything was at the moment, Sai could still keep his head clear and steady enough to tug Titus along as he trudged back to Magnostadt on foot. It was significantly slower than flying, but Sai felt that both of them needed the time and fresh air.

"Sai?" Titus called out quietly. "Sai?"

Sai twitched, alerting the blonde that he heard. He tilted his head to the side and glanced at the other magician. "Hmm? What is it, Lordling? Feeling tired? We can take a short break."

"I'm…I'm sorry." Titus whimpered. "Sai, I'm so, so sorry. For everything. Because of me, so many people died because I…I wanted to live." He let out a sob. "I wanted to live longer than I was supposed to and I shouldn't have. I was selfish. I was selfish, Sai, and thousands of people paid for it. Because of me. Because I –"

"Hey." Sai shushed soothingly. "Hey. Calm down. You're working yourself into a panic attack. Deep breaths. Breathe in and breathe out. In. Out. Good, just like that. Good."

Titus did so with big, shuddering breaths, which were occasionally interrupted with small hiccups and sobs.

"Titus, are you calm enough to hear what I'm saying? Nod if you do." At the blonde's nod, Sai relaxed. "Good. Okay, since you're still recovering, I'll be doing the talking so I want your attention. Nod if you understand, Lordling." Titus nodded again. "Good. Now, listen to me because this is very important. The war between Reim and Magnostadt? It was inevitable. Those old coots just needed an excuse and you gave them that excuse. Do you understand? Nod if you do. If you don't, I'll just repeat it until you do."

After a long moment, Titus nodded.

"Good. It's not completely your fault. It doesn't mean that you're completely wrong, but that also doesn't mean that you should tear yourself apart with guilt over this. Acknowledge it and move on. And believe me, from personal experience moving on is the better option. It wastes less time."

"'Personal experience?'" Titus parroted.

Sai grimaced at the blonde's catch. Showed how well he taught him, unfortunately. "Yeah. I did some things I'm not proud of."

"…What did you do?"

"Bad things." Sai would've answered shortly if it was anyone but Titus. But this was Titus and he was asking. The other option was to lie, which was also something that the Blessed Child didn't want to consider. Sai had sworn to himself that he wouldn't lie to the younger magician unless it was necessary.

The last option was to tell the truth.

And, as much as it scared him to do it, Sai chose the last option.

"I…was in love with a man and I thought he loved me back." Sai said haltingly, gaze focused solely on the ground. "Back then, I did anything and everything I could to get his approval. I was young and stupid then. One of the things he made me do…well, the details aren't important now. I did what he told me to do and as a result, a girl died."

Titus stared at Sai. "Sai, did you…?"

"No, I didn't kill her, but I just as well have!" He snapped. "I had no excuse. I was young and I was stupid, but I still should've known better. I should've seen the warning signs but I was too jealous of that girl to see them. I might have not been a catalyst to a war, but I very well damn ruined her life."

"You're guilty about it." Titus realized. "You feel guilty but you said that you moved on. How?"

Sai smirked ruefully. "Time." He recalled and oh how long it took for him to forgive himself. "Time and forgiveness. Bee-chan helped me with the last part."

"…I see." Titus frowned.

"Are you disappointed?" Sai asked, resigned. "I told you that I wasn't exactly the most stellar example for an ideal boyfriend. Changing your mind yet?" He joked lightly.

Titus shook his head hastily. A wave of relief hit Sai at the action, which was immediately followed by a hard, mental slap over the head. _'Stupid. You were hoping again. What if he rejected you?'_

(But he didn't, did he?)

"I'm not Sai. Really. I honestly thought that you did worse since, well, you know…"

Sai chuckled. His initial tension and weariness was replaced with amusement within a moment. "Ah yes, my reputation as a Blessed Child. The Sai in those stories are mostly my masks that I wear for my missions, so you can't really trust those. Some of those stories are horribly exaggerated since they were told by people who fear what they don't know. Word of mouth, you know? Well, they aren't _completely_ untrue either, but the people I terrorized deserved it."

"No one really knows you, do they?" Titus noted.

"Well, I _am _a Blessed Child. People tend to not know our sort too well. Me being a Blessed Child who hides behind different faces just makes the whole 'getting to know you' thing a bit more difficult." Sai explained as sensibly as he could.

Titus shook his head. "That's not what I meant. I was trying to say that _I _don't really know you at all."

He made it sound like such a tragedy.

"_That's _what you were worrying about?" Disbelief colored his voice as he tilted his head to the side. "Lordling, you know more about me than the entire _world_, sister and other Blessed Children aside."

"Do I really?" Titus fussed. "You might be overestimating me, Sai. I'm not as clever or good at observing as you think. For all you know, I might only know about this version of Sai. The 'magician' Sai who is Titus Alexius' roommate."

Sai blinked in surprise.

"You have so many names and faces." Titus continued. "I just want to know if the Sai I know and like is just…another mask that you're using."

_That _was what Titus was worried about?

Sai never knew. He never really considered it, really. But now, hearing Titus' confession, he felt really, really stupid. _Of course _it was logical of the blonde to have doubts about his identity. It was very smart, even. Sai approved of Titus' caution.

But Titus was worrying over nothing and it was now Sai's job to but his concerns to rest.

"Lordling," He said slowly, "I am not wearing one of my masks. This _is _my face."

Titus jerked back as if he was slapped.

"Don't lie to me, Sai." He begged, eyes beginning to water. Sai personally felt stung at the accusation. "I know about your Second Degree and how it changes your entire body. Scheherazade-sama spoke to me about your abilities. I know that you're trying to make me feel better about this but…don't. Please."

Sai sighed and mentally cursed the priestess. Of course, she made things harder for him as usual though he acknowledged that part of it was his own fault. "I'm not lying." He insisted. "I might have told your priestess the truth about my abilities, but I purposefully misled her into assuming that I was using my Second Degree when I displayed that particular transformation."

Titus stared at Sai blankly.

"_Think_." The dark-haired magician stressed. "You can read between the lines. I know you can, Lordling. Don't you think it's odd that, compared to the others, only _my _Second Degree seemed too close to the basic shape shifting ability others perceive my kind of having? Don't you think it's too out of place that only _my _ability is concrete and tangible while others depend on eyesight and perception?"

Sai felt triumphant when he saw the expression of realization that crept more and more over Titus' expression at every question.

"Why do you think?" He asked once again, mentally willing the other to answer. "Come on. You can do it, Lordling. You have the answer. I can see it in your eyes. Speak."

"You were using your Second Degree the whole time." Titus voiced and Sai's heart sang at the sound of the truth. "The shape shifting, the masks, they were all your Second Degree."

"Yes."

"You are a magician." Titus said, stating the obvious.

Sai shrugged. "It's an unconventional idea for a Blessed Child to be so, but that just means my predecessors before me did a pretty good job. All of us were born magicians. Marius was a magician. His master was a magician. His master's master was a magician, and so on. I had to learn my Second Degree before my first. It was a survival tactic to fit into the Yambala Tribe, you know?"

Titus reached out and touched Sai's face, wonder passing over his expression as he did so. "Truly? This is your face?"

"Lordling, I just told you a secret my predecessors kept from the whole world ever since the beginning of their existence. I think a little more faith is appreciated." Sai said with a pout. Still, he leaned into the tentative touch and closed his good eye.

"I believe you, Sai." Titus breathed and pressed his forehead against Sai's. "_Thank you._" He stressed. "For trusting me. You…didn't have to tell me all of that, but you did just to make me understand. I won't betray this trust."

'_I know you won't.'_ He wanted to say, but the moment was promptly shattered by a _whooshing _sound above them. Sai and Titus drew away from each other and faced upwards just in time to see three large, black forms. The dark things flew over the pair and toward the sea, completely ignoring the two. Sai's good eye narrowed at the sight.

"Dark djinn." He spat. "Knew that old man had something up his sleeve."

Titus frowned and strained his eyes, trying to follow the creatures' movements. "They look like they're heading west towards the…Reim…fleets…"

Titus and Sai shared alarmed looks.

"Scheherazade-sama is in trouble!"

No, the _Reim Fleets _were in trouble. Scheherazade was completely capable of taking care of herself. Unfortunately, she wasn't only looking after herself, which meant that she was going to use every power at her disposal to protect her own people. Which _also_ meant that with every barrier and attack she made, Titus' remaining lifespan would grow shorter and shorter.

Sai cursed. Loudly.

"Lordling, we're going to _fly _to Magnostadt as fast as we can. Do you think you can manage that?" He asked, not tearing his eyes from the dark djinn.

Titus nodded seriously. "Of course."

"When we get there, I want you to get Marga. Then, bring her to Selene or Kohaku. Both will know what to do. We've been expecting something like this to happen for a while." He grimaced. "I'll be at the Fifth District. I'll try to convince the old man to stop what he's doing."

"Sai, are you going to kill him?" Titus asked him seriously.

"I will if I have to." He answered honestly, expecting the blonde to argue with his choice.

To his surprise, Titus only nodded.

"Just don't get hurt."

Sai smiled.

"Mou, Lordling, who do you think I am? I'll be fine."

* * *

"_**Yasmine, you're strong. You could have blocked that attack of mine easily. But you spent most of your energy on placing a barrier on my men. So, thank you."**_

"_**They're your precious people. Of course I would protect them."**_

* * *

Yasmine saw the dark djinn coming before they were even specks to Kouha's eyes.

"_Gamigin!"_

Without any explanation, she jumped off of the horse (accidentally clipping Kouha on the chin in the process) and donned her djinn equip. All movement of the troops halted as all eyes regarded the Blessed Child with surprise and awe at her frightening appearance.

Despite seeing her djinn equip before, the intimidation factor hadn't worn off on any of them.

With a swipe of her scythe, Yasmine successfully shielded the front of Kouha's troops with a barrier. Knowing that most of them _should _be informed of the dangers of touching the shield, she turned the focus of her worries over to the three, dark djinn that were coming their way.

Yasmine peeled away the bandages from her face and glared at the dark creatures, hoping that her gaze alone would be able to stop them at their tracks.

Unfortunately, it did not.

As much as she had hoped it would work, Yasmine was very well aware that her gaze only froze _living _things. She had a high suspicion that these dark djinn were not willingly created, which meant that it lacked any human consciousness…if that was what they really used to be.

Ignoring the shouts coming from behind her well-made barrier, Yasmine cleaved the closest dark djinn in half before it could attempt to do anything to her shield. Much to her dismay, her attempts in slicing the creatures into teeny, tiny bits were ruined by their frustrating abilities to regenerate.

"Huh, you're quite the tough bunch. That old magician must really want us gone." She thought aloud as she swerved away from a nasty-looking blast one of the djinn tried to pin her with. "Cutting is definitely out of the question. So what about…"

A very well aimed rotting attack seemed to do the trick, much to Yasmine's satisfaction.

"Not so undefeatable after all. I should've done this sooner. _**Rot**__, Gamigin_."

It wasn't a one hit job. The attacks took more energy than she would've liked, but it prevented her enemies from regenerating. She managed to take down one before she was smacked away like some errant fly. Yasmine didn't know which dark djinn it was and honestly? She didn't really care.

She didn't care because the thing knocked her _right into her own barrier_.

Gamigin's abilities were mostly based on destroying material things, alive or dead. It was useful when used against enemies, but it was a double-edged sword in that it could hurt even the user.

Much to Yasmine's frustration, the pain managed to knock her out briefly, causing the barrier to fall down and leave its inhabitants to the mercy of the dark creatures.

When she came back to her senses, about a twelfth of Kouha's troops were wiped out and Kouha – brave, loyal, _reckless_ Kouha – was facing against three dark djinn of a different sort than the ones she was forced to face all on his own (_three!_)

Yasmine tried to snatch up her metal vessel to aid her friend but found that she couldn't move her arm. She looked down and cursed loudly, alerting many of the people around her that she was awake.

"Yasmine-sama!" JunJun cried out in relief as ReiRei helped her up. "You're awake!"

Noticing Yasmine's gaze, JinJin winced and averted her eyes from the young woman's right arm. "You are…grievously injured, Yasmine-sama. It's not best to move with the state of…"

"The state of my arm." Yasmine finished for the other woman, numbly staring at her limply hanging arm. Many parts of the skin had deteriorated because of its contact with the barrier. She cringed when she noticed some areas of her arm had worn away to the bone. It was still attached to her body, but the warrior had a good feeling that it wouldn't have made a difference if her right arm were completely ripped off. Despite the shock still lingering in her mind, Yasmine's eyes still caught sight of Kouha struggling to hold back the dark djinn from trampling on what was left of his men.

'_That stubborn idiot!'_

"I need to help him." Yasmine stated abruptly while grabbing her metal vessel with her left hand. "It's fine." She cut off the trio loudly when they tried to argue with her decision. "My left arm is still functional. I can still fight with that. Please, focus on leading the rest of the troops away from the enemies' range."

"No! Yasmine, don't!" Kouha barked from above them, obviously hearing Yasmine despite how high up he was. "Stay down there! You're too injured! I'll be fi – _ngh_!" His sentence cut off as the djinn pressed upon him even harder.

Yasmine ignored him completely. "As you can see, Kouha needs my help. Don't worry. I won't strain myself. Just worry about the others, okay?"

"Yes, Yasmine-sama." JunJun answered reluctantly. The other two women rushed away to obey the Blessed Child's orders. "Please…be careful."

Yasmine gave JunJun a curt nod as she picked up her spear with her left hand.

"_Gamigin."_

Her metal vessel responded to her call, enveloping her with the familiar feeling of her djinn equip. She took to the air and swung her scythe at the closest group of dark djinn, eager to be rid of the horrible creatures.

"**Rot."**

It was satisfying, seeing the dark djinn deteriorate at the face of her attack. Since they were smaller in size, it took less effort to destroy them. Yasmine raised her scythe again to get rid of the other dark djinn, but was beaten to the punch by and all-too-familiar flame attack.

"_Amon!"_

Another blast of flames pushed the dark djinn back, getting rid of the ones Kouha had been fighting. Exhausted, the third prince dropped to the ground, djinn equip dissolving as he went.

Yasmine was caught between the feeling of relief and annoyance as she raised her eyes to see Alibaba in his djinn equip flying towards the fight. Somewhere in the corner of her eyes, she also caught sight of a certain, blue-haired magi.

"Don't worry, Yasmine-sensei! I've come to help you!" The blonde assured her with an overconfident grin. Usually this sort of attitude would earn a proper whack over the head but Yasmine decided that her pupil deserved the little ego boost.

So instead, she settled with a half-hearted "Tch. You're late, Alibaba."

Alibaba grinned at her brightly, which quickly turned into a horrified gape when his eyes landed on her right arm. "Yasmine-sensei…you-!"

"_Get down!"_ She snapped as she swiped her scythe at the dark djinn aiming at her student's back. Alibaba yelped and just managed to dodge her attack. "And don't you _dare_ suggest that I can't fight because I can't use my dominant arm!"

It took a lot out of Yasmine to ignore the brief stab of grief at the acknowledgement of her loss. Training her left hand to be as strong as her right wasn't _impossible_ since Raja had drilled it into her head that she had to be efficient at fighting with both hands, but she had always favored her right hand.

Though, that action had been more out of sentiment than necessity since Harley was – from birth to death – right-handed in everything she did.

"Of course not." Alibaba, for all his forgetfulness and naivety, at least knew how to read between the lines when it came to Yasmine. He wasn't as good as his twin (not by a long shot, not ever), but he had trained with the Blessed Child long enough to know how important upholding the image of her strength was to her. So, he let the subject drop and focused more on the battle. During their exchange, the number of black djinn had doubled, perhaps even tripled. "Wow, how many are there?" The blonde wondered aloud. "We'll have to use extreme magic to deal with these things."

Yasmine huffed. "So you managed to master something like that while you were away." Despite her feigned nonchalance at Alibaba's achievement, she couldn't help but feel proud of how far Amani's twin had come. And to think this was the same young man who shrunk away from responsibility and was too emotionally sensitive for his own good when she first met him. "Fine. Let's do it."

His answering smile was wide and vibrant.

'_Like the sun.'_ Amani would say and, for once, Yasmine had to agree.

In that moment, Alibaba shined in her eyes. The confidence and assuredness made Yasmine _believe _that he'd be able to pull his own weight from here on out. It made her believe that he was deserving of his title of Amani's twin and other half.

Yasmine raised her scythe.

"Extreme Magic." Both intoned as the familiar sign of Solomon's seal appeared behind them. Excitement filled the Blessed Child's veins when she saw the visual confirmation that Alibaba indeed _can _perform extreme magic.

Her student has grown.

(…Of course, since the universe tended to use the blonde as the butt of some cosmic joke more often than not, Alibaba's moment to shine was abruptly snatched away with the dramatic entrance of Prince Kouen. Yasmine, though sympathetic of the bad timing, was relieved that more help finally came.)

* * *

"_**I don't know what Raul had done to make you feel so strongly, but I will respect your privacy. How regrettable, though, that you don't have a good relationship with your father."**_

* * *

Raul snickered as he watched the next batch of dark djinn fly out of the district. Everything was going just as planned. No hiccups or issues in the process thanks to Mogamett's power.

"You're doing great, old friend." He encouraged the older magician. "Those pesky troops will be wiped out in no time."

Mogamett did not share Raul's enthusiasm, but he appeared satisfied with what he achieved so far. "Thank you, Raul."

"Ah, anything for you, Matal. You have helped me so much in the past. It's only fair to return the favor." The scientist insisted. "You have been both mentor and parent to me in the past."

Instead of eliciting a positive reaction, Raul's words seemed to depress Mogamett, much to the scientist's bafflement.

"…Raul. There is something that you should know, old friend. It's about one of my students. Sai."

"Oh?" Amusement flickered in his grey eyes as he chuckled. "What about this interesting youngster? Are you offering me an apprentice?"

"No, a son."

Raul's chuckles stopped abruptly. He turned to look at Mogamett blankly. "Pardon? I don't think I understand what you're saying, old friend. A son? I have no issues in acquiring an heir on my own if that's what you're concerned about."

"Oh, I am very well aware that you are capable, Raul." Mogamett assured him with a wry smile. "Sai's existence is a very clear proof of that. Selene's also."

"Selene?" Raul echoed, his shock quick to turn into interest at the feminine name. "This…son of mine…he has a sister? Is she mine too?"

"Why of course," Mogamett said, looking pleased by Raul's interest, "both of the children have your features. I assure you that they are undoubtedly yours. If I knew you weren't aware of them, Raul, I would have told you sooner."

"Are they still here?" Raul demanded. "My children. Are they still here?"

Mogamett nodded. The other man's urgency was completely natural. He had just discovered that he had family, after all.

"You should speak with Sai, Raul. The poor boy is under the assumption that you have hurt him in some way. You should clear up this horrible misunderstanding – Raul? Raul, old friend? Did you hear me?"

But Raul heard none of that. He had already left the floor by then.

* * *

'_**Because it was your fate.'**_

* * *

The voice was back again.

Jamal clenched his eyes shut and yanked on his own hair in an attempt to block out all the taunting whispers that flirted at the edges of his mind. He was a firm believer in not listening to the voice. Not ever. Not after all the destruction, chaos, and unhappiness that resulted from following the voice's 'advice'.

But still. It would have been a lie to say that the voice was never tempting. It was. It really was. It spoke logically and, most of the time, its suggestions gave the best results. It was only through Jamal's unique worldview and stubbornness that he was able to turn the voice away.

Not today.

"_I don't want to make things for this world anymore."_

Right now, Jamal was at his lowest point. He was upset (angry, **hateful**) and disappointed (disgusted, **horrified**) at the things that the people he perceived as his friends did with his beloved creations.

But even worse, Jamal blamed and hated _himself_. _He _was the one who had all the ideas in his head. _He _was the one who put it all on paper. It was _his _own goddamn pride and carelessness that brought everything down on the first place.

It was _his fault._

'_Yes, stop this madness.'_ A voice crooned at the edges of his mind. _'You've done enough damage, haven't you?'_

The voice encouraged the negative feelings. It drew out and amplified them to the point where he was _sure _that he had fallen into depravity.

'Shut up.' Jamal's mentally snarled, sounding more like his nee-chan than himself as he tried to put up a brave front against the voice. 'Stop talking to me. I'm not in the mood right now, evil voice thing. Come back when I'm feeling less shitty.'

'_It's true. You know it's true.'_ The voice insisted. _'You said it yourself, didn't you? Your creations resulted in the deaths of thousands. Who's to think that your king won't use you like __**they **__did?'_

Jamal's mind halted.

'_Remember how you died.' _The voice reminded the Sasanian carefully. _'This is the fate that your king will eventually lead you to. Blood and war.'_

He whimpered and shook his head. 'No. Shion would never.'

'_Who's to say he won't? He's a king, after all.'_

"He won't." Jamal said aloud with fervor. "He _won't_. He's not like that."

"That's right, the carnivore won't. He's too soft to do something like that." Hel agreed from behind Jamal, making the redhead jump. He whirled around and stared at the part-Finalis blankly. Beside him, Opal crossed her arms and watched silently, completely unruffled by the usually chatty scientist's silence. Askan, on the other hand, shuffled awkwardly while holding onto his older brother's hand for dear life.

"You know, it's really rude to eavesdrop on a conversation." Jamal stated after a long, awkward moment of staring and silence. "That's just really bad manners."

Hel snorted. "Doubt the conversation is any good."

"Okay, fine. It wasn't." Jamal agreed honestly. "The voice in my head is an asshole. Not that you're any better, but that's more from being socially stunted than anything else. The voice in my head is naturally a bastard."

Opal sighed and shook her head. "You know, it's not healthy to give personalities to the voices in your head, Jamal." Then, in a softer, not-Opal tone, she asked, "Are you going to be alright?"

Jamal could have shrugged and brushed the whole situation off. It was what he usually did back in Sasan whenever he wanted to hide from his family how pissed off he was in Yasmine's treatment. (And he didn't do it for them. He pretended to act all fine and dandy so they wouldn't use his anger as an excuse to mistreat her _further._ Jamal did this for his nee-chan and his nee-chan alone.)

But this wasn't his so-called family. This was Opal.

'_Don't trust her. She serves the false king!'_

She was his _best friend. _She deserved the _truth_.

"I'm not sure." He said quietly. "I'm not angry anymore but…"

"You need time." Opal soothed empathetically. "I get that."

Hel stepped forward, uncertainly flashing across his eyes for a brief second. "I apologize for what the fake herbivore did." He said stiltedly though his words were genuine all the same. "He acted more like a scavenger than a carnivore when he took your work. I will make sure to properly bite him to death for committing such underhanded tactics. But still, I take full responsibility for his actions. I should have ensured that he wouldn't do something so low. I understand if you do not wish to be…friends any longer."

Jamal's eyes softened at the slight hitch that took over the part-Finalis' voice at the last sentence. "Nah, it ain't your fault, buddy. We were all played." He laughed sardonically. "I'm still pissed as hell at your stepdad, though."

"You're not the only one." Hel growled under his breath as he flexed his fingers subtly.

Jamal caught the action. His eyes snapped from Hel's slightly bruised knuckles to his eyes in disbelief. "Wait, you _punched _him?!" At the wide-eyed, deer-caught-in-headlights reaction (from Askan, not Hel, since the little kid wasn't too good at keeping a straight face yet), the Sasanian let out a slightly hysterical giggle. "Dude, he's your _boss_."

"Yes." Hel agreed. "And I punched him."

"Sent the guy flying without any warning." Opal added in helpfully. "Hel punched him hard enough to break right through the bench he was sitting on. And the wall behind that."

"It was awesome." Askan whispered with awe in his voice. "And…a little scary."

Hel squirmed a little where he stood at the extra commentary but somehow managed to keep his straight-faced façade. By then, Jamal was grinning from ear-to-ear.

"Aw, buddy, thanks." He said and tackled Hel to give him a big hug usually reserved for his nee-chan. "I feel infinitely better now."

Hel cleared his throat uncomfortably and gave Jamal's back a few, awkward pats before prying him away. Jamal didn't feel too offended since he knew how socially stunted the guy was. Baby steps. "Okay, so where exactly am I?" He asked the trio. Hel sent him a dry look at his question. "Oh, I get it. So _Judal_ could fly blindly off to the Tenzan Plains when_ he_ was throwing his little fit but_ I_ can't run off randomly because of my _horrible_ emotional state?"

"We're still on the beach." Opal offered. "You really didn't run that far from where we were."

"Wow." Jamal looked around. "Okay, I really thought I ran farther than that."

"Sand tend to slow people down." Askan offered. "I'm glad, though. I don't know what we would've done if you ran into those scary, dark djinn."

Hel, Opal, and Jamal simultaneously blinked.

"Wait, what?" Jamal voiced.

Askan pointed over to distant forms of the Reim fleet, which were currently being terrorized by multiple dark djinn.

"Oh _shit_. That does **not** look good. We need to get over there and help them, like, _now_. Please tell me you guys used a rowboat to get here like sane, boring people and didn't jump ship like I did."

He wouldn't put it past them to do that.

Thankfully, Jamal's friends weren't as insane as he had feared and there was a rowboat available only a few yards away.

* * *

"_**What do you want from me?"**_

"_**To understand you, Sai."**_

* * *

Sai was never a hero. He wasn't someone who strove to 'do the right thing' or 'be the better person'. He was the farthest from some noble knight in shining armor. That was more of Yasmine or Kougyoku's thing.

So that was why, when he reached the deepest sector of the Fifth District, Sai resolved to make the meeting with the Chancellor short. If he didn't listen to the Blessed Child's inquiries to put a stop to his murderous rampage, Sai will kill him. He'll ask only once for Titus, but that was all. Time was all too precious now to waste.

Sai stopped a few feet away from what he assumed was the Chancellor and set his staff down. It was too dark and twisted for him to be sure he was facing the right magician.

The thing that used to be Mogamett regarded Sai wearily, but made no move to attack.

"Sai, have you come to kill me?"

Sai chuckled and held out his hands to show that he had no staff. "Maa, maa, Chancellor. No need to make such serious accusations off the bat. I'm just here to talk." He lied smoothly. His good eye narrowed at the sight in front of him. "What did you _do _to yourself, old man?"

"I must protect all the magicians." The Chancellor intoned. "Sacrifices are necessary."

"Sacrifices are a _choice_, Matal. Those people down there? They didn't have a _choice. _Dragging all those lives from the Fifth District into this isn't right. It makes you no different than those good-for-nothing Goi who squandered the lives of the magicians you knew." Sai argued."Martyr yourself all you want, but leave everyone else alone."

Mogamett's eyes narrowed in anger at the much younger magician below him before it melted away into pity.

"Sai, was that what it was? Do you think that Raul took away your choice?"

The dark-haired magician flinched.

"…I see."

Sai bristled defensively and prepared to transform. Useless as a magician he might be at the moment, but in his _Goi _form, he was more than capable of facing the old man in his djinn form. "I don't see why it's necessary to bring him up _now_." He gritted. "You know I hate talking about him."

Mogamett closed his eyes regretfully, looking a little more like himself instead of a monster. "There must be a mistake. Raul…he wouldn't purposefully do something like this to his own son. I think you should speak with your father, Sai."

"What do you know? It wasn't as if the bastard told you any of this!"

The Chancellor sighed pityingly. "Raul _did_ tell me, Sai."

"What?" The rage cut off abruptly at his words. Sai stared numbly at Mogamett. "Did you just say-?"

"Yes. Raul is here in Magnostadt. I informed him that both of you were my students and under my care. Sai, he did not know of you or your sister's existence. He just left to find both of you."

Sai reared back, eye widening as horror began to set into his veins.

"_Selene."_ He breathed. "Oh Solomon, _no_. He's after Selene."

* * *

"_**Take it back, old man. Selene is **_**nothing **_**like that monster."**_

* * *

Selene's heart leapt at her throat when she first laid eyes on the man across from her. He appeared slightly out of breath, but was triumphant when he caught sight of her.

"Selene."

Oh Solomon, he knew her _name_. How did he know her name? How did he even know that she existed? He wasn't supposed to know!

Selene swallowed and took a step back from _that man_. Seeing her unease, Sphintus was quick to step in front of her, shielding her from _that man._ "Is there something that you want, Mister?" He asked _him _politely but shortly. "If not, I would like you to leave my friend alone. You're making her uncomfortable."

In one moment, Sphintus was standing in front of _that man._ The next, he was swept onto the opposite wall with a sickening CRACK that sent Selene's mind reeling. In shock, she shakily glanced over to Sphintus' limp, broken form on the ground.

(…Dead?)

Ignoring Sphintus completely, Raul walked up to Selene and grabbed her chin while batting her staff away before she could create a borg to bar him from her. He lifted her face so he could look at her properly. "Look at you." He marveled. "My own flesh and blood, alive and under my nose this whole time. My own _daughter._"

'_Let __**go **__of me!_' She wanted to scream, but her voice caught at the thin scar at her throat. She couldn't say anything. She couldn't even cry out for help for poor Sphintus.

(…Dead?)

Raul was quick to notice this too. With a quick movement, he removed her scarf and zeroed his eyes on the injury. His eyes narrowed in anger at the scar on her throat. "What did those fools do to you? How could they damage such a priceless thing? Don't worry," he was quick to comfort his daughter, "I'll do what I can to return your voice to you."

For once in her life, Selene felt completely and utterly relieved that she couldn't use her voice. She remembered what she accidently did and shuddered. Selene ripped herself from Raul's grasp and backed away.

"Oh, don't be like that." He sighed in disappointment. "I know your mother must have told you many things about me, but I assure you that she exaggerated. I don't harm what is mine and you are _my_ daughter."

'_Tell that to Sai.'_ Selene mentally spat as she continued backing away. _'Tell that to my brother that you left for dead.'_

"If you think I'm lying, don't. My moral compass might be a bit broken in society's standards, but I assure you that it hasn't hindered my ability to speak the truth. I never lie and I despise liars."

He reached out his hand.

"Selene." He called. "Come. We have much to speak about. Let's go and find your brother and leave this place."

For a moment, she paused. Not because she wanted to consider taking that man's hand, but because she was surprise by his interest in Sai as well. _'Does he know? Will he kill him?'_

"Get away from Selene!"

Her panicked thoughts were cut short when a blast of magic threw Raul away from her. Selene jumped back just in time for Titus to rush in front of her with a frightened Marga in his arms. "Selene, are you okay?" At Selene's quick nod, he sighed in relief. He glanced over at Sphintus' crumpled form and winced.

"Selene, I want you to take Marga and Sphintus with you and run, okay? I'll hold him back."

'_Titus, he's my father. You shouldn't.'_ She signed quickly. _'He's too strong.'_

"I'll just hold him back. Don't worry, I'll be right behind you. Just _run_."

Maybe it was the fear in her veins or the shock of seeing Sphintus thrown around so carelessly that made her listen. Whatever it was, it was an action that she would regret completely.

Selene took Sphintus and Marga and fled.

(…Dead?)

* * *

"_**What you're going through is unfair. Understand, Titus? You're not wrong for being upset or afraid. Now, tell me the truth. How do you feel about this?"**_

"_**Sai, I don't want to die."**_

* * *

"I admit I'm pretty impressed by your abilities. You gave me quite the workout." Raul informed Titus casually as he flew through the Fifth District. The blonde in question hung limply over his shoulder. "But that's to be expected from Scheherazade's creations."

Titus' head lolled to the side as he struggled to keep his eyes open.

"…you dared to…in Reim…Scheherazade-sama…experiments…"

"That was only _one _time!" Raul complained loudly. "That priestess of yours only caught me one time and it was because it was one of your 'siblings' that I dissected on. Bad luck, really. I confess that I was pretty surprised that she was a clone. Her body seemed so real! It even bled and cried like an actual human being!"

Titus coughed. "…monster…"

"Yes, yes. You people and your stifling morals." The scientist sighed. "You tend to forget how much _information _I gain in every dissection and experiment I perform! It's amazing how long Scheherazade is able to keep you alive and functioning. A year, was it? My, my, being able to live for centuries _do _have its perks when it comes to performing miracles."

Titus didn't reply. He was too exhausted to even try.

Raul didn't seem to mind. He continued to chatter on. "But she's not omnipotent, is she? Your kind, miracles or not, still have short lives. I'm sure that you're living your last days, aren't you?"

Titus sagged, confirming Raul's theory.

"After your form deteriorates, all that power in that little body of yours will return to Scheherazade and your consciousness will disappear completely as if it didn't exist in the first place. Oh, I know." He giggled. "I saw it happen to your sibling. Dissected her, remember? Poor girl. She wasn't even real."

Without his consent, a tortured wail escaped from Titus' mouth.

'_I don't want to disappear! Not like this!'_

"But that's not going to happen to you, little clone. You won't be returning to your creator like the others. You'll be _different._ You'll do something that'll make you _remembered_."

"…how…?"

Raul didn't answer. Instead, he slowed his flight and landed on the ground.

"We're here." He hummed. "I'll leave the rest to you."

Titus was brought onto his feet before being pushed in front of the floating figure that was the Chancellor. He stared up at the older magician with confusion written over his face. Where was Sai?

"You're a bit late, Raul." Mogamett informed the man behind Titus. "You missed Sai. He left a while ago to search for you."

'_Sai left to save Selene from this man.'_ Titus realized.

Raul shrugged. "I'll find him later. I'm sure that the boy is with his sister."

"Yes, you'll have all the time to reacquaint yourself with your family." Mogamett agreed. "For now, I will focus my energy in eradicating all of the Goi. I'm sure that this will be possible with the magoi I gathered from Goi from the Fifth District."

'_Everyone is still in trouble because of those dark djinn the Chancellor is creating. So many people are still dying. So many people will continue to die if I keep standing idly in the sidelines.'_

And then, it all seemed to snap into place. Titus strengthened himself and began to gather his magic.

'_I don't want to die. I don't but…'_

"…I can't allow that."

* * *

"_**You're important to me, that's what I'm certain about."**_

* * *

'Selene, Selene, Selene, Selene'

His sister's name bounced around his head like a mantra as he searched everywhere for his sister. Where was she? Where was _he_? Please, please, let it not be that he took her away already.

It took him fifteen more minutes before he found Selene. She was on the ground with Marga beside her trying to heal someone.

Relief hit him like a wave. She was fine. He didn't find her yet. She was _fine_.

But then he noticed who it was his sister trying to heal. That Carmen boy. And he was too still and Selene was too desperate.

_("If anything happens, I'm trusting you with my sister so the end result should either be her being completely safe and uninjured or you dead on the ground. Understood?")_

Sai knew then that he wasn't there in time. Raul had found her.

"Sai." Marga sobbed, grabbing onto his hand when she saw him. "Titus didn't come back. He stayed back to fight the bad man and he didn't come back."

No.

No, please no.

Sai didn't stay. He left quickly, leaving his sister, Marga, and the Carmen boy – Sphintus, he deserved to be called his name – behind and rushed back down to the Fifth District as if he was chasing time itself. He hoped and prayed that he guess was right just as much as he hoped and prayed that his guess was wrong.

This time a different mantra bounced in his head as he flew.

'Titus, Titus, Titus, Titus'

* * *

"_**I can't promise to love you, but I know that I'm willing to give it a try if we ever find a way to keep you alive."**_

* * *

Titus reached out to Mogamett. He spoke and spoke and willed the older man to _see _and _understand _that he didn't hate the Goi, that he was only grieved about the different fates that they shared_._

"I will save you from there." He promised, eyes clear and empathetic. "If I can do this, I can stop the creation of black djinns and Aladdin and Scheherazade-sama and the others around them will stop fighting and they won't be hurt any more than they already are…I will also be able to protect the lives of the humans in the Fifth District!"

Titus grabbed the old man's arm.

"This is the last thing I can do…this is the best thing I can do!"

And he felt himself begin to unravel. Titus forced his light rukh to tear through the darkness that Mogamett created for himself. He reached and reached and reached until he finally reached the core of Mogamett and dragged him away from the taint. As he felt Mogamett's magic settle, Titus brought himself back into his body.

Titus knew he was going to die. It took everything that Scheherazade placed in him for him to _be _to stop Mogamett's spell. And yet…and yet, he felt so calm and sure. He didn't feel afraid anymore.

He just wished that…

"Titus."

Sai didn't shout or scream, but Titus seemed to hear it loud and clear from where he was.

"Sai." Titus said with a smile, turning his eyes to meet Sai's single grey.

* * *

_ **How does that sound?"** _

* * *

And then his whole body collapsed…

…and…

…scattered.

* * *

"_**I like that."**_

* * *

**Chibi Omake: The Eldest (or, How Kikiriku is the Whole Chibi-Squad's Designated Mother)**

Kikiriku, son of Hinahoho of the Imuchakk Tribe, took his position as the eldest child seriously.

KA-BOOM!

"Whoopsy-daisy. That didn't go quite as planned."

"_Jamal! You have a __**lab**__ for a reason! Use it!"_

CRASH!

"Tch. Weak herbivores."

"_Hel! Let go of those poor soldiers __**this instant**__!"_

…and that title was not limited to his gaggle of siblings.

Ever since the entrance of Prince Shion's many, strange friends, Sindria became more exciting than usual with Jamal and Hel causing some sort of havoc. Against the common belief that it is the _Prince _who keeps these two, particular troublemakers in line, it was actually Kikiriku who had to take care of whatever shenanigans the two were up to (though never together since Hel was too weary of the inventor to actually contribute when Jamal decided to stir up a little trouble).

Babysitting the others was definitely _not _what Kikiriku expected when he took up the title of Shion's bodyguard. He had honestly expected to babysit _Shion _if situation called for it, but the _others_?

He was only sixteen and he already raising four children.

Four immature, ridiculously powered children.

"What would I do without you, Kikiriku?" Shion bemoaned not for the first time. If it wasn't for Shion's obvious appreciation for Kikiriku's efforts to keep everything under control, he would've quit and packed his bags by now.

Of course, he never told Shion this out loud.

"Don't you ever get tired of this, son?" Hinahoho asked after a particularly difficult day. (As much as he cared for Selene, the problem she brought with her was a bit much. His hands were sore from picking as much poisonous plants he could find and he was never going to look at a snake the same way ever again.)

'_Yes, I'm tired. They never give me a break! I think they're going to drive me crazy!'_ He was sorely tempted to say, but he held himself back. He wasn't the eldest for nothing, after all.

"Nah, I'm fine, Dad. Really. I can handle it."

Hinahoho, as wonderful a father he was, could not see through Kikiriku's act and gave his son a hearty pat on the back and a lot of encouragement. Not many people could see through his act lately.

Ja'far was the only one who wasn't fooled. His role was eerily similar to Kikiriku's (sans the irresponsible king thank _Solomon_) and he was more than happy to give the younger some helpful pointers.

"Never be afraid to threaten body dismemberment." Ja'far suggested helpfully. "Those always tend to work. If not, use brute force. I can help in that part if you can't do it alone."

"Thanks, Ja'far."

The freckled advisor laughed and patted the Imuchakk teen's side consolingly. "It's hard, but you'll improve in time with experience."

Kikiriku snorted. "You'd know about that better than anyone."

Many people easily forget that Ja'far was one who babysat Kikiriku during his toddler years.


	49. Chapter 48: Flies in the Web

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's a TRAP!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Onwards

Death, Sai found, was usually sudden, unexpected, and unfair. It brought unfairness and an end to those who experience it and it brought pain and confusion to the ones left behind. Marius had taught him that. Sai knew death. He even _died_. He knew what to expect.

So why, _why _did he feel so numb?

Sai's good eye did not leave the empty space where Titus stood just _seconds _ago. There in one moment and gone in the next. It was almost easy to pretend that it didn't – no, bad Sai. Thinking thoughts like that led to deep, horrible denial that would only make everything worse than it already was. No. Titus was dead. He died right in front of Sai's eyes. He's dead. Dust. Gone.

('_Gone,' _a little part of him wails. But Sai was still too numb to process that part properly.)

'_Well, not completely gone,'_ the numb part of Sai's brain pointed out rather practically when his good eye landed on the small, fragile skeleton curled up on the ground where Titus – _Nononononono that's not him that couldn't be him – _used to be.

"That worked better than I expected."

And that voice was all it took for Sai to tear his attention from his numbness and latch onto the new person in the room.

The other magician smiled widely and wiggled his fingers in greeting.

"Why hello there – Sai, is it?" The man waited for a few seconds for a nod. When Sai didn't give it to him, he shrugged and continued his introduction. "Now, I'm not sure that you know of me – I was in such a hurry to confirm your existences, I apologize – but I would like to introduce myself. My name is Raul and I am your father."

It was almost impressive how quickly Sai's emotions jumped from completely stagnant to outright furious. He almost allowed himself to outwardly snarl at the man across from him before catching himself. No. Losing his temper now wouldn't do any good, would it? Despite the – _rage, anger, denial, grief, pain_ – not so positive emotions this man was pulling from him, Sai was well aware of how dangerous this man was.

He should approach this carefully.

And yet, despite knowing better, a significantly more hysterical part of Sai screamed at him to _fuck that plan _and slaughterthe madman for touching Selene and possibly manipulating Titus into martyring himself.

(_Gone._)

Before Sai could debate on which part of himself to listen to, he felt a tug at his magoi. He searched for the source and found himself staring upwards to the ceiling. His eye widened at the sight of the brewing magoi furnace above him. Sai immediately threw a viciously accusatory look at the crumpled form of Mogamett. "Oi, old man, you should stop whatever you're trying to do with that thing. I don't take kindly to having my magoi messed with."

Raul chuckled knowingly. "Oh, he can't control it anymore, Sai. He's dead. The incubation stage of the plan is complete. Since Scheherazade's little clone generously donated his magoi to the medium, Matal's magic is no longer necessary." He gestured at the borg surrounding his body. "If it's your magoi you're worried about, just form a borg. But even that solution is only temporary against the power of this medium. I think it's our cue to leave this area."

"_Our _cue?"

"Why of course!" Raul exclaimed, appearing genuinely confused by Sai's reaction. "I don't want my own son to get caught up in this sort of mess!" He held a hand out. "I know I wasn't in you or your sister's life and I'm sorry for that. I'm going to try my best to make it up to both of you. But we need to get out of here first. Trust me."

Sai took a moment to stare at Raul's hand thoughtfully. Then, with a bright smile, he took it. Raul grinned broadly and turned towards the exit. "Now, let's –

"_Ainfijar jahannam."_

The spell was spoken too casually, too calmly for Raul to process that it was a threatening one before it was too late. He was thrown across the room by a great, burst of fire that ate at his borg and his skin. By the time he hit the wall, his shield had weakened enough for the impact to knock him out.

After a beat of silence, Sai's smile curled into a snarl. "Trust you? Not in any life, you fucking bastard."

He turned from the crumpled form and stared up at the direction where the 'medium' took off with a dark look on his face.

"And now, I have you to take care of." Sai's whole body shimmered and shifted until it settled on the image of what many perceived as the "Blessed Child, Sai". Both eyes narrowed in concentration as he took out his chakrams, which were glowing fiercely through the marks of Solomon in reaction to the medium. "Time to get rid of the _pest_."

Sai's body shimmered again, but this time, it was through the aid of his djinn vessels.

"Oh spirit of thieves, aid me in my battles with your cunning and deception! Take everything that is desired and leave nothing at your wake! Barbas, I summon thee!"

Sai wasted no time after the transformation was complete. With a flash of bright red and orange, he was out of Magnostadt and into the sky.

* * *

The moment Yasmine's feet touched the ground, she released her djinn equip and collapsed. It was only thanks to Alibaba's steady grip when he caught her that she was able to remain standing.

She patted his arm. "Great job, Alibaba."

"Yasmine-sensei, your arm…."

Yasmine glanced at her limp, wrangled arm before looking away dismissively. "It's just an injury. I get them all the time during fights. And even if it can't be fixed, I have another one, Alibaba."

"Still…you should have Aladdin or a healer check it out."

Before Yasmine could retort, she was tackled away from Alibaba by (surprise, surprise) Kouha. "Yasmine! Let me look at your arm! How bad is it?" When the prince managed to forcibly turn the Blessed Child to see the mangled appearance of her right arm, he hissed sympathetically. "I knew it was bad, but I didn't know that it was _this _bad."

Annoyed, Yasmine tore herself from her friend's grip. "Thank you for pointing out the obvious, Kouha." She said dryly, averting her eyes self-consciously. "But can we focus on the situation at hand?"

"Screw the situation! You're my first priority, Yasmine!" Kouha insisted vehemently before loudly calling for JunJun, JinJin, and ReiRei to come over and fix her arm. Yasmine flushed brightly at the words and turned her face out of sheer embarrassment. Alibaba began shuffling away from the pair awkwardly. "You know what? I think I'll leave you two be. I'll only get in the way if I stay. Anyways, it seems you have some things to talk about –

"Alibaba?"

He stiffened. "…Yes, Yasmine-sensei?"

"Leave me alone and I'll rip your spine out."

"U-Understood, ma'am! Staying right here!"

Kouha turned to the pale Alibaba and the flustered Yasmine after he finished shouting for his servants. He gave them a strange look. "Hey, did something happen here? What did you say to her?" Kouha demanded Alibaba accusingly.

"It's fine." Yasmine assured smoothly, saving her student from an otherwise violent fate. "Just a student-teacher thing."

Kouha looked between the two doubtfully but had no time to voice his reservations when a green-eyed woman swooped into the conversation, greeting Yasmine and Alibaba enthusiastically. "Hello! My name is Seishin. You must be Alibaba and Yasmine! Amani told me so much about both of you. Pleasure to finally meet you!"

Alibaba was all too eager to grab the opportunity to escape from the current conversation. "Ah! Is that so? Amani spoke of you too, Miss Seishin. How is she?" He asked the last part eagerly.

Seishin's eyes softened at the blonde's inquiry. "Amani is healthy and happy. She misses you too. I admit that it's cruel and unfair that we're keeping you from her and your nephew. I'll speak about this with Kouen at a later time." Her eyes caught sight of the state of Yasmine's arm. "Ach! That looks painful! How are you still moving? Kouen! Come over here and fix this girl's arm with your fancy magic healing thing!"

"I _told _you not to call it that, woman." Kouen groused from his position but still came over at her call. When he caught sight of Yasmine, he quickened his pace. "What's broken?" He asked professionally. When Seishin pointed at Yasmine's limp arm, he began unsheathing his sword.

Naturally, Yasmine reared back.

"I _do not _want my arm amputated in the middle of a battlefield _thank you very much_!" She hissed defensively. Kouha took her shoulders and tried to calm her down. "No, no, En-nii isn't trying to do anything like that. Look at my arm. It used to be broken but it's all better now because of Phenix, see? He's only trying to use his djinn. Please don't freak out. It'll only be a moment."

After Kouha made it clear that Kouen wasn't trying to maim her, Yasmine forced herself to relax and watched with wide eyes as Kouen's djinn healed her mangled arm within seconds upon its summoning.

Tentatively, Yasmine tested her arm. When she realized that it was working perfectly fine, she closed her eyes in relief and tilted her head in acknowledgement to the eldest prince. "Thank you, Prince Kouen."

Kouha sighed in relief and pulled Yasmine closer. "Thank you, En-nii. Thank you!"

Yasmine jumped at Kouha's closeness and moved away from him a little too quickly. Though the pink-haired prince appeared confused by her reaction, Kouen and Seishin shared a look.

A large, black blast shot towards the sky, disrupting the clouds above it. A shudder ran down Yasmine's spine as she was able to see it clearly with her uncovered eyes.

'_That's the medium Shion warned us about. Sai wasn't able to stop it. He wasn't able to bend the rubber band in time.'_ She realized with growing horror. _'Sai…what happened?!'_

* * *

Kohaku almost stopped mid-flight when she saw the sky around her darken significantly.

'_The medium.' _She noted with growing fear. _'Sai wasn't able to prevent it.'_

"Princess Kohaku, how unexpected! What are you doing so far from Magnostadt?"

Mismatched eyes widened at the unexpected voice. Kohaku looked down to see a pleasantly smiling Ming Hua. _Ming Hua the Cursed Child. _Just like that, she felt her stomach drop. Kohaku tried not to regard the woman wearily as she remained floating. _'She doesn't know you know yet.' _She reminded herself quietly. _'Keep calm and be ready for any attacks.'_

"I-I-I was looking for Papa and Mama." Kohaku made herself stammer nervously. "The Chancellor said that he had something planned for the Kou Troops so I came out to warn them."

Ming Hua stared up at Kohaku with an unreadable look before smiling sweetly.

"Princess Kohaku, please do not worry. Your mother and father are perfectly safe. They were able to drive the dark djinn away without any problems. Why don't you come down here and let me bring you to them?"

Kohaku slowly floated backwards. "I…think I'm fine, Ming Hua. It'll be faster if I find them in the air."

"…I'm afraid that you misunderstand me, Princess."

Ming Hua's eyes narrowed dangerously, which was enough of a warning for Kohaku to move _far _away from the woman as quickly as she could. Her decision ended up saving her life when a black, worm-like creature attacked her out of nowhere. It was three times her size with a mouth that would undoubtedly swallow her whole if she let it. Its teeth snapped shut on thin air where Kohaku's arm used to be seconds before. The Kou Princess had no time to relax when she was attacked by three more of the same monster.

"It wasn't a request." Ming Hua continued with a sigh. "You really must come down. I need to find someone, you see, and I feel that your presence will help me immensely, Princess Kohaku."

'_What are these things?! They don't look like any normal dark djinn.'_

Kohaku glanced down at Ming Hua. The woman smiled sweetly once again before pointing a finger at her direction. To the young girl's horror and disgust, multiple mouths and dark patches appeared all over Ming Hua's skin. Then, eerily similar to the way Doron's plants grew from the earth, black worms detached themselves from her skin and fell onto the ground where they quickly grew into monstrous sizes.

"Though you are needed, it does not necessarily mean that I have to catch you unscathed. Just alive. Do try your best in dodging my pets, young Princess."

Kohaku barely had any time to react when the next set of dark worms were sent at her way.

* * *

When the dark djinn suddenly ceased their attacks towards the Reim Fleets, everyone was understandably confused.

Maya couldn't help but feel anxious at the eerie quiet that filled the once-chaotic waters upon the absence of their enemies. Despite the reprieve the disappearance of the dark djinn gave her and her comrades, her instincts screamed at her to flee the site _immediately_.

"Do you feel it too?" She heard Muu inquire quietly. Maya nodded at her husband shortly and shifted into a defensive position. "Something is horribly wrong. Why did they leave so suddenly? It was almost as if they were fleeing from something dangerous."

Just as the words left her mouth, every hair on Maya's body stood on its end as she sensed a foreboding presence.

"How surprisingly astute of you! Though, I shouldn't have underestimated how in touch with your **feral **side you are!"

And just like that, all of Maya's muscles tensed and she whirled around to face the owner of the voice. There, right above all of them, was a beautiful woman garbed in black. She smiled prettily at her audience, but her eyes were only on one person.

"Hello, pet. I see that you've escaped your collar." She noted with a slight sneer in her voice. The taunt was met with a cold glare.

Maya swallowed a growl. Though her temper had mellowed through her years as a mother, the memory of the one who had placed her in those horrible chains never failed to bring back her old anger. It did not help that this woman tried to kill her Hel.

"And who might you be?" Muu asked politely, stepping beside Maya.

"Well, well, aren't you _darling_? Stepping up and defending the girl like one of those gallant knights in Sasan!" Eirenne tittered as she regarded Muu with an upturned nose. "It seems that Maya got herself a half-blooded _dog_ as a replacement to my dear husband. How fitting. He matches nicely with that feral mutt of yours."

Muu's expression became colder and colder as Eirenne continued to speak. Myron, Lo'Lo, and the rest of the Finalis Corps didn't appreciate the beautiful woman's words either, growling under their breaths and cracking their knuckles in preparation.

"Captain?" One of Muu's men asked, patiently waiting for the order to bring down 'threat'. It never did well for any aggressor who had or attempted to harm one of their own. And Maya was definitely that and more to them.

"Not yet." Muu murmured. His eyes were still trained on the stranger. "I won't ask again, Miss. Who are you?"

Eirenne giggled, eyes dancing with cruel mirth that made Maya's blood run cold. "A Queen. But for now? Your executioner." She replied sweetly before she attacked. It suddenly struck Maya at that moment that there was something very, very wrong with this situation. Eirenne was somehow able to fly, for one, and Maya explicitly remembered that the woman was not the type to dungeon-dive. There was also no regard, no fear towards the Finalis soldiers as she swooped down to their level. When Maya realized all of this, it was too late.

The Finalis warrior who intercepted Eirenne's attack had been a good man. He was a loyal soldier and an attentive listener and a friend.

And now, he was reduced to a bloody stain on the ship deck.

(Maya always, _always _viewed Finalis as indestructible. How could she not when her own father had been a pureblood who dominated the Colosseum?)

Eirenne looked at the blood under her feet and grimaced in disgust. "How dirty."

"CATO!"

When she heard a woman's voice shriek out in agony, Maya remembered with a heavy heart that the fallen warrior had also been a very loved husband and a father of two. Maya's mournful mood was quick to shift over to rage as she watched her husband barely meet Eirenne's attack with his own. It was only through the protection of his djinn that he was able to remain in one piece, though he was not without injuries.

Eirenne, on the other hand, was completely unscathed. What Maya had assumed to be her clothing turned out to be something completely different. Eirenne's 'dress' shifted around her skin as if it were alive and absorbed any attacks with ease. It was like some sort of impenetrable armor.

"Oh dear, oh dear!" Eirenne tittered as she threw herself right _into _Muu's attacks with a smug smile of a victor. "You won't be able to get through defense. I have _thick skin_, so hurting me is impossible!" She sighed and turned her attention to Maya. "I wanted to make this battle quick so I could move on to my original target, but it seems that I underestimated your husband's tenacity! Djinn equips are powerful as they are beautiful, aren't they?" She commented wistfully, almost enviously. Then, she brightened as a thought hit her. "But wait! Doesn't he have a time limit?"

Just as she said this, Muu's eyes began to tear up with blood and his breaths became labored. Maya's golden eyes widened at the sight.

"He's a half-breed, isn't he? I wonder how much of him would be left when I crush him? There wasn't much left when I took care of the other one. If that's the case, there will be nothing left of that son of yours once I finish him off too, right?" Eirenne taunted. Her intent was clear. She wanted Maya to come into the battle and fight.

She wanted to crush Maya's strength.

She wanted to destroy Maya's happiness.

She wanted Maya dead.

(_As always_, Maya thought cynically, _Eirenne is petty as she is cruel._)

And yet, even as she knew this, Maya wasn't one to stand by idly when everything important to her was threatened. Her sacrifice of her freedom for Armakan had nothing to do with the present.

"Everyone, _move back_!" Maya barked harshly as she activated her own djinn weapon. She moved to join her husband in battle.

"_**Ronove!"**_

She already lost her freedom to this woman. She wasn't about to lose Muu and Hel too.

* * *

"You know, maybe we should've waited for your dad to give us the 'okay' before we up and decided to use one of Jamal's teleportation devices." Kikiriku pointed out quite reasonably as the pair stepped into a particularly dark djinn-invested area. When they were immediately attacked at, Shion couldn't help but agree. "Yeah…I sort of didn't think this one through…"

Kikiriku shot multiple ice blasts from his household vessel to keep their supernatural enemies at bay. "You think?" He asked sarcastically.

"Oi! Just be happy that I left a note! _That _should encourage Father into coming over earlier!" Shion snapped mulishly, taking down and defending himself from the hordes of dark djinn. "It's not _my _fault he's all reluctant to come over to Magnostadt! And I told him _everything_!"

"Remember, he's a king. He needs to consider how it'll look for Sindria if he came barging into the battlefield with his awesome djinn equip blazing." Kikiriku reminded his king patiently. Shion sighed. "Yeah, I know. But we really need him here, you know? And I gave him a great excuse by coming here all on my own. As a responsible parent, he obviously _has _to come here to make sure I didn't do anything stupid."

The Imuchakk teen shook his head. "You _would _do something stupid, wouldn't you?"

"…Yeah."

Kikiriku rolled his eyes while shooting another dark djinn down. "Don't sound so disappointed. _Everyone _knows that crazy things happen around you at this point. It's not like it's news."

Shion made a face. Kikiriku rolled his eyes again. "Oh, come off it, Shion. It's practically common knowledge now. Just accept it."

Shion opened his mouth to argue, but was suddenly cut off by a sharp shove to the side. Kikiriku yelped in pain as black thorns bursted free from the ground and wrapped around his legs. Despite his situation, the Imuchakk teen still positioned himself defensively around Shion and looked around for the threat. "Come out!" He challenged loudly. "Come out a face us, you coward!"

The ground began to shake. The dark djinn that had attacked both Kikiriku and Shion with so much fervor suddenly ceased their attacks and fled the area. More thorns sprung from the ground, accompanied by a large rosebud. It unfurled, revealing a smug and triumphant Camilla. "Welcome, Prince Shion, to Magnostadt. Your presence in Magnostadt is unexpected, but not unwelcome."

All humor and confidence that remained between Kikiriku and Shion evaporated instantly, replaced by the extreme focus to survive and a little bit of panic.

"Camilla." Shion spoke her name slowly, almost numbly. "You…I thought that Kougyoku's description on you was only a metaphor about your true feelings."

"_That's _what you're worried about?!" Kikiriku half-screamed as he hacked at the thorns at his feet. "Priorities, Shion! _Priorities_!"

Shion winced apologetically. "Sorry, Kikiriku. You're right." He turned his metal vessel into a sword and sliced through the dark plants. He then turned to Camilla with a hard look in his eyes. "So I guess you're here to kill me again, huh?"

"_Kill_ you?" Camilla sighed wistfully. "If only I could. But I have my orders, little prince. You being alive and whole are necessary for our success. Thankfully, this arrangement would only be temporary." She stepped out of her giant rose. "Now, be a good little boy and come with me."

Shion grimaced and raised his sword.

"Yeah…how about no?"

* * *

Back in Magnostadt, Selene sat back, completely exhausted. Beside her, Marga shivered and clutched at the older girl's sleeves.

"Is Sphintus going to be okay?" She asked fearfully, looking down at the still form of Sphintus Carmen. "Is he…?"

The blonde did not answer.

Marga's lips trembled. Everything was suddenly so _wrong _ever since the war started. People were scared, Titus was distressed, and Sai was either angry or sad. Now, Marga's important people were getting hurt and her guardians were nowhere to be seen. "When is Sai coming back? He left to save Titus from that bad man."

Selene tore her gaze from Sphintus' neck at the little girl's statement. She stared at Marga, willing the little girl to explain further with her eyes.

"Sai left to find Titus." Marga repeated.

Comprehension slowly filled the blonde's eyes. Then, the panic began to set in, scaring the little girl even more.

"Selene?"

Selene didn't react to Marga's tentative inquiries. She was too busy reaching over Sphintus' neck and hissing quietly to him almost as if in apology. Selene then did something that confused Marga, but she didn't voice anything. She just watched.

After she was done, Selene was on her feet instantly. She gestured the little girl to stay where she was.

'_I will be back.' _She signed. Though limited with her understanding of sign language, the hand signs were ones she already knew by heart. Selene always used it when she left and she never failed to keep that promise. It was something that Marga held onto.

"Okay. Please come back safely." She said, trying to sound brave.

Selene looked back down at Sphintus with a sad look in her eyes. She mouthed something to the still healer, but Marga didn't know what it was.

(But it looked very much like _'I'm sorry.'_)

Then, the blonde left.

* * *

"Tell me everything! Right now!"

Yasmine was well aware of Kouha's eldest brother's obsession with gathering knowledge. She even foresaw his reaction far before the idea of grabbing Aladdin and interrogating the little boy crossed the man's mind. But, instead of feeling amusement towards Aladdin's plight (since she knew that Kouen wouldn't have roughed Aladdin up _that _badly), she only felt heavy resignation as another of Shion's predictions came true in front of her eyes. Shion had confided to her of the agreement between the Crown Prince and the Magi to reveal the secrets of Alma Toran.

And he also spoke of the events that followed after Aladdin's reveal to the rest of the world.

"_I think everything turned for the worse after that." _Shion had spoken miserably, trying to scrounge up everything he knew from the nonexistent future. _"I know nothing of the details but Uncle told me that whatever Aladdin revealed that day…it changed __**everything**__."_

That event might have done more damage than good, but Yasmine knew an opportunity when she saw it. This was a perfect event to change and _bend_.

But that could only happen if _she _was in control of the information.

"Prince Kouen." Yasmine called out loudly, interrupting Alibaba from his vocal defense for his friend. "Drop Aladdin. Please. He only knows of Alma Toran because of me. It's useless to try and squeeze any more out of him."

Which was a lie, of course, but her straight face was flawless and everyone was too busy staring at her to see Aladdin's expression of completely disbelief.

'_What are you doing?'_ His eyes seemed to ask. Yasmine hoped that the brief but sharp glare she sent him was enough to shut him up for the time being.

Kouen, despite his initial surprise at Yasmine's announcement, looked absolutely gleeful. He dropped Aladdin like a hot potato and prowled toward Yasmine. Seishin was quick to swoop in and check on the young magi. She sent one, baleful glare at her husband's back before returning to her motherly ministrations.

"_Tell me."_ Kouen was quick to demand when he was finally up at her face.

"I refuse."

It was shocking how that simple phrase could bring out so many appalled expressions. But, then again, when was the last time a person so blatantly refused Kou Royalty?

"Y-Y-Y-Yasmine, what are you doing?!" Kouha nearly shrieked, trying to get her attention. Yasmine didn't dare break her little staring match with the eldest prince.

While Kouen's expression was quick to turn thunderous, Yasmine didn't back down. What did he_ really_ have that would scare her at this point? Her eyes were uncovered, the end of the world was neigh, and the best and maybe _only _opportunity to prevent the apocalyptic future was hanging right in front of her.

She _would not _fuck this up.

"You owe me." Kouen said almost childishly. Yasmine had to concede to that point. He _did _restore her arm. "Yes, and thank you for your _generosity_, Prince Kouen." She thanked, stressing on the fact that he did it by his own choice. "But, this information is worth far more than my arm, my body, and yes, even my eyes. I'm sorry, but you would have to offer me something far more than that for me to tell you anything."

Miffed by her attitude, Kouen loomed over Yasmine threateningly. "I am Kou's Crown Prince."

"And?"

"I could have you tortured and killed."

Yasmine shrugged. "A pity. I guess I'll have to take the information to the grave, then."

"…What do you want?"

Yasmine suppressed the urge to smile. Instead, she cleared her throat and pointed at the direction of the medium. "First, please send away your soldiers. Though I am confident that Kou's strength is great, what the Chancellor of Magnostadt unleashed upon the battlefield would leave close to no survivors if they remain here. Second, I would greatly appreciate it if you helped destroy the 'medium' that our djinn kindly explained about. It might seem a bit insignificant to you, but it's important for the survival of this entire world that this thing is gone."

Gamigin, who had been summoned by Aladdin's magic, turned to his wielder with a concerned expression. "Blessed Child…perhaps it would be wise if you didn't –"

"I'm negotiating, Gamigin. Please stay out of this." She interrupted her djinn blithely. "Well?" She questioned Kouen lightly, not taking her intimidating eyes off of him. "Do you agree to my terms?"

"Fine, then." Kouen conceded. Despite his minor defeat, the man looked pleased with the arrangement. He appraised Yasmine. "It seems that Kouha has chosen well. I approve." He mused, making her flush bright red.

"_Excuse_ me?!" Yasmine shouted. It was accompanied by a strange, garbling sound that came from a paling Kouha. But her embarrassed shout was completely drowned out by Kouen's loud and demanding summons.

"KOUMEI! HAKURYUU, HAKUEI, KOUGYOKU, AMANI! COME FORTH IMMEDIATELY!"

* * *

Kougyoku and Amani were ready for the call.

Both princess stood up from their quiet conversation as maids and guards alike stiffened in surprise before bowing in respect at the voice of their imperial prince. Kougyoku was out of the door first. Her lips were spread into a wide, fierce smile – the trademark blood-lusting Ren smile. She paid no attention to how wild she appeared as she ran to find Koumei.

Amani, on the other hand, was far more graceful in her exit – Fatima had drilled it in her head that grace was most important in a princess' mannerisms – and gave her personal servants enough time to dutifully follow after her.

"Leah, would you do me a favor?" Amani inquired softly. Leah nodded sharply. "Anything, Princess Amani."

"There is a man who is currently standing as Princess Hakuei's bodyguard. Do you remember Tao?" At the blonde maid's nod, Amani continued. "It is important that he is kept away from the queen and the priests who trail after her. I can't tell you why his safety is vital at the moment, but it is essential that he is kept safe and unnoticed. Can you watch after him for me, Leah?"

There was no hesitation.

"Of course, my lady. He will be safe upon your return." And then, in a lower voice, she added, "And please, take care of yourself."

Warmth flooded Amani as she heard the concern in her most loyal maid's words.

But still, she could make no promises.

"I will do my best, Leah."

And that was all. Leah made no other statement other than a heartfelt farewell as she and the rest of the Ren Family – Hakuryuu and Tiare included – were transported into the magician's land where the battlefield lay.

On the other side, Alibaba was there – completely donned in his djinn equip – waiting for her arrival anxiously. His back went ramrod straight when he caught sight of her.

"Amani?"

Amani wished that their reunion was heartfelt and meaningful, but it was cut short by the situation at hand. There was a dark medium on the loose, the Cursed Children were threatening to come out at any moment, and Sai was strangely absent.

Now was not the time.

So, with an apologetic glance at her twin's way, Amani left with Yasmine and Kougyoku to find their wayward member. Solomon knew that they needed him for this battle.

* * *

Sai never was fond of equipping into Barbas' form.

That didn't mean that he hated his djinn. No, not at all. The being was actually one of the few who understood the Blessed Child and vice versa with their shared talent in deception. Sai was fond of _Barbas_.

The djinn equip, on the other hand, was something that Sai could do without.

Unlike Yasmine's super-cool Shinigami djinn equip, Barbas was neither ominous nor intimidating. Sai was surprised when he found out since the djinn's ability to 'steal' was a bit macabre. But alas, Barbas much preferred to hide his true nature when it came to the form he gave his wielders, so Sai was cursed with the form of an insultingly adorable kitsune – ears, tail, claws and all.

That form elicited absolutely no respect or fear to Sai's eternal grief. It was nice to look at, yes – _youkai_ in anime were popular for a reason – but since Sai wasn't the one looking, it was humiliating. (Not that he ever confessed this to Shion and the other Blessed Children.)

Both Amani and Kougyoku thought that the form looked cute. They were especially fond of his ears when he took to the form. Sensitive to the touch and sound, the animal appendages were more of a bother than they were helpful. They were also horribly expressive for anyone who owned a cat or dog, which repulsed Sai from the appearance even further. Aside from certain emergencies, Sai never really bothered to don his fox-eared form.

But this…_this _was an emergency. And honestly? Sai didn't give a flying fuck about his appearance at this point. All that mattered was that this form gave him the most power to destroy.

With a snarl, Sai ripped apart his twenty-sixth dark djinn monster as he tried to reach the round medium. To his frustration, the thing seemed to sense his intent to harm it and was smart enough to send out many dark djinn creatures at his way. Sai could only count it as a blessing that the vibrant red and orange colors of his pants drew the creatures' attention towards him instead of the screaming citizens below him.

"Just. Let. Me. Kill. You. Already!" Sai gritted out under his breath as he hacked away at the next wave of dark djinn. Frustration mounting quickly at the repetitiveness of the medium's attacks, he finally gave up on his approach to destroy his enemies barehanded and summoned his djinn weapon.

Unlike his chakrams, Sai's weapon in his djinn form was not as exotic or frightening, another reason to hate this form. But, as loathe he was to admit, there were some clear advantages to his seemingly innocuous 'weapon'.

Well, if anyone could call a pair of armor gloves a 'weapon'. Sai personally thought that they looked like useless pieces of accessory to make his djinn equip look pretty and all that, but, again, it had its advantages.

Like its ability to exaggerate Barbas' ability to 'steal'.

Sai stretched out his left hand.

"**Steal."**

In moments, his left hand turned black and multiple djinn monsters ceased their attacks abruptly. Or, it was more like their physical attacks had no longer had any affect. Lowering his darkened hand, Sai raised his right hand and clenched it into a fist.

"Die."

In a flash, Sai flew through every single dark djinn that were affected by his 'steal'. He punched through the whole lot of them in one go with his stolen strength and watched with satisfaction as the dark djinn shattered.

Sai's ears then twitched when he heard the faint sound of _many _somethings flying toward him. He turned to face whatever was coming in preparation only to almost drop from the sky in surprise.

Three smiling faces filled his vision.

"Sai," Amani greeted warmly, looking radiant and so _happy _to see him, "I see that you've decided to join us in defeating the medium."

"Who's joining who? I've been trying to destroy this thing ever since it was _created._" Sai jabbed back with as much humor as he could muster in his current emotional state. Kougyoku grinned and Yasmine snorted.

"What happened anyways? Weren't you supposed to stop this thing?"

Sai's smile wavered at Yasmine's question. "Something…came up. I sort of ran into my old man. Bad luck, I know. Sorry."

Kougyoku, ever so insightful, was quick to catch onto the things that Sai _didn't _say.

"Hey…it's fine that you didn't stop this thing's creation. That plan was a long shot anyways. More importantly, are you all right? There's something else that's wrong, isn't there?"

Sai didn't answer.

"Sai?" Amani asked gently. "If you have a problem, you can tell us. We're all here for you."

Yasmine grunted in agreement.

Sai was filled with the sudden urge to tell them _everything_. He wanted someone else to know. He wanted to cry. He wanted to properly _mourn_, dammit. And who else were better to help him than the three people in front of him?

"…Mou, let's not waste any more time here. We have that big, bad medium to destroy, remember? Let's focus on that."

But…now was not the time.

(You coward.)

"If you're sure…" Kougyoku trailed off uncertainly. Amani raised her hand and shook her head. "No. He's right. The others are waiting for us. Now is not the time. We need to go." She turned to Sai. "We'll talk later, won't we?"

Right. He'll tell them all about it later.

Sai smiled reassuringly. "Of course, Bee-chan. Why wouldn't I?"

"Then let's go and help out the others."

…Later.

* * *

"Ah, that hurt." Raul whined to himself as he came to. He rubbed at his head absentmindedly as he struggled back onto his feet. "I underestimated him. Sai was far more powerful than I thought. And it used all that power on me! What a rebellious son."

Despite how angry the words seemed, Raul's tone showed none of that. Instead, his tone and actions seemed pleased with the new development.

"He'll be a menace one day." Raul concluded, sounding a little proud. "But not yet."

He paused at his musings when he heard the shift of the rocks. The magician scientist tilted his head to the side as he waited patiently for the newcomer to walk into the light. To his utmost glee, a familiar blonde stepped into the light, blowing away any previous thoughts about his son's recent attack.

"Selene! I was wondering where you were!" Raul greeted her with a wide smile. He stretched his arms open welcomingly as she walked over to him. "I just lost your brother – but don't worry! I'll find him and then we can leave this place."

Selene stared at Raul with blank, dispassionate eyes. Raul took no mind to this. Many of his test subjects had a similar look. And they managed to serve their purpose just fine, didn't they? But still, Raul knew that it was necessary to emotionally comfort his daughter since he needed her functional, not any more broken than she already was.

"Is there something wrong?" He tried. "Was it because of what I did to your companion back there? I'm sorry if my actions scared you." His brow furrowed as a thought hit him. "Were you attached to the boy?"

His last question seemed to hit a very sore spot. Selene swiped at Raul, her fingers revealing a small needle. The man barely managed to avoid the small weapon, jumping away with grace.

"Ah, ah, your brother already pulled something similar on me, Selene. I won't be easily tricked this time." Raul warned her with a humoring smile. Selene glared back coldly, brandishing her small weapon threateningly. "And as much as I'd _love _to see how talented you are, your father is a bit busy. I need to be prepared, you see."

He glanced up at the darkened sky.

"My prey has flown into my little trap. I think that it's time for it to spring right about…now."

Selene's eyes widened as the ground began to glow with Toran symbols, stretching like a ribbon through and beyond the room in a right angle. Raul laughed, delighted by the recent turn of events. "My friends should be keeping ahold of the other corners. Those Blessed Children won't even stand a _chance _against this."

Raul was cut of by a powerful tremor on the ground. The glow of the Toran symbols dimmed a little as he attempted to realign his balance.

Selene took advantage of his distraction and lunged.

* * *

'_No way…'_

Kougyoku stared with blank terror as she witnessed the recently turned medium doll strip Kouen from his djinn equip with one swipe. And then, with its other arm, it caught Alibaba too.

'_No way no way no way __**no way**__!'_

Kougyoku shakily raised Vinea as she stared at the face of…of…she didn't know _what _it was. The last time she witnessed something this atrocious was when she spoke with Queen Gyokuen.

"Tiare, leave and help any citizen or soldier evacuate from this area," Hakuryuu ordered his household member strictly as his eyes took in the scene with horror, "I want you away from here. This is a command."

Tiare, though reluctant to abandon her master, was well aware of how dangerous the situation was. She had learned her lesson back in the dungeon after her unique transformation. She knew she wouldn't be as fortunate now.

With a single sweep of her wings, Tiare shot away from the battlefield, much to Hakuryuu's visible relief.

Kougyoku honestly felt relieved too. As powerful

"Dammit. It already turned into its doll form." Yasmine growled from Kougyoku's side. Her words came out in short, sharp breaths. Despite her efforts in eliminating the dark djinn, her previous battle had worn her down to the point that she _struggled _to keep up with the others. Then, she winced. "Holy shit, what did that thing _do_ to them?"

Kougyoku's eyes might not have been far-reaching as Yasmine's, but she could see well enough to realize that her eldest brother no longer wore his djinn equip. He was also significantly…_less_ of himself than he was before.

Kougyoku felt a familiar rush of burning anger as she witnessed the wounds. Her grip tightened on her weapon before she let out an enraged shriek, summoning many, _many _water spears into the air as she did so.

"I'll _destroy _you for that, you monster!"

She barraged her water weapons onto the wretched creature relentlessly, eager to use her anger to at least _graze _the thing in front of her.

Much to her surprise, and to the surprise of everyone else, some of her attacks managed to break through whatever defense the creature was putting up. Her water spears ripped through the creature's skin, injuring it significantly.

Hope and satisfaction trilled at her core as she lifted Vinea to repeat her attack. "Again!"

The sound of skin giving way to her water spears was music to Kougyoku's ears.

"Everyone! It's the hands!" Yasmine barked as her eyes caught sight of everything, "As long as those freakish hands don't block your attacks, it'll hit!"

"Don't move around recklessly." Kouen warned them all from the ground. Much to Kougyoku's relief, he had already used Phenix to knit up most of his wounds. "Koumei! Direct them!"

Everything from there was like an overpowered, lethal game of hot potato. Thanks to Koumei's direction, every dungeon conqueror managed to get a hit onto the doll.

And yet, despite the powerful attacks that everyone piled onto the creature, Kougyoku's sight told her that it did not make the thing falter even the slightest bit. The threat still remained and everyone was getting tired.

"Again." Kougyoku chanted under her breath as she summoned a tsunami, which was followed by her signature water spears. "Again. _Again. _I need to destroy that thing before it…before it…"

'_Before it sucks the life out of everything that I care about.'_

(Because she _knew _that once the medium started taking the rukh – the essence of life itself – it would never **ever **stop until there was nothing left. And the certainty of that very fact scared her.)

But how? Kouen, who was arguably the strongest out of everyone, was beginning to falter. Seishin, who had faced many hopeless situations in the past and survived, looked desperate. Hakuryuu, who pushed himself harder than anyone Kougyoku knew, sent attacks that grew weaker and weaker in succession. Koumei was tiring out. Hakuei was already defeated. Amani was running out of ideas. Yasmine and Kouha were barely holding onto their djinn equip. And Sai…he was…

…What _was _he doing?

Unlike the others, who smelled of metallic desperation, Sai appeared and was calm. Kougyoku realized that he hadn't done a _thing _throughout the whole battle.

"Sai, why aren't you doing anything?! Can't you see that we're all about to **die?**" Kougyoku nearly shrieked. She felt like crying or throwing up at the sheer hopelessness of the situation. Or both. And here Sai was, fooling around like nothing was wrong. "We need your help!"

"Shhh," Sai had the _gal _to hush her as if she was some unruly child in the library. His foxlike ears flicked back in annoyance. Kougyoku nearly went over to the shape shifter to punch him for how lightly he was treating the situation. Any other time, she would've accepted his attitude as part of his personality, but not this time. "I'm trying to _focus, _Kou-chan. I almost got it. This thing's power isn't the easiest to '_steal', _you know."

Kougyoku's eyes widened as Sai, with some difficulty, grabbed at some invisible force with his hand and _pulled_.

"_Extreme Magic_."

And then, a miracle happened:

The medium buckled. The land under its grotesque feet ceased its slow death and trembled only slightly in celebration before falling silent.

With a smug smirk Sai lazily drifted over to the doll and placed his hand on it. With a great, horrible shudder, the magoi that it stole slowly began transferring over to the Blessed Child. The medium's many hands began swarming around Sai, trying to pry him off only to quicken the magoi-transferring process.

"No…way…" Kouha muttered in disbelief when he came over to Kougyoku's side. Awe and reluctant respect poured from her brother's body language. "Is Shambal really taking that thing down all on his own?"

"Yeah."

"Wow."

Kougyoku had to give it to him. Sai was pretty damn impressive when he wanted to be. It was easy for even _her _to forget that Barbas had the most frightening ability out of all four of them. Amani could copy a djinn equip, yes, but having the ability to steal _any _power? Any ability?

It was both a blessing and a curse that Sai decided to use this ability sparingly.

"Thank goodness." Aladdin sighed in relief. "It's almost over."

But he spoke too soon.

At the corner of Kougyoku's vision, a line of bright symbols lit up on the ground, boxing around the medium and the djinn users. Before she could understand what it was, she heard someone shout.

No, she heard _Sai _shout.

She turned around in alarm as she saw the medium's hands attacking Sai with fervor, stripping him of his djinn equip. Or…was it that it had fallen away on its own? Whichever it was, the lack of armor inconvenienced Sai since he no longer had the ability to protect himself or fly. Kougyoku let out a shout as she flew _into _the crowd of hands – which appeared less nightmarish and scary for some reason – and grabbed Sai.

The touch of the hands _burned_ as they blindly touched her. The lack of visions around Sai was alarming despite the stuttering heartbeat that she felt as she held onto her friend.

Actually, the lack of _visions _in general was beginning to freak her out. Even more than the horrible pain those magoi-sucking hands were causing her. She forced herself to fly out of their grasps and into the open. Right at the moment she was out, Kougyoku's djinn equip fell away.

They fell.

Koumei was quick to spirit the falling pair away from the creature before it stripped them completely of their skin.

Someone caught her – she didn't know who – but she didn't really care. Everything hurt and something was very, very wrong. Why couldn't she see the ghostly representations of everyone's feelings? Why did the medium appear less frightening than Kougyoku _knew _it was?

Then, a horrible thought hit the Kou Princess.

Mustering up the remaining energy that she had, Kougyoku reached out for the thoughts of someone, _anyone, _so she could put her worries to rest. She waited for a moment, stomach sinking lower and lower as the seconds passed.

Nothing

Kougyoku vainly tilted her head as if that movement alone would shatter the silence.

Nothing

* * *

In one moment, everything was under control. It was almost _fine, _even.

Kouha should've known that 'fine' never happened that easily.

Within a span of a _minute, _everything was sent back into hell right after Shambal managed to achieve something that made him hope that the end of the battle was near. Now, Shambal and his sister were in critical condition and the freaky monster was back at sucking the magoi from everything it could reach.

And Yasmine was acting strangely. Her flight, which used to be smooth and purposeful, now looked unsteady as an expression of pure panic filled her face. She paid the rampaging creature no mind as she aimlessly flitted around the sky, grabbing at thin air as if searching for something.

Kouha was at her side in an instant. He grabbed her hands, making her flinch almost fearfully. Her surprised reaction would've made him feel successful in the past, but now it only made him even more worried.

"Yasmine?"

She reacted to his voice. "Kouha?"

"What's wrong?" Kouha moved his hands to her shoulders, even daring to make eye contact with her. But, no matter how much he tried, she refused. "Yasmine?"

"Kouha," Yasmine trembled, "I don't know what happened. Everything suddenly went dark and now I can't see."

Kouha stared, horror slowly sinking into his mind as Yasmine's refusal to look at him in the eye made sense.

"_I can't see."_


	50. Chapter 49: Crescendo

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The terrible war finally comes to a close.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Onwards

It was a mark of a good tactician to always be ten steps ahead of the opponent while having at least two well-formed back-up plans in case the first one falls through. Koumei, the young genius he was, excelled at this during his youth. Of course, since real battles were far more unpredictable than the simulations his tutors put him through, maintaining victory was easier said than done. But Koumei managed.

Even now, Koumei's mind was running a million miles at every blink, every breath, because things had suddenly gone very, _very _wrong.

(Keep Seishin at the left, make sure Amani and her brother is at the monster's peripheral, keep Kouha defensive but close enough so he could react when he is needed, move Kougyoku and the other Blessed Child _away _from the battlefield until his King finished healing them, be prepared to move them back since Kougyoku's prowess was needed and –)

But still, even his best was only a temporary fix to what appeared to be a hopeless situation.

And then, it happened.

The thing – Koumei refused to believe that the creature was anything more than a _thing_ and not possibly anything that might've been _human_ – began zeroing its focus on Amani. It had no eyes, but Koumei could see that its swipes and grabs aimed only at the Saluja twins.

And when the pair was separated, it aimed at her.

_Only _at her.

(Oh Solomon, why was it always _her?!_)

The shock that he felt mirrored Amani's expression as she vainly attempted to flit away from the creature's grasp was the last expression she made before the _thing's_ grotesque fingers wrapped around her, drawing a pained shriek from her before it fell silent.

And just like that, all of Koumei's well, thought-out plans (as well of all the back-ups that came with them) were thrown out of the proverbial window to make room for the _rage _that flooded into every core of his being.

"That's my _wife_!" He heard himself snarl dangerously. With a quick, upward flick of his finger, Koumei abruptly sliced off the creature's hand, transporting it in front of him so he could tear Amani away from its rukh-sucking grip. His fingers helplessly scrabbled to his wife's throat, desperately trying to feel for a pulse.

It was only when Koumei felt the weak yet existing pulse when he allowed himself to breath out a sigh of relief. The blind rage and the consuming panic receded, bringing Koumei back to himself.

"Is she okay? Is my sister all right?!" He almost didn't hear his brother-in-law ask, which was a bit surprising since the boy all but screamed this near his ear.

"She will be fine." Koumei heard himself say as he tried to look at the younger male in the eyes. His brother-in-law – Alibaba, was it? – looked like he didn't believe him. Koumei didn't blame him. His words didn't sound convincing to even his own ears. They sounded so _fake _and _unsure_ because that was what they were: A collection of strung-up words that made it clear that, for once, he didn't _know _what to do.

He didn't _know._

"Koumei, hand her over." Kouen ordered from his other side.

Relief filed Koumei at the sound of his older brother's voice. Stubbornly ignoring how his hands burned from the contact with the creature's severed hand, Koumei shakily handed his bloody and still wife over to his older brother.

Sensing Koumei's wavering focus on the situation at hand, Kouen firmly clapped his younger brother on the back, calling Koumei's attention to him.

"I'll take care of her." He solemnly assured him. "She'll be fine."

And what more could Koumei ask of him?

Now assured that Amani was in good hands, Koumei's previously panicked thoughts were cleared out of his head, replaced by what he hoped were cold tactics that would bring the monster down.

(It will _pay _for what it's done_._)

"Hey, are you okay?" Amani's golden twin deigned to ask him a bit nervously. Koumei wondered if his expression appeared as thunderous as he felt.

"I'm completely fine, thank you." He replied as calmly as he could.

And then he dropped a mountain on the medium.

* * *

'_Look at me. I'm here. Can't you see me?'_

For what seemed like every single day of Amani's years in Balbadd Palace, she mentally chanted the mantra whenever she passed her brother. Always, whenever his eyes looked through her, completely unaware of his sister's presence, she felt a little of herself break and sink.

'_Look. Look, Alibaba. I'm here? Can't you see I'm here? Try. Just try.'_

But he never did.

'_Why can't he see me? Why? Alibaba, why can't you…'_

…

_.._ _ **.** _

…_**see me?**_

'_**How did that thing see me?!'**_

It was so scary to be the center of attention for once. She forgot how invasive and heavy the weight of the attention could be. It was so long. All eyes were on her as she dodged every attack the medium threw at her.

Amani's heart leapt at her throat as the hand closed around her body.

At first, all she felt was fear, fear, _fear_. This thing would kill her instantly if it caught her. She was certain of it. Aladdin didn't need to tell her how dangerous this thing was. She already knew. It was only when she somehow caught sight of her twin's eyes (Staring. At _her._) when the horror set in. For once, Alibaba was watching.

'_Don't look at me.'_ Amani mentally begged as she watched Alibaba stare in horror. _'Please…don't look, Alibaba. I don't want you to see this.'_

But he watched. And she screamed.

* * *

It was quiet when they attacked.

It was only thanks to Zaynab and Hassan's previous life in the slums and Kouryuu's sudden cry that they were prepared to defend themselves from the abrupt appearance of their near-silent enemies. Hassan snarled as Al Thamen priests attempted to barricade the rooms where the couple lived.

"What's the meaning of this?" Zaynab snapped as she wrapped her arms protectively around the startled infants. "What are you zealots doing here at our home?" Her eyes widened when one of the priests came forward, beady eyes trained on the red-haired prince. "Don't you dare touch Kouryuu-sama!"

"Insolent wench!" One of the priests snapped. "The Empress herself has ordered her grandson to be brought under her care until his mother's return!" He sneered at Zaynab. "Since it is unbecoming of a royal to be placed under the care of a filthy slum rat."

Hassan growled, affronted for his wife's sake. Zaynab, on the other hand, rolled her eyes. "Nothing I haven't heard before." She scoffed as she drew the babies closer. "And it doesn't matter if you think I'm "unbecoming" or some stupid shit like that. Ghost trusted me to protect her son. There is no way I'm handing him over to you!"

The Al Thamen priest sneered at her words. "Who says that you have any power, you filthy – gah?!"

Within a blink of an eye, the arrogant Al Thamen priest – along with a handful of others – were thrown back by a large hammer.

"_What power? _He says." Hassan mocked as he swung his weapon again. "Did that idiot just forget who we are?"

With a snap of her wrist, Zaynab took down three of the men. Her grip on the frightened infants did not loosen for a moment. "It seems they have." The woman raised her head and began to shout. "Listen up, you Al Thamen grunts! I'm going to say this once and I'm going to say this in a way that even you idiots can understand! We are Princess Amani's household members! And until we die, she will always have us as her support!"

After finishing her loud declaration, Zaynab turned and deposited her son into her husband's arms, much to his surprise. "Hassan, dear, would you mind holding Zassan for me? It's a bit hard fighting with both arms occupied. Thanks."

"Woman, why ask when you already gave him to me? You're such a hassle." Hassan grumbled, but his mouth split open into a proud grin, contradicting his complaint.

"Oh shut up and make a path so we can get through. The young prince and our son are getting fussy. I don't think they like the noise very much."

"Yes, ma'am."

Djinn weapons blazing, the couple cleared the way with the infants in their arms.

Meanwhile, little Kouryuu, who had been crying the entire time, abruptly stopped and stared over Zaynab's shoulder as she ran. His brown eyes, very much like his mothers, traced over a figure that was invisible to all but him.

'_Hush, don't give Zaynab a hard time. You'll be far away from the bad men soon.'_ A low voice murmured to the infant comfortingly, wrapping around him like smoke. _'You did well to warn her and Hassan like I told you to. Just let them take care of you until your mother returns. Trust them.'_

Kouryuu blinked, not quite understanding what the voice was saying. But still, he clutched onto Zaynab tightly and didn't cry again.

* * *

This was starting to get irritating.

Camilla was very well aware of Prince Shion's growing skills with the sword under Sharrkan's enthusiastic tutelage, but she never expected the little prince to improve _this much _within a year. Sinbad's son weaved through her dark thorns without too much trouble. She underestimated him.

Again.

(_Damn Fate for favoring him. Another feature he inherited from his father._)

Camilla's lips curled into a snarl as bitterness welled up in her chest at the young boy's continuous success in evading her capture. It didn't help that he had a loyal, Imuchakk lapdog shielding him from the attacks he couldn't counter.

(Camilla tried not to remember that this was the same child she used to babysit with Ja'far. He was the _enemy _now. Kikiriku chose his alliances.)

"So, what does Al Thamen have planned for us this time?" The purple-haired prince pondered aloud, looking almost cheeky as he danced away from her thorns. "Will you try polluting our rukh again? That seems to be the pattern. Or perhaps, you'll try to suffocate me to death when you get your hands on me like the last time?"

The child's original, lighthearted tone darkened further and further as he listed on the possibilities. Kikiriku sent the younger boy a concerned look, also noticing the sudden shift of his tone. "Shion…" He warned him quietly. "I know you're upset that she did what she did to your mother, but this isn't the time to interrogate her."

Upset?

…Ranya?

Camilla paused for a moment as a strange pang ran through her body. She recalled Ranya and her smiles and her encouragement. She recalled every letter she intercepted, every letter she forged in order to widen the rift between the two people she used to consider more important than her own life. She recalled the brief moments reminded herself again and again that this was for the best. Keeping them apart was for the best.

_It was for the best. If she hadn't…._

"…You're right, Kikiriku." Shion sighed, snapping Camilla out of her thoughts. He sheathed his sword, much to her confusion. "This really _isn't _the time." His blue eyes narrowed as he reached for his side. His hand withdrew, holding a lamp. "I'm wasting my time here. Kikiriku, do you think you can hold her off for me for the time being? My Blessed Children need my help."

"Of course." Kikiriku conceded. In a flash, the young prince was up in the air in his djinn equip. Before she could even blink, Camilla found herself thrown back by a large blast of ice.

As she tried to right herself from the sudden attack (careless, Camilla, careless), Camilla stretched out her hand and sent a barrage of large, dark thorns at the young prince's way. She heard the Imuchakk teen shout out to his prince in warning, but she knew that her thorns would be faster. That was how they were supposed to be. Quick, silent, and deadly the moment they reached their mark.

(She knew her mission required Prince Shion alive in order to have him serve as bait for her true target, but wasn't it better to have him dead? He was already such a large threat to Al Thamen.)

But then, a quick, blue fire streaked through the sky and obliterated her thorns in a matter of moments, ensuring the prince's safe departure. Distantly, she heard him give a loud whoop.

"Thanks, Tiare! I owe you one!"

Camilla's heart plummeted.

'_No…'_

She felt something sharp press at her throat, forcing her to look away from the shrinking figure of Prince Shion. Her eyes met Kikiriku's. "I don't want to kill you, Camilla, but I'll do what I have to if you continue doing this." The hard look in his eyes softened. "Why are you doing this? The Camilla who babysat my siblings would never try killing a child simply out of spite. You love children. Mother would have never trusted you with us if you weren't like that."

"Yes, Rurumu had always been fair to me, hadn't she?" Camilla recalled almost sadly. "I always respected her. For her, I kept you alive this long despite your allegiance with Prince Shion."

He made a frustrated sound. "What do you have against Shion anyway?!"

"You wouldn't understand if I told you. You are too blinded to see the true threat."

"Make me understand, then. Give me a reason why you're doing this." Kikiriku begged. "No one has to die. We can talk this over peacefully."

"You won't understand." Camilla repeated before she allowed the ground to swallow her up, reappearing out of any weapon's reach. She smiled slowly as large, dark roses bloomed at both of her sides.

Kikiriku's gaze hardened. A creature – Camilla recognized it as the little girl who came back from the Dungeon mission – landed right next to the Imuchakk and growled at her menacingly.

"I guess not, then."

* * *

There was never a place that Kouha felt more at home than the battlefield. It was a place where he excelled at and he took extreme pride in his skills too. With a sword at hand, Kouha never had a reason to hesitate or wait. When it came to battles, it was always a simple swipe, kill, and move onto the next opponent for him. He never stopped since that would mean wasting time.

And wasting time meant that he was incompetent.

And being incompetent meant that he would hold En-nii back.

"You should go ahead and help your brothers, Kouha. I'm only holding you back."

Kouha felt Yasmine lightly tug her arm away from his shoulders. He glanced at her as she struggled to stabilize herself in the air. He felt pride thrum through his veins as he was once again struck with awe by her strength.

But, at the same time, he felt incredulous by her suggestion.

'_Leave you?'_ He wanted to say. _'Like that's ever going to happen. If that was ever my intention, I would've left long ago. I'll stay here and support you – forever, if you need me to.'_

Of course, Kouha didn't say this aloud. He knew Yasmine well enough to predict her offended reaction to his thoughts. She would take it as him viewing her as weak and she would punch him. Or try to, at least. And he would let her.

(Shame and death to _anyone _who thought Yasmine Leoxses as someone _weak_.)

"Hold me back? You? Never." Kouha said instead, keeping a respectful distance from her. "Look at you now. You're doing great, Yasmine."

She smiled wryly and chuckled, making his breath catch. "You overestimate me, Kouha. I can't fight by your side at this state. It's better for you to help out your siblings for now without me. I'll-I'll manage."

"Yasmine –

"No. Kouha, we're in a middle of a battle. A losing one. You can't risk flying around with deadweight like me. Don't bother waiting for me and go ahead."

And in that very moment, Kouha heard the sound logic in Yasmine's words. How could he not when she was echoing one of his main philosophies of battle? Don't wait, just go ahead and _destroy_.

Don't hesitate.

Don't be incompetent.

_Don't hold En-nii back._

"…"

"Kouha?"

"…No."

Yasmine flinched in surprise at Kouha's response. Unbeknownst to her, he had the same reaction the moment the word rebelliously escaped from his mouth. After Kouha recovered, he decided that he had nothing more to lose and continued to speak his mind.

"I'm not leaving you." Kouha stated clearly. "And it's not because I think you need my help. You're capable of taking care of yourself. You're capable of _anything _and that's no exaggeration. I'm not leaving you because you're coming with me to help."

Yasmine frowned. "But –

"No buts!" Kouha interrupted quickly and took her by the shoulders. "_You can fight._ I saw you fight even with your dominant arm almost torn off just a few hours ago. You were half-dead and you almost lost all your blood. If you could fight then, you can fight now. Just trust me and let me help you, Yasmine."

Yasmine hesitated for a moment. But it was only for a moment.

"Okay." She agreed. "Okay. I'll go since they need Gamigin's power to hold off that medium. But this is only because I trust you with my life, Kouha. Lead me and be patient with me, okay? I'm counting on you."

Kouha felt as if his face was about to split open with how widely he was grinning. He knew that Yasmine trusted him since they fought together for years but to this extent…

Patient? He could do patient. He could wait.

Yasmine was always worth waiting for.

"Got it. Follow me."

(At the end, Yasmine – with Kouha's help – managed to buy the rest of the djinn vessel users more time to briefly recuperate and strengthen themselves. Gamigin's power was useful in staving off the medium's mad search for magoi and Leraje never failed to cut away any offending hand that tried to grab at Yasmine. Though they didn't make it unscathed, they were able to hold their own until the Seven Seas Alliance came to lend a hand.)

* * *

It's been a while since Yasmine's world was this dark.

Even with her blindfolds on, even with her eyelids closing over her (dangerous) eyes, she could still see what was in front of her and _beyond_. Sometimes, it was a huge inconvenience when she tried to sleep, but she managed.

It was…a shock when she lost her sight.

No, not shock.

Fear.

Yasmine was afraid of the darkness. She was afraid of the lack of color and the miles and miles of nothingness that stretched in all directions. Which direction was up? Down? She no longer knew. Where would her enemies come? She didn't know that either.

It wasn't like what she imagined. Raja…Raja made it seem so simple, so inconsequential as he lost his sight. He still fought beside her. He still cooked. He still walked. He was always so calm and forgiving when she cried for him. There was not even a moment when Raja appeared afraid.

Yasmine wondered now if it was all an act. For her.

Kouha's presence, at least, was a relief. He kept calm despite the situation and stuck to her side. Though he was mindful of her handicap, he didn't coddle her and encouraged her to continue fighting.

(_"You can fight." _He insisted. _"I saw you fight even with your dominant arm almost torn off just a few hours ago. You were half-dead and you almost lost all your blood. If you could fight then, you can fight now. Just trust me and let me help you, Yasmine."_

"_I love you." _She almost told him and it frightened her at how much she knew she would mean it.)

She told him that she trusted him with her life. And she did.

If it were anyone in this world, Yasmine knew that Kouha was one of the few who could watch her back until she got her abilities back.

* * *

The Knight King of Sasan was many things, but he was no fool.

He knew how important his granddaughter's existence was to his country. Not only did she stand as a powerful symbol to the rest of the world, but she was also the best defense against any outsiders who desired to plunder Sasan's riches through invasion.

In the past, Darius had been disappointed in his granddaughter's gender. The preconceived notions of females only acting as political bartering chips and heir-bearers completely blinded him from seeing her potential strength. Not only that, Yasmine had been cursed with the ability to kill thousands with a simple look. Though formidable, her power frightened the entirety of Sasan. Even Darius, much to his eventual shame. And, because of this fear, he pushed away Yasmine to the point that they both viewed each other as strangers. Darius lost his granddaughter and, when he understood that he did wrong, it was too late.

But Raja…Raja had always known.

"_And, when she becomes a woman far more beautiful than the rest of this disgusting court and far more useful than even you, you'll regret the day you threw her away and disowned her."_

It was as if he predicted the entire future perfectly.

By the time that Darius came to realize this…there was already an irreparable distance between them. Because of his position as the country leader, he had no means of protecting her from the assassins that Kaveh continuously sent behind Darius' back or the hatred that Sasan held against her.

As a grandfather, he was completely useless.

But, Yasmine was a strong woman. Despite Darius' efforts to meddle and send his granddaughter away with the pretense of marriage, she had rejected his decision completely and cut ties with the country all on her own.

And now, here he was: Looking down at his granddaughter from his perch on an Artemyrian bird. She was still with the imprudent Kou prince.

Darius encouraged the bird closer to the pair.

Surprisingly, only the Kou prince reacted to his appearance. The pink-haired youth blinked for a moment before drawing close to Yasmine and tugging her to him. She jumped at his sudden touch for a moment before relaxing. She tilted her head. "Kouha?"

"What are _you _doing here?" The Kou prince spat scathingly.

"As you can see, the entire Seven Seas Alliance came to aid Kou in defending Magnostadt from that creature at the suggestion of a wandering magi." Darius stated clearly. Then, he scanned the entire battlefield critically. "Apparently, his concern wasn't unfounded."

The prince scoffed loudly, holding onto Yasmine tighter. Darius' eyes narrowed at the action. "Well, whatever. But, just to be clear, you can't take Yasmine back! You Sasanians did nothing but hurt her and treat her like shit! She's staying with _me _now!"

"And you're doing such a wonderful job keeping my granddaughter safe. Blinded and injured, you are indeed the most ideal bodyguard." Darius responded dryly.

"…Tch!"

Unsurprisingly, the imprudent Kou youth glared daggers at Darius. Yasmine, on the hand, seemed to waver at the sound of his voice.

"Grandfather…?"

For a moment, the Knight King allowed his mind to flash to a distant memory of a young girl sobbing freely over a broken body.

"Yes, granddaughter. I am here."

Darius Leoxses was no fool. But he was also human. He had committed countless mistakes in the name of protecting his people. Though she was a Blessed Child – a feared monster, a weapon – she was also his granddaughter – his flesh, his blood. There was no doubt about it. Even to this day, she continued to resemble her Uncle Mistoras more and more in spirit and determination. Her performance before her self-imposed exile only solidified this belief.

"The Seven Seas Alliance has come!"

* * *

Eirenne was the most beautiful woman in Heliohapt. Even as she holds the title of the mother of the crown prince and the…spare, she still remains far more beautiful than her Lord Armakan…other wives. Married merely for political purposes of course.

And even _if _there were potential competition that arose from time to time, well…it truly was a pity that Heliohapt was the home of _so many_ poisonous creatures.

Truly a pity.

No matter what threats arose between her and the object of her desire, Eirenne made sure to eliminate whatever pest or bane from the picture. And she had so much to lose if she didn't. Now, no one could touch her while she is queen. She was at the top of the hierarchy in every sense. The world was at her beck and call, after all. Everything must be perfect. Everything must be beautiful.

Which is why it was necessary to get rid of the hussy who almost ruined _everything_.

"When I'm done with you, I'll clean up the rest of the mess. Your half-breed husband, his troop, his army…well, why not simply the entire Empire? Heliohapt used to always serve the Reim Empire in the past. It used to be such a hassle to take of when my husband was younger. Yes. Destroying the Reim Empire is the right answer! It'll destroy any lingering remainders of your existence and my husband will be happy enough to forgive me for breaking my promise." Eirenne tittered. "And why not add in more land for my precious son to inherit?"

"Enough of this, Eirenne." Maya snarled. "Weren't you satisfied when you sent me away from Heliohapt in chains?"

Eirenne pretended to ponder over the other woman's question. "Hmmm no. You see, I originally intended to put you down like the bitch you were. But my dear Armakan was too smitten with you to allow that back then. Because of that, we compromised." She pointed at Maya. "I won't kill you and he'll never see you again. I even got to decide how to send you off. My Armakan was _so _generous back then."

Her eyes sharpened.

"Of course…you were supposed to die anyways. Imagine my surprise when I found out you not only managed to free yourself from slavery but you also spawned a little brat." She wrinkled her nose. "I so despise flaws. They offend me. Your demon son offends me the most of all! He must be removed before he ruins everything!"

"Touch my son and I'll rip you to shreds!" With an animalistic snarl, Maya lunged.

With a swing of her hand, Eirenne caught Maya in mid-jump and slapped her away. To her amusement, her effortless attack managed to fling the other woman away to the other side of the ship.

Ah, how she loved Raul's inventions. They always worked perfectly, even at the face of something as powerful as a metal vessel.

Maya bared her teeth and attacked her with more fervor.

"You can't hurt me, pet." Eirenne taunted with a smug smile as Maya pummeled her body with another round of attacks. "There's no possible way that you can hurt me with those flimsy attacks of yours! My ability is 'Impenetrable Skin'. Even at its passive state, no attacks can reach me!" She sneered at the woman. "You'll sooner tire out before even getting a _scratch _on me, pet. Give up! You can't win! Raul's scientific improvements to the dark djinn equip is too flawless to defeat!" She boasted.

Much to Eirenne's smug satisfaction, Maya's attacks faltered. The other woman's breaths came out in sharp pants. Behind her, her half-breed husband lay on the ground, almost completely out of magoi.

'_How simple.'_ Eirenne thought, almost disappointed by how easily her victory came. In a single moment, she could easily kill and destroy everything that Maya held dear in front of her eyes before killing her off. Just as she wanted. _'This is almost too good to be true.'_

"Challenge accepted, lady." A young voice sounded, breaking the silence.

Then, at the corner of her eye, Eirenne caught sight of glinting metal.

**BANG!**

Eirenne couldn't help but flinch from the loud, sharp sound. Even Maya jumped from where she stood. Both women stared in shock as a small, stream of blood trailed down from Eirenne's cheek. "What…how…this can't be…?!"

"Wha~at?! Is that it?! I thought this thing is supposed to be impenetrable!_ "Too flawless to defeat"_ my ass. Man, so this 'Raul' guy is totally some overrated scientist!" The young voice scoffed. Eirenne turned her head to face a young boy, tossing and catching this strange, metal device. Her cheek stung from the movement. The child took one look at her face and scoffed. "Don't throw around the word 'flawless' so carelessly when you're talking about science and inventions. Scientists have more pride than that. Even an awesome scientist like myself needs improvement now and again." He smirked. "I mean, take a look at yourself! With just a little gun like this, I was easily able to pierce that so-called tough skin of yours. That's such a huge flaw! Guess your 'Raul' isn't that much of a big deal, huh?"

'_This…this brat!'_

Eirenne reached out to squish the imprudent child, but she reared back when she heard the sharp, loud sound again. This time, the weapon grazed her leg. She shrieked.

"Ah, ah, ah, lady. Don't move or I'll accidentally kill you out of fright. I'm still trying to get the hang of this thing. I'm self-taught, you see. It'll be smarter just to sit still, kay?" He tilted his head. "Hey guys! Coast is clear-ish. I'll keep my eye on the Cursed Child. There's a couple of injured guys up here too so hurry up!"

A feminine voice sighed loudly. "So bossy, Jamal. You're getting pretty cocky for a guy who's using a housewife's frying pan as a weapon."

"Urk…harsh much?"

Another voice sounded, disgruntled.

"Crazy herbivore, shut up. Opal, help the survivors onto the emergency boats. Aunt Myron, Lo'Lo, get Muu away from this ship. He needs immediate medical attention." A deeper voice rang out. Then, in a gentler tone, the voice continued. "Mother, are you okay? You're not too hurt, are you? Put away your djinn equip. You're straining yourself! Don't worry. I'm here now."

Her eyes zeroed onto the only existence she despised more than Maya.

"_Little Demon."_ She hissed.

With a face that resembled her husband too much, Hel rushed over to Maya and looked over her worriedly. Despite her child's presence, her stance did not relax and her eyes didn't leave Eirenne for a single moment. Hel noticed this too.

Following his mother's eyes, the teen's eyes landed on Eirenne. Then, a slow, feral smile appeared on his lips like a wolf that just found its prey.

'_I know you.'_ His eyes seemed to say, sending chills down Eirenne's spine. _'I know what you tried to do and I won't let you get away with it.'_

"Hey, crazy herbivore. Put that thing away."

The boy tilted his head. "Hmm? Why? Wait. I know that nasty look. You want to fight her, don't you Hel?" He shrugged and lowered his weapon. "Whelp, I guess I can't do anything about that. Oi, Opal! We should probably clear the deck! Your boyfriend wants to go all out!"

"Solomon, seriously?! At least wait until I'm finished helping everyone, will you?!"

Even though the boy was no longer pointing the frightening weapon at her, the feeling the terror seemed to amplify as Hel stepped toward her.

"_Kamikorosu."_

* * *

Within the medium, a single, bright soul remained right next to the center of the creature's heart. There, a weaker light flickered, fighting to stay alight. The bright soul shone determinedly, keeping the other small light company.

And then…

Familiar magoi flowed into the medium, shocking the bright soul from its duty for a single moment. This feeling…this magoi came from a very important person! A very special, precious person!

But this was wrong. Why was his magoi here? This place…this darkness…it only meant death for any living thing that came into contact with it. In a panic, the bright soul left the center to prevent the darkness from taking any more life force from its most precious person.

'_No…no! This is wrong! Sai…don't take Sai! Don't kill him when he still has to live! Spit him out! Let him go!'_

And, with a push, the bright light forced Sai away from the Medium. Sai's soul was significantly weakened from its brush with death but…

He'll live.

And that's all that Titus ever wanted.

* * *

Sai didn't know that it was so possible to feel so _naked _until this moment. How scary was it that all the masks that he used to have at his disposal were stripped away from him within a second.

(How did that **happen?**)

It wasn't the medium that did it. Sai was completely certain that everything – and he meant _everything _– was stripped away in a frightening moment before the medium tried to strip everything that was left of Sai with malicious fervor. He was almost certain that he was supposed to be dead.

But he wasn't. How?

(For a moment, Sai thought he felt…)

…Well, that didn't matter.

Though he had never experienced losing a limb, this was probably what it felt like. If not, then it was _worse_. It was one sense, one aspect of himself that was a constant in this lifetime. It's been so long…_too_ long since he hadn't depended on his masks.

Almost unconsciously, Sai mentally tried to reach out and call for his djinn. His single eye narrowed as his magic clashed against his djinn's, rendering his chakram completely useless in the magical respect.

"_Dammit."_ He hissed as he looked up at the giant battle happening in front of his eyes. The medium stood tall and strong in front of the brunt of the attacks from the various djinn equips. All of this was happening and he was completely grounded.

(_"Don't depend on your ability too much, Sai. It'll be bad for you in the end."_)

Sai hated it when Marius was right. But when wasn't he? It was Sai who always remained in a state of denial in the first place.

Sai glanced at the tree right next to him and then at his semi-useless weapon.

(_"Instead, be yourself."_)

"'Be yourself', my ass. It's harder than it sounds. Cheesy bastard." Sai muttered sullenly. But still, he walked over to the tree.

He needed a staff, after all.

* * *

"Ah. It seems that my time is almost out."

Scheherazade looked up at the sky, frowning sadly as she felt herself fade bit by bit as she continued to use her magoi to protect the citizens from the attacks.

It truly was a pity that her body chose _now _out of all times to give out and die. Scheherazade knew that she was far more fortunate than many others, but she couldn't help but feel that the timing was inconvenient. There was so much she still had to do! There was so much that she still wanted to do! She didn't want to-!

…

This…this must have been what Titus felt in his last moments. Or, was it that he had always felt like this?

If that was the case, Scheherazade really was the horrible mother that Sai made her out to be.

Scheherazade looked over at the battlefield. She saw Muu and Ignatius step into the battlefield in their djinn equips. A sense of peace filled her as she watched them raise their arms to fight. Reim would be fine in their hands. She was certain of that.

Scheherazade no longer had any reason to be afraid. She no longer had any regrets. Just hope.

"Titus, this is for you. Forgive your foolish mother for causing you so much pain."

She raised her staff towards the sky.

"My role…ends here."

* * *

"Princess Kohaku, there is no one who can save you in this situation. Your father is busy managing the medium. All the Blessed Children are weakened because of this seal." Ming Hua gestured over to the faintly glowing symbols on the ground beside her. "Please give up."

At her words, Kohaku stubbornly shook her head.

"I will not give up!"

Ming Hua bit her lip in irritation, drawing blood. She sent another barrage of her dark worms toward the young princess.

"Please, do not make this difficult for us, Princess Kohaku."

Though annoyed with the situation, Ming Hua wasn't surprised the slightest at how difficult the little princess was being. She had always been a source of problems and grief within and outside the palace.

If only the child hadn't been born…

Ming Hua mentally began to urge her worms to move faster. Responding to her unconscious desire to kill the little princess, their mouths widened and their teeth sharpened. Seeing this, the young girl gulped and her mismatched eyes grew wider.

"Why are you doing this, Ming Hua?" The child called down to her as she expertly swerved away. She made sure to carefully move away from the significantly sharpened teeth. "I don't really mind that you did all those mean things to me. If you hadn't, the previous Emperor would've married me off to an older man and I would've never met Shion. I don't even mind that it was _you _who spread the rumor about me being cursed by Uncle Hakuyuu and Uncle Hakuren!"

Ming Hua paused in her attacks for a moment, eyes widening in surprise. _'She knew?'_

Kohaku, seeing the woman's shock, nodded. "I knew! I knew that you hated me, even back then!" She then pointed at Ming Hua accusingly. "But…what I don't understand…what I really can't forgive is the way you're playing around with Mama! Why are you betraying Mama?! Isn't she your best friend? She _trusted _you!"

Ming Hua's eyes hardened at the child's accusation. "You do not know anything!"

"She _trusted _you!" Kohaku repeated again. "You _lied _to her! And now, you're siding with the bad people, who she hates, and you're trying to kill her daughter!"

"_**You know nothing!"**_ Ming Hua shouted, eyes filled with bloodlust and hatred. "Cease speaking or I'll do it for you! This chase has gone long enough! It doesn't matter that I need to bring you back alive anymore. Camilla probably went against that particular order too, so I should be fine. I'll just keep your corpse mostly intact and - !"

"Ming…is that you?"

Ming Hua's eyes widened as all attacks ceased immediately. All the dark worms lost their forms, leaving the Cursed Child standing alone. A cold feeling settled in her chest at the sound of the voice. She turned and saw Seishin's figure. Her friend looked back at her in disbelief. "Why are you here? No, that's not important now." Seishin's usually kind eyes hardened as she took in the state of the area and her daughter. "Ming, what are you doing to my daughter?"

Ming Hua couldn't say anything. It was as if the words stuck at her tongue and refused to leave her mouth.

Seishin's hand landed on the scabbard of her sword.

"Ming," Her tone lowered threateningly, "I asked you, 'What are you doing to my daughter'? Why aren't you answering?"

"Seishin," Ming Hua finally found her voice, "It's not what you –

Both were interrupted when the ground around them began to shine. Kohaku, who had landed onto the ground during Ming Hua's distraction, had brought her staff down onto the ground.

The faintly glowing symbols on the ground shattered upon the staff's impact and were immediately replaced by a new set of symbols. Ming Hua felt all her worms wither away under the intense light. Vines and plants grew in their place. Kohaku looked up and smirked from her position.

"Got you." She breathed. "It was hard setting up the magic circle with all the attacks, but I managed to activate them thanks to you being distracted by this simple illusion."

"What?!"

In an instant, Seishin's angry image shimmered and disappeared.

For a numb moment, Ming Hua didn't understand what was happening. This Seishin? A fake? An illusion? When her mind finally caught up with the situation, she only felt cold rage at the child's trickery.

This child…

This child…!

"**I will not forgive you for this!"**

Because of her, Ming Hua failed in her mission. Because of her, everything she spent years planning for slipped through her fingers. The Blessed Children were no longer weakened. The only solution now was to kill her in order to silence her.

Though significantly weakened by Kohaku's magic seal, Ming Hua managed to summon a handful more of her dark creatures.

This, at least, should be enough to kill this small child.

Kohaku released a sigh as she straightened herself. "I can see that you're no longer planning to bring me alive. That's fine. I was holding back too since I was setting up this magic circle, but I'm ready to face you in my full strength now."

She lifted her staff in challenge.

"Come!"

* * *

Judal floated a good distance away from the battlefield. Beside him, Yunan balanced himself on his fishing rod-like staff. "…Do you understand, Judal? We need to make sure that there isn't a single dark rukh that remains once this is all over."

"Yeah, yeah, I get it already. This is the seventh damn time you went through this. Go and bother someone else."

'_Is Princess over there?'_

Judal looked wistfully over towards the direction of the medium.

Without a doubt, she was out there with the others. Kougyoku was never one to back down at the face of danger or war. She welcomed battles with open arms. Sometimes, she jumped into them too eagerly.

A year. He hadn't seen, heard, or written to her in a whole year.

'_I want to see her…but Turtle-sensei said that I needed to wait and collect the dark rukh from the medium after it's defeated before anyone from Al Thamen could.' _

"…Judal? Judal?! Are you listening?! You really aren't, are you?" Yunan whined next to his ear. "This is really, really important. You're the only one who can convert dark rukh to light. The fate of this whole world practically sits on your shoulders and you're just daydreaming!"

"Shut up, Turtle-sensei! I know! I know! Stop nagging me!"

"Then focus!"

'_Che, what an annoying guy. Can't he do this himself?!'_ He mentally complained as he roughly pushed the older magi away from him. _'That Finalis girl got to go and be at the weak King Candidate's side. Why can't I go too? Stupid Turtle-sensei. Why can't he not be useless for once?_

Though she did not even have a speck of magic in her body, Judal grudgingly respected the Finalis for her strength. Through their shared training, Judal's physical strength improved significantly and the pair had formed a strange camaraderie from the year they spent together. They weren't quite friends but they were no longer enemies either.

Still, Judal felt a small, stab of resentment towards the Finalis for reaching her not-yet-sweetheart before he did.

'_Princess is right over there. So close…I want to see her. I want to see her. I want to see her.'_

Judal's thoughts were interrupted by a flock of rukh flying past his face. The dark magi reared back. Yunan also reacted in surprise at the sudden appearance of the rukh. He reached up and touched one of them before a sad look crossed his face. Judal silently questioned his teacher's strange reaction with a raised brow.

"Scheherazade." Yunan only said simply, tilting his hat over his eyes.

But that was enough for Judal to understand.

One of their own had just passed. For him, it was a strange concept that a powerful being like a magi just died. But then again, it was another proof that they were just human. Judal took a moment to lower his head in respect at the other magi's passing just as Tao had taught him.

"It's sad, isn't it?" Yunan asked. "Don't worry. She died sacrificing her magoi so everyone can give it their all of one, last attack. Let's not disappoint her."

Judal raised his head from his moment of silence, eyes not quite leaving the rukh until they were out of his sight.

"Yeah."

* * *

Out of the four, Kougyoku was the least affected.

Despite her loss of her second sight, she didn't necessarily need it during battle. It only served to show her the true nature of her enemies after all. In fact, Kougyoku found that she was more confident against the medium without her ability.

(Truly, the wise men were correct when they said that bravery is for the ignorant or blind.)

Kougyoku rained more attacks at the creature than she did before. She rose up against the thing at every turn, making sure that it didn't even have a moment's rest to try and suck up more magoi. Her rage towards the medium spurred her on at every attack. It _hurt _her friends. Kougyoku didn't care that it essentially wasn't sentient. The pain it caused _must be _returned.

But, along with her rage, Kougyoku also had a realization about the Blessed Children in general. The sudden loss of their abilities revealed a very significant weakness in herself and all the other Blessed Children, past and present.

'_We die so quickly because we depend too much on our abilities.'_

And why shouldn't they? All Blessed Children were initially _born _with their abilities. They don't know how to function without them. The moment all their powers transferred over to their successors, they die. Truly, their enemies knew exactly what it took to take them down.

But Kougyoku had the advantage of living _two _lives. All four of them did.

'_We won't die.'_ She swore to herself as she attacked the medium with Hakuei. _'At least not in this way.'_

'_I need to know what spell they used.'_

And then, in a single, blessed moment, she felt a strange rush come over her body. She blinked at the foreign sensation and jerked back at the visions that bombarded her eyes.

Her powers! It was back!

Elation and relief filled the Blessed Child's body as she activated her Second Degree. Joy filled her even more at the cascade of various thoughts filling her ears.

'_Yasmine! Her sight is back!'_

'_Strange, where is Amani? She was right next to me a moment ago. Don't tell me I lost her in the middle of the battlefield!'_

'_It seems their powers returned. That's good.'_

'…_? My powers? They're back?!'_

'_Yare, yare, it seems that whatever was blocking our powers is no longer working. That's good. Now, I should shift to take on a djinn equip so I can help take down that filthy thing.'_

'_Ah, what a relief!'_

'…_cess…?'_

Kougyoku paused at a particular voice. It was quiet and hardly audible since the person was probably far away, but the voice was too familiar for her to ignore. Kougyoku tilted her head and focused even harder on the specific voice. Her heart leapt to her throat when the thought became clearer.

'_I want to see her…but Turtle-sensei said that I needed to wait and collect the dark rukh from the medium after it's defeated before anyone from Al Thamen could. Che, what an annoying guy. Can't he do this himself?! That Finalis girl got to go and be at the weak King Candidate's side. Why can't I go too? Stupid Turtle-sensei. Why can't he not be useless for once? Princess is right over there. So close…I want to see her. I want to see her. I want to see her.'_

Judal!

"Sister Kougyoku! What's wrong?!" Kougyoku heard Hakuryuu call out worriedly, breaking her out of her elated thoughts. She turned to him and grinned widely. "My powers are back! And Judal is here! He's here!"

Hakuryuu returned her smile briefly before hardening his features.

"It's wonderful news, but we still have the medium to worry about! King Sinbad, the Seven Seas Alliance, and our siblings are all preparing to give their all to their last attack!"

Kougyoku felt as if someone dumped a cold bucket of water over her head at her stepbrother's words. She knew he was right. Kougyoku lifted Vinea with a determined gleam in her eyes. "Right."

She'll see Judal later. That was for certain. But first, they needed to focus on their respective duties. Drawing her focus away from Judal's thoughts, Kougyoku brought all of her attention back onto the battlefield and turned off her Second Degree.

She would need all the energy she had for this.

"Extreme Magic!"

* * *

How had things come to this?

The entire palace had suddenly decided to descend into chaos almost immediately after the departure of all of Kou's metal vessel users. It was only thanks to Amani's loyal maid, Leah, that he was able to get through the halls unscathed. Behind his mask, Tao's eyes narrowed as he and the maid hid from the Al Thamen priests' view.

'_What are they after?'_ He wondered silently to himself.

"We should leave the palace now. Zaynab and Hassan already prepared a carriage so we could leave in top speed." Leah informed him quietly. "If they find us now…"

Tao glanced at her. "How are the kids?"

While escaping from the Al Thamen priests, Tao and Leah had bumped into Amani's household members. Since bringing the infants was too much for the brawling couple to handle as they're clearing the way, the two women agreed to entrust Zassan and Kouryuu's safety in Leah's care.

Leah sniffed. "That's _Prince Kouryuu_ to you, Mister Tao." She drew the quiet infant closer to her chest. The baby didn't make too much of a fuss over the action. It was a small relief that Kouryuu was a well-behaved baby. Zassan, on the other hand, was another story. But, thankfully, Leah had managed to rock the more stubborn infant to sleep before he could make any more of a fuss. "And how _where _you able to find Zaynab and Hassan so quickly through the chaos?"

Tao scratched his cheek nervously.

"Well…they were making quite a bit of noise with their fighting. It was more of a lucky guess."

That, and a very helpful ghost of a fallen soldier, who remained loyal to the Kou royalty even after his untimely death

But Leah didn't have to know that.

The pair silently made their way towards the palace stalls where Hassan and Zaynab agreed to meet. They almost made it when Zassan decided to wake up from his short nap. Seeing that he was in a completely different environment, the baby began to cry.

The sounds were just enough to gather attention from the nearby priests.

Leah looked ready to curse, but refrained as Tao grabbed her hand and ran from the area. Much to the pair's dismay, the priests were quick to overtake them and restrain them.

"Get your filthy hands off my Prince!" Leah shrieked as one of the priests forcefully snatched Kouryuu away from her arms. The baby's little body wiggled in distress at the unfamiliar set of hands.

"This is the child, Markkio sir."

"Good. Arba will be happy to hear that."

"And what should we do with the rest of them?" One priest suddenly asked. The priest holding Kouryuu glanced at Tao and Leah before waving at their direction dismissively. "Execute them both. We can use the other child as a bargaining chip to, ah, _convince _the troublemaking household members to cease their fighting."

"Yes sir."

Much to his horror, the priests grabbed Leah and held her down. One drew out an intimidatingly large sword and held it against the back of her neck.

"Wait! Kill me instead!" Tao begged as he attempted to struggle out of his captors' grips to reach the sobbing maid. "You lot wanted me gone, right? Since I was the catalyst to Al Thamen's loss to their powerful magi. There's no need to do that to Miss Leah! She is innocent! It's me you want to kill! I promise to comply if you spare her! Kill me and leave them all be!"

Despite her fear, Leah shook her head. "No! Princess Amani entrusted your safety to me! Kill me first!"

To his relief, the priests ignored Leah completely and complied with his desperate request. He didn't quite care that their decision was mostly fueled by their immense dislike towards him.

Tao was forced onto his knees. He felt the sharp end of the blade press onto the back of his neck, drawing some blood.

'_Kido…wherever you are, stay strong.'_ He prayed as he forced himself to look up, causing the blade to press down harder.

Tao smiled at Leah reassuringly through the pain. "It's fine. It's not your fault. Please take care of the children while I'm gone. Don't let them watch this."

Leah swallowed a sob and covered Zassan's eyes.

'_Good. Children shouldn't see any of this.'_

"Die."

_Swish_

The last thing Tao heard before the blade sunk into his neck was the panicked shriek of the maid and the Zassan's loud wails.

The last thing Tao saw before his vision went black was the quiet yet steady gaze of Prince Kouryuu.

* * *

Raul frowned as he inspected the broken seal. He clicked his tongue in disappointment.

"Aaah, someone broke it. And I spent so much time creating this thing too. This'll be a hassle to fix. And I didn't even get the chance to fulfill my mission. I hope Eirenne or Ming Hua managed to get mine along with theirs but that's too much to hope for."

He glanced back at the unconscious form of his daughter on the ground. The Cursed Child allowed himself to smile thinly at the sight. She had put up such a fight before he managed to knock her out. The skill Selene possessed impressed Raul greatly. At the same time, the scientist couldn't help but feel a bit frustrated at how much she struggled against the idea of bringing the family back together.

He didn't understand.

Weren't children normally attached to their parents? Didn't children want, above all else, to please their parents? Didn't children fear their parents' rejection? And yet, Selene and Sai did not act how Raul expected.

"How confusing. Honestly, I thought children were simpler than this."

Raul walked over to Selene's unconscious body and reached over to pick her up. "Time to go home, Selene."

When the scientist attempted to lift her, he blinked in surprise when he found that his right arm wasn't moving as his mind was telling it to. His other arm also felt a bit numb.

"…? What is this?"

Raul used his more functional arm to pull back his sleeve. He barked out a surprised laugh at the sight.

His right arm looked all blue, almost purple. It was no wonder that he couldn't move his arm. If he didn't know better, Raul might've mistaken the symptom as his arm being severely bruised. And yet, there was a small hole near his elbow, which resembled a mosquito bite.

Mentally, Raul applauded his daughter's ingenuity.

"A poison specialist!" He marveled. "What a unique talent! And here I thought you were only interested in the medical field. I'm so proud of you, Selene. You continue to impress me."

Raul took a step back and glanced at his arm again. "Ah…I'm not familiar with this poison. Did you make it yourself? And in such short time!"

Selene did not answer.

"Father understands. You want to stay here longer, don't you? You learned and grew so much in this sort of environment. It only makes sense to keep you here until your abilities completely mature. Well, how can I deny this small desire from my cute daughter?" Raul sighed and turned away. "I can see that my side is fighting a losing battle, so you'll survive even if you stay here. Magicians will find you once the fight is over."

He looked down at his arm once again as he made his way to leave.

"Hmm? This feeling…some components of this poison is supposed to paralyze me. Is this snake venom?"

* * *

Shion knew that his father saw the world in waves. There was a special relationship between his father and the sea. Shion suspected that it was heavily influenced through his grandfather's profession as a fisherman.

Shion's mother always saw the world through the rukh. Because of this, he knew that she loved the world deeply despite the cruelty and despair. She was always bright.

And Shion?

Usually, Shion saw the world in rubber bands. At other times, he saw the world through chessboards and games. In his dreams, he saw the world through flames.

Mostly, though, he also simply watched the world as it was. None of the waves or rukh nonsense. He did enough of that in his past life. That sort of worldview was what led his comrades to their deaths after all.

Shion flew behind the medium. None of the others noticed his presence yet, which was completely fine to the Sindrian prince. The sword in his hand silently shifted into a sling.

There was a story that Shion liked to listen to during his travels with the Blessed Children. 'David and Goliath'. It appealed to Shion that the seemingly small and weak David managed to bring down the undefeatable warrior, Goliath, with only a sling.

The sling had always been Shion's preferred weapon.

Keeping his eyes on the medium, Shion began to swing the sling, gathering as much energy as he could into the piece of cloth. He condensed it into a stone-like shape.

The last time he used an attack like this, the explosion managed to throw back a powerful metal vessel user like his father. Shion had only gathered a small amount of energy.

He wondered how much damage the medium would receive with an attack like this?

Making sure to aim at the creature's head, Shion released the ball of energy and watched as it sailed towards its target. At the same moment, all the other metal vessel users attacked with their extreme magic.

KA-BOOM!

To his satisfaction, the medium buckled at the force of the attack and was forced onto its knees. Despite the victory, the explosion blew Shion back since he was the closest to the medium. He suspected that many others were thrown back by the force of the explosion too.

Before he could go too far, someone caught him.

Letting out a sigh of relief, Shion looked up at his savior gratefully. "Thank you very much for…"

Blue eyes met blue eyes. A face that Shion thought he would never see again smiled down at him.

"…Mom?"

Ranya grinned and hugged Shion tightly. He hugged her back just as tightly, not quite believing his eyes. His mother was alive? Really?! This wasn't an illusion? A trick?

(No. The rukh, the waves, even the rubber bands seemed to confirm that this Ranya was the real deal.)

"Mom is sorry for making you wait so long. Shion, you've grown so much!"

* * *

Sai stood across the Chancellor. The world of the rukh was strange, almost unsettling to the Blessed Child. He didn't know why he came along with Aladdin in his little trip into Mogamett's head. Honestly, Sai only came to see Titus for the last time before…

Well, he got to have his final meeting. Even if only Aladdin could pinpoint Titus' presence, Sai was content to stand with his Lordling one last time.

So why did this old man insist on meeting with him?

"How the mighty fall."

Mogamett didn't say anything against Sai's scathing comment. Instead, he lowered his head in shame. "Sai…I'm so sorry."

"For what? For pissing me off? For endangering Selene by telling that madman that we existed? For killing Lordling?" Sai listed off bitterly. Mogamett nodded. "To all of them. I'm sorry for all of them. I have caused you, Selene, and countless others pain."

"Sorry doesn't take it back, old man. Sorry won't return Lordling to me."

Matal Mogamett stared at the dark-haired magician sadly. "You are one of many people who I wronged. There are…no words that can ever redeem me. I thought that what I was doing was right."

Sai laughed hollowly. "Yeah? Well, you were wrong. So wrong."

"I know."

Sai looked at the magician.

"If you thought I would forgive as easily as Yamraiha and Aladdin did, you're wrong about that too. I'm not like them. We weren't cut from the same cloth. They were born to be heroes. I was already born as a villain. I won't pretend to like you just because you're dead. I hated you, old man. I still hate you. Apologies won't change that."

"I know that too."

Sai barked out a sardonic laugh. "You do, don't you? So what did you _really _call me here for, old man?"

"Since he no longer has a voice, young Titus insisted that I relay his dying wishes to you, Sai. Will you hear them?"

The dark-haired man's features softened at the blonde's name.

"Really? I see. I'll listen, old man. What did Lordling say?"

"_Please be happy."_ Mogamett said.

At the words, Sai let out an unsteady breath as if pained. He clenched and unclenched his fists before turning away from the Chancellor. "Got it. I'll be going then old man. No more reason to stay here."

"Goodbye, Sai."

* * *

"_**Camilla, Eirenne, Ming Hua, the medium was defeated. The seal was destroyed. We failed our mission. We must retreat immediately."**_

* * *

Camilla paused in her attacks when she heard Raul's message. At her hesitation, both Kikiriku and Tiare ceased their attacks too. Though it pained her to do this, it seemed that she had to retreat.

As if reading her mind, Kikiriku encased her in ice to prevent her from escaping. "Camilla, wait. I still don't understand. Why are you doing this to Shion?"

"I can't help it. Whenever I look at him, I am reminded of how much I as wronged in the past. Why?" She asked, looking almost vulnerable. "Why Ranya and not me? He could've at least taken my feelings into consideration. Didn't he know how much his decision hurt me? I didn't intend to kill Prince Shion at first. He was innocent. But the one I hate holds him very dear. If I kill him, then that person will feel the same pain I did."

Kikiriku gritted his teeth. "Do you really hate Ranya that much?!"

Camilla stared at the Imuchakk teen blankly.

"…Who said that I was talking about Ranya?"

What?

Taking advantage of his distraction, Camilla knocked Kikiriku away. Reacting to her attack, Tiare breathed fire at the woman's direction. When the smoke disappeared, Camilla was nowhere in sight.

* * *

Eirenne would've retreated the moment Raul gave the order if it weren't for the demon brat. He was powerful and lethal. Much to her growing fear, the demon boy had the ability to draw blood out from his enemies as long as there is an open wound and use this blood as a weapon. And thanks to the other brat's weapon, Eirenne had an open wound.

Her impenetrable skin was rendered useless the moment her blood entered the equation. Since the dark rukh recognized her own blood as a part of her, it made no more effort to protect her from the attacks.

Not only that, the demon brat took great joy his kicking her around.

Eirenne desperately looked for a way out. Her eyes darted around the ship before they landed on the small escape boats that floated next to the main ship. She recognized one of the forms the moment her eyes landed on him.

'_The spare.'_

Her lips stretched out into an unnatural smile as she gathered her magoi. Following her eyes, the demon brat's eyes widened, recognizing what she was about to do.

The teen sprinted from her side towards the escape boats. "Askan, jump into the water!" He sharply commanded. The little boy immediately obeyed. A second later, the tiny boat was completely obliterated into small pieces. Hel jumped into the water and brought his younger half-brother up to the surface.

"Are you okay?"

Askan nodded shakily, frightened. "Ye-Yes, Hel-nii."

Hel glared at where Queen Eirenne once stood but she was no longer there.

* * *

Ming Hua underestimated Princess Kohaku's magical prowess.

Not only did the little princess was able to limit the ability Raul gave Ming Hua with an intricate magic circle, but Kohaku was also very talented in Life Magic. Since they were both now on the ground, Ming Hua was at a disadvantage.

"Very well done, Princess Kohaku." The Cursed Child applauded. "You managed to survive more than ten minutes even when I went all out. You have exceeded my expectations."

"It was thanks to Magnostadt that I was able to improve this much. I won't let you look down on the ability of the Royal Family." Kohaku panted as she summoned more vines. "Though, I would have to thank you for the staff. Without it, I wouldn't have pushed myself as hard as I did."

Ming Hua's eyes narrowed.

"You win for today, Princess Kohaku. Lucky for you, I was summoned."

Before Kohaku could tighten her vines to keep Ming Hua in place. Black worms erupted form the ground and chewed through her magic. Wrapping themselves around their mistress, they pulled the woman into the ground and whisked her far away from Kohaku's magic, leaving the girl alone.

* * *

And just like that, the Magnostadt War was over.

* * *

Selene abruptly came back into consciousness. The two people beside her jumped and moved back at her sharp movement. Thinking that the other presence was Raul, Selene grabbed for her staff and moved into a defensive stance.

"Hey, hey, we're not your enemy, Selene! It's us!"

"Oi, Selene's awake!"

"Miss Selene, it's Marga!"

At the familiar voices, Selene relaxed and let out a sigh of relief. It was the medic magicians that she worked with. She looked around and saw that Raul was nowhere to be seen. Most of her wounds were tended to, so she must've been out longer than she expected.

"Selene."

Selene turned and looked towards the medic closest to her. Her heart leapt and she immediately began to sign.

'_Sphintus! You're alive! Did the medics reach you in time? I'm so happy that you're awake!'_

Sphintus laughed at her enthusiasm and lightly pushed her back into the piece of cloth her body had been lying on. "Selene, you just woke up. Don't sit up so quickly or you'll feel sick. You were pretty battered up when we found you. I'm glad that you're okay."

'_What about you? You were the one who almost died. Are you okay? Were there any complications to your healing?'_

Sphintus shook his head slowly. "I'll be fine."

His assurance fell flat in Selene's ears. She caught it immediately.

'_Sphintus, something is wrong, isn't it? You're not fine. You don't sound well. Did something happen? Please, tell me.'_

"…I'm fine. Really, Selene." Sphintus smiled. Even that looked fake no matter how similar it looked to his real smile. Selene shook her head.

'_No you're not. You're not fine. What happened, Sphintus?'_

"…"

'_Sphintus?'_

Sphintus' smile wavered and his hands shook. After a moment, a sob escaped Sphintus' mouth. A moment after that, he was a crying mess. Selene looked down at the object on Sphintus' lap, saddened but unsurprised by what she saw.

Content that they managed to protect their master until the end, Kukulcan laid on Sphintus' lap, cold and still.

* * *

"Father!"

There were no words that could describe how relieved Sinbad felt when he heard Shion's voice. The moment Shion came into grabbing distance, Sinbad snatched his son from the ground and held him tightly against him. At the sound of his son's heartbeat, the Sindrian King let out a loud sigh of relief. Some of the rulers around him snickered at his reaction. Some gave him understanding looks.

"Shion…" Sinbad breathed. "When we go back home, you're grounded."

Instead of complaining, Shion laughed into his father's shoulder and nodded. "Yeah. That sounds fair. Sorry for making you worried."

"Worried? You nearly _killed _me. I thought I told you not to do something life-threatening."

"Papa! Mama!"

From across the battlefield, a small body flung herself at Prince Kouen. Without missing a beat, Kouen caught his daughter and looked her over. Satisfied that she wasn't too injured, he also drew her close to a hug. Seishin embraced her daughter from the other side and peppered her with kisses.

"I missed you so much, Kohaku! How was school?"

Well, this pretty much ruined the tense standoff between the two leaders.

"Father? Something really great happened in the battlefield. You won't believe it." Shion said, sounding almost dazed.

Sinbad chuckled at his son's words. If he had to guess, the Kou Princess must've given his son a kiss. Though Sinbad wasn't too eager to lose his son to the other empire, he was amused by his son's infatuation with the girl. "Try me."

Someone joined into their embrace, bringing the smell of an ocean breeze and tea with them. Sinbad mentally scowled when he caught sight of blonde hair from the corner of his eye. "Yunan," he began warningly as he lifted his head to face the magi.

Sinbad's breath caught.

Ranya looked back at him with laughter in her eyes.

"Hello, Sin." She greeted him warmly. "It's been a while, hasn't it?"

* * *

Sai watched the tearful reunions from afar and held Marga. Sensing that there is something amiss, the little girl pulled away and looked at her caretaker curiously.

"Sai?"

"Hmm?"

"Where is Titus?"

There it was. The question Sai was dreading.

Sai considered lying to her. He could easily place a light illusion to cover up his true feelings and delay the inevitable but found that he didn't have the energy to do either. Marga deserved better than this. He wanted to properly mourn.

"Marga, sweetheart? Can you sit down with me? There's something that you need to know."

"…Sai?"

Marga sounded so scared. So terrified. Without a doubt, she'll cry after she hears that Titus won't be coming back. She was only a little girl, after all. That was why he had to act strong for Marga. Sai swallowed and hoped desperately that he wouldn't break down in front of her.

(Just how did Remy's parents break the news of his death to Maggie?)

"Marga, Titus…Titus won't be coming back." He told her, voice steady. "I'm sorry, sweetheart. We won't be seeing him again for a long…long time."

"Huh? What do you mean that he won't be coming back? Did someone take him?"

Sai swallowed again. His eyes burned.

"Marga, Titus is –

Sai was interrupted by a shout. He felt both relieved and frustrated at the interruption. The two emotions warred within him as the crowd behind them became restless. Marga looked over his shoulder. "What's happening?"

"Sai! Marga! You need to come over here!" They heard Aladdin shout ecstatically.

Annoyed, Sai scooped Marga up and slowly made his way over to the blue hair magi. As he moved forward, people immediately went out of his way, creating a pathway for the two.

At the end, another person stood beside Aladdin.

Marga recognized the person before Sai did. Her whole disposition brightened and she burst into a wide smile.

"Titus! Welcome back!"

Sai didn't realize that he was running until he was right in front of the blonde. He ignored Muu's sharp warning of keeping his distance from the new magi. He ignored how running made his bruises ache and his cuts sting. He didn't notice Marga wiggling away from his grip to hug Titus' legs.

"Lordling?"

Titus smiled at the dark-haired Blessed Child. "It's me, Sai. Sorry for making you worry so much."

"You idiot." Sai grabbed the blonde's shoulders and drew him close. He buried his head onto Titus' shoulder, relishing how _real _this whole situation was. "_You idiot. _'Please be happy'? Did you really think that I'd be happy after that? If you really wanted that, you shouldn't have bitten the dust in the first place." He voice cracked embarrassingly at the end. Sai pretended it didn't happen.

Titus wrapped his arms around Sai. "I know. I'm sorry."

"Don't be sorry. Just don't do that again." Sai stressed. "Okay, Lordling? I don't think that my heart could take that."

"I won't."

"Sai?" He heard Marga ask from his side.

"Yes, sweetheart?"

Marga tilted her head. "Didn't you say Titus wasn't ever going to come back?"

He smiled and pressed his forehead against Titus'.

"I lied."

* * *

_…_

…

**…**

* * *

"We failed."

Camilla winced as Ming Hua tied the bandages tighter in response to her comment. She sent her companion a short, sharp look before turning back to the other two.

"What should we do now?"

Raul sat up, all smiles. Eirenne cooed and clucked over him, taking care to focus mostly on his right arm. "Well, first things first, I need to have this arm amputated before the poison spreads to the rest of my body."

All three women gaped at the man's proclamation. "What?!"

"What?" Raul echoed back to them. "I didn't stutter, did I? I said that I need to have this arm amputated. I don't have the means of counteracting this poison and I'm not fond of the idea of dying just yet."

Eirenne's face twisted. "But Raul, dear, your looks! Wouldn't it be ruined?"

"Don't fret. I'll get a replacement." He was quick to assure the beautiful woman. "The loss of my arm will only be temporary. It's amazing what you can do with dark rukh these days."

"But won't you need that arm to write? To experiment? To create?" Ming Hua asked critically, looking at his darkened arm. It was nearly black and honestly useless. She agreed with the scientist's decision. What perturbed her was how he didn't quite care about the loss of such an important part of his body. Raul shrugged. "I'm left-handed."

Both Camilla and Ming Hua shared a look. Eirenne sighed. "Well, if you insist, I'll perform the amputation. It _will _be painful, though."

"When were _you _so experienced in amputation? I thought you were some sheltered Queen." Camilla probed suspiciously. Eirenne sniffed. "I learned many things from here and there. Don't be so surprised. My family simply specialized in medicine, a common interest in a country like Heliohapt."

Raul smiled calmly. "I completely trust Eirenne to do this. After this is finished, let's go to my lab. I think it's time for some upgrades and adjustments to our dark djinn equips, no?"

Taking out a blade, a few painkilling herbs, a wet cloth, and a lantern, Eirenne kissed Raul's cheek fondly. "You spoil us too much, dear. Now, chew on these before biting down on this." She held out the herbs first before bringing out a thick hide of leather wrapped around a stick.

Raul chewed and swallowed the plants before taking the strange object into his mouth.

Camilla looked on in amusement. "Now _this _I want to watch."

"What is the lantern for?" Ming Hua questioned quietly from the side.

"The wound needs to be closed quickly if we don't want him losing blood. I need to burn it shut." Eirenne responded shortly before lifting up the blade. She cooed at Raul one more time almost comfortingly.

"Raul, dear, don't forget to bite down."

And then, Eirenne brought the blade down decisively.

* * *

Kouryuu and Zassan quailed in fear in their captors' arms. The floor was completely covered in blood. Zassan had stopped crying a long time ago when he realized that it did nothing to summon his mother.

"Take the Blessed Child's offspring to Queen Gyokuen as planned. Leave the slum brat to me." One of the priests ordered, paying no mind to the bodies on the ground. "Also, clean this mess up. We can't have too many servants asking questions."

Unbeknownst to the priests, one of the bodies twitched. It twitched again. And again. And again. Then, to the horror and disgust of the nearest Al Thamen members, one of the heads flew from the shadows that it originally rolled to and re-attached itself to the twitching body.

After a still moment, the dead body lifted itself from the ground, wiping the blood on its face with its sleeves. The body blinked and looked around. It's gaze first landed on the other body before moving onto the trebling infants.

"That took longer than I thought." The body commented lightly. "I haven't done this in a while, so my body reacted slower than it should have."

"What?!" One of the Al Thamen priests squawked. "How is this even possible?! You were dead! You were beheaded!"

The body nodded. "Yes, I was. I felt it too. I would very much like to not go through that again, thank you very much." The body smoothly bended over and picked up stray weapons. In the next moment, he brought down three Al Thamen priests, reducing them to their doll forms. He brought down his feet and crushed them both. He continued to kill the members one by one in a similar manner. One lucky member managed to sink a blade into the body's chest. Almost amused, the body dispatched the priest before prying the blade out of his chest. There was a spurt of blood before the wound closed up.

"Mo-Monster!" The priest holding the infants shrieked.

"Not quite. I'm just a very cursed and a very hard to kill _Gui_." Tao Gui corrected. "I'm usually harmless but you lot has forced my hand. Again."

Tao dropped his weapons, confusing the Al Thamen member. Lifting his hand, a large, intimidating scythe dropped onto his hand.

"Since it's difficult to actually hurt you through bodily harm, I'll just rip up your souls." He loomed over the priest threateningly. "I can hurt spirits with this, so killing you truly won't be too much of an issue."

And with that, the scythe descended.

"_Be gone."_

After successfully destroying the Al Thamen member's soul, Tao was quick to catch the infants. While Zassan was quick to burst into tears at the horrific display of violence, Kouryuu remained silent and continued to stare at Tao.

"I'm sorry for scaring you, children. Hush, you're safe now. I'm still a friend. I'll bring you to your parents."

While comforting the infants, Tao glanced back at the other body sadly.

"And once again, Al Thamen has taken another friend from me. I'm so sorry, Miss Leah. You have protected the children well. Please, rest in peace and safely join the rukh. I'll take it from here."

* * *

In Heliohapt palace, the halls were strangely silent. The only sound was a pair of feet walking without pausing.

Hakkan looked around, amazed.

"Haha, it's been a while since I walked through these halls. It's almost nostalgic." He commented cheerfully. "Shows what I took for granted before this was all destroyed. This is so nice~! That crazy scientist was useful for something after all! Because of him, I came back! I should thank him the next time we meet."

Hakkan giggled.

"According to my memories, Shion should be back too. Everything is so different! And it's all because of him! This is great! This is great! As expected of Shion! Since he's here, everyone is happy!"

He paused his walking for a moment.

"I should visit him, shouldn't I? Everyone is happy now, but it won't be for long. _That _will happen soon and if Shion finds out the truth…" Hakkan broke off his train of thought and shook his head. "No. No. He can't find out. _I won't let him find out_. I need to prevent him from finding out."

Hakkan looked down and twitched.

"…Should I kill him again?"

He shook his head, dispelling the idea of it. "No, no, no, I don't want to think of that now. It doesn't have to be that way. Besides, I should be excited! I get to see my best friend again!"

Hakkan backtracked to his room and packed his bags. He whistled as he made his way back out. He yelped and giggled as he almost tripped over something in his haste. "Whoops! Sorry about that, Miss! How rude of me! I almost didn't see you there!"

The blank eyes of the maid stared back at him, horror etched into her features. Red pooled around her.

Various other bodies littered the halls. Hakkan made sure to be careful of not stepping or tripping over anyone else.

"Haha, well, I'll be leaving everybody! Thank you for taking such good care of me!"

Hakkan left the palace, tracking blood as he went.

"_**Shion~ I'm coming~"**_

* * *

To add to the late Christmas gift, here is a comical short story, a short story, and a slightly feelsy short story.

Enjoy!

* * *

**Chibi-Omake: Can You Imagine? (Or, How Jamal Sorta-Kinda [Not Really] Forgave Muu Since He Has a Conscience)**

Jamal wasn't in the mood to watch Hel duke it out with the Cursed Child. Instead, he decided to help tend the wounded and keep an eye on Askan, who appeared frightened at his mother's sudden ability to crush people into icky gloop. Honestly, Jamal couldn't blame the kid. That woman was scary crazy.

And this was from _him, _the craziest Knight King in all of history.

A small, bout of coughing jarred Jamal from his thoughts. He furtively glanced over to the other inhabitant of the nearby boat. Muu Alexius, all in his righteous glory seemed to be insistent of something.

Jamal listened in.

"No, brother! You can't! You've already worn yourself out from the last battle! You can't go fight the creature at this state! Please, leave the fighting to sister-in-law and General Ignatius!" Myron shouted, pulling him back.

Muu coughed. Blood poured from his eye from the strain. It was almost too painful for Jamal to watch. "No, I need to be there! Scheherazade-sama is fighting all on her own back in Magnostadt city. She told me that we needed to defeat that medium before it destroys all of us! I can't just stay here!"

'_Maybe I should help him?'_ Jamal thought for a moment before mentally slapping himself. _'No. That's completely stupid. This guy used your inventions for mass destruction. Shut up, me.'_

'_But we're all on the same side…'_ The part of Jamal's mind that somewhat represented his consciousness wheedled. _'It'll be mean to just leave him like that when he's so determined.'_

'_No.'_

'_But-!'_

'_Absolutely not.' _The most sensible part of Jamal's mind insisted. _'This is our pride and joy that he sullied. And he doesn't even regret it! He's an asshole and that's that! See if I care whether he lives or dies! Hmf!'_

'_You're just being too prideful! Can't you see that he's only trying to protect his country?'_

'_And __**you're **__being too forgiving! And you're a gullible, predictable idiot!'_

Gasps rang through Jamal's mind.

'_He-Hey! You went too far! Besides, that doesn't even make sense! We're the same person! Are you saying that we're all gullible, predictable idiots?'_

Gasps rang through Jamal's mind once again.

'_I wasn't!'_

'_You totally were!'_

The two sides began to brawl, jumbing up Jamal's thoughts even more.

'_Order! Order in the Court!'_ Another voice chimed in, trying to maintain what little peace was left in Jamal's mind.

'_**Are you really having a debate with yourself?'**_ The familiar voice in Jamal's head asked. It sounded both amazed and disturbed.

'_Shut up!'_ All parts of Jamal's mind chorused angrily. _'Solomon, can't you see that I'm busy trying to make a decision here?'_

'…_**Forgive me. Please continue.'**_

Satisfied, all parts of Jamal's mind went back to their debate.

'_Don't trust him, man. You're just going to get hurt again.'_ The weary part of Jamal's mind warned._ 'Remember, stab me in the back once, shame on the backstabber. Stab me in the back twice, why is the bastard still alive in the first place?!'_

'_Umm, I don't think it went like that.'_

'_Shut up. I'm trying to back you up here, me.'_

'_HEY! I know Hel's stepdad is a total douche, but that's not what's important here!'_ The part of Jamal that completely represented his compassion shouted. _'If we ignore this, there's a high chance that the idiot over there will die and if he dies, Miss Maya will cry!'_

All thoughts completely froze.

'…_She'll totally be depressed, right?'_

'_Yeah.'_

'_We might hate him, but she doesn't deserve that!'_

'_Alright! It's decided then! We'll help Hel's stepdad! Meeting adjourned!'_

'…_Wait, weren't we at court?'_

Jerking out of his thoughts, Jamal jumped from his boat into Muu's, startling everyone in it and interrupting the argument. Procuring a small pill, Jamal shoved it into the surprised Muu's mouth. He immediately covered it with both his hands.

"Swallow." He ordered firmly.

Reflexively, Muu swallowed. Satisfied, Jamal removed his hands and turned away.

"Okay, I'm done now."

Before he could make his escape, a strong arm snapped out and grabbed him by the back of his collar. Myron Alexius glared at Jamal suspiciously. "Oi, brat! What did you just force-feed my brother?! It better not be poison!"

"It's not. If it was, he would be writhing on the ground the moment the pill entered his mouth." Jamal told her honestly. "It'll also burn a hole through his throat, so don't worry. It's definitely not that."

"Then, what did you feed me?" Muu asked curiously.

Jamal shrugged casually. "A magoi pill."

"A…what?!"

"You should feel your magoi flooding back into you. That should be enough to go back into the battlefield and survive, right?"

Muu jolted in surprise.

"Wait, my magoi is being replenished? Completely?"

"Yup."

"By that little thing?"

"Uh-huh."

"And you…gave it to me?"

Jamal turned his face away from Muu and crossed his arms. "I still hate you. A lot. But Miss Maya would be sad if you died because you were too stupid. So…yeah. Go. Fight. Be free. Shoo."

He glanced at Myron.

"Can you please let go of me now?"

After he was dropped, Jamal made his way back to his boat and avoided looking at Muu. He turned his attention back to the battle between Hel and the crazy lady. That fight suddenly became _very _interesting.

"…Thank you. And I'm sorry for what I did. Truly." Jamal heard Muu say.

Jamal pretended not to hear it even as Muu shifted into his djinn equip and took to the sky.

* * *

**Mirror, Mirror: Aladdin**

"Wow, Uncle Sinbad has so much stuff!" Aladdin marveled to himself as he explored the interior of Sinbad's treasure room. "He got all of this from all the dungeons he conquered! It's all so interesting!" Aladdin picked up small trinkets as he waded through the treasures and magical items. "I wonder if there's something that can help Kohaku-chan with her magic. She doesn't have a staff yet so…"

As Aladdin searched, he tripped over an object and sailed headfirst into a pile of gold. Rubbing his head, Aladdin winced as something jabbed at his side. Grabbing it, the magi waded out of the treasure pile.

"…? What is this?"

Aladdin held up a mirror. It looked simple and it sharply contrasted with the other dazzling and pretty things in the room. Did someone accidentally misplace this in here? Aladdin checked the glass of the mirror to make sure he didn't accidentally break it.

Pretty or not pretty, it still belonged to Sinbad.

"…Hello?"

Aladdin almost dropped the mirror then and there.

"Hello?" His reflection called out again. "Are you still there? I'm sorry if I scared you. It's just that it's my first time using something like this too. Who are you?"

Aladdin peered at the magic mirror cautiously, just in case it might enchant him or entrap him.

"I'm Aladdin."

"I'm Aladdin too!"

Interested, Aladdin tapped at the mirror. "Really? But how can that be?"

"I'm guessing that you're a 'me' from another universe. I'm not too sure how this mirror works, but that is my guess."

Aladdin's interest piqued. "If that's true, what is your world like?"

"If I tell you about mine, will you tell me about yours? I'm curious too!"

And so, the two Aladdins spoke for hours, exchanging stories about their worlds. Both found that their worlds were very similar, yet very different. It was strange, yet very exciting.

"I have to show this to Alibaba!" The two Aladdins concluded with excitement.

* * *

**Mirror, Mirror: Alibaba**

"This is amazing!" Alibaba marveled as he looked at the other 'him'.

"Right?" His reflection agreed, laughing. "I'm still a bit confused about there being 'other worlds', but I think I understand! We're the same with only a few differences, right?"

"I think…"

The Alibaba in the reflection scratched his head. "But that's strange. From what you told me so far about your adventures, it sounds almost exactly the same as mine. We went dungeon-diving with Aladdin and acquired Amon."

"Then we got separated and ended up using that power for the Fog Troupe." Alibaba finished with a rueful smile. "We failed to save Balbadd and Kassim died."

Depressed, both Alibabas sighed.

"Oh! But that reminds me, it bothered me a bit before, but you kept up bringing up a name that I don't recognize." Alibaba's reflection said suddenly. Alibaba tilted his head. "Yeah? Which name?"

"…Who's Amani?"

At his reflection's question, Alibaba froze. He stared at his reflection blankly. "Huh?"

"I mean, it sounds like this girl is someone pretty important to you."

"_What are you talking about?"_ Alibaba asked, now beginning to sweat. He gripped the handle of the mirror tighter. "What do you mean?! How can you _not _know Amani?"

His reflection looked at him, even more confused. "How can I not - ? Is she that important to us? Is she our girlfriend or something? A lover?" He sounded a little hopeful.

"_Of course not!"_ Alibaba yelled, making his reflection jump. "Amani is our…she is my most precious sister! _Our _sister! _Our _twin! How could you forget such an important person? She is a person that was always at our side. She took care of us in the slums, in the palace. No matter what stupid thing we did, she was always there to fix it up and scold us! She is a person who always sacrificed for us! She is a person who loves us unconditionally! She's someone who's irreplaceable to us! She's our _sister!_"

Alibaba finished his rant, breathing heavily.

After a long stretch of silence, his reflection responded.

"I…never had a sister. I was an only child."

"Oh." Alibaba said simply.

There was another stretch of silence between the pair.

"Amani she…she sounds like a really great person." Alibaba's reflection said quietly. "Can you tell me more about her?"

Alibaba did. He told his reflection about Amani's love for reading. He told him about the close friendship between Kassim and her and how jealous their relationship sometimes made him. He told him about how delicious Amani's cooking was. He told him about Amani's kindness, her cleverness, and her bravery. He told him about her miraculous feat of capturing a dungeon at a young age. He told him how Amani would let him sneak into her room so they can share stories and sleep right next to each other.

The things he told his reflection went on and on.

"…Did Kassim really die to protect Amani?" His reflection questioned quietly. Alibaba bristled defensively at the question. "It wasn't her fault! No one saw the attack coming aside from Kassim! He did what he could to protect her!"

"Oh no, no, I wasn't blaming her. I was just thinking how amazing Amani is. In my world, Kassim did not give up in his plans of a rebellion. So many people died and Kassim became a dark djinn and was manipulated by Al Thamen." His reflection sighed. "Somehow, Amani managed to change that. She managed to convince Kassim that there was another choice without the help of Aladdin's 'Solomon's Wisdom'. She…really saved Kassim."

Alibaba nodded, dazed.

"I can't imagine a world without her." He confessed to his reflection. "How do you do it?"

His reflection laughed nervously. "Well, after hearing all about her, I'm pretty surprised that I managed all on my own so far. I almost wish that I didn't know about her. I'm jealous. You're a lucky guy to have such a cool sister!"

"I am." He agreed and buried his face into his arms, putting the mirror down. "I miss her so much."


	51. Chapter 50: Reprieve

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Everyone takes a breath. Some mourn. Some move forward.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Onwards

"This is _horrible_." Judal grouched as he did his best to peel away as much darkness as he could from the condensed black ball that used to be the medium. White rukh flew out in bursts as the magi tore through the darkness. "The amount of corruption in this thing is ridiculous. How many people did this guy force into depravity?!"

It was strange to be in contact with the dark rukh after working so much with the light ones. Judal had forgotten how powerful they were. It made him uneasy to be so close to it.

"Too many." Yunan murmured sadly from his apprentice's side, pulling his hat over his face.

Judal rolled his eyes at his teacher's dramatics. "It's not like _you're _the one doing all the work, Turtle-sensei." He complained loudly as he peeled through a layer of darkness. "It'll take forever, but it's not impossible to save all of them."

"Yes, that's true." Yunan said, smiling warmly at his student. "Because of you, Judal, we are able to do the impossible."

"You mean _I'm _going to do the impossible while _you _sit there on your fishing pole."

Yunan's gentle smile turned into a pout. "Now that's mean, Judal! Is that any way you should speak to your elder?"

"Shut up, Turtle-sensei." Judal said, but sounded more fond than hurtful. "I'm trying to focus here. I need to finish this before the Kou Troops leave."

"Ah, are you going back to Kou, Judal? Are you sure you don't want to stay in the Dark Rift with me? Going back to Al Thamen's influence may not be wise." Yunan warned his fellow magi. Judal shrugged. "Yeah, they're pretty dangerous. But Tao and Princess are there. I can't just leave them to fend for themselves."

"I know." Yunan sighed. "Be careful, Judal."

The Oracle of Kou snorted and peeled off another layer.

"I can't promise that."

* * *

"Ranya?! It's been _years_!" Seishin greeted her long-time friend enthusiastically, bowling over many soldiers to get to the blonde. Ranya, in turn, released her hold on her son and the shell-shocked Sinbad to face the other woman. "Well, well, isn't it Commander Seishin!"

The dark blue-haired woman snorted as she slapped the blonde's back playfully. "It's _General _Seishin to you. I got promoted while you were gone. And married."

"Married?" Ranya parroted, looking pleasantly surprised.

"With Kouen." Seishin confirmed with a wide smile, surprising Ranya even further. "We have an _adorable _daughter named Kohaku. She's good friends with your son."

"Ranya! Seishin!"

With an overjoyed screech, Maya tackled both women onto the ground, interrupting their conversation. Despite the abruptness of Maya's entrance, Seishin and Ranya responded only with happiness. There was another round of greetings and sounds of relief. The trio ignored the many stares aimed at them as they reconnected after many years of separation. Shion stared as he watched his mother interact with the mothers of his friends with so much familiarity.

'_Huh. Never knew she was so close with them.'_ He thought. _'Well, at least this means that they'll always be open to our spontaneous play dates and visits.'_

In the background, both Muu and Kouen looked resigned.

"They're going to want to visit each other." Kouen grumbled.

"It's going to happen anyway with our children being friends." Muu reminded the other man wearily.

A few yards away, Amani dismissed her djinn equip and fell as all the strength left her. Her _hanfu _was in tatters from the run-in with the Medium's hands. She struggled back onto her feet and attempted to arrange her clothes in a way that she appeared most decent. Seeing her plight, Koumei was behind her in an instant, draping his outer clothes over her shoulders.

"Are you okay?" He asked her quietly as he held her. She leaned back to his touch. The action was a bit too intimate in the public setting, but no one seemed to notice or mind. "You're still not in pain, are you?"

"I'm fine. Kouen did a wonderful job in healing me." Amani assured him. "I'm just tired."

("**Oi!** Watch how you're touching my sister, you bastard!" Alibaba snapped, but his cries went unheard by the couple. He was immediately muffled by the ever-insightful Aladdin. "They're married. Remember, Alibaba? Let's not make any trouble.")

Yasmine glanced at Kouha and his tattered clothes and sighed. Imitating Koumei, she shrugged off her top and casually dropped it over his shoulders. "Here."

Kouha jumped and looked up at her. He gawked at her state of undress for a moment before looking back at the clothing draped over his shoulders. "Yasmine, wa-wait a second. Isn't this yours?!"

"Yes." She nodded. "I know it's not much, Kouha, but this will have to make do until a spare change of clothing is available."

"What about you?" Kouha demanded as he gestured over at nearly bare upper body. "You have nothing on! You'll catch a cold! Here, take this back."

Yasmine looked down at Kouha's out stretched hand and the clothing it held before pushing it back to him. "I'm not as sensitive to the weather as you. I insist." Much to her mounting frustration, the pink-haired prince refused.

"No. It's yours."

"Oh for the love of – !"

Shion snorted at the scene unfolding between the two. His eyes softened as he watched friends, comrades, and family enjoying the reprieve of the war's aftermath. None of the soldiers looked like they wanted to restart their previous battle. Surviving a battle with the personification of an apocalypse really did change a person's worldview. As a veteran to a similar experience, Shion could attest to that. He smiled and grabbed hold of his father's sleeve. "I guess everything is back to normal, huh Father?"

Sinbad didn't answer. Shion blinked at the lack of response. "Um, Father? Hello~? Did you hear me?"

No response. Sinbad didn't even move from his position, dumbfounded expression still on his face. Shion jumped up and waved a small hand in front of his father's face. No response. He pinched Sinbad's leg. Still nothing.

It was then when Shion realized that everything was eerily silent. He looked around and saw that everyone was frozen in mid-action. It was as if time had stopped.

No, time **had **stopped.

Shion heard something move and went into a defensive position. He dropped it immediately when he realized who he was facing. "Yasmine?"

"Shion." Yasmine greeted the Sindrian Prince shortly. Behind her, Kouha was frozen in mid-motion of returning her clothes. "We need to talk."

At that moment, Aladdin tore through the frozen crowd, looking stricken.

"What's happening here?!"

* * *

"Mou, Jazzy-chan, this is some impressive Third Degree you got here. Stopping time? Even my abilities can't equal to that." Sai applauded as all the Blessed Children, Shion and Aladdin grouped together for their impromptu meeting.

"So Yasmine-nee had this sort of ability, huh?" Aladdin murmured as he hunched over and shuddered. Kougyoku patted his back consolingly. "Hey now. Yasmine isn't that scary, little boy."

Aladdin looked up, revealing shining eyes of admiration that nearly rivaled Jamal's. "Yasmine-nee is so cool!"

"Thank you." Yasmine replied. "But we can't waste time. I have a thirty minute limit and we already spent ten trying to look for everyone." She promptly turned to Shion. "I'd like to hear about your plans for the future. I already promised Prince Kouen to reveal the secret about the world. Unfortunately…it was a bluff. I know nothing about this world's origins and I don't think that it is my place to reveal my identity as a reincarnator from another world. What do you think, Shion? Was I too hasty in making the deal?"

Shion shook his head. "No. If you hadn't promised Kouen, Aladdin would have promised the same thing. It's good that you drew away his attention from him."

Aladdin nodded in agreement. "That's right. Please don't feel too badly, Yasmine-nee. You were in a difficult situation. If you need to give the scary uncle some information, I'll give you some to tell him!"

"Not the important, world-changing ones." Sai made sure to point out. "I don't want Jazzy-chan to accidentally give Kou an advantage, especially with them knowingly housing an evil association like Al Thamen."

Aladdin nodded agreeably. "Of course." And immediately listed off the information to Yasmine. "Alma Toran", "world of magicians", "Solomon", and "betrayed" were what he gave her. It was obvious that these names were significant to Aladdin. She hummed, impressed with the information that the blue-haired magi offered to her freely.

"Thank you." Yasmine said gratefully and smiled. "Your help was very much needed, Aladdin."

Aladdin stared at her for a long moment. "Yasmine-nee looks so much better smiling."

"Indeed. She really does look pretty when she smiles, doesn't she? She used to do that a lot. It's a pity that she's always so serious nowadays."

Amani, who had been keeping silent for a while, suddenly spoke up, surprising everyone. Sai scratched his head. "Bee-chan, I know it's been a while since I mentioned this but we really need to get you a bell."

Amani tilted her head and gestured at herself. "You _do _know that I am literally unable to move, right?" Behind her, a frozen Koumei gripped at her waist. Kougyoku and Sai snickered when they were reminded of Amani's plight and Shion kindly kept his eyes averted. Aladdin, on the other hand, looked at Koumei and Amani curiously.

"Alibaba-kun thinks that Prince Koumei does not love you enough, Miss Amani." Aladdin revealed thoughtfully, eyeing the robes wrapped around his best friend's sister. "I don't agree."

"You don't?" Amani echoed with a smile. "Well, that's assuring to hear. Koumei really is wonderful to me. Don't worry. Alibaba will come to terms with Koumei soon enough."

Yasmine cleared her throat. "I'm sorry to interrupt, but it's time to return to our places. Well, except you, Amani. You're fine where you are. Everyone else, go back to your original positions! The thirty minute limitation is almost up!"

"Mou, I should go back to Lordling and Marga. They'd be shocked if I suddenly disappeared." Sai glanced at Kougyoku. "Speaking of which, Kou-chan, where did you disappear off to? It took _forever _to find you."

Kougyoku's eyes flashed angrily at the reminder. "It's Judal." She gritted out slowly as if she was trying to rip apart the name with her tone and teeth. "I've been looking, _searching _for that idiot ever since the battle finished. But does he show himself? No! I couldn't find him! His mind is completely closed off so I'm flying blind! Oh, my bad, Yasmine. That was inconsiderate of me." She apologized. The other girl shrugged, completely unperturbed by her friend's wording.

"Ano…I'm not sure if this is important, but I think I saw a large amount of rukh over that way." Aladdin offered up to the princess meekly, pointing at the direction. Kougyoku smiled gleefully at the information and swooped over to give the boy a quick kiss on the cheek before flying off in her djinn equip. "Thanks, kiddo!" She called out behind her as she disappeared.

A bit dazed at the spontaneous show of affection, Aladdin stumbled over to his place next to Alibaba. Yasmine shook her head pityingly. "Kougyoku should be more careful and not lead the poor kid on."

"I agree. Leading people on isn't very nice. Especially when you know their feelings." Shion said meaningfully, giving the Blessed Child a look. Yasmine raised a brow at her King in return. "You know about Kouha's feelings for you. Don't deny it. You should accept him or reject him – either is fine as long as you're honest with you own feelings – but it's about time to put a stop in this chase. Kouha has been pursuing you for _years. _It will be unfair if you continue to ignore this issue."

Yasmine looked ready to argue but stopped herself. Her expression was considering for a moment before it turned resolute. She nodded at Shion. "I understand. Thanks for telling me this."

Then, as Shion trotted over to Sinbad's side, Yasmine marched over to the frozen Kouha and snatched away the clothes in his hand. She stretched out the piece of cloth in front of them, shielding them from Shion's view.

Then, time unfroze.

Shion could not see what happened behind the cloth, but judging by the sound of Kouha's indignant cries suddenly cutting short, Yasmine had taken his words to heart.

* * *

Judal _swore _that Kougyoku wasn't there before. One moment, the space was empty. The next, she was there. Even Yunan was surprised. At first, Judal thought that she had been an illusion, a trick of the mind. But then, she punched him.

And it _hurt._

"You made me wait for a _year._" Judal heard her snarl as his cheek throbbed. He relished it as he took in the sight of her. Not much had changed her during the past year. Kougyoku was just as fiery and short-tempered as he left her. And that was completely fine to him.

Solomon, she was beautiful.

Judal let himself be grabbed. He let her dig her nails into his arms as she tugged him closer. He ignored the roughness of her touch and continued to admire how she seemed to shine even more with her anger (which had been well deserved. He _had _made her wait.)

Then, Kougyoku kissed him.

It wasn't unexpected, but it still took his breath away whenever she initiated it. Judal welcomed it completely as he returned the kiss with enthusiasm. Behind him, Yunan stuttered out an excuse to leave them alone. They paid him no mind.

For a wielder of a djinn who controlled water, she was more fire than anything since she _burned_. Her words burned. Her eyes burned. The bruises and scratches she left behind on his face and arms burned. Her kisses burned.

And he was more than willing to _get _burned by her fire. It was what he loved about her.

"Do _not _make me wait that long again." Kougyoku demanded when she finally drew back, still angry. "Now," she said in a gentler tone, "let's go back home."

Judal nodded mutely and she took his hand.

* * *

At the end, the Seven Seas Alliance and the Reim Troops decided to stay near Magnostadt for a day to gather their bearings before heading back to their respective countries. Many tents were pitched and many ships were filled for the uncomfortable but necessary occasion.

The Kou Army, on the other hand, was able to go home without any trouble thanks to Koumei (much to the envy of many, _many _people).

Kouha decided to stay behind. _'With Yasmine'_ was heavily implied but was never voiced. Of course, since the Sasanians kicked up a fuss at the idea of him sharing a tent with Yasmine, he was forced to share with Jamal.

(No one was happy about this arrangement.)

After the camp was set up, Shion noticed that there was someone missing.

The Wandering Magi, his Uncle Yunan, was no longer there.

* * *

It was almost like a sigh of relief, when Shion thought back to it.

There were no fireworks or tears or anger in his parents' reunion. Only a tender sort of silence and shared eye contact that belied some sort of message that he didn't and probably would never understand. They smiled, yes, but they kept their distance. If he didn't know any better, Shion would have been nervous but he already knew all too well that their silence and distance came from tentativeness, not coldness.

Shion was confident that all the fireworks, tears, and even anger would all rush out in some other time behind closed doors and without him being present. Both of his parents were emotional people. They felt a lot more than they liked to show and they didn't show very much outside of their fake smiles and fabricated laughter.

Both were affectionate to Shion. With the affection they weren't comfortable enough to show each other, they poured onto him. Shion accepted their love without any struggle. It was these moments that he cherished after all.

"You're taller than I remember you." Ranya marveled, tears welling up in her eyes. "I missed so much of your life. Look at you!"

Shion tried to smile. "Well, it _has _been a while. Don't cry, Mom. You still have a lot of other things to look forward to. I'm only ten. My voice hasn't even cracked yet."

Ranya wept anyways. "Ten!" She repeated. "Ten, already?"

From the corner of Shion's eyes, he saw his father's hand twitch. For a moment, it truly looked as if he would reach out and place a comforting hand on Ranya's shoulder or wipe away her tears.

But his hand stayed at his side.

Eventually, Ranya managed to reel in her tears. She hastily wiped her face and steadied her breath. "Oh, look at me. I'm being so emotional. Tell me, Shion. What have you been up to while I was slumbering away? Brother wasn't so clear about that."

"It's a long story." Shion confessed with a shy smile. "I traveled and made a lot of friends. I went to Heliohapt, Artemyra, Reim, and many other countries. I visited some dungeons too. At the end, Father found me in Balbadd." He purposefully gestured over to Sinbad. The mentioned 'Father' froze up at suddenly being included into the conversation. Ranya glanced over at Sinbad with a raised brow. "Is that so?"

Sinbad cleared his throat. "We found each other." He corrected with a nervous hitch. "I…it was a surprise to hear that I had a son."

"And not a bad thing." Shion added with a smile, alluding back to their very first conversation as father and son. Sinbad mirrored the smile knowingly. "Not a bad thing at all."

Ranya, to Shion's relief, softened at their interaction enough to send a warm smile to Sinbad. "I see. That's good. Shion always needed his father." Appearing more relaxed, she reached over and placed her hand over his and gave it a squeeze. "Tell me more, Sin."

And just like that, the tentative, gentle air pulled and turned into something heavier. Shion glanced back to his father quick enough to see something dark cross his father's eyes. The look wasn't dangerous or threatening, but Shion's mind was mature enough to recognize it for what it was.

Ranya, on the other hand, remained oblivious to the tension that rose between them. (Or was she really? Shion would never know.) She simply continued to smile, waiting patiently for Sinbad's answer as she continued to hold his hand.

Sinbad continued to act as if he wasn't affected, of course. His voice remained stable and smooth as he recounted the events in Balbadd and Shion's time at Sindria. Ranya appeared enraptured, hanging onto every word. She only interrupted for clarifications or with laughter.

As time went on, Shion watched as his parents eased back into a familiar rhythm. Sinbad and Ranya continued to exchange stories about their time with Shion, re-learning about each other as much as they learned more about their son. He was happy and pleased to see that they were no longer tentative in their interactions. They were even touchy.

They fit when they acted like this.

But, as much as Shion liked the idea of his parents getting along, he really, _really _didn't want to be in between them when it happened. Some time during their conversation, his mother leaned over and rested her head on his father's shoulder. It would have been a sweet if it weren't for her hand slowly running up and down his arm. He internally cringed when he heard his father rumble in response.

'_Oi, oi, __**oi,**__ your son is __**right here**__, you know!'_

"I'm really tired." Shion stated abruptly, breaking the moment between his parents as quickly as he could. He forced himself to yawn and turned to Ranya and Sinbad. "Can I go to bed now?"

"Of course." Ranya cooed. "You must be exhausted, Shion."

"Your mother and I will be joining you." Sinbad said meaningfully as he helped her up. "We need to rest up properly if to make the trip back to Sindria."

As he was caught in between the embraces of both parents, Shion stifled a sigh and comforted himself with the fact that they were in a _tent_ and not a room with thick walls.

His father wouldn't try anything here with Shion in the same bed, right?

_Right?!_

* * *

_ **Three months later…** _

* * *

_Everyone, _

_How are you guys? I haven't heard from any of you in a while!_

_I know everything was a bit hectic since the whole Magnostadt War debacle, but hopefully everything calmed down on your end by the time this letter reaches you. It's been pretty tough trying to sort everything out since Father up and decided that it was the _ _ **Seven Seas Alliance's ** _ _duty to take care of the rebuilding of Magnostadt._

_(Ja'far looked like he was going to have a heart attack at the prospect of all that paperwork. Or maybe he was just shocked to see Mom alive? Dunno which.)_

_Mom is settling nicely in Sindria. She's still a bit weak on the legs, but Jamal made her a wheelchair so she could wander around without getting tired._

_I haven't seen Uncle Yunan ever since his brief appearance in the Magnostadt War. If any of you see him, would you mind telling him to drop by and meet me? There's a lot I want to ask him._

_Anyways, any news about Al Thamen or the Cursed Children? I know it's not the best subject to bring up right after the whole chaos is settling, but we need to keep our guard up. Who knows what they're planning to do to us?_

_Keep safe and write back soon!_

_Shion_

* * *

"Hey buddy, you okay?"

Jamal cautiously peered into the makeshift fort Shion created out of some books and bed sheets. The floor inside was covered with an assortment of pillows and scrolls. In the center of it all, Shion lay curled up, shivering.

Slowly, as if approaching a frightened animal, Jamal crawled into the fort. "Are you cold? I have lots of thick blankets. Some of the scholars here work overnight so there's always lots to spare. I got some food too." He held out a steaming bowl. "Shellfish soup with some clams. It's not Amani-good but it's pretty good."

"…Thanks." Shion accepted the bowl and sat up. There were dark rings under his eyes. He gingerly sipped the soup. Seeing that his friend wasn't bolting from his presence, Jamal plopped right next to him. He waited until Shion finished his soup before speaking up again. "So…what happened?"

Shion sighed and set the empty bowl down. "Jamal, I think I'm going crazy."

"What?! Shion buddy, how can you say that?! You seem sane enough to me." Then, the Sasanian Prince paused. "Actually, don't take my word on that. I'm not exactly the best person to judge craziness." He said sheepishly.

Shion glared at Jamal disapprovingly. "I told you. You aren't crazy. Just extraordinary."

Jamal's sheepish expression softened. "Yeah, you're right. I remember. Sorry." Then, he straightened himself up. "So, what's been bothering you? Still grounded? Is your Dad still forcing you to stay in the palace?"

Shion groaned and threw a pillow over his face. "That and other things. I haven't been able to sleep well. Ever since Mom came back home, Dad hasn't left her side for a moment. She needs help to move the wheelchair around? He's right there. She wants to eat? He orders an impromptu feast even though no one else is hungry. She's too cold at night? They're sharing the room. These are good things. Great things. I'm happy that their relationship is going well. Really. But…" He threw the pillow away in frustration. "DO THEY HAVE TO BE SO SOLOMON-DAMNED LOUD?!"

Jamal jumped at the unexpected shout. After a few moments, a small head peeked into the tent. Marga tilted her head. "Is everything alright there Prince Shion, Jamal-sensei?"

"We're fine! We're fine! Thanks for checking, Marga." He assured the young girl with a nervous smile. "Shion's just a bit stressed. Why don't you go back to testing the new tech? Remember not to touch to dangerous stuff."

"Okay!" Marga flashed him a bright smile before leaving the makeshift fort to do just that. Jamal's smile disappeared the instant she was gone. He shot a glare at his friend. "Dude. Not cool. I know that you're stressed, but you have to remember that I'm not the only one here anymore."

It was true. Coincidentally, Jamal ran into Marga during his overnight stay at the tents. (He spent more time out of it than in it because of his mutually reluctant roommate.) He was impressed with the amount of knowledge she had and offered her an apprenticeship. After much begging from Marga and (surprisingly) logical, well-placed arguments from Jamal, they managed to convince Titus and Sai to let her stay over at Sindria to study.

"Sorry." Shion said miserably.

Jamal slowly breathed out of his nose. "So. You're sleep-deprived because of your overly-excited parents."

The Sindrian Prince nodded slowly. "Two or three days are fine. I get it. They missed each other. But _every single night?! _I can't take that." He whimpered. "And the worst part? I don't have the heart to tell them to stop. They're so happy when they're together. I expected a bit more yelling and arguing but they're getting along so well. It was so much more than I expected. It feels…wrong to ruin all of that, you know?"

"That's tough, buddy." Jamal sympathized. "I get that you want to keep your parents happy. I do. But your health is pretty important. You should tell them."

Shion looked at Jamal miserably. "But they're so _happy_."

"You know what? I'll make some noise-cancelling headphones for you. How does that sound?" Jamal smartly suggested instead, knowing that there was no way of convincing his friend when he was at this state. He'll focus on keeping his best friend healthy first. Shion smiled at him weakly. "I'd like that. Thanks."

At that moment, Marga popped her head back into the homemade fort with a bird perched on her shoulder.

"Prince Shion? A bird came in carrying these messages."

Shion's eyes immediately brightened, the previous exhaustion melting away instantly.

"They answered! Finally!"

* * *

_Princeling,_

_My, my, it's been a while since you sent me a letter. I almost thought that you forgot about little, old me! How's the scene at Sindria? Perpetual and boring as usual? Or do you not know since you're still grounded?_

_Hit the bull's eye, didn't I?_

_Poor you._

_Your woeful situation aside, everything is fine and dandy here at Reim. Lordling is taking the role as a new Magi like a champ. Currently, he's doing his best to put in an anti-slave law into the country's system. He just needs to get through to some old coots first. I'm sure that he'll make big changes soon. Selene and Sphintus are doing their best to make sure he stays healthy so that's always good. Those two are spending a lot of time together lately._

_Mou, you did say that weddings in Sindria are short and efficient, right?_

_But I'm digressing. _

_There are no signs of the Cursed Children in Reim if that's what you're wondering. Unfortunately, some of the soldiers discovered Raul's old laboratory. It's…not very pretty so I'll spare you the details. But, the information we managed to scrounge up seems useful in understanding the mechanics about the Cursed Children's abilities (and some other things). _

_I attached Raul's journal to the letter. I recommend not looking at it. (But if you _ _ **really have to, ** _ _I recommend that you read it with an empty stomach and not before bed.) Hand it over to Jamal when you're done._

_Speaking of our favorite mad scientist, how _is_ Jamal? Is he treating Marga well? I know that she's the safest under your care, but is she happy in the Orange Gemini Tower? She's not homesick, right? Make sure to send her back if she ever misses us. Be sure to tell her that Lordling misses her every day. She hasn't sent a letter to Reim yet and it's making him a bit nervous._

_Maa, maa, what are you thinking, Princeling? I sound nervous too? Don't be ridiculous._

_(And yes, I know _ _ **exactly ** _ _what you're thinking. Kou-chan isn't the only mind reader in our group.)_

_I'll be waiting to hear from you and your mad scientist. Until then, _try _to stay out of trouble. Don't want to hear that you got grounded._

_Again._

_Hopefully, when we meet again, your grounding time will be over. Try not to stay _ _ **too ** _ _bored for me in the meantime, okay?_

_Ever loyal,_

_Sai_

* * *

"U-u-u-um, Sai?"

Sai ripped his attention from his work and amusedly focused his attention on the nervous Sphintus. This was his fifteenth visit this week. Sai was well aware that the boy approached him every time with the intention to ask for his permission to court Selene. Sai was completely fine with that. Selene was old enough to make her own choices. Besides, whatever his little sister wanted, she got. And, apparently, she wanted Sphintus.

Sai was fully prepared to support this.

(He even prepared the closest thing to a savings account for their inevitable wedding.)

Still. He wanted to mess with the boy a bit so he played dumb.

"Mou, Sphintus, what do you need help with this time?"

The Heliohapt native nervously held out a tray filled with food. Hm. This was new. Usually, the boy started out with a scripted speech, which he usually chickened out half way.

"Here." Sphintus said quietly as Sai stood to accept the tray. "Titus was getting worried that you didn't come down for lunch."

Sai's expression softened the moment the blonde's name was mentioned. "Lordling shouldn't worry so much." The Blessed Child said fondly as he placed the tray onto the desk. "He's busy enough as it is."

"Is your relationship going well?" Sphintus asked shyly before backpedaling in an instant. "I-I-I-I mean – ah. Um. That was rude of me. The question was too personal."

"We're taking it slow. Titus and I agreed to not hurry things too much since we have more time." Sai answered the flustered healer, completely ignoring his stuttering. He picked up a piece of bread and took a bite. After swallowing, he continued. "Thanks for teaching him how to cook back in Magnostadt by the way."

Sphintus blinked.

"And for protecting Selene." Sai made sure to add. "I know I thanked you before back in Magnostadt, but there's no amount of thank you's that can make up for what you did. Thank you."

Sphintus relaxed and smiled at the dark-haired man. "I'd do it again if I have to." He answered honestly. Then, he straightened himself and cleared his throat. "Blessed Child Sai, though it's a bit preposterous for me to even consider myself as a worthy suitor, I –

"Sure." Sai interrupted between mouthfuls of soup. He had finished up the bread. "Just don't break her heart or I'll break your spine."

Sphintus froze up. "…Huh?"

"You wanted to ask me to approve of your courtship with Selene, right? Geez, I thought you two started _months _ago." He finished up the soup and grabbed a fruit. "Well, better now than never."

"You…don't have any problem with me?" Sphintus asked tentatively, still a bit dazed by the other man's easy acceptance. Sai shrugged casually while cackling internally. "Should I?"

"Um…no?"

"Then no, I don't have a problem with you." Sai concluded as he threw away the fruit peel. It was a strange hybrid of a banana and a mango. The shape shifter learned long ago that there were some things in this world that wasn't the same with his previous one. The fruit was good enough so he didn't really complain. "Rank, race, gender, they all don't matter. You proved yourself already. You have my blessings. Now go. I need to do my work."

"Oh. Okay then. Thanks." Sphintus said distantly and wandered away from the room.

Sai watched him go with a chuckle. After he disappeared, Sai was struck with the sudden need to go and see how Titus was doing. He hadn't seen him since breakfast after all.

Sai glanced at the pile of paperwork on his desk and snorted derisively.

He'll finish that later.

* * *

_Shion,_

_It's been a while, hasn't it? How are you? I hope that you're feeling healthy and happy in Sindria. Your mother is with you too, isn't she? I'm glad. _

_Kouha and I are currently on Kina Island. Yes, you heard me right. It's that same island kingdom that usually keeps to itself. You said you wanted to visit that place at least once during our travels, right? Well, I'll do my best to find a way to make that happen._

_As for why we're here, I was invited to 'test' their king. They chose me since word that I left Sasan reached them._

_Kouha came along because I insisted. Not as a representative of Kou, but as my friend – um, lover? Boyfriend? Partner? I'm not sure what to call us yet, so I just told them that he was my friend._

_Kina Island is wonderful. The people we met so far are kind and the food is good. (Not as good as that Southern Sea creature we had for your birthday two years ago, but still good. Kouha disagrees.) Their culture seems to resemble Ancient Japan. Their language also reflects this parallel. It resembles the common tongue, but there are a few changes in the dialect that keeps it unique. _

_As a strange twist of fate, masks seem to be a common fashion choice amongst the people of Kina. I don't wear mine anymore, but it's still amusing to see that it would've looked normal if I still had it._

_The King of Kina is named Takueruhiko Yamato. So far, he is a gracious host and an enthusiastic sparring partner._

_Kouha doesn't really like him. (I think it's because the man tried to hit on him when he mistook Kouha as a woman.) I, personally, think that he's an admirable warrior. He's a bit competitive when it comes to, well, _ _ **anything** _ _, but he's a good man. His people seem to love him._

_Don't worry, my King. This does not mean I am leaving you. As admirable as he is in strength, the way he views women is…less than ideal. Again, don't worry. King Yamato is a complete gentleman to any woman he interacts with, but he does not respect them strength-wise. The number of concubines that he has rivals the late Emperor of Kou. (Maybe even more. I'm still counting.) _

_But, it would still be nice for you to meet him. I believe that he'd make a good ally against Al Thamen and any of the Cursed Children. I know that he isn't too fond of King Sinbad, but I'm sure that he'll be open to becoming friends with you since you're strong._

_I'll tell you more when we see each other again._

_Yasmine_

* * *

Yasmine sighed blissfully as she sank into the hot water. One of the _wonderful _parts of Kina Island was the _o__nsen_. Whenever she needed to bathe after her daily spars with Yamato, the hot water baths were always available to her.

Beside her, Nanaumi giggled. "You're so cute, Yasmine-chan! Who knew that someone with such a scary reputation is actually an adorable girl?"

"Well, you shouldn't disregard that reputation _completely_." The Blessed Child warned the other girl. "You'd be surprised how frightening this 'cute girl' can be."

"Awww! I doubt that!" Nanaumi cooed as she pinched Yasmine's cheeks. "Your eyes are so pretty! Are you sure you don't want to ditch that tacky-looking blindfold? We can give you one of our masks instead." Since she was bathing, Yasmine chose to leave her blindfold behind. She gently pried Nanaumi's hands away from her cheeks. "No thank you."

Nanaumi pouted.

"Kouha wouldn't like it anyways." Yasmine added. The other girl snorted and crossed her arms. "What do you see in that girly boy? He has horrible tastes and bad manners! And he's not manly enough! Don't you think Yamato-sama is much more attractive and honorable?"

"I love Kouha." The Blessed Child answered loyally.

"Of course you do." Nanaumi deadpanned. "And that's why you rejected my King's proposal for you to be his concubine during today's training. It's an honor, you know! Do you know what women would give to be in your shoes?"

"Their freedom?" Yasmine offered dryly. "Their dignity? Their self-worth? Their individuality?" She sat back. "As noble and strong as your master is, he is not the most ideal husband for a woman like me. I will demand too much from him and he will limit me."

Nanaumi splashed water onto her face. "Oi, that is my master you're insulting!"

Yasmine shot an unimpressed look at Yamato's servant. "And you insulted my lover. Constantly. Despite his appearance, Kouha is just as good as a warrior and a leader as your master. He also considers my feelings and confides with me when he has to make decisions involving me." She defended before sighing. "Besides, Yamato and I are not compatible. I was surprised that he suggested it in the first place."

"My master wants to keep you here." Nanaumi revealed with a smile, blackened teeth completely in show. "He believes that Kou is too greedy in taking _three _and of _four _Blessed Children."

"And he believes that making me into a concubine would fix everything." Yasmine said sarcastically. Then, her expression turned serious. "Marriage only ties us down to one country, you know. It doesn't influence how we choose our kings."

Nanaumi jumped up. "What?! Really?"

Yasmine made an impatient sound. "Yes. We can choose a king from a completely different country despite our origins. So would you please tell your master that he could stop trying to add me into his collection of women? It's offensive. Kouha is getting really annoyed and it's bad manners to get in between a stable relationship."

"Of course! Of course!" The girl said cheerfully as she enthusiastically jumped from the baths. "It was getting awkward for Yamato-sama too, you know. But it's good news that he does not have to jeopardize your friendship!"

The masked servant was gone from the baths.

"Honestly, it's the same wherever you go. Blessed Children were always political chips in this world despite their power." Yasmine sighed to herself. Then, her thoughts went to Kouha. "Is that guy really fine with my decision not to marry him? He knows that I rejected it because it was completely political but…" She shook her head. "Stupid." She chastised herself. "You're way too young to think about marriage anyways."

Yasmine looked down at her wrinkled fingers and decided that it was time for her to leave the baths too. She wrapped a towel around her body and made her way to the changing rooms.

"I hope Kouha didn't cause too much trouble while I was gone…"

* * *

_Shion,_

_I'm not sure if news about the Kou debacle already reached you, but just in case: The evil witch went rogue. After Brother Mei found out that she tried to kidnap Kouryuu – and she had the nerve to deny it when all the evidence was there, that witch! – he tried to have her executed, Regent Queen or not. En-nii and Kouha were completely at his side on this decision but she managed to wiggle her way out of Kou with her life. _

_(That snake.)_

_It's been a bit hectic in the palace with all of Al Thamen gone. Though I still think they're the worst, Al Thamen still represented the majority of the religious section of the palace. Judal and I haven't rested for _ _ **days ** _ _because of the workload they left with us. Thankfully, a handful of scholars led by Ka Koubun decided to pitch in. Recruitment for new members is slow, but we're getting there. Having the Oracle of Kou and a Blessed Child working together sounds pretty cool when you hear it, but it's such a pain in the ass when we're the only ones keeping everything stable._

_Complaints aside, Kou is trying to clean itself up after the revelation of the corruption that existed within the palace walls. En-nii, as much as it annoys him, took up the throne for the time being. Seishin, Haku-chan and Brother Mei are doing their best to help. Everyone is safe for the time being._

…_Well, that's not quite true._

_Amani's maid – Leah, you remember Leah, right? – was killed during the whole confusion. Amani's been crying for days. Hopefully, by the time this letter reaches you, she'll stop. But, for now, she's mourning. Leah has been by Amani's side the most and now…well, now she's gone. It's been pretty hard for her. Be sure to send something comforting to her, okay?_

_She looks like she needs it._

_Kouryuu is fine. Kohaku is looking after him for the time being. Tao is also fine. He's a bit injured from protecting Kouryuu, but it's a relief that Al Thamen didn't manage to get him too. _

_(Though it's strange…Al Thamen are all puppets, right? So why was he so bloody? You don't think he's hiding any injuries from Judal, and me right?)_

_Tao blames himself for Leah's death, but no one holds it against him. _ _ **Especially** _ _ Amani._

_Everything is a mess._

_Judal and I are currently doing our best to track her and the remaining members of Al Thamen down. Right now, we only caught a few and Gyokuen is nowhere in sight._

_Though it's a bit of a stretch, be careful and make sure that she doesn't get you, okay? Right now, she's in a pretty desperate situation and I'm not sure what she plans to do. I'll make sure to keep Kohaku and everyone else safe for the time being._

_Keep your senses sharp!_

_Kougyoku_

* * *

The moment Kougyoku walked into her room, she made a beeline toward her bed. The amount of work that she had to manage during the past months was tremendous because of the damage and unrest that Al Thamen left behind. She barely had a moment to herself. The religious sect now depended completely on her and Judal.

"I'm not even getting paid for this shit." Kougyoku complained to herself loudly and threw an arm over her eyes.

She heard her door open and didn't even bother to look up as she heard tentative footsteps. "Judal, I told you to use your own bed. I know this room is closer, but you shouldn't be lazy."

Kougyoku heard a quiet intake of air and a cat-like screech. She froze. She knew that sound. She used to _hear_that sound every day. The Priestess of Kou's eyes flew open and she stared at the man across the room.

Ka Koubun.

The treacherous peacock vision stood behind the unaware Koubun as it revealed to her every emotion he was desperately trying to hide. _Nervous, hopeful, scandalized, indignant, upset, greedy, shame, shame, shame._

"I…apologize for coming into your room unannounced, Priestess. It's just…I have urgent documents that you need to look over." Koubun somehow managed to choke out as he held out a pile of scrolls. Kougyoku sent it a dirty look, which made the peacock behind Koubun quail in fear. "Leave it on the desk." She ordered grumpily as she dragged herself out of her bed. So much for a break.

Ka Koubun cleared his throat. "Also, Princess Kohaku said that she wanted to dine with you tomorrow, Prin – ah, Blessed Child."

Kougyoku nodded. "Tell my niece that I'll be available tomorrow morning." She said tiredly. Koubun accepted her explanation stiffly. The peacock looked onto the business-like interaction sadly. "Is there anything else, Ka Koubun?"

"…"

"…Ka Koubun?"

"Does…does he make you happy, Princess?" Koubun asked quietly, breaking the silence despite his obvious fear. "Is he worth it?"

Kougyoku blinked in surprise at the abrupt question. Though, thinking back at what she accidentally said, it wasn't strange for Koubun to assume that she had taken her relationship with Judal that far. (Not that they had even the slightest time to discuss or even _consider _those things.)

But Koubun's question was important. It was a question that she should have considered long before. _Was_ Judal worth it?

The answer came to her easily.

"Yes." Kougyoku answered confidently. "He is."

"Then I'm glad for both of you. Truly." Koubun said sincerely and Kougyoku knew that he meant it. The Priestess of Kou did her best to hold back her tears. She needed to be strong. She could not show weakness.

She _would not _take him back.

"Take care of Kohaku." Kougyoku ordered and her voice shook. "Despite how they see her, she is worth so much more than Kou knows. What I could have never achieved as your 'Princess', she will."

'_She has grown beautiful and strong. Far beyond my expectations.'_ Kougyoku heard him think with a quiet reverence and bottomless sadness that she never thought was possible from him. _'She does not need me anymore. Perhaps she never has.'_

Then, Koubun bowed.

"Yes, Blessed Child."

'_Your vassal will obey your last order, Princess.'_

* * *

_Shion,_

_I'm sorry that my letter came late. Many things happened in Kou while we were gone. I needed some time to come to terms with them._

_Kougyoku told you about what happened, didn't she?_

_I can lie to you and tell you that I am fine, but I am not. I am furious and afraid. I lost a very important confidant and friend in the cruelest and bloodiest way. They tried to kill Tao like that too, but he was able to escape. If it weren't for him, I would have lost my household members too. And my son._

_I can't even bear to imagine what they would have done to Kouryuu if they succeeded in taking him._

_I spoke with Koumei and we agreed that Kou isn't safe for the time being. Kouen and Seishin are ruthless with their purging of anything related or aligned to Al Thamen, but it's no use. Spies and assassins can hide. The loyalty of servants can be paid. Kougyoku and Hakuryuu agree with me._

_For now, Koumei, Kouryuu, and I are going to Balbadd._

_Alibaba is invited to come. Kouen and Koumei gave their permission. Their invite should come to Sindria soon after you receive this letter. Still, can you tell my brother for me? Tell him that he can come to Balbadd and meet his nephew._

_Tell him that his sister misses him._

_Thank you, Shion. And please, be careful._

_Amani_

* * *

Balbadd was supposed to be safe. It was supposed to be home. It was supposed to make her feel better.

Amani looked out of the window and saw Kou.

On her lap, Kouryuu blissfully napped the day away. His unwavering trust in his mother's ability to protect him made Amani's heart clench. His young mind had already forgotten about the bloodshed that happened in front of his eyes. And yet, he wasn't surprised with Leah's lack of presence, nor was he as trusting with the servants who walked into the room.

Everything was quieter with Leah gone. Though Amani trusted and cared for all her maids, Leah had stood out with her stubbornness and gall.

"Princess Amani?"

Amani turned from the window to greet her sudden visitor. "Tao."

Tao, who no longer wore his mask, grinned at her with Judal's face. He strolled into her room quietly to not wake Kouryuu up. He stopped right next to her and took a look outside the window. "Isn't much different than Kou, is it?" Tao asked her quietly. "I remember coming here six years ago. The streets were uneven, you'd find food and fabric stalls no matter where you turned, and the streets were never empty."

"You will find none of that here." Amani informed Tao sadly as she looked out again. She could see the house she had gifted Zaynab and Hassan once they reached Balbadd. Despite their loud insistence in staying by her side, Amani knew that the pair wanted Zassan to be a little older before going back into the battlefield. The threat to Kouryuu's life and safety will always be there, but Zassan still had the chance to grow up safely.

Amani was more than capable of taking care of herself anyways.

"I'm sorry." Tao said sincerely. "Though I had no influence in the destruction of your home and the erasing of your culture, I can sympathize with the feeling of losing everything."

"Thank you, Tao."

"Of course. It's the least that I can do for the mistress of the woman who gave her all in saving me." Tao's smile turned melancholic. "Miss Leah…I owe so much to her. I'm sorry for not being fast enough."

Amani shook her head. "You did your best in your situation. You saved Kouryuu and Zassan. I don't think Zaynab, Hassan, or I can thank you enough for protecting the children."

Tao stared at Amani silently. His eyes wandered from her eyes to something else over her shoulder. She didn't mind too much for her strange actions. It was a common habit of his, according to Hakuryuu.

"Princess Amani," Tao spoke again, "do you know that I can see ghosts?"

Amani blinked before laughing lightly in amusement. "Why, this is news to me, Tao-san. Neither Judal or Hakuei has told me that you had such a talent."

"It's true!" Tao insisted sincerely. "It's no parlor trick. I have been able to see the regrets and resentments of the departed ever since I lost my home. Your friend – the one with dreadlocks and a habit of smoking tobacco? I have seen him wander by your side until the birth of your son." At the widening of Amani's eyes, he nodded. "Yes. He was there - Kassim, wasn't it? He was very devoted in the task of keeping you safe and happy."

"I…I see. Then, I'm glad to hear that he moved on."

Tao opened his mouth as if to correct her statement. He changed his mind on the last second and focused on another subject. "Princess Amani, Miss Leah has lived an eventful and fulfilling life at your side. She has not regretted a single moment with you." Tao stared at what Amani now knew was a ghost of a regret. "She only wishes that her death will not burden you in the future."

"That's her only regret? Then, I won't let my selfishness hold her back from moving on." She looked at the empty space and tried to imagine her maid. "Leah, I won't mourn for you forever. I will live on and be happy. I will be strong for Balbadd and my son. I won't forget you, but I won't let my sadness hinder me from my goals." Amani's breath hitched. "Goodbye, Leah. Your friendship was precious to me. You can rest now."

After a beat of silence, Tao closed his eyes.

"She is at peace."

Amani wept in relief at Tao's confirmation, waking Kouryuu from his nap. Instead of fussing and crying, the little prince looked from his mother's tear-stained face to Tao, the only other occupant in the room, and glared at the Gui accusingly.

At any other situation, Tao would have laughed.

* * *

Alibaba, packed and ready for his trip to Balbadd, looked down to Shion and Aladdin for assurance from the ship. Both boys offered him encouraging smiles from where they stood.

"Don't worry, Alibaba. You'll be completely," Shion yawned and rubbed his eyes, "fine. Amani will be really happy to see you. Tell her I said hi."

"Um, are you okay, Shion?" Alibaba asked uneasily.

Shion leaned against Aladdin. "Nope. I haven't slept in a week. I'm planning on going back to bed after you leave." Morgiana appeared on the ship behind Alibaba with a significantly larger pack. "Oh hey, there's Mor."

Alibaba jumped in surprise. "Morgiana?! I told you not to come!" He scolded her with a flushed face.

"You really should let her go." Shion said while yawning. "It'll send a strong message politically if you brings at least one of your household members with you. In this case, she's your _only _household member. So bring her."

Before Alibaba could argue, more people clambered onto the ship. Shion recognized most of them as his fellow apprentices under Sharrkan's tutelage.

"'Sup, Alibaba!" Olba crowed.

"Toto is coming too!" A woman Shion didn't recognize chimed along.

"W-What?! We aren't going to play around, you know!?"

Shion leaned over to Aladdin. "Should I know her?" He whispered nervously. "I mean, I haven't been out of the palace since I was grounded for a while, but I _swear_ I haven't seen that woman before."

"Oh, that's Toto. Alibaba's fake girlfriend."

Shion stared at the magi blankly. "Fake…girlfriend."

"Uh-huh."

"…_Wow_, I missed out on so much."

Aladdin patted Shion on the back comfortingly. "I'll tell you about it later. For now, let's see Alibaba off!"

Both boys waved as the ship departed from the port. It wasn't until the ship was a couple yards away when a thought hit Shion hard enough to jostle him from his sleepy state.

"_Oh no_." Eyes suddenly becoming alert, Shion jumped away from Aladdin. The blue-haired boy looked at the other boy in alarm. "I can't believe it. I forgot to remind Alibaba about _that thing_."

"What thing?!" Aladdin asked in alarm.

Shaking off his sleepiness as much as he could, Shion ran to the edge of the port and cupped his hands over his mouth. "Alibaba! _You forgot to buy something for Kouryuu!_"

"WHAT?! No! Captain, take me back to shore! I need to buy something for my nephew!"

"No can do, young man, we're too far out now."

"NOOOO!"

* * *

And thus, Alibaba ended up being Kouryuu's least favorite uncle.

(JK, JK, Alibaba just bought something when he docked at Balbadd. It's all good.)

Now, here is another addition to the _Mirror, Mirror_ series! Since this is set during Kohaku's stay in Sindria, I'm going to do Sinbad first! I know there is a lot of requests for Koumei, but I'm going to focus on Sindria before moving onto Kou, so requests on anyone from Sindria or who was at Sindria?

Well, while you think on that, read this!

* * *

**Mirror, Mirror:** **Sinbad**

"Huh, so my treasury had something like this the whole time." Sinbad looked at his reflection curiously. His reflection inspected him in the same manner. "Aladdin claimed that you are a version of me from 'another world'. Is that true?"

"I'll trust him on it." His reflection responded cheerfully. "The Alibaba from my world told me a detailed account on your world so I'm convinced. There are a few similarities and differences, I heard."

Sinbad hid his surprise with a smile. "Is that so? How exciting! Tell me more about your world, then. Does Sindria exist? What about Al Thamen?"

Both Sinbads exchanged information about their respective worlds, bouncing from personal events to the political state of the world. Both were surprised by how similar everything was. Their lives were almost identical. Only the events in Balbadd seemed to diverge from each other.

"I see…so that happened." Sinbad thought aloud after he heard his reflection's version of Balbadd. "Well, that explains why the Alibaba in my world was so spooked after speaking with himself. It must've been traumatic to hear that his friend died that way."

"Really? How did it end for you?" His reflection asked curiously.

Before he could answer, Sinbad was interrupted by a shy knock. "Yes? Who is it?"

Shion timidly peeked his head in. "…Is this a bad time?"

In an instant, Sinbad's expression softened and he set the mirror against one of his scrolls. "No, Shion. It's not. I'm taking a break, actually." He patted his lap. "Come on over here."

Eagerly, the young boy jumped onto his lap. Both father and son were unaware of the pair of eyes from the mirror that watched this interaction in shocked silence. Sinbad made sure Shion was properly balanced on his lap before he turned his full attention to his son.

"So, what do you need? Did your friends cause trouble again?"

Shion's expression immediately turned sheepish. "Well…"

"Which one was it this time? The Ambassador from Reim? Darius' grandson?" Sinbad questioned, completely unsurprised.

"Don't worry about it. Kikiriku is doing damage control." Shion assured his father quickly. "It wasn't big. Actually, I came here because Aladdin told me that he found something interesting in the treasure room. Can I see it, Father?"

Sinbad picked up the mirror. "Apparently, this mirror shows another world. Can you believe it?"

Shion's blue eyes widened, surprised. "Really, Father? What kind of world is it?"

"It's a world similar to your own." Sinbad's reflections decided to speak up, making Shion jump. Both Sinbads chuckled at the child's reaction as Shion stared at the mirror with wide eyes. "Whoa."

"Cool, isn't it?" His father and the reflection asked at the same time.

Shion squirmed uncomfortably. "More creepy than cool. Though," the boy leaned forward and squinted his eyes, "why can't I see myself?"

"…"

"…"

"Oh." Shion blinked in realization. "I probably don't exist there, do I?"

The reflection's smile became a bit strained. "No." He agreed. "I never married and I was…careful."

Shion shrugged. "That's okay. Father didn't marry either. My existence was pretty much an accident."

"A _good _accident." Sinbad stressed. "I'm happy that I found you in Balbadd."

Shion's smile became a little bashful. "I'm happy that you found me too." Then, as if he couldn't bear the embarrassment, he hopped off of Sinbad's lap and made his way to the door. "Well, I better go and tell Jamal about this discovery! He'll want to know how this works! Thanks for showing me the mirror, Father!"

"Don't cause too much trouble!" Sinbad chuckled as he watched his son zoom out of his office. His reflection watched him pensively. "What is it? You want to ask me something. It's written all over your face."

"I never had the urge to have any children." His reflections confessed. "So, it's a bit strange to see myself with a child. Shion looks exactly like us. Aside from the eyes, of course. Who was his mother? He doesn't really resemble Serendine so it can't be her."

Sinbad's smile dimmed at the reminder.

Sensing his other self's unhappiness, Sinbad's reflection backtracked almost immediately. "It's a sensitive topic. I get it. You don't have to answer."

"I'd prefer not to, thanks." Sinbad agreed. "But I can relate to the strangeness of seeing myself with a child. I used to think just like you until my son came into my life. Shion was unexpected but I never thought of him as unnecessary or a burden."

"I didn't say he was." His reflection assured him. "Shion sounds intelligent and mature. You must be proud of him."

Sinbad grinned proudly. "Of course! Shion beat me in being the youngest dungeon capturer in history!" He boasted. "How can I not be proud?"

His reflection gaped at him.

"Tell me about it this instant." He demanded when he recovered. "I want to hear the details. How did he do it? Which dungeon was it?"

* * *

Pssst. (Slides two Chibi-Omakes to you.) Look, there's more!

Please enjoy!

* * *

**Chibi-Omake: Awkward Family Reunion (Or, How Hel's Full Name is Revealed to Everyone)**

For some insane and senseless reason, Pharaoh Armakan and General Muu Alexius agreed to have dinner in the same tent. Hel was upset with the entire arrangement.

"Thank you for taking care of Askan." Armakan said formally to Muu. His cheerful personality being his natural state, the General accepted the pharaoh's gratitude with grace. "Oh no, it's fine! No trouble at all! We were all happy to have him over. I hope you received my letter."

"Because of the recent events, I did not receive it, unfortunately. Still, it was fortunate that the Seven Seas Alliance came to aid both Magnostadt and Reim. If not, it would have taken longer for Askan to return home." Armakan said.

The implication that the Seven Seas Alliance being stronger than Reim was not lost on Hel. The teen scowled and stabbed into his meat aggressively.

Muu, on the other hand, laughed good-naturedly. "That's true."

"Dinner is delicious, Miss Maya." Askan chirped, completely unaware at the rising tension. "Can I have more?"

"Of course, dear." Maya scooped a generous amount of food into Askan's plate. Sometimes, it baffled Hel on how well his mother acted the part of an herbivore when it came to domestic life or interacting with children. It almost appeared as if the woman who fought so viciously and aggressively was someone completely different. He was impressed when Muu took in the contrasting sides of her without batting an eye.

Armakan seemed just as surprised by her actions and tone. When Maya's eyes turned to him, the pharaoh stiffened. "It's wonderful to see you again, Alma. I see that you are healthy."

"I am." He agreed awkwardly, much to Hel's vicious pleasure.

"I really am sorry about Eirenne." Maya apologized sincerely. "The surprise must not have been pleasant."

"The fault is mine." Armakan assured her hastily. "I have been housing an ally to Al Thamen under my own roof. I apologize for the injuries and casualties that she caused. I assure you that I will see her executed for her crimes."

Muu placed a hand on Maya's arm. "That's good." He said in a relieved tone. "She was targeting Maya in particular. The sooner she's gone, the safer my Maya will be."

Armakan pointedly ignored Muu's wording. Hel, on the other hand, mentally applauded his guardian for marking his territory.

"Be careful, Alma." Maya warned the pharaoh. "Eirenne is more dangerous than she seems. She was able to overpower a Finalis and fight with me in my djinn equip."

"I…I will, Maya. Thank you." Armakan stumbled briefly.

Not liking how his face flushed, Hel snapped, "What kind of name is _Alma_?" He demanded rudely. "Did you choose it yourself?"

The flush disappeared, replaced with a mirroring scowl. "And is _Hel _more respectable?"

"Mother gave me that name." Hel revealed, taking joy when Armakan backed away from insulting his name any further at the mention of Maya.

Maya, on the other hand, did not look offended.

"Actually, that is not Hel's real name. The slavers shortened it for simplicity's sake."

The whole table fell silent. Even Hel stared at his mother owlishly.

"…What's Hel-nii's real name?" Askan asked, curiously.

Maya smiled. "Helios."

Hel rolled his full name in his mouth and decided that he didn't like it as much as his own name. Still, it was nice to know that his mother named him with a powerful name.

Muu grinned at him. "Helios Alexius. Rolls off the tongue, doesn't it?"

Hel hummed in agreement.

Armakan, on the other hand, stared at Maya. She stared back at him boldly, completely unashamed and proud of her choice in her son's name.

The name was a memory. It was a reminder. To herself and to Armakan.

For her, it was a source of strength and a fond memory.

For him, it was a broken promise and a lifelong regret.

"Helios." Armakan repeated and looked away.

* * *

**Chibi-Omake: Snake Guardian** **(Or, How Selene Honored Kukulcan)**

Sphintus' shoulders felt too light.

Always, Kukulcan had remained coiled around his neck like a protective necklace. Since snakes were rare and a sign of nobility, Sphintus never stopped feeling proud that he had Kukulcan at his side.

Well, not anymore.

The healer didn't show that it affected him, of course. He went along as he always did, only pausing whenever an action reminded him that Kukulcan was no longer there.

"I miss him." Sphintus confessed to Selene when they were alone. His back was turned to her to hide his tears and shame. "My shoulders feel too light."

In response to his confession, Selene wrapped her arms around his shoulders.

'_I am not Kukulcan, but I am quiet and poisonous.' _She wrote on his chest._ 'I will do my best to help you in what Kukulcan can no longer do.' _

Sphintus blinked away his tears.

"Thank you, Selene."

Her arms coiled and tightened on his shoulders and around his neck like a snake's.

But she was warm.


	52. Chapter 51: The Prodigal Blondes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alibaba returns to Balbadd and reunites with Amani.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Onwards

"…"

"…"

"…_So, your name is [static noise], huh? Interesting. I've never been religious, but everything here looks old enough to fit the time period. Hey, tell me, do you happen to play the lyre?"_

"_Not in the slightest."_

"_Bummer."_

"_And you? What is your name? I find it fair that you give me yours since you already know mine. Who are you, stranger?"_

"_Me? Well, my name is –_

* * *

Shion jerked awake and stared at the ceiling. Such a strange dream. He had been dreaming a lot about the two voices lately, but this was the first time they were actually audible.

Unfortunately, it was throwing his whole sleeping schedule out of whack. Again.

And he had been sleeping _so well _with Jamal's headphones.

* * *

Koumei was relieved to see the color coming back to his wife's cheeks after bringing her to Balbadd. He didn't care that her presence in the palace bothered the nobles and ministers. The increased amount of paperwork he could handle, but the sight of his wife wearing herself out with fear, anxiety, and grief in their own home?

He wasn't able to bear it for a second.

'_Kou was never her home anyways.'_ Dark thoughts like these pervaded the corners of his mind at his weakest moments. _'It is here in Balbadd. Her home country and her people can make her happy when you cannot.'_

Koumei didn't delude himself with his wife's feelings toward the 'reformation' of Balbadd. She despised it just as much as the next Balbadd citizen. It had stripped everything familiar and safe about her home. The only piece of Balbadd left was the royal rooms and Amani's library.

Anywhere else was too dangerous, too _Kou _for Amani to relax.

Koumei wished that he could have posted more soldiers or kept a closer eye on Gyokuen or _anything _to have prevented the massacre of his section of the palace and his son's (his **son's**) very first kidnap attempt. Anything.

But he failed. And he almost paid for the consequences.

The moment the couple realized what had happened, both Koumei and Amani had razed through the entire palace, looking for Kouryuu. Every Ren family member pitched into the search, splitting into two groups. One focused on finding Kouryuu while the other searched for the perpetrator of the entire incident.

Surprisingly, it was Hakuryuu who had decided to help the nearly hysterical parents in the search for Kouryuu, leaving the witch-hunt for Gyokuen to Kouen, Kouha, and Judal. Kougyoku and Yasmine decided to scour for any remaining Al Thamen members within the vicinity.

Just when they assumed the worst, a bloody Tao came staggering to them with two infants in each arm.

'_And since then, Amani never trusted Kou. I doubt even __**you **__trust Kou anymore either.'_ Koumei's insecure side whispered at the edges of his mind, working to break his self-confidence and mental stability with anxiety and paranoia. _'What will you do now, Zhuge Liang? Where did that lauded cleverness go? How are you letting everything slip through your fingers so carelessly? You don't know, don't you? You don't know.'_

Arms circled around Koumei's shoulders, breaking him from his dark train of thought. "Still working?" She asked sympathetically, eyes free of their usual redness. He blinked and wondered if his wife had finally eased out of her mourning state for Leah. "Yes," he admitted distractedly, "but I'm almost finished."

"Let me take care of that." Amani offered and whisked away the scroll before Koumei could protest or blink. "I've been idle for too long. Besides, there is someone else who is in need of your attention."

Koumei felt his robes being tugged and automatically looked down. At his feet, Kouryuu stared up at his father, annoyed at the lack of attention. "Da!"

Despite his young age, Koumei was proud to say that his son knew how to babble out one-syllable words. Simple things like "Da, Ma, No, Ye, Hi, Bye, and Sweep (which really meant 'sleep')" were now common sounds to hear from the child. Koumei knew that it was mostly because of his wife's daily, one-sided conversations with their child that he was able to form these words in the first place.

Solomon, he really needed to spend more time with his son.

"Da!"

Koumei blinked and looked down. Happy that he got his father's attention, Kouryuu made a demanding grabbing motion, making his desire clear.

Amani laughed as Koumei immediately complied once the dots connected in his head. Kouryuu did his best to cling onto his father as he nuzzled his neck affectionately. "Ryuu-chan really missed you, _Anata_. I know that there are lots of work that must be done, but you should make time for your family." Amani scolded her husband lightly.

Kouryuu gave his father a well-timed whack on the chest in response to his mother's tone. It was a weak tap at best, but it still hurt Koumei's heart.

"I would stay in bed all day with both of you if I this wasn't necessary." He complained. "The security in Balbadd Palace and silencing any more complaints about your twin's 'diplomatic' visit is more than necessary. Not only that, General Muu Alexius is visiting tomorrow to speak about Reim's position with Kou."

"Those are important, yes. But they aren't immediate issues." Amani finished up the scroll and tossed it into the pile. "Well, since this thing is finished, you can start staying in bed right now. It's time for Ryuu-chan's naptime anyways."

At the mention of 'naptime', both father and son yawned.

Amani smiled at them fondly.

"Naptime it is."

* * *

Meanwhile, a couple miles out in the ocean, Alibaba looked out to the sea. He tried to keep a straight face as the newly formed couple flaunted their new status with public displays of affection.

Unconsciously, his hand curled up into a fist.

'_First, I forget to buy my nephew a gift. And now, THIS?!'_ He mentally shouted. _'Stop being so lovey-dovey in public, dammit! Have you no shame, you two?!'_

Completely depressed and jealous of his newly formed household members, Alibaba thought back to the small gift he had in his travel pack. It was a bracelet, nothing special. It was a small yet surprisingly expensive trinket that caught his eye during his explorations through the Reim markets.

He had intended to give it to Morgiana.

It was a thin and soft-looking thing. It resembled nothing like the wearer Alibaba had in mind, but still. She had liked the pretty necklace he got her before they parted so he thought she would like this gift as well.

But the necklace had been a gift for her convenience, an extra precaution in case her primary household vessel broke.

Alibaba had bought the bracelet with the intention of confessing to the Finalis with the encouragement of Jamal and Opal (and even a little bit of Hel).

'_I can do this.'_ He had thought upon purchasing the jewelry. He spent weeks afterwards rehearsing and memorizing the right lines to say to her when they reunited. _'I can do this.'_

But then, Alibaba messed up. Foot to mouth, so to speak. His lie about Toto being his girlfriend had been instinctive and he regretted it the moment it left his mouth. He beat himself up over it days after at the missed chance. There were _so many ways _he could have played the scene into the perfect confession to Morgiana.

Stupid. _Stupid._

Yasmine-sensei had warned him about his bad habit of blurting out less than empathetic things at the wrong time. _Why didn't he listen to her? _Better yet, why couldn't he shut his mouth?

Alibaba bristled yet again when he glanced at the happy couple.

That would've been _him _if he had confessed correctly.

(Or maybe not him. Morgiana rejecting him was also a high possibility that Alibaba tried his best to ignore. He was already scared at the prospect of giving an imperfect confession. He didn't think he could take the thought of rejection without doing something foolish again.)

Alibaba hit himself over the head, gaining many concerned stares from the other inhabitants on the ship. He ignored them all in favor of his mental moping.

Stupid. _Stupid._

* * *

"_What is fate to you, [static noise]?"_

"_It's an unavoidable path with a set destination. Our struggles, our ambitions, even our fortune is predestined and planned before creation."_

"…_But isn't that too sad?"_

"…_? Sad? Not at all. It is what it is. We are all pulled to our respective paths to fulfill a greater purpose that we are all unaware of. We may not understand it, but there is a plan far beyond our understanding. Why? Is it different in your world?"_

"_Yes. We have many faiths. Some are similar to your own. All lives end up at a set destination after its end. They call the end heaven or hell depending on how the person lived."_

"_Heaven and Hell? How strange. There is no distinction on how an individual lived, good or bad. The ending is the same."_

"_Yes. Another is the belief that a soul will be cleansed after its life and it will live again. The position and fortune they have on the next life depends on how well you lived your previous. I like that belief better, honestly. It gives more chances to the soul for their mistakes and it makes one wonder about what life they lead before."_

"_Is that so? It's a nice thought, but beliefs and faiths like those do not exist here."_

"_How can you say that? Nothing is impossible. I'm here, aren't I?"_

"…_Yes, you are."_

"_Hey [static noise]? I never thought more than half of the things here existed until I fell here. Magicians, monsters, spaghetti gods, they're all such amazing and exciting things! I wish I could show all of this to [static noise] when I get back. I'm sure that even this will amaze her."_

"_You mention this person often. Who is she to you that drives you to return to your world?"_

"_Well, she's my precious –_

* * *

Aladdin glanced anxiously at the dozing prince right next to him. He tried to focus on translating the ancient text on his lap, but his concern for Shion overrode all curiosity for knowledge.

Tentatively, the blue-haired magi poked the time-traveler's shoulder. "Shion?"

"Mnnn, wha?" Shion roused himself from his light sleep and rubbed his eyes. "What time is it?"

"The sun is still up." Aladdin offered helpfully. "But you dozed off again, Shion. Are you _sure _you're okay? I thought you fixed your sleeping problem. Didn't you speak with your parents about the, um, noise?"

Shion snorted. "And bring up such an awkward subject? No way. Jamal made me these handy headphones, so I _should _be sleeping well but…"

"But?"

"But I've been having these weird dreams." The purple-haired boy frowned. "I've been hearing conversations between a man and a woman. Their voices aren't familiar at all." He grimaced. "The dreams themselves aren't too much of a hassle, but I've been falling asleep spontaneously before I dream about them. Mom and Father are getting worried."

Aladdin nodded, looking worried. "I see."

Shion sighed. "So, even though I fixed my sleeping schedule, I've been sleeping at random times and places. It's a bit of a pain."

"It sounds a lot like the time I dreamed about the events in Alma Toran." Aladdin mused. "Did you see anything?"

The time traveler shook his head. "No. I just heard voices. Something…something about names? And deep conversations about fate?" At Aladdin's confused look, Shion shrugged. "Like I said, it's weird."

"Hmm, it doesn't sound like Al Thamen's influence. You should be fine."

Shion nodded. "Well, that's a relief. But I'm still having trouble sleeping at the right time."

"Really? Then you should try some tea. I hear it helps with sleep or staying awake."

He nodded again. "Yeah, I'll try that, Aladdin."

"…Um, Shion?" Aladdin questioned uneasily. _"I didn't say that."_

"What?" Shion looked at the magi in confusion. "What are you talking about? You're the only other person here…in the…room." Trailing off, Shion slowly looked up and stared at the floating figure a couple feet over his head. Aladdin mimicked his actions, staring up in shock at the intruder.

Yunan waved back cheerfully from his perch on his staff.

"Hello, Shion! Aladdin!"

"Uncle…Yunan?" Shion gaped. "What are you doing here at Sindria?! And how…how did you get in without setting off any of Jamal's alarms? Or Kikiriku's security checkpoints? Solomon, they're going to freak out if they find out you managed to pass through their security system."

As Shion panicked, Yunan pouted. "No 'hello's' or 'I missed you Uncle Yunan?' And after not seeing me for such a long time. You're so uncute, Shion."

Shion bristled. Exhaustion and stress had obliterated his patience and temper. "Well, who's to blame for that? It's not like I _jumped _into that dungeon, Uncle!" He snapped. "And you have no ideahow many questions I have, not to mention those memory seals you placed on my turban. Explain yourself!"

Yunan sighed, looking almost defeated. "I see that your father influenced you. You've never been this suspicious of me."

"Again, who's to blame for that?" Shion repeated, looking just as defeated. His temper quickly quelled at the sight of his uncle's sad expression. "I thought I could trust you but it turned out that you kept more secrets from me than everyone else."

"It was to protect you, Shion." Yunan insisted. "Please, let me explain first before you come to your own conclusions. I had a reason for what I did."

Shion hesitated.

'_Don't trust him.'_ Though faint, he could hear the Veteran whisper in his ear. There was old hurt and betrayal in his voice. _'You know what happened when we trusted a friend despite the doubts stacked against him.'_

Shion knew. Shion knew and that was why he was scared.

"Shion, _please_." Yunan's voice took a gentler and almost heartbreakingly earnest tone.

And yet, despite appearing earnest and apologetic…

'_I don't want to trust him again.'_ A voice whispered.

Shion didn't know if it was the Veteran or himself who mentally voiced this thought.

Or perhaps…both?

A hand landed on Shion's shoulder, jerking him out of his anxious thoughts. Aladdin gave him a supportive smile. "I think you should hear him out. He's family, right? I'm sure that he has his reasons. It's good that he's at least willing to give answers, right?"

It was so strange at how quickly Aladdin was able to dispel the quiet anxiety and doubt in Shion with just a touch and a look. Shion gave him a grateful look. "Yeah. I should at least hear him out." He turned back to his uncle. "So, what did you want to say?"

Yunan smiled down at Shion in relief. "Shion! Thank you! I promise that I'll explain everything! Starting from the reason why I sealed away –

The blonde cut himself off abruptly, expression turning distant and cold. His smile no longer appeared bright.

"Hey! It's not polite to eavesdrop on someone's conversation, Sinbad!"

Shion jumped at stared at the lone Papagoras bird, perched at a ledge of one of the floors. _'Crap, I was too careless! How much did he hear?!'_

"More or less. I can hear your voice clearly as well." Yunan responded to a voice that only he could hear. "You sound older too."

After a pause, Yunan grimaced. "Just as I feared. Ranya still can't walk properly? You really haven't been giving her the exercise she needs, have you? Don't spoil her so much!" Another pause. "That was too much information, Sinbad. Remember, she is my _sister_. You try having a precious, female family member and _not_ be protective! I'm still not comfortable with leaving Ranya with you." He bristled indignantly, all pretense of calmness gone. "I told you that was too much information!"

Shion's expression became blanker and blanker as the one-sided bickering continued in front of his face.

Aladdin patted his back consolingly. "We should leave them to their conversation, Shion. Why don't we go and get some lunch?"

"Ah! Aladdin, please wait over there! I need to speak with you as well as fellow Magi who has witnessed the sight of the Sacred Palace and 'Ugo'."

Aladdin stopped short abruptly. "Ugo?!"

Yunan smiled mysteriously. "I seem to have gotten your attention. Are you willing to converse with me too?" He tilted his head and frowned as he listened to Sinbad's voice once again. "Ah? Is that so? A room for me? Well…I refuse."

The room suddenly felt cold as Yunan's expression darkened.

"You know, I don't trust you much after all."

Both Shion and Aladdin tensed up at the dangerous atmosphere.

"I mean, _look_ _at your son!_ Do you _see _the bags under his eyes?! Shion looks as if he hadn't slept for _days! _I'm sure that it's the result from _your _carelessness and lack of consideration!" Yunan continued his rant, dispelling the tension in an instant. "I'm sure that the same will happen to me if I ever take that room!"

Shion cringed and hid his face.

"See? Look at him. It's clear that I'm right. I know you can see him, Sinbad." Yunan continued accusingly. "Oh, don't give me that. Shion was probably too embarrassed to tell you!"

Shion hoped fervently that a sea monster would conveniently breach the area and swallow him whole. Aladdin, sensing the amount of his friend's embarrassment, winced sympathetically.

"Oh, and I refuse to let you listen to our conversation too. You already eavesdropped enough. That's such a breach of privacy, you weirdo!"

* * *

"_I think it's about time to give up, don't you think?"_

"_Geez, you're a __**horrible**__ friend, [static noise]. The worst. Would it hurt you to give me _some_ encouragement?"_

"_It's been years. Centuries. I don't think that it would be kind of me to encourage your delusion, [static noise] –mi. Whatever family or friends you wish to return to are gone. Didn't you say that your world had no magic? They should all be long gone by now."_

"…"

"_I admire your tenacity. I really do. Your determination is beautiful and I don't wish for you to change your way of thinking in any way. But please hear me when I say that it's a lost cause. You've been studying magic and working non-stop to return to your own world. Enough."_

"_But…"_

"_Aren't you happy here? I thought you enjoyed this world. Can't you find it in your heart to accept your situation and stay with me?"_

"…_[static noise] –d…"_

"_Please, Sammi. Stay."_

* * *

Shion jerked awake. He was in a strange bed and in an unfamiliar room. The Sindrian Prince quietly cursed to himself for dozing off suddenly again. As he slid out of the strange – yet surprisingly squishy – bed, he took in his surroundings. It certainly wasn't a room in the palace. It wasn't an area in the library either.

…Where was he?

He tried to remember where he was before he passed out. His father had stormed into the library and continued his argument with his uncle the moment they were face-to-face. They traded verbal blows.

Aladdin said something, trying to pacify the situation. Shion's vision had been blurring by that point. And then…

Dark

And a little bit of pain.

Shion rubbed the side of his head absentmindedly and winced as he felt the bump. Ouch. What the heck did he fall on?

At the sound of the door opening, Shion looked up.

"Shion? You're awake!" Aladdin looked relieved. Behind him, Yunan nervously hovered at the doorway. "Are you feeling better?" His uncle tentatively asked.

"Yeah. Just got a little bump here. I don't think I have a concussion so it's nothing big. I should be fine." Shion looked at his room critically. "Where are we?"

Yunan shifted nervously. "I may have…built a house…on your front yard."

Shion blinked.

"What?"

"Magically, of course!" Yunan was quick to assure his befuddled nephew. "I'll dispel it the moment we finish our conversation! Oh, and your father is throwing a fit outside the front porch."

Shion stared at his sheepish uncle for a moment longer before shaking his head. "You know what? Let's have this conversation over with so I can calm him down."

"That's a good idea." Yunan nodded, relieved that Shion wasn't reacting negatively with the whole situation. He led his nephew down to the dining table. The entire house looked cozy. Shion wondered what his uncle used to make all of this. "Would you like some tea? Bread? Fruits?"

"All of them please."

After Shion was comfortable and significantly fuller, he faced Yunan. "Explain." He ordered shortly.

Yunan nodded. He looked significantly calmer and more self-assured. "Of course. Where should we start?"

"The turban. The seals. The suppression jewels."

"I'd think that the turban is obvious." Yunan gestured over to Shion's hair. "At that time, it was crucial for Al Thamen to not know of your existence or your connection to Sinbad. Preferably, I would have had you be unaware of your connection with your father for your entire life so to live normally." The magi sighed. "But, things turned out differently."

Aladdin frowned from Shion's side. "But didn't Shion deserve to know?"

"Yes, he did. But, as I said, it was only a preferable scenario. I would have told him eventually and let him decide whether he wanted to reveal himself to Sinbad or not."

It would have been too late by then. Shion knew this because it had happened in his last life. Instead of being presented to a father he never knew, he was given an empty island and an impressive grave fit for a king.

"And the seals? The suppression jewels?" Shion asked, eager to change to subject and move on. "Were they really necessary?"

"The jewels were. If I hadn't placed them in your wrists the moment you were born, you would have alerted Al Thamen of your existence, not to mention the calamities that would have come down upon us." Yunan sighed miserably at the memory. "Embedding those stones into your tiny arms wasn't ideal for me either. I hated causing you pain, but it was for your safety. Ranya had agreed."

Shion nodded acceptingly. "Okay. I get it. But what about the memory seals?"

Yunan smiled sadly. "Well, you asked for them." At Shion's shocked stare, he nodded. "It's true. Originally, they were just to make people forget about the color of your hair if they ever caught a glimpse of it. But then, you asked me if I could fix it so to block out some of your memories. I don't know if it was what you saw at the dungeon or something else, but you really needed to forget something. You were desperate and in a great need of sleep. Nightmares came frequently before I applied the seals. You slept better after that."

"I…don't remember asking you that." Shion said slowly.

"No, you don't." Yunan agreed, looking concerned again. "You _should_ remember everything by now. The memory seals are off, right?"

Shion hummed to himself. "My mind must have automatically suppressed it even without the help of the memory seals."

'_Or, I must have subconsciously shoved it all to a different part of my mind. Veteran?'_

'_Oh, so you're actually willing to talk to me __**now**__?'_ Veteran's response, despite his grumpy tone, was automatic and a bit muffled. _'And yes, I remember everything your little pansy ass couldn't handle. Don't think you can watch any of it right now, though. You still have those weird memory-dreams. Those aren't ours.'_

'_Not mine either!" _Child chirped. _'Hey, does this mean you're going to stop ignoring us now? Usually, Veteran has to bother you for you to even react, but he's been all quiet ever since that Ithnan guy broke into our mind.'_

Shion barely heard Veteran's snort. _'That's because I'm slowly being incorporated with the main psyche. Shion remembers more now. Not everything, but more. Since I no longer have a purpose, I'm losing my individuality.' _

'_Oh.'_ Child sounded disheartened. _'That's…sad. I'll be lonelier when you're gone.'_

Shion couldn't help but agree.

'_Don't worry.'_ Another voice assured Child. _'Once you mature, you will assimilate yourself with Shion. It will come after some time.'_

'_King!'_ Child cried out in excitement. Even Veteran felt pleased with Shion's third persona's reappearance. _'It's been so long! Where were you? I couldn't sense you at all!'_

Shion felt a pang of comfort wash over him. _'I'm sorry for worrying all of you. I had to do a lot of…thinking on my own. Oh, and Shion, eyes forward. Your Uncle and Aladdin is beginning to get concerned.'_

As if stung, Shion jumped in his seat. Yunan and Aladdin jumped along with him.

"Shion, are you feeling okay?" The blue-haired magi asked tentatively. "You've been zoning out."

"I think I need to use the bed again." He answered, half-honest. He really did feel exhausted for some strange reason. "I think I'll go back to the jello bed for another nap. Don't want to randomly pass out again."

Yunan was at his feet immediately. "I'll take you there. Aladdin, can you please go outside and assure Sinbad that I'm not kidnapping his son? Shion needs to sleep."

Aladdin nodded and left with one last worried glance at his King Candidate's way.

"Thanks, Uncle." Shion said gratefully. "And I'm not talking about the bed. Thanks for answering my questions and being patient with me even though I treated you horribly. Really."

"Of course." The blonde said quietly. "We're family, Shion."

* * *

"_It's been peaceful lately. I hear that it's thanks to your [static noise] [static noise] group that less people are dying before I fell into this world. It's amazing how much you did on your own. I'm glad that some of my research helped you out. Maybe with this, we can change the world."_

"_Yes, the world will be more peaceful. It's all thanks to you staying."_

"_Hey, [static noise]? Do you think I can go outside again? I would like to learn more about this peaceful world."_

"_S–[static noise]–mi, don't you remember? We almost lost you during your last 'adventure'. Who knows what you would have encountered if I hadn't found you as soon as I did? It will be safer to remain here where I won't lose you."_

"…"

"_I'm sorry. I know I'm being too protective."_

"_No. I understand."_

"_Sammi, are you happy?"_

"…_Yes. I'm happy. Thank you, D- [static noise] –d."_

* * *

"Blessed Child Amani. Thank you for meeting with me. Or, do you prefer Princess?"

Amani smiled beatifically with Kouryuu perched perfectly on her lap. Across from her, Muu Alexius sat across from her with an equally charming smile. Staring at the new person, the infant tilted his head and warbled curiously. Muu's smile softened for a fleeting moment at the boy before reverting back to its political mask.

"Amani, if you please." The Blessed Child said airily as she pushed the plate of tea and snacks forward so it was out of her son's grabby reach. "I think that we're already above formalities, don't you think, Muu? Or do you prefer General?"

"Muu is fine." The Reim Ambassador assured Amani, looking significantly more relaxed. "Though it is late, congratulations on a successful delivery. I'm glad to see that your son is healthy and well. You were at Sindria when you found out about your pregnancy, right? Are you friends with Hel?"

Amani laughed and nodded. "Of course! Hel is a very sweet boy despite first impressions. He kept Shion on his toes during his entire stay."

"Is that so?" Muu plucked a cookie from the plate and took a small bite. His eyes widened at the taste. "Did you make this? It's very good."

"Yes, I did. I hear that your wife is also a wonderful cook as well." Amani complimented seamlessly as she absentmindedly tugged Kouryuu's hands from her necklace. Her son pouted before turning his attention onto his fingers. "How is she, by the way?"

"Maya is healthy, thank you for asking." Muu said gratefully and grinned happily. "We are actually expecting our first child. It's a bit of a recent development, but we're excited nonetheless."

Amani made a sound of surprise and pleasure. "Really? Congratulations on being a father! I hope the delivery will be successful."

Muu accepted her congratulations with enthusiastic nods and overjoyed smiles, obviously thrilled with the prospect of being a father. Amani imparted him with a few tips with pregnancy and baby-caring in general, knowing that the soon-to-be father would prefer to be hands-on in raising in children. Then, after some time talking, Muu turned to the empty seat. "And your husband? Will Prince Koumei be joining us soon for the negotiation?"

Amani shook her head regretfully. "Unfortunately, my husband has his hands full at the moment. The ministers aren't letting him go." Her voice became dry as she spoke about the annoying old men. "So, it will only be you and me, I'm afraid. I hope you don't mind being stuck negotiating with a woman like me."

Muu shook his head. "I don't mind at all. Hel told me not to underestimate you, Miss Amani. Maya was also a friend of your predecessor, Fatima." Muu's smile turned wry. "I doubt that politics was the _only _thing she taught you during your youth."

"So you're aware that I am proficient in those fields. Good." With a nod, Amani adjusted her grip on Kouryuu. "Shall we start doing business, then? I need to be down at the port by noon to greet Alibaba so I'm afraid that I won't be able to give you as much time as I would like."

The Finalis General nodded understandingly. "Of course."

* * *

Tiare stood and waited outside the meeting hall nervously as she heard the voices inside argue back and forth. She easily picked out her master's voice out of the bunch.

It had been some time ever since they all had returned from the Magnostadt War to the chaos that was Kou. Half of the servants and maids were slaughtered. All the remaining Household Members were scattered and weakened. And the baby was gone.

Her master had been so scared.

He didn't show it, of course. But Tiare had been in her dragon form and she could smell the fear and anxiousness that wafted off of him as they both searched for any signs of Kouryuu from the skies.

But they found the little prince at the end.

Now, her master's imposing, red-haired older brother (who he no longer despised) sat on the throne, looking unhappy. Now, since the other two brothers were out of the country, her master was left in charge of the war meetings. Though he did not look as imposing and charismatic as the new Emperor or was not as intelligent as Kouryuu's father, her master was a strong leader who led his people well. A King.

Tiare was proud to stand at his side.

The door opened, making the Toran Village girl suddenly straightened in attention. High-ranking generals and a handful of ministers poured out of the room with the same, sour look of their faces. Some of the younger men paused from their scowling to either jump in fright or slowly look her over as if she was cooked meat.

Tiare tried not to shift in discomfort at the second type of stares. She didn't know why, but they made her feel uncomfortable and at edge.

"Tiare, what are you doing over there?" Her master's voice broke her out of her defensive pose. She brightened up immediately when she saw him and she trotted over to his side. "Are you finished for the day, master?"

Hakuryuu nodded tiredly. "Yes. There are still some documents to sign, but I can leave those for tomorrow." He sighed heavily. "It is moments like these when I regret taking Koumei-dono for granted. How did he handle everything by himself?"

"I think Amani helped him." Tiare offered helpfully. But, instead of satisfying her master as she had intended, Hakuryuu looked a little sad.

"Amani-dono _was_ there to support him, wasn't she?"

Tiare didn't know why mentioning the blonde made her master act this way, but she didn't like it. She didn't like it at all. Boldly, she grabbed his hand, forcing him to look at her. "Master! Do not worry. I am always at your side, so I will support you." Her eyes glinted. "I'll even scare the mean men if they don't listen to you quick enough. Some of them are scared of me."

Hakuryuu gave her a surprised stare. Then, he looked down and chuckled.

"Of course you will, Tiare. But it's not necessary. Thank you, though. Your support means much to me."

Tiare nodded. "You are my master." She stated simply.

Then, she pointed at the sky.

"Would you like to fly?"

Hakuryuu stared up at the sky longingly. "You know what? I'll take you up on that offer, Tiare. It's been a while since I took a break."

* * *

"Is this…really Balbadd?"

Alibaba stared out to the unfamiliar structures and streets. One part of him wondered whether he stopped by the wrong port. Another knew that this was the sight he was going to see once he came back onto his homeland.

"Alibaba-san…"

Morgiana's voice sounded sympathetic.

Alibaba shook himself and pasted on what he hoped was an assuring look. "Don't worry. Amani made sure to warn me that Balbadd changed while I was gone. This was something I expected. But…" He stared at the streets again. "I never expected it to be this different."

"Oi, Alibaba, there's a chick over there who looks like you." Olba whisper-hissed as he squinted to his far right, making both Alibaba and Toto stiffen. "Geez, what a weak presence. I almost missed her. Is she the sister you were talking about?"

Yes, it turned out. Yes, it was Amani.

She was thinner than the last time he saw her. Her eyes looked a little dimmer and more tired too. Alibaba had a moment of panic when he saw how much his sister resembled their late mother during the early stages of her illness. But then, a wide, vibrant smile reached both her mouth and eyes upon landing on him. Amani brightened as if set aflame. She was radiant.

"Alibaba?"

"Amani?"

They were in each other's arms in an instant. Foreheads pressed against each other and laughter bubbling from both their throats, Alibaba and Amani couldn't have looked more similar than they did now. Of course, there was sadness there too. With a silent understanding that only the pair could comprehend, the twins mourned and celebrated their return.

Sun and Moon

"Welcome home." Alibaba heard his sister murmur under her breath, quiet enough that only he could hear.

He swallowed, heavy emotion almost welling up to his eyes in the form of tears.

"I'm back."

* * *

"Welcome, Prince. Or should I say Ambassador? To think that you, the one who was banished and dethroned from his country, would walk on its soil once again…this is not your nation anymore. Please don't make any unnecessary ruckus."

Amani was impressed with how her brother was able to keep a straight face throughout the entire interaction with the more than rude minister. She recognized him as the father of one of the girls who had attempted to push her down the stairs during her pregnancy.

"Well then. Please wait until tomorrow in that estate. His Excellency is a bit too busy –

"Minister Chun." Amani interrupted before the man could say anything else. She stepped forward to Alibaba's side with an impassive expression on her face. The old man almost jumped at what he perceived as her sudden appearance. "B-B-Blessed Child! I was not aware of your presence!" He managed to calm himself before looking at her critically. "What are you doing outside without an escort may I ask?"

The accusation in the old man's voice made many behind her bristle. Even Alibaba's poker face cracked for a moment.

"Oh, do you mean General Barkakk and the rest of the soldiers?" Amani asked lightly. "They are waiting back at the palace since I was under the assumption that the carriage would lead my brother and I there." She pretended to look confused. "Oddly, we seemed to have ended up at a place that is _not _the palace."

Minister Chun straightened himself and placed upon himself a self-righteous look. "Well, _I _was sent here by His Excellency's orders for the Ambassador to be placed here at the estate for the time being. He is very busy at the moment as you would understand."

"Busy?" Amani repeated slowly, sounding as if she were talking to a child instead of an old man. "Well, I'm sure that Koumei is busy at the moment. I left Kouryuu with him when I went out to greet Alibaba. He's waiting at our chambers for our return at this very moment." After a heavy pause, Amani tilted her head. "Weren't you aware? Koumei _was _the one who gave you those 'orders' after all."

Minister Chun coughed and spluttered. "You made his Excellency carry on your duties so you can conspire with your exiled brother? You're too bold, Blessed Child!"

"And you are wasting my husband's time, Minister." Amani's reply with cold and flat. Alibaba, for some reason, was suddenly reminded of Fatima and was forever thankful that it wasn't him who Amani was angry at. Some of the nearby soldiers shuddered. "I strongly suggest that you order our escorts to bring us to the palace _as they were supposed to_. You are already on thin ice because of your daughter's involvement in threatening my child's life. Do not use my husband's name for falsities ever again or it's your head, Minister."

By then, Minister Chun was struck silent. With a pale face, he stiffly nodded and wordlessly gave the order to the soldiers, who were also struck silent with fear, to lead Amani, Alibaba, and the other back to palace.

Inside the carriage, Alibaba shot Amani a wide grin. "That was amazing." He praised her earnestly. Then, his giddiness melted into solemnness. "Do they always talk to you like that?"

Amani shrugged. "It happens more often than you think. Sometimes, they're worse. It depends on how much they value my title as a Blessed Child or as Koumei's wife."

Toto snorted from the side. Both Olba and Alibaba gawked at the Yambala woman.

"Toto?!"

Toto ignored them and continued to glare at Alibaba's other half. Amani, in turn, stared at the woman and measured her. "Yambala Tribe, hmm? You must be familiar with Sai."

The woman bristled at the mention of the other Blessed Child. "Toto _hates _that Blessed Child." She spat out the title as if it were a curse. Amani wouldn't be surprised if it really was one. Prejudice could do wonders to an individual's thought process. Toto turned her hatred back at Amani. "Toto did not know that Alibaba's sister was one of _them_." She said accusingly as if it was the pale blonde's fault for being born the way she was. "Alibaba might not know this, but all Blessed Children are monsters. You tricked him!"

"We came from the same womb. We're _twins._" Amani said flatly. "From birth, we were always together. How could I have pretended to forge such a close relationship at an early age? I wasn't even aware of my status until much later."

"You are all born monsters! You lie, trick, and deceive!" Toto insisted with a wild look on her eyes. Olba and one of his brothers tried to restrain and calm her but the woman refused. Both Alibaba and Morgiana looked ready to intervene, but stopped when they saw his sister give them a subtle shake of her head. Amani let Toto continue her rant. It's better that this happened within the carriage and not somewhere outside where there were many ears and eyes. "You are all too dangerous to live!"

Amani raised a brow. "So you will slaughter me in front of my own brother – your own master? Are you really as loyal to him? I thought you were his friend."

"Toto is Alibaba's Household Member! She respects him completely!" She said passionately, meaning every word. "Toto is loyal to Alibaba! That is the only reason why Toto didn't strike you down at first sight!"

"I see." Amani leaned back into her seat and glanced outside the window. "I'm glad that Alibaba has such loyal friends at his side."

Toto looked stricken at the lack of vitriol in the Blessed Child's voice. She had nothing more to say to the other woman, anger and instinctive hatred fizzling out in moments at the genuine relief in Amani's voice.

"Toto." Alibaba said sternly, drawing her attention away from his twin. "As my household member and as my friend, I expected you to treat Amani better than that. She's my precious twin sister. I value and love her more than anything else in the world. For you to say that our relationship is a lie…how could you? I'm disappointed."

Toto flinched and looked down, ashamed.

"Toto didn't mean to be rude. Please forgive her." Olba begged earnestly as he took the said woman's hand.

Amani looked at the young man with surprise. "You are Olba, aren't you? Yasmine mentioned you when we reunited. She…truly is sorry about taking your 'mother' away from you as she did. She wished to convey her regret to you in person but…"

Olba shook his head. "No. That's not necessary. That person saved us." After a pause, he looked up in genuine befuddlement. "She?"

Amani laughed. "Yes, Yasmine does look a bit masculine, doesn't she?" Then, she turned to her brother. "Alibaba, don't treat Toto so harshly. She was only trying to protect you from what she perceived as a threat. Toto came from a culture that saw Blessed Children as unnatural monsters who were dangerous." Her expression turned wry. "All of them are under the assumption that we are all heinous, lying shape shifters."

"You're not?" Toto blurted out, genuinely confused by Amani's statement. "But…"

"There are many things about us that you are ignorant concerning the Blessed Children. We are human beings who have the capability to make familial and friendly connections, for one. We also are unique in our abilities. Sai can shape shift in whatever face or form he pleases. I can turn invisible." Amani purposefully made her image flicker as a demonstration. "Because of our differences, we were either valued or shunned."

Toto nodded slowly. "Toto…sees."

"You don't need to change your beliefs, Toto." Amani told her kindly. "It's hard and I'm aware of that. But I hope that we can find middle ground with each other for Alibaba's sake."

Toto nodded again. "Toto thanks you and…she's sorry for saying what she said before."

"I accept your apology, Toto."

Alibaba looked distressed. "Amani, I'm –" He cut himself off when he saw the sad and resigned smile on her face.

"I told you Alibaba. It happens more often than you think."

* * *

Alibaba stared at Koumei. Koumei stared back at him in return.

Since all the meeting was only between Alibaba and the royal couple, Amani took it upon herself to bring her brother's household members to the guest rooms, leaving the two men alone with each other for the first time.

"If it weren't for the fact that you have the ability to kick me out of my own homeland anytime you want, I would punch you." The blonde informed his brother-in-law honestly, skipping over all the formalities and going straight for the punch, pun intended.

Koumei appeared unsurprised. "Please don't. I don't think I'd be able to take it." He said with an equal amount of honesty, surprising the blonde. It was strange to see Amani's face make such foreign expressions and speak with a man's voice. Koumei knew that Alibaba was a different person all together from his wife, but it was still strange. "I'm not sure if Amani told you, but I am not as strong as my brothers."

"But you moved a mountain. And dropped it on the medium."

"In my djinn form, yes."

"But a _mountain_."

Koumei sighed.

"Despite my rare show of strength in the battlefield, I assure you that I am very, _very _weak when it comes to physical activities. And tired from overworking more than usual. I'd go down without too much of a fight if you ever punched me, I'm afraid."

"Oh." Alibaba blankly, looking almost sympathetic.

Koumei decided to change the subject. "Now, onto your citizenship here in Balbadd."

Alibaba blinked. "Wait. What?!"

"You would like to return to your homeland permanently, yes?" The red-haired prince asked simply as he held out a scroll. Alibaba took it hesitantly and opened it. "Your position as the original Prince of Balbadd and the next in line to the throne makes it difficult for you to remain here without causing suspicion or political unrest. In the scroll is a list of possibilities for you to remain here."

The blonde tilted his head to the side in confusion. "But there's only names written here."

"Of course." Koumei stated shortly, realizing with a bit resignation that his wife's brother was a bit dim. "Those are the names of all the noble daughters of Kou who are currently living here in Balbadd. The names at the top are the most influential in family connections and the most bearable in personality, so I recommend them."

"H-Hey, wait a sec…I can't marry anyone like that."

Koumei sent Alibaba a dry look. "You're not in the position to complain if you want to stay here in Balbadd. Since Amani is already married into the Ren family, there is no need to pair you up with any of my sisters. Not that there are any left available to marry off in the first place." He muttered the last part. "But it is still necessary for you to have _some _ties with influential families in Kou. I'm being generous. I could ask a lot more from you, but your close relations with Amani makes your situation a lot easier that it would have been without her."

Alibaba grimaced, obviously struggling with making the decision. His thoughts turned to Morgiana and how he hadn't confessed to her yet because of his cowardice and stupid mouth. At the sight of Alibaba's expression, it suddenly hit Koumei and he became a bit more understanding to his brother-in-law's plight.

"Ah, I see. You have someone else in mind." He said not unkindly. "In that case, you may bring her with you. It might not be the most ideal situation, but you can have her as your concubine. Just like Balbadd, Kou isn't against the idea of royals having more than one woman."

Alibaba flushed indignantly. "Stop saying absurd things! Like hell I'd do something so dishonest like that!"

Pity and empathy crumbling into pieces as quickly as it came, Koumei sent the blonde an exasperated look. "What are you talking about? You sound like a cherry boy who hasn't touched women…"

"…"

"Oh. Sorry about that." It was now Koumei's turn to look sympathetic.

"Sh-Shut up! That…doesn't have anything to do with this." Alibaba said almost pathetically.

"You're right. It doesn't." Koumei agreed quickly and was thankful that Kouen wasn't here at the moment. He would have laughed, further shaming their brother-in-law in his, ah, lack of experience.

Alibaba forced himself to straighten up and look Koumei in the eyes. "Can you give me some time to think on this?" He asked with the flush still on his cheeks. "It's…a very hard decision."

"Don't hesitate for too long." Koumei warned. "This is an opportunity that won't be open to you forever."

"I know that! But…"

At that moment, Amani peeked her head inside the room. "Is this a bad time, you two?"

Both men jerked themselves from their conversation and shook their heads. "Of course not. We were simply getting to know each other." Koumei said smoothly, taking the scroll back from Alibaba and placing it in his sleeve. "How are our guests?"

"Properly placed in their rooms." Amani assured him. "And I brought someone else. Alibaba, it's time to meet your nephew."

Alibaba's stress and worries disappeared from his mind the moment Amani fully entered the room with the drowsy infant in her arms. Kouryuu rubbed his eyes and yawned. "He just woke up from his nap." Amani informed her brother while giving her husband a grateful look. "Koumei tucked him in while I was gone."

"We both appreciated the nap." Koumei responded only half-joking.

Alibaba could only stare.

"Ryuu-chan." Amani cooed to her little boy as she carried him up to her twin. "This is your Uncle Alibaba. Say hello!"

Kouryuu looked from Amani to Alibaba and then to Amani again, looking considerably confused. Why were there _two _of his mother? This hadn't happened before. "Oh?" He chirped while tilting his head cutely. "Oh?"

Alibaba melted.

"Hey there, kiddo. I'm your Uncle. Nice to finally meet you."

Kouryuu looked his new uncle over contemplatively before reaching to some unknown conclusion. He reached his chubby hands out to Alibaba demandingly.

Alibaba looked seconds away from squealing at the cuteness.

"Please?" Amani stressed as she held her son away from her brother. She knew very well that her twin would comply with Kouryuu's demands even without manners. But she was a mother and she had no intention of raising her child completely spoiled. "It's not polite unless you say please, Ryuu-chan. Say please."

"…Pwease?" Kouryuu chirped imploringly, stumbling over the foreign word. Alibaba frantically nodded. "Of course, of course!"

Amani beamed, making Kouryuu light up in response.

"Good job, Ryuu-chan!"

Alibaba gently plucked his nephew from his sister's hands when the lesson was properly implemented. Both Alibaba and Kouryuu looked each other over with varying degrees of interest. "He has mother's face." He complimented with wonder has Kouryuu patted down his face curiously. "He has our face."

"And his father's hair." Amani added with a satisfied smile by Koumei's side. In response, her husband drew her close and pressed his lips on her temple affectionately.

"Thank you for this." She whispered to him gratefully. "You have no idea how much this means to me, _Anata_."

She felt him smile. "Of course. Anything for you. And he deserves to meet his family."

Alibaba pointedly ignored their romantic interaction, focusing more on cooing and babbling along with his nephew. Despite his initial weariness and confusion, Kouryuu took to the not-mother-but-very-very-similar person quickly. He was expressive and his voice sounded nice.

Kouryuu hoped that his mother would let him keep him.

* * *

Shion awkwardly sat across from his mother and father. He did his best to avoid eye contact with them. They were at one of the smaller dinner tables and the dining room was noticeably clear of servants and Ja'far, who usually ate with the family.

"Shion." Sinbad started before falling silent he looked to Ranya helplessly. She shrugged, looking equally as helpless on how to handle the situation that is on their hands.

'_Talk to them.'_ The King encouraged him in his mind. _'They're just as scared and unsure as you are. Tell them the truth so they know how to start.'_

Shion took a deep breath and forced himself to look them both in the eyes. "Mom. Father. What Uncle Yunan said is true. I am having, er, sleeping problems because of, um, _noises_. Just something you two should, ah, know." He wavered at the last part of the sentence and flushed. "…I'm sorry."

Sinbad and Ranya immediately protested at his apology.

"No, no, _we_ should apologize to _you _for not realizing this sooner." His mother insisted, looking embarrassed. "You act so grown-up most of the time that we forget that you're a child too."

Sinbad looked apologetic. "I was also careless in not noticing how your health was deteriorating." He reached over and ruffled Shion's hair. "I should have paid more attention. Yunan was right. I acted without any consideration to your wellbeing. I'm sorry, Shion."

Ranya nodded. "Next time, tell us when this happens again, okay? We need to know."

Shion looked at his parents miserably. "I didn't want to ruin your happiness by being selfish."

Ranya came over to Shion's side and kissed him on the cheek. "Oh, sweetheart. We're already happy. Sin and I talked it over after Brother told us and we think it's time to calm down and enjoy other things together as a family."

Sinbad nodded. "Would you like to go fishing tomorrow? Your mother will come along, of course."

"Fishing?" Shion repeated, a smile beginning to stretch across his face.

Well. It _had _been his childhood dream to become a fisherman.

"Yeah. Yeah, I'd like that a lot." The Sindrian Prince said with a smile to both of his parents. "Let's go tomorrow!"

Sinbad and Ranya laughed at their son's enthusiasm.

"Ah! Before I forget. Boys, I have a very important announcement to make." Ranya cleared her throat. "So, I spoke with Brother Yunan and he confirmed something with me before he left." Proudly, she gestured over to her belly. "Shion, you're going to be a big brother!"

Both Sinbad and Shion processed the news.

"A big brother?" Shion repeated. "That's...that's great! _Really _great, Mom! Wow, I knew this would happen eventually but I didn't know it would happen this soon! I should go and tell –"

A bout of dizziness hit him in mid-sentence, making him stumble to the side. He heard Ranya and Sinbad make sounds of concern. One of them caught him and tried to keep him awake but he was already fading in and out of consciousness.

Ahh, what horrible timing.

* * *

"_D–[static noise] –id, give [static noise] back to me."_

"_I'm afraid that I can't do that, my dear. You gave me no choice. __**Fate **__gave us no choice. Don't worry. You will meet [static noise] again. But now, [static noise] needs to follow [static noise] fate."_

"_You can't do this. No. Nonononono. Don't. __**Don't. **__Don't take [static noise] away from me! Give [static noise] back! __**Give him back!**__"_

"_Goodbye, Sammi."_

"_**DAVID!"**_

* * *

And here I shall stop. I'll let you guys mull that revelation over while I toss a Mirror, Mirror Omake at you ;)

* * *

**Mirror, Mirror: Kougyoku [and Judal]**

"Tao, what the heck are you doing with a stupid mirror?"

"Hey Tao. Hope you don't mind me dropping in."

Tao looked up from his inspection and waved at his little brother. "Kido! Princess Kougyoku! King Sinbad just handed me the most interesting object. Apparently, it's a mirror that is connected with an alternate world. That young magi and the scary blonde prince already looked into it, so it must be true."

"Really?" Interest piqued, Kougyoku came over to Tao's bedside. Judal stayed behind and eyed the mirror critically, already doubtful of its abilities. "Does it really work?"

Tao pouted, looking disappointed. "Not for me. It's the strangest thing. I can't even see my own reflection."

"Huh. Mind if I checked it out?" Tao handed the object over to Kougyoku. She peered into the glass and reared back when she was face-to-face with herself.

Except, it wasn't herself. It was a completely different 'Kougyoku' and Kougyoku had a feeling she knew who this one was. Her reflection squeaked in surprise when she saw a significantly different version of herself staring back at her.

"It really works!" Kougyoku's reflection squealed, making Kougyoku grimace at the high-pitched noise. "King Sinbad really was telling the truth! This is so interesting!"

"Hello?" Kougyoku asked hesitantly. Both Judal and Tao hovered close when they realized that the mirror was working. She cleared her throat nervously. "Um, hi. I guess we're from alternate universes?"

Her reflection nodded enthusiastically. "Yes! King Sinbad told me that your world is very similar to ours, but it looks like we're _very _different!" With wide eyes, her reflection looked at her uncovered shoulders. "Do you wear that _all _the time?"

Kougyoku shrugged, shamelessly showing off her bare shoulders as she did it. She enjoyed the scandalized yet excited expression that crossed her reflection's face as she did it. "It was something I decided to change into when I came over to Sindria. It's fitting for such a warm country, isn't it?"

"But…but…but…"

"Princess, you're going to make her brain melt. Stop teasing her." Judal came up from behind Kougyoku, hovering close enough for her reflection to see him. "And she's right. You should cover those shoulders."

Kougyoku snorted unattractively. "Of course. This is coming from the guy who _only _covered his shoulders and nothing else."

"Hey, I wore pants!"

Her reflection gasped. "Judal-chan?!"

Judal blinked and nodded at Kougyoku's reflection stiffly, unsure of how to receive this strange version of his Kougyoku. "Princess."

"Wow, you're so different!" She marveled. "Are you wearing robes? And you don't have any makeup on!" She pouted. "You looked prettier with them on."

Looking a bit affronted, Judal scowled. _"Prettier?"_

"You're very manly, of course." Kougyoku's reflection backtracked. "But it's more familiar to see you with it on, you know? You've always had it on ever since we were children."

"Children?" Judal repeated interestedly. "We were childhood friends?"

Kougyoku shifted uncomfortably at what her reflection was saying. She got the bigger picture now. This mirror was apparently connected to the original _Magi _world.

So that meant that her reflection was the original Kougyoku.

Kougyoku didn't know how to feel about the girl she replaced. She felt even more like an imposter now that she was in front of the real thing. Kougyoku glanced over at Judal, who seemed to be immersed in a deep conversation with her reflection.

"You seem very close with Judal-chan even though you two didn't meet when you were children." Her reflection noted shyly, bringing Kougyoku back into the conversation. She grinned and wrapped an arm around Judal's shoulders, making the other blush. She pointed to him. "You see this guy here? When we first met, Judal insulted me and I punched him. After that, he wouldn't leave me alone!"

Kougyoku's reflection looked between the two before gasping lightly and blushing in realization. "Oh!"

"Yeah." Kougyoku agreed. "Though I didn't really react as cutely as you did."

"You threw the present I tried to give you at my face." Judal grumbled while looking away from her. "More than once. I don't think you ever acted cute."

Kougyoku shot him a glare while her reflection giggled.

"Well, it's good that some things don't change. I'm glad that your Judal-chan teases you like mine does. Don't worry. At least yours doesn't call you an 'old hag'." She made a face. "I'm _eighteen_."

"Old hag." Kougyoku repeated with a laugh. "Didn't you call me something similar to that when we met?"

Judal shrugged in embarrassment and looked down. "Well, I was stupid back then and obviously blind. You're beautiful."

Kougyoku tried to laugh it off, but the earnestness in his voice and in the visions behind around him made her blush instead. Her reflection mirrored her actions and covered her mouth with her sleeves. "Oh my."

"Romantic, isn't he?" Tao decided to finally speak up.

Kougyoku's reflection jumped at the third voice. "Huh? There's someone else?"

"Yes, though you can't see me since Kido is hogging the mirror, it's nice to meet you. My name is Tao."


	53. Chapter 52: Preparations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Great Conference turns into more of a Chibi Conference.
> 
> Alternatively: Kougyoku finally gets the slumber party she's always wanted.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Onwards

"_DAVID!"_

* * *

Shion woke in cold sweat and stared at the ceiling until his eyes burned. He didn't want to move. He didn't want to even _think_. What in the world did he just _dream _about? Despite never meeting either of the people who starred in his recent dreams, he recognized those names. He _recognized _them. It was real.

But why? Why about them and why now?

It was bad enough that he suffered nightmares about the nonexistent future. About the battles he fought. The friends he lost. The countless people he had to cut down. Shion was tired. He didn't want to dream anymore. He just wanted to sleep and rest. He wanted to go fishing with his father. He wanted to spend time with his friends without as much worry as he had now. He wanted to feel happy about his new sibling.

But nothing really went Shion's way, did it?

Shion sighed and let his eyes wander around the room. Thankfully, he had woken up in his own bedroom this time. The familiarity comforted him after waking up from such a jarring experience.

The faint light filtering into the room told him that it was still night. When he turned his head, he stared numbly at the two sleeping figures at the edge of his bed.

"Mom? Father?" Shion spoke in quiet surprise and shut his mouth immediately. They probably worried themselves to sleep. Just because he couldn't rest properly didn't mean that he should take it away from his parents.

Shion decided to continue staring up at the ceiling until the sun rose.

Unfortunately, he had underestimated how light his father slept. Shion internally cringed when he felt and then saw his father shift. King Sinbad, looking far more his age than usual, opened his eyes blearily. When he caught sight of Shion's open eyes, the sleepiness immediately left his own.

"Shion?"

Sinbad, just like Shion, spoke softly in consideration of the fitfully sleeping blonde next to him.

Shion had no choice but to nod sheepishly. "Hi."

Sinbad let out a loud _whoosh _of air. He drew a hand over his face and dragged it down. "Solomon, you nearly scared me and your mother half to death. We couldn't wake you up no matter what we did. Even the physician your friend Selene trained couldn't do anything. For how long were you passing out like that?"

Shion played with the sheets. "Some time."

"I thought so." Sinbad sighed. "Do you know what's the cause?"

"Honestly? I have no idea. Nothing makes sense anymore." Hysteria bubbled at Shion's voice as he tangled his fingers around the bed sheets even more. "You know, you and Mom weren't the cause of this. I mean, yeah, I couldn't sleep for a while, but Jamal made me these nice headphones that blocked out sound, so I slept okay for a little bit. But then…_those dreams_."

"Dreams? Shion, what dreams? Your nightmares again?"

Shion shook his head. "No. Not those. I haven't been having nightmares for a while, just _these dreams. _They're all so strange and I know they don't belong to me and yet they all seem…"

'_Familiar, right?'_

Shion clutched at his head. _'Not now.'_ He begged mentally, as he squeezed his eyes shut. He didn't know why the usually quiet and unproblematic of the voices suddenly decided to speak up now and he really didn't care. _'King, not now. Please.'_

'…_.I'm sorry, Shion.'_

"Shion?" He heard his father ask. "Should I send for the physician?"

'_I promise that I won't bother you anymore unless you need me, Shion. Get some rest. I'll make sure to keep the dreams away tonight. I'm sorry, Shion. I'm so, so sorry.'_

"No. But I think I'll try to go back to sleep now." Shion said tiredly as he tried focus on his father's eyes. "I just…so tired. I want to try to go to sleep. Maybe…maybe it'll be better this time."

It was hard to keep the doubt out of his voice, but Shion did his best.

(He doubted that his father fell for it, though.)

"…Okay." Sinbad assented after a brief pause. "But know that we're here, okay? Get some sleep. We'll have the physician check on your tomorrow, okay?"

Shion nodded stiltedly and closed his eyes. He fell back asleep pretty quickly and didn't wake again until it was far into the afternoon.

To his tearful relief, there were no more dreams.

* * *

"I think one of the voices inside my head has an individual consciousness."

Jamal paused in his tinkering abruptly at Shion's confession. He turned to his friend with a serious glint in his eyes that was very much unlike the scientist's usual character. "…Is it a new voice?"

"…No. I mean, I don't _think _it is." Shion drummed his fingers nervously on his side. "Do you remember King? I'm talking about him. He's been acting strangely and he implied last night that he's partially the cause of the dreams."

At Shion's confession, Jamal relaxed and resumed his tinkering. "Okay. As long as if you're not hearing some new voice giving you sensible but suspicious advice, I think you're fine. And what if King has his own conscious? He's helped you out so far, hasn't he?"

"Yeah." Shion responded haltingly.

"Then you have no problem."

The purple-haired boy ran a hand through his bedhead. "…Why are you so calm about this?"

"I've been there, buddy." Jamal assured his friend with a twirl of his screwdriver. "And, unlucky for me, my voice _is_ a problem. It's logical and bossy and _totally_ not me. I mean, it tricked me into becoming the stupid Knight King to get more freedom and told me to stay away from you since you'd eventually kill me. I mean, isn't that just _ridiculous_?"

"…But aren't they sort of true?"

Jamal tsked and shook his head almost pityingly. "You're thinking too logically, buddy. That's how the voice in my head plays. It'll help you from situations or say things that make sense for a while before stabbing your back at a critical moment. I don't trust things like that. Besides, depending on OP things makes the brain rusty, you know?" He gave a lopsided smile, tapping his temple. "If the voice got into _your _head, he would've played you like a violin until the world ended. So feel lucky that yours just drops in sage words now and then."

Shion frowned. "But still…"

"Look, if it really bothers you then we can always check it out with Aladdin. If the problem turns out to be bad, then he'll do his best to kick it out of your brain with his magi-voodoo."

"Right. I'll do that." The prince replied, looking relieved to have a concrete solution to his problem. "And what about you, Jamal?"

Jamal's shoulders tensed. "What about me?"

"Don't you want Aladdin to check out that voice in your head?"

The scientist looked down at his feet. "Nah. I'm good."

Shion gave his friend a strange look. "But Jamal, from what you've told me, that voice in your head sounds bad. And it's been with you for _two _of our lifetimes."

"No. Absolutely not." Jamal rejected abruptly, holding up his hands in an X. "I don't want Aladdin getting even _close _to that thing. It's…dangerous. Besides, it agreed with you just now. That's never a good thing."

"Never a good thing?"

"Well, the last time it agreed to one of your ideas, the end of the world happened." Jamal stated shortly, stabbing his screwdriver ruthlessly at a section of his invention with more force than necessary. "So yeah. Never a good thing."

Shion flinched. "Oh."

"…"

"…"

After a few more minutes of tinkering, Jamal broke the grave silence.

"So…going to be a big bro?"

Shion took the change of subject gratefully and smiled widely. "Yup. It's a bit early to tell, but I'm pretty sure that the baby is healthy." He said proudly. "Mom thinks that it's a boy since she's having similar cravings to the ones she had with me. Father insists that it's a girl."

"What about you?" Jamal hummed. "Boy or girl?"

"Doesn't really matter either way." Shion said with a face-splitting smile. He laughed giddily. "I'm too excited to bother caring about that. Brother or sister, I'm going to do my best to give them a better childhood than the one I had."

Jamal grinned. "No doubt. Knowing you, you'll flip the whole world to make that happen. The baby will have the best big bro ever. Lucky kid."

Shion's expression turned somber. "Speaking of flipping worlds, how successful do you think we'll be in avoiding the end of the world? Do you think we've done changing in this timeline?"

"Who knows? Fate is a strange thing, Shion." Jamal stated. Then, with a smirk, he procured a wrinkled letter from his pocket. "But, if it helps, the most earth-shatteringly, timeline-changing thing happened recently."

Shion took it and scanned it quickly, eyes growing wider at every sentence. "What."

"I know."

"_I can't believe he did this."_

"I know, right? This is priceless material. I'm framing this on my wall." Jamal cackled. "I mean, imagine! He had that kind of name this whole time! _Legate Helios Amun-Ra Alexius._ It's longer than _all _of our names and he's the last one out of all of us that we ever expected to have such a fancy title. It's hilarious!"

"…_That _was what you got from this letter?"

"Yeah?"

Shion pointed at the letter. "Jamal, this is Hel's invitation to Reim for a huge celebration. Judging by the quality of the letter, he probably invited everyone." He wiggled the paper. "It's to celebrate and congratulate Muu Alexius for his firstborn."

Jamal grinned cheekily. "So, it's a baby boom. What's the big deal? It sometimes happens after wartime. You should probably tell the other 'big brother' that you're on the same boat, eh?"

"Jamal, Hel doesn't _do _parties. He's usually pretty private, but he's practically _flaunting _this event. The only explanation is that he's using his mother's pregnancy as an excuse to bring all of us together for a meeting."

"…_Oooooh."_ The scientist nodded before pausing. "Wait, no. That doesn't sound like Hel."

"No, it doesn't. Which is why this is so surprising. Why would he do something like this…?"

After a pause, Shion groaned and Jamal snickered.

"Sai." They chorused knowingly.

* * *

"Trickster herbivore, I am going to _bite you to death_."

Sai gave the younger teen an unimpressed look as he sent out the last invitation. "Mou, what else could we have done? Time's ticking and we _still _don't have enough information to stand against Al Thamen. I had no other choice. We needed to gather them all in a short amount of time somehow, _Legate _– congrats on the promotion by the way. With all the tension that the Magnostadt War created, I doubt that it would've been easy without setting up this party."

"You wore my face and turned my mother's pregnancy into a spectacle for the crowds." Hel gritted out with a snarl. "Tell me why I shouldn't tear you apart right here and now."

"Because murder is bad and you're supposed to be one of the good guys?" Sai suggested cheekily. "And also, you wouldn't want to make your mother upset, would you? She looked _so_ excited at the idea that Shion's mother might come over and visit."

Hel let out another snarl and jumped at the Blessed Child only to be intercepted by Opal. She struggled with him for a bit before the ex-gladiator finally settled with shooting glares and sour looks, girlfriend not excluded.

Opal didn't seem to care. She ignored him in favor of staring down at Sai with flames in her eyes. "Next time you pull shit like this without speaking with us, I'll _let _him rip you apart, Shambal."

Amusement and cheekiness wiped away from his face, Sai nodded and had the decency to look slightly apologetic. "Got it."

"Good." Opal nodded shortly and left the room, dragging Hel away with her. She let the door slam behind her without a pause or a flinch. "Stop dragging your feet. You're acting like a child." The general in her snapped at her sulking boyfriend.

"Why are you helping him?" Hel demanded as he reluctantly followed her orders. Opal took her time to answer, waiting until they reached Hel's room to give him her answer.

"Help him?" She snorted. "No. The last thing I wanted to do was help that guy after what he did. Honestly, using Maya's pregnancy as an excuse to arrange a meeting? Sai went completely out of line, not that it hasn't happened before." She paused to take a breath before moving on. "But, as much as it kills me to even admit it, he has a good reason this time." She held up a hand before Hel could retort. "_Listen_. I know you're pissed and I know you don't want to hear any excuses, but we're running out of time."

Hel scowled. "I know."

"No, no you _don't, _Hel. I don't think you understand how urgent the situation is right now. If we don't learn what Aladdin told the rulers back in the nonexistent timeline, then we won't have the slightest _clue _in defeating Al Thamen for good and we really need to wipe them out for good this time. Everything is happening so fast. Al Thamen, the Cursed Children…hell, the Black Bird might show up prematurely at this rate. We don't know where fate is going."

Insecurity and a little bit of fear flashed across her eyes long enough to make Hel feel a bit queasy. "I…I heard what Al Thamen almost did to Amani's son. I heard what they did to _Leah_. If we stand by and do nothing, the baby might grow up in this kind of world where maniac magicians kidnap children for their own plans and kill innocents. I don't want your little sibling to be born in a world like that."

Hel opened his mouth. Then, he closed it.

Opal kept going, even as a more long-lasting and vulnerable sort of fear settled in her eyes as she continued. "Shion isn't the only one who has nightmares, you know. All of us have them. Maybe not as often as he does but…they still come up. I can still remember the feeling of that blade in my back and all my men dead around me. The world that we grew up in, the world we had to leave behind in all that fire and death, it'll all be for nothing if we let this precious time pass us now. And we will **not **let it pass." There was fire in her voice this time. "If we're going to fight this battle and _win_, we need have the means to wipe those Al Thamen bastards off the face of the planet. Understand?"

Mutely, Hel nodded.

Opal sighed and opened her arms. "Come here." The part-Finalis was in her arms instantly. Hel buried his face into the crook of her neck and breathed in, searching for comfort. Opal gladly gave it to him with rhythmic pats and rubs on his back. "It's okay. It's going to be okay. We're going to win this."

Hel squeezed her tighter. Opal gave him a final pat before drawing back.

"Sorry for spooking you." She apologized cheekily, ruining the solemnness of the moment.

Hel huffed, offended. "I was not _spooked_. Just…concerned."

"Yeah, keep telling yourself that, Mr. Legate."

The title received a long-suffering expression. The raven-haired teen laughed delightedly.

* * *

"…You know, you shouldn't antagonize your friends so much." Titus scolded Sai firmly as the dark-haired Blessed Child rested his head on the other's lap. He knew very well who the true perpetrator of the surprise celebration was. "I know that you have an image to uphold, but Maya, Hel, and Opal are your friends, aren't they?"

Sai hummed. "_Mou_, you make it sound so simple. We're not actually friends, you know? We're just connected because we have a similar cause."

"And you're not going to tell me what that cause is, are you?" Titus guessed wryly.

"At least you know that, Lordling." Sai tugged at the blonde's long hair playfully before raising it to his lips. Titus flushed. "If you were anyone else, I would've strung you along in a merry chase only to lie to you after."

Titus pouted. "Well, at least tell me why you arranged this grandiose party? You never do anything without a reason, Sai. And I know you didn't do it just to annoy Hel."

"But I _did _do it to annoy the new Legate!"

"Sai."

"Fine, fine. Ah, you were so much cuter back in the days when it was easier to fool you." The Blessed Child sighed. He glanced at the window across their private room. Noon. "I did it because we're running out of time."

Titus tilted his head.

"…Time? For what?"

Sai didn't answer.

* * *

Kougyoku's sharp eyes read through the invitation thoroughly before snorting.

"It's Sai again."

"Figures that guy would pull something like that." Judal muttered darkly in agreement. He took a bite out of a peach and held another out as an offering to Kougyoku. She took it gratefully. "Are you going?"

"Duh. If that guy's pulling something huge like this, it's probably for an emergency Blessed Children meeting." She told him as she chewed. Her expression soured as her eyes landed on the piles and piles of unfinished paperwork. "Better finish all of this first."

Judal grimaced in agreement before taking another bite.

* * *

Kohaku looked down at the invitation dolefully as she sat outside the room her parents were undoubtedly in. She heard muffled sounds of her mother crying and her father trying to comfort her the best he could. The physician had been summoned three days before to check on her mother's health since it was common knowledge that Ming Hua made most of the tea and snacks that Seishin had consumed in the past.

Though there was no poison in Seishin's bloodstream, everyone was dismayed to hear that Ming Hua had put something into the tea that made it difficult and even impossible to get pregnant, which explained why Kohaku never managed to get any younger siblings despite her parents' efforts.

Worse, the constant consumption of the tea rendered Seishin infertile.

It was obvious what Seishin's reaction to _that _piece of news was. Discovering that her best friend was actually an enemy was hard enough to handle, finding out that she couldn't have any more children because she trusted Ming Hua was much worse. The invitation to celebrate Maya's pregnancy made her emotional state worse.

"I'm such a horrible person for being like this even though she's my friend…" Kohaku heard her mother say in between hiccups. Kouen hushed her.

"Enough. It's not your fault."

Kohaku heard her mother sob.

_But it is._ The girl with mismatched eyes knew Seishin wanted to say, _it's my fault that I trusted Ming Hua. It's my fault that I visited her often and drank her tea like a __**fool**__. And it's my fault that we can't have a large family like you always wanted. Kohaku can't have any more siblings. And it's __**my fault**__ I can't feel happy for Maya even though it's supposed to be a happy thing –_

Her free hand clenched.

This was all Ming Hua's fault.

Kohaku folded the invitation and placed it into her sleeve and walked away from her mother's door.

* * *

Shion looked out at the ocean as King Sinbad eased the small rowboat deeper into the ocean. Many guards stood nervously at the beachside ready to set out if anything went wrong despite Sinbad's insistence that he was capable of taking care of himself.

"You know, I snuck onto my father's fishing boat when I was three." Sinbad mentioned, wistfully as he slowed his rowing. He began taking out the net. "Are you sure you feel well enough, Shion? You'll tell me if you begin feeling dizzy?"

"I'll tell you." Shion promised. "So…are you going to teach me how to fish now?"

Sinbad laughed. "Okay, okay, just give me a bit. The net's a bit tangled." After his father finished, he stood up and threw the net out into the sea. Shion ignored the unsteadiness of the boat in favor of watching his father's movements intently. "Do you see the waves?" Sinbad asked as he handed the net over.

Clutching at the net, Shion squinted and focused on the water. For a moment, the sea appeared calm and quiet, but then he saw it. It was a small ripple at first. But then, it was all around him. The sudden reappearance of the 'waves' disoriented the boy a little bit. "Yeah…yeah, I see it."

"Good. Now," Sinbad pointed over where the waves rippled the most, "keep your eye on that and start pulling the net in when it stops in front of the boat."

Shion waited patiently for the waves to move toward the net. He knew that the fish were in the net before he felt the tug. Shion felt his body move before he could process it. With movements of a more experienced fisherman, he bunched up the net in his hand and pulled –

\- Only to be pulled in by a stronger force.

Shion heard Sinbad squawk as he grabbed for him a moment too late. Not for the first time, he cursed his child body as he tumbled into the sea.

Everything was silent underwater. Shion saw the net float away out of his reach with detached amusement and faint disappointment. He tried to make the movement to swim up to the surface, only to discover that his limbs wouldn't respond.

He couldn't move.

'_Shion…'_

He couldn't move.

'…_Shion, can you hear me?'_

He couldn't move. He couldn'tmove. Hecouldn'tmoveohsolomon –

'_You know, Shion, I never really liked that saying you and your friends made up. Can't you change it? You're all creative so I'm confident that you can find an alternative.'_

He was going to die.

'_Never mind. Forget that last bit. I'll make this quick. Shion, don't have Aladdin walk into your mind again.'_

Like _hell _he wouldn't! This was the exact reason why Shion was so anxious in the first place! King could control his mind _and _his body! What next? His memories? His will?

What was he?! What did he want?!

'_What do I –? Oh. Oh, no. Did I do this to you? Shion, I never meant this to happen to you. Here, let me –'_

Suddenly, Shion felt someone grab him under his arms and heft him up to the surface. He didn't know when the spell broke, but he began to kick upwards just before he broke through the surface.

"Shion, Shion, are you okay?" He heard his father ask urgently as Shion coughed and wheezed. "What happened?"

"My leg cramped a little." Shion coughed out sheepishly as he began making the movements to keep himself above water. "Don't worry, it's gone."

Sinbad let out a breath of relief at the explanation. Then, he chuckled. "I should've warned you that the fish pull hard. I've forgotten your true age. You knew that the amount of fish that swam into your net was double your size, right?"

"…I didn't really check."

Sinbad laughed at his son's sheepish answer.

Shion snorted and laughed along as they both paddled back up to their overturned boat.

'_Shion, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to almost drown you. It was an accident. I'm sorry.'_

Shion stiffened and shook his head as if he was trying to dislodge water from his ear.

"Want to head back home?" Sinbad asked as he helped Shion back up into their boat. Back at the shore, the guards were already panicking and preparing to head out to them. "Not that we have the choice anymore."

"Yeah…" Shion nodded with the mind to drop by Aladdin's room after changing into dry clothes. "Let's head back home."

'_Shion, I know that you lost faith in my goodwill, but please don't have Aladdin look into your mind. I beg of you. Please.'_

* * *

Amani held up the invitation with an exasperated smile.

She found it in the large pile of paperwork she decided to take off of her husband's hands. Koumei slept soundly on his desk beside her. Amani was careful to maneuver around him to not wake him up. This was one of the rare moments that he could have his rest after all. There was no need for close inspection to know that this was one of Sai's handiworks.

'_Well, it _is _time to stretch the Rubber Band a bit more.'_ The Blessed Child sighed her herself as she put down the invitation in favor of going through the rest of the paperwork. _'I wonder if Shion can tell us a bit more about how the world ended. It would be better for us to know what's coming at least. Or have we already changed that event…? No. He would have told us if we did.'_

Amani paused in her thoughts when she came upon a written report from Hakuryuu. She smiled fondly as he wrote out the details of how Kou Palace was recovering from the event. He also asked, as a personal message, after Amani and her health, which she was grateful to read.

Hakuryuu was such a kind brother. She was so lucky to have such a thoughtful and kind family member.

Amani finished up the rest of the paperwork within the next hour in a good mood. Before she knew it, it was already late noon.

* * *

"Heya, little buddy." Alibaba cooed as Kouryuu babbled along excitedly. "Guess I'm babysitting today. Your mom and dad are pretty busy so it'll be just us!"

Kouryuu laughed at the sounds and faces his not-mother was making. Seeing that he hadn't left yet, Kouryuu's mother must have decided to keep him! What good news! He patted Alibaba's cheek gently to show how happy he was.

"Pway! Pway!" Kouryuu cheered.

"I know, buddy. I can't wait either! It's going to be so fun!" The blonde agreed.

Kouryuu had the time of his life. While his mother always tried to play with him in his games, Alibaba was more active and fun. His father never had this much energy!

But, much to his confusion and worry, his not-mother's enthusiasm took a sudden dip during one of their games. He tilted his head and warbled out his concern. His mother became sad like this sometimes. What was wrong? Could he help?

"Sorry, Kouryuu. I just…I want to stay with you. Here, in Balbadd. I want to see you grow up in the same place your mother and I grew up." His expression became pained. "But that would mean I'd have to marry someone I –

Alibaba cut himself short.

"Never mind."

Kouryuu tilted his head. Alibaba smiled and patted his head.

"Forget it. It's a complicated thing that children wouldn't understand. Your father is doing everything he can to help me out. It's a bit selfish of me to complain about it when there isn't other options in the first place." He sighed and picked up a toy.

"Let's get back to playing."

* * *

Perched on a chair across from Shion, Aladdin's right hand cautiously hovered over the Sindrian Prince's temple. "Are you sure about this? "

"Not really." Shion admitted quietly. "King never tried to control my body before. This whole time he had the same ability of taking over my body as Veteran did. Makes you wonder what kind of powerful entity is sitting in my head the whole time." After a pause, Shion wrapped his arms around himself. "Maybe you shouldn't get in there. You know what almost happened the last time you dove in."

"And yet you were scared enough to come to me for help." Aladdin reminded him quietly. "Don't worry, Shion. I won't 'dive in' immediately. Let me try speaking with the voice first."

"…"

"Does that sound better to 'King'? I know that he argued against the idea of me using Wisdom of Solomon on you before." Aladdin looked into Shion's eyes as if searching for a piece of the other consciousness in his eyes. "I don't want him to accidentally hurt you again if he doesn't like it."

'…'

Shion sighed and held up a finger. "One minute. He's not responding." He placed a hand over his eyes and began to concentrate.

'_King?'_

'…'

'_You're here, aren't you? I can feel it when you're here. Why aren't you answering?'_

'…'

'_Want to give me the silent treatment? Okay, fine. But answer the question first. I know you heard Aladdin. Does that sound better to you? Yes or no?'_ Shion grumpily snapped inside his head, not really expecting an answer. _'Is it better that he wants to talk to you instead?'_

'…_Yes. That is preferable. I'll do that, Shion.'_

Shion perked up and let his hand fall away from his eyes. "He said yes. He's willing to speak with you. I guess I'll be speaking for him."

'_No need. Shion?'_

'_...?'_

'_I'm sorry. I'll make sure it's quick.'_

'…_King? What are you –?'_

A bright flash of light exploded from the back of his mind, dazing him enough to stumble out of his chair. Distantly, he heard Aladdin cry out his name. A cold numbness took over his consciousness and pulled him down…down…down…

And then dark.

* * *

"Shion? _Shion?_" Aladdin asked urgently as he came over to his fallen friend. He helped the younger boy up and back onto his chair. Shion's blue eyes remained glassy and unseeing. "He's not responding. That's not a good sign. I need to go find the physician. I need to get help." The magi fretted to himself as he turned away.

A hand snapped out and grabbed onto his shoulder.

"Don't."

Aladdin squeaked in surprise. "Shion?!"

Shion blinked and rubbed his eyes, releasing his grip on the magi's shoulder. "Ah, I apologize, Aladdin. Did I hurt you?" At Aladdin's headshake, he signed in relief. "Good. I'm a bit…rusty with the concept of moving. I've only been a spectator when it came to these things after all." He wiggled his fingers experimentally. "Good. It seems that the body is strong enough for smaller actions."

Aladdin stared at Shion – no, this wasn't Shion – the stranger who was using Shion's body move and talk. The stranger in his friend's body paused in his small experimentations to focus on Aladdin. The magi did his best not to show his fear as blue eyes looked at him as if he were some miraculous spectacle – a myth coming to life. Incredulity and pride flashed across blue eyes. There was some sadness and regret there too, but Aladdin was too much at edge to care for the more vulnerable emotions that the stranger in front of him was showing.

Aladdin shifted uncomfortably and looked away, breaking the spell.

"Ah…sorry. Lost in thought for a moment there." The stranger cleared his throat. "Now, you said that you wanted to speak with me?" Shion's body tried to imitate a smile and failed.

Aladdin somehow managed answer.

"Who are you?"

"I'm King."

The magi stubbornly shook his head. "No, that's not your name. Shion gave you that name. Who are you really? And what are you doing in my friend's head, mister?"

"I'm afraid that I can't answer that. Not now." King sighed regretfully as he ran a hand through Shion's hair. "Hm. Braids. I haven't worn those in a while."

"What did you do to Shion?" Aladdin gripped his staff tightly. "If you hurt him –

Shion's body sighed heavily. "That isn't necessary, Aladdin. I am not the enemy here. I care about him as much as you do, maybe even more. Shion isn't hurt. He's just sleeping." He held out his hands in a peaceful manner. "I swear it on my rukh and magic that I will return Shion safely after we finish speaking. I will answer as many of your questions as I can, but I insist that you leave Shion's mind be. Ideally, I would prefer that you never visit his mindscape ever again."

"Why?"

King frowned.

"There are some memories better left forgotten, Aladdin. The various intrusions into Shion's mind loosened a specific memory seal that needs to remain untouched. _Please,_" Shion's body begged beseechingly, "believe me when I say that this is all for Shion's health."

Aladdin stared at King for a long time before he relented. "Okay."

Relieved, King sat back into the chair. "Good. Now, did you have any other questions, Aladdin? We still have some time."

* * *

Yasmine stared at the invitation. She knew it was bad manners to read at the dinner table, but the messenger bird was insistent in her opening the letter before it flew off to Solomon-knows where. Yamato did his best not to look _too _interested in the paper in the Blessed Child's hands. Kouha took a quick peek at the contents of the letter before shrugging disinterestedly and going back to his meal.

"Hey, hey, Yasmine-chan, what are you reading?" Nanaumi asked.

"An invitation." She drawled, folding up the paper. "General Muu Alexius' wife is pregnant with their first child. There is going to be a celebration and, since I'm Hel's friend, I'm required to go."

Yamato frowned. "You're leaving? So soon?"

"Unfortunately, I'll have to cut my stay here short." The Blessed Child dipped her head politely and excused herself from the dinner table. "I'll leave tomorrow morning. Thank you for your hospitality, Your Majesty. Kouha, when you're done, you should start packing up too."

Kouha lowered his bowl. "Nah, I'm done, Yasmine. I'll walk with you to the rooms."

It didn't take long for them to pack. Neither of them brought much in the first place after all.

Kouha sighed dramatically and threw himself onto the floor bed once the last set of clothing was folded up and packed away. He whined about how the beds in Kina were so uncomfortable compared to the beds back at Kou. Yasmine rolled her eyes at her boyfriend's antics. "Drama queen."

The Kou Prince looked up from the pillows and smiled smugly. "You love me and you know it."

Yasmine sighed. "Stop fishing for any more 'I love you's. It was hard enough for me to say it the first time."

"Marry me." Kouha begged piteously. "That Yamato bastard tried to make moves on you during our stay even though you're not single. Who knows what other rulers would pull? Marry me."

"And stay in that stuffy palace? No thank you." Yasmine rejected blithely. That was now her seventh marriage rejection so far. She knew he'll try again nonetheless.

Kouha pouted cutely. "We don't have to stay at Kou. Just marry me. Please~?"

Ah, there it was.

"Nope." She reaffirmed her answer with a smile. "I'm not going to marry you so soon."

"So soon?" Kouha repeated hopefully. "Does that mean you will later?"

Yasmine didn't answer.

"Yasmineeee~ Answer meeeee~"

Kouha shuffled to the edge of the floor bed and grabbed at her pant-leg. He tugged at it incessantly until she finally looked down at him with fond annoyance. "Yes, Kouha?"

"…Then, kiss me instead?"

Without a word, Yasmine swooped down to a crouch and stole a quick kiss. Kouha blinked for a dazed moment before his face split into a wide grin. Yasmine made a move to stand up. He stopped her. "Sleep with me tonight?"

Yasmine thought for a moment. Then sighed. "Scoot over, Kouha."

"Wait – really?!"

"We're only going to cuddle." Yasmine warned him as she settled under the covers. Kouha nodded quickly and gleefully wrapped his arms around her. Her eyes softened. "Good night, Kouha."

Kouha hummed contentedly.

"Love you."

* * *

"SOLOMON-DAMMIT YOU SISTER-STEALING PERVERT!"

Marga stared at her screaming superior with a mixed expression. She had thought Jamal was fooling around at first when he began twitching and jumping in his seat. Her boss tended to make jokes like that. But then, Jamal started pacing around and grabbing at his hair.

"Don't worry, boss acts like that sometimes." A fellow researcher had assured her when he saw her concern. "We all believe that it has something to do with his older sister, The Blessed Child. Just ignore him, kid. It'll pass and he'll end up making a lethal knick-knack that's cool."

'Ignore him', they had said. But Marga didn't like turning her back on her friends when they were obviously unhappy.

"…Jamal-sensei?" Marga finally called out between the pauses in the Sasanian Prince's ranting. "Jamal-sensei, please calm down."

"_I am completely calm."_ He insisted, turning to her with an almost wild look in his eyes. The craziness in his eyes died the moment they landed on the object in Marga's hands. She held out a large, steaming cup of sugared milk. "Here." She said simply.

As if the wild was completely sucked out of him, Jamal's whole body slouched as he took the cup. He slid down onto the floor, looking more exhausted than angry.

Marga sat next to him. "Do you want to talk about it?"

Jamal gulped down his milk. She waited patiently for him to finish.

"My nee-chan is the best person in the world." He stated after finishing his cup. "I just wish that there's such a thing as the 'perfect guy' just for her. But since the world usually sucks 'cause, you know, _reality_, she's tied down to a homicidal manic prince from a country far, far away, who turns into a clingy pissbaby when he's around her."

Jamal buried his face into his arms. "Nee-chan is miles away in an island right now with that jerk. I _know _he's pulling something again. I always do. And it makes me _so fucking angry._" After a beat of silence, he shifted his head to look at Marga. "…Do you think I'm too much?"

"I think…" Marga carefully picked her words. "I think that you love your nee-chan very much. And there's no such thing as loving her 'too much'. But sometimes…it's better to trust your loved ones when they make their choices."

Jamal laughed self-depreciatingly. "Yeah. Yeah, you're right. I smothered her too much. Solomon, I must be the worst brother in the whole universe."

"_No!"_ Jamal jumped at the ferocity in the little girl's voice. She gripped at her dress and leaned forward. "You are the best brother in the entire world, Jamal-sensei, and if your nee-chan is as amazing as you say, she'd know it too! Without a doubt!"

Jamal gaped. In rare moments, the mad scientist was rendered silent and – this time – it was done by a little girl he picked up from Magnostadt.

(The last time he was this silent was after a young traveler cheerfully informed the Mad King of Sasan that he was _brilliant._)

"Did anyone ever tell you that you're pretty smart for a kid?" He finally settled with asking.

"No, you're the first." Marga answered honestly. "But thank you! It means a lot to me since you're the smartest person I've ever met! I hope to be like you one day, Jamal-sensei!"

And that was the exact moment when Jamal came to the cold realization that he had to protect this innocent child from the world at all cost.

* * *

When Shion came back, it was already nighttime.

So – like any other sane, human being who just lost a significant amount of time because of a voice in his head – Shion flipped out.

It took Aladdin a while to calm the Sindrian Prince down.

"What. Happened." Shion grounded out some time later. His voice came out surprisingly even despite all that screeching and yelling he did beforehand. "King spoke with you. I know he did, Aladdin, or you wouldn't be this calm. What did he want?"

"He wanted to answer my questions." Aladdin responded carefully. "He was pretty stubborn about keeping me out of your head. We talked for a while. I'm sorry that our meeting took so long, Shion."

Shion sighed and ran a hand down his face. "Please tell me you learned _something_ useful while the voice in my head hijacked my body. Please."

"Don't worry." The magi assured his friend with a nervous laugh. "He told me plenty. Though…" He trailed off uneasily.

"I think it's better for me to tell you the details during the meeting you guys planned up in Reim."

Shion stared at Aladdin with a deadpan expression on his face.

"King told you about the meeting, didn't he?"

"…Yeah." The magi was at least decent enough to appear contrite about the whole situation. "He was pretty talkative about, well, everything. Um…is it true that the Alibaba from your original time almost killed you when you asked for his blessings?"

Shion groaned, too tired to throw another fit.

* * *

_A month later…_

* * *

"Thank you very much for coming, King Sinbad." Muu Alexius greeted the other leader politely with a charming smile. Maya was already catching up with Ranya, cooing over the baby bump.

Shion bowed and spoke up. "Thank you for inviting us, General Muu Alexius."

Muu's charming smile widened when his eyes landed on the young boy. "Prince Shion, is it? We met momentarily on the battlefield, but I haven't had the chance to thank you for making Hel feel comfortable during his time at Sindria."

"It was no problem at all." Shion assured the Reim General with his own version of a charming smile. "Hel's a great friend and I hope that he comes back to visit soon."

Sinbad's smile became a bit strained.

"Carnivore."

Shion almost jumped at Hel's sudden presence. "Oh! Hel! Didn't see you there! Um, Father, can I…?"

"Go ahead." Sinbad patted him on the head. "Have fun with your friend and make sure to congratulate his mother too, okay?"

"Yes!"

After they were both out of hearing range from Muu and Sinbad, Shion began to speak. "Sorry about making your mother's pregnancy into such a huge event because of the meeting."

Hel grumbled. "…It's fine."

'_I can see from your face that you're obviously not fine with this. Your emotions show too clearly and you're emitting a dangerous killing intent here!'_ Shion thought, but kept silent.

Jamal swooped over to the part-Finalis' other side. "Hey, congrats on the new little sib, man! And nice party! The food at the snack table is _great._" He held up the food in his hands in emphasis. "Hey, isn't that Selene over there? She looks really pretty! Hm? But who's that fellow next to her? Isn't he a being a bit too handsy?"

"That herbivore is Sphintus Carmen." Hel said dismissively. "And don't be so concerned about his actions towards Selene. He's not stepping out of line since he's courting her."

Both Shion and Jamal's jaws dropped.

"No way."

"Yes way." Opal snickered as she came over to the group. Kikiriku followed after her. He nearly doubled back at the sight of Selene and Sphintus being so close but recovered quickly. "Everyone was so surprised. They didn't expect Sai to give the guy permission so easily."

"Oi, Chibi-er Chibi!"

Shion turned and gaped at the sight of Judal in his formal garb. "Judal?"

"Stop gawking and come with me." The magi snapped irritably. "I had enough with Aladdin and his King Candidate staring at me all day. Princess and the others want to see you about something."

Shion quickly followed Judal and smiled widely at the sight of all the Blessed Children gathered in one spot. His smile widened even more at the sight of Kouryuu dangling from his mother's arms.

"Shion, you're here."

"Is this...?" Shion stared at the infant, amazed. Kouryuu stared back at the purple-haired boy curiously. "Kouryuu?"

Kouryuu perked up at the sound of his name, making many people laugh. The infant's eyes regarded Shion a bit more seriously. He looked at the other boy's eyes, hair, and his strange lamp. After finishing his inspection on the other boy, the baby quickly lost interest and began playing with his mother's necklace.

"I thought he should meet his godfather at least once." Amani explained. "Don't worry about the details. Alibaba and his household are here too, so Kouryuu won't be without babysitters when we have our meeting."

Yasmine stood a bit straighter. "Ah, that reminds me. Sai, where will the meeting take place? Surely, not in such a crowded place?"

"Mou, do you take me for a fool, Jazzy-chan? Little Hel cleared out a large space for us for the entire night." He informed them with a grin.

Shion sighed in relief. "That's good. And I'm sure that both of you thought of a good cover story to keep the adults from following us too."

There was a beat of silence.

"…You didn't think that far, did you Sai." Kougyoku deadpanned. It wasn't even a question.

Sai hummed. "Nope."

Kougyoku sighed. "I knew it. I guess I'll have to take care of it myself then." She picked up the closest cup and drained all the wine in one gulp. Then, she purposefully strode over to Sinbad.

* * *

_The Meeting_

* * *

"You know," Jamal said casually as he made himself comfortable on the sand, "The Colosseum is kinda the last place that I guessed for our little meeting, but I guess we were out of options."

"Reim doesn't have much options when it comes to privacy." Opal stated dryly as she took a seat next to the mad scientist. "You can't even take baths privately around here."

Kougyoku sighed and settled right next to the blacksmith. "Ah well, there's no use complaining about the choice of our meeting place. It was a miracle enough that we managed to snag this entire place for our own this entire night. Thank Solomon for small graces. And Hel."

Hel shrugged away her gratitude and continued to glare at Sai. The Blessed Child remained completely oblivious.

Kikiriku made a face as he poked at a slightly damp stain on the sand. "Is this…blood?"

"Don't ask. Trust me on this." Jamal muttered from the corner of his mouth as he patted a dry spot next to his. The Imuchakk teen gratefully took the seat.

Shion glanced over at Kohaku, who remained silent. She hadn't even cracked a smile at Jamal's antics on their way here.

"Hey, you okay?" He nudged her with his shoulder, quickly jolting her from her thoughts. "You've been pretty quiet the entire time here. Is there something wrong?"

Kohaku shook her head. "No. It's just…Kou has been pretty hectic ever since we came back from the Magnostadt War. We're still trying to recover from the repercussions of what Al Thamen and Ming Hua did."

"I see." Shion hummed. "So there's something else that's making you sad. You can always talk to me if there's something troubling you."

Kohaku scoffed. "Look who's talking. You've always kept your burdens to yourself, Shion. Even now!"

Shion held up his hands in defeat. "Guilty as charged." He laughed, not bothering to hide the exhaustion in his eyes from her. "But still, know I'm here. Okay?"

Kohaku nodded. "Me too. Depend on me more too, okay?"

"Hey! Lovebirds! What are you two whispering about over there?" Kougyoku called out with a cheeky grin. Opal mirrored her grin from beside her. "Hey now, don't keep your thoughts secret. It's a meeting, after all."

"We were talking about how it was a good thing that you made such a big deal about the sleepover before, Kougyoku." Shion responded playfully in a louder voice. "Father and the others weren't too suspicious about our little gathering since you brought up our little 'debt'."

Opal barked out a laugh while Kougyoku groaned into her hands. "Don't remind me. Your father brought it up to practically everyone during the party. Solomon, they must think I'm so childish!"

Amani patted her shoulder. "Don't think like that. Besides, your little 'deal' with Sinbad has given us time and space for this meeting without attracting any unnecessary attention." She sighed. "I'm just relieved that Koumei didn't come along with me to Reim. There's no doubt that he'd argue against my choice of staying in the Colosseum overnight."

"Yeah," Yasmine hummed, looking right at home on the Colosseum sands – bloodstains, histories of gruesome deaths, and all. "You're lucky. Kouha wouldn't stop whining about not being invited to this 'slumber party'. I just barely convinced him with the prospect of spending time with Kouryuu."

"Really? But Alibaba is babysitting tonight." Amani said blankly.

After a beat, the two women shared a look.

"We'll let them settle it out on their own."

"Agreed."

Jamal, who was quickly growing bored with counting the number of bloodstains on the sand, began to whine. "When is this show going to start, people? It's been thirty minutes and all the magi aren't even _here_ yet! This is horrible! Where's the entertainment?! Boo! Zero stars!"

"Jamal, be serious." Kikiriku chided. He set down his bag and took out a handful of candy, which the scientist eagerly snatched from the Imuchakk teen's hand. "You're such a five-year-old."

"Aww, momma Kikiriku strikes again." Opal cooed as she scooted over to pat him on the back. "Hey, mind handing me one of those? Hel is pouting again and this might snap him out of it."

"Knock yourself out." Kikiriku tossed her the whole bag. "Anything that keeps him from throwing a fit. Hey, make sure that the bag gets passed around, okay? Don't hog it for yourselves."

Opal nodded along with his nagging. "Yeah, yeah. Got it."

Selene smiled and began to sign. _'He's going to be a wonderful father one day.'_

"No kidding." Yasmine agreed as she began unpacking her own bag. Many whoops and cheers rose within the Colosseum as she withdrew a variety of sandwiches.

"Congratulations, Selene." Amani murmured to the younger blonde beside her. She gestured over to the pretty necklace around Selene's neck. The other girl flushed. "Sphintus seems to be a good man. Does he make you happy?"

'_Yes.'_ Selene signed shyly. _'Sphintus was a good friend while we were classmates in Magnostadt. He even saved my life. He is only courting me now but I am not against the idea of marriage.'_

"Lucky man."

The pair's conversation was interrupted by a raised voice.

"Trickster herbivore, we have been waiting for more than fifteen minutes. When is this meeting going to start?" Hel's eyes flashed threateningly. "There _is _something important that we have to speak about?"

All eyes landed on Sai. The dark-haired Blessed Child met all those stares unabashedly with a sandwich hanging from his mouth. He took his time in finishing up his meal before speaking. "What? Don't look at me. I have no clue what those four have planned for us. I just set up the stage. The players have their own plans of playing their parts."

A snarl erupted from Hel's throat, only to be abruptly cut off by lollipop that Opal shoved into his mouth.

"Shut up and finish your candy, idiot. Aladdin will come with the others soon enough. Just trust them."

"_She's right, young man. You should trust your friends more."_

All heads snapped up at the new voice. Shion's eyes widened at the man floating above them. "Uncle!"

Yunan smiled down at the group warmly and tipped his hat in greeting.

"Hello everyone. I apologize for the wait. Now, I'll step away to give the stage to the three leaders of this meeting tonight!"

The oldest magi gestured over to the full moon, drawing everyone's attention to the sky.

Yasmine's eyes caught the flying carpet first. As the spot grew bigger, more and more of the spectators recognized the forms on the cloth.

"Whoa~ they're really going all out with the dramatics, aren't they?" Sai whistled as they all waited for the carpet to land.

"Hey, hey, wait, Aladdin going to do the superhero landing, isn't he?" Jamal whispered loudly as he poked at the Imuchakk beside him. "He's going to do the superhero landing! Wait for it! Wait for it!"

Kikiriku rolled his eyes and kept his eyes on the sky.

Jamal whooped loudly when Aladdin, Titus, and Judal finally landed. Aladdin, just as the Sasanian had predicted, landed in the traditional three-point landing.

"Whoo! Superhero landing!"

Aladdin appeared a little miffed. "Was there really a need to arrive in such a flashy way?! We wasted so much time because we had to time our entrance in this way!"

"Just follow the director's orders. Besides, this looks quite cool! It's making me feel excited!" Titus giggled. Judal snorted and stood up from his seat. "I second what Aladdin said. Turtle-sensei is being stupid as usual."

Yunan pouted from the side as he joined the trio. "Judal, that's not fair!"

"Whatever." Judal grumbled as he brought a large chalice over to the cushion that Titus had set up. "This will be fine, right? Good. I'll be over there, then." The dark magi sauntered over to Kougyoku and sat behind her. He curled around her and rested his chin on the top of her head.

"Hey! Aren't you being too lazy, Ju–!"

"Everyone!" Aladdin called out, interrupting the blonde from finishing his sentence. "Thank you for coming all the way here to Reim for this meeting! Tonight, I will show you everything that you need to know about Al Thamen, my homeland, Solomon, the woman named Sammi…and the origins of the Blessed Children."

Aladdin waved his staff over the chalice. Yunan mimicked him. A bright light burst from the chalice and began revealing images like a projector.

"But isn't that…the same thing that the Chancellor used during his lecture?" Titus asked aloud. Sai scratched his head. "A-ra? The old geezer did something like that?"

'_You were still in the isolation room when he taught the class.'_ Selene explained, completely entranced by the vibrant images in front of her.

"Solomon-dammit, I should've brought the popcorn maker." Jamal muttered under his breath.

Everyone hushed him.

* * *

Shion watched quietly as Aladdin began explaining the beginning of the world called Alma Toran. Aladdin showed them the conflicts and the weakness of humanity. He spoke and spoke as strange images of otherworldly creatures and a strange entity that everyone recognized as the world's 'god'.

His head throbbed.

"…_Magicians, monsters, spaghetti gods…"_

Ah, that dream again? When was it ever going to stop?

Shion's eyes went back to the screen as he saw the all-too-familiar scene of King Solomon, his three magi, and his household. He had seen it clearly when Aladdin accidentally swapped memories with him.

But…

"Oi, who's that person over there?"

Surprisingly, it was Judal who noticed her. A blonde woman with clothes that separated her from the rest of the magicians watched the entire celebration unfold. She stood at the side, alone. No one approached her, either. She made no move to give her congratulations to King Solomon or stand with the three magi. She simply…existed.

A strangled sound escaped Kougyoku's mouth, drawing everyone's attention. The Kou Priestess stared, slack-jawed at the image. Amani and Yasmine appeared thunderstruck. Even Sai looked a little pale.

"…M-Mou, this isn't a lie, is it Kou-chan? It's her?"

"It's…her. It's really her. This isn't a lie, guys. Sammi was actually there."

"She looks like she hasn't aged a day since the Rooftop Incident."

"_Sammi."_


	54. Chapter 53: Her Name is Sammi

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sammi speaks.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Onwards

_ **To those who will eventually watch these events: This is not a myth or a creation story. This is simply the truth. Alma Toran is no promised land, nor is it a utopia. It was a dream that many fought, bled, and died for. ** _

_ **It was also a dream many eventually woke up from.** _

_ **As I said before, this is no myth. What you see before you are the events of a history of an abandoned world that had outlived itself. This is a tragedy. But don't be fooled. From the beginning, the lines between the good and the bad never existed. It was only a battle of beliefs and wills, which only the victor could claim the title of 'good' and 'right'.** _

_ **Whatever questions, whatever expectations you may have on looking back to these events, please abandon them. It is highly possible that you will be disappointed. ** _

_ **The events that you will see here are a warning. A cautionary tale, so to speak.** _

_ **Knowing this, would you still want to proceed?** _

* * *

Many breaths were held at the voice that came from the projected memory. Even Aladdin appeared stricken by the memory seeming to suddenly interact with the audience.

It was Sai who broke the shocked silence with a chuckle.

"Always the same. It's just like her to prepare for any possible scenario beforehand." The shapeshifter sighed. "Well, we better answer if we want to know more."

Shion nodded from his seat beside Kohaku, eyes never leaving from the image of the blonde woman who seemed to hold all the answers to every question he had about this world.

"We do."

* * *

_ **Then, I'll begin in the middle. Not the best part to start at, but I prefer not to touch the beginning. Instead of a happy time, I shall start with a time when I was most miserable.** _

_ **I was completely alone in the dark.** _

_ **But, eventually, help came.** _

_ **They saved me.** _

* * *

Dark.

Dark. It was always dark where she was. It had been such a long time ever since _that man_ locked her up in there. Time was nothing in the room. There were no colors or sounds either. The only time that she even got the tiniest of light, any hint of color, or even the smallest whisper of a sound was when _he _allowed it.

Sammi used to beg whenever he made his rare visits. She would whimper promises and oaths to her only visitor – only in exchange for the very thing that he stole away from her. She had been willing to keep the chains around her neck and shackles around her wrists just for that. Only for that.

But she learned that her visitor had no intention of giving her what she wanted. Sammi grew to realize that _he _relished in her desperation and grew to despise _him_ even more for it.

So, instead of giving into his games, she locked herself into her own tower and ceased to react to any visits. Her hatred for him overrode her longing for the things that her little room blocked her away from. She willed herself into rejecting everything from the outside world that came with _that man_. No matter how cold it was, how lonely…

Ah, it was so lonely.

Sammi curled up even more and tried to sink back into the oblivion that was her darkness.

_Thud._

'_..?'_

A sound. It was a new sound. A new, _loud _sound. Against her determination to remain unresponsive, Sammi angled her body towards the new noise.

_Thud._

The door? There must be someone trying to break through the door from the outside.

'_But why?'_ Sammi couldn't help but consciously think, drawing herself out of her self-made mental shell. The thudding noises continued. _'Aren't they afraid of the consequences? Everyone in this tower knows that attempting to enter this room is forbidden.'_

"…e..lo?"

It was muffled, but Sammi heard a voice from the other side.

"Hello?"

It wasn't _him_.

"Hello? Are you still alive in there?" When Sammi didn't respond, the thudding noises grew more and more urgent. The voice from the other side of the door continued to talk. "Oh no, am I too late? But their magic signature is still palpable, so they should still be alive. Please, please, please hang on! Help is coming soon."

Help? Sammi slowly began to uncurl her body from its tight ball.

After a moment of consternation, she licked her lips and responded to the anxious voice.

"…I'm alive."

Instead of the sigh of relief she expected, the voice made a gasping noise, halting the thudding.

"M-Miss Sammi? Is…Is that really you?"

So the voice from the other side of the door knew her name. Was it someone she knew? His voice _did_ sound familiar the more she thought of it…

Racking through her memories, Sammi eventually came across a name and face that seemed to _fit _with the voice outside. "Ugo?" She called out hesitantly. "Uraltugo Noi Nueph?"

"So it _is_ you!" The thudding noises renewed with a fervor that she never knew existed within the shy and withdrawn image of the Ugo she knew in the past. "Please hold on, Miss Sammi! I'm going to get you out as soon as I can!" Sammi heard him curse at his own strength when the door didn't seem to give way.

"Ithnan? _A little help here_?!"

"What is it, Magic Otaku? Can't you see that I'm a bit _busy_? I can't do _every _heavy work that your weak-ass arms can't do! Use your magic!"

"I can't do this alone, Ithnan. And I have no time to break through the seals. My friend is inside!"

Before she knew it, Sammi crawled toward the arguing voices. She moved herself as far as her chains and shackles allowed. She stretched a hand out and tried to sense the happenings outside with the meager magic that her chains allowed.

She sensed…sparks? No, that wasn't right. It was…more. Bigger than that. Almost like a storm or –

"_Ramz!"_

CRACK

Without any warning, the door broke. Light, color, and sound all came back into her life within a moment.

Sammi screamed.

* * *

_ **But sometimes I wonder…would it have been better if I was never saved?** _

* * *

"Are you feeling better, Miss Sammi?" Ugo asked tentatively as he peered at the quiet woman beside him. "Your body seems to have recovered significantly. Your magic also seems stronger today."

Sammi gripped at Ugo's arm nervously in response as he carefully led her through the resistance base. Her legs were still unsteady from years of disuse. It was a week ever since her world opened reintroduction to the light temporarily blinded her. Fortunately, Ugo had spent the time and effort to heal the damage, which hadn't been too difficult with his extensive knowledge in magic.

Which had been a good thing when she refused to speak with anyone other than him during her first few days in the base. All the new sounds and faces overwhelmed her to the point that she couldn't function. Sammi could only rely on Ugo to calm her down and help her back to her feet during her healing period.

And to think that she used to enjoy meeting new people and visiting different places.

(Broken. She's broken. _He broke her_.)

Either out of thoughtfulness or suspicion, the other magicians left Sammi well alone during the entire week.

Sammi was thankful nonetheless.

(Still, there were times when she heard footsteps outside her door that weren't Ugo's and hushed voices during the nights when she couldn't sleep.)

"I hope you don't mind meeting a few of my friends." Ugo continued encouragingly. "They've been waiting all week to meet you."

"I don't mind. I'm a lot better with being with people now with your help." She responded after a brief pause. She tried to smile. "I think I'm ready now. I'd love to meet your friends, Ugo."

"That's good." Ugo laughed in relief. "I was afraid that you wouldn't like the idea. Honestly, Solomon and the others are a bit impatient to meet you. I hope you don't mind that I told them a bit about you."

The corner of her lips tilted up with a ghost of a tease. "Not bad things, I hope."

Ugo shook his head quickly. "Of course not!"

It was the complete opposite, in fact.

"Is it true that you used to teach Magic Otaku?" A green-haired youth asked her the moment she walked into the room filled with people. There were no introductions or greetings beforehand. The young man's face filled her vision as he stared at her impatiently, waiting for her answer.

"Y-Yes. I tutored him for a brief period in the past. Ugo was a quick learner, so it didn't take much time for him to master the lessons that I taught him." Sammi tried not to flinch too much at the sudden invasion of her personal space. She comforted herself with the grounding feeling of Ugo's hands on her shoulders. "He's by far my most talented student."

Ugo flushed at the compliment and turned away sheepishly. "Miss Sammi, please."

"You are Ithnan, correct?" Sammi asked hesitantly. The youth's surprise confirmed her suspicions. "Thank you for breaking down my door. And I apologize for screaming so suddenly despite your help."

"Um…sure…it's fine."

Ithnan was suddenly pushed aside by a larger man, cutting off any more of the boy's awkward response.

"Oi, Ithnan, don't hog her attention all for yourself. Everyone else wants to introduce themselves, after all!" This other man's grin reminded her of a shark. A very well-endowed woman accompanied him with a cheeky smile. "Welcome, aru! My name is Falan and this is Wahid, aru." She waved her fingers in greeting. "If you need to some time away from these stinking men, come to me any time, aru!"

"Oi, what did you say woman?!"

"Watch your manners or I won't let you touch my breasts anymore, aru."

Much to Sammi's amusement, Falan's threat was enough to shut Wahid up. She mentally approved of the other woman despite the quieter and darker part of her that rolled unpleasantly at the sight of the couple.

(_He_ broke her.)

"Falan and Wahid." Sammi repeated carefully, making sure that she pronounced their names correctly. At their happy nods, Sammi continued. "Pleasure to meet the both of you."

"Hey, hey, how dare you two introduce yourselves before my brother!" Ithnan cried out with great offense in his voice. His bespectacled brother nodded to her in greeting as he patted Ithnan's shoulder consolingly. "It's fine, Ithnan. It's not cool to be too hasty. My name is Setta, Miss Sammi. Nice to finally meet you."

Sammi nodded in return. "Hello, Setta."

She caught a small movement from the corner of her eye and turned to face the shortest of the group.

Sammi's entire countenance softened immediately at the sight of the child hiding behind Ugo's leg. In order to not scare the young one, Sammi made herself appear smaller by curling herself. "Hello, there." She greeted the girl softly. "My name is Sammi. What is your name?"

"Sheba." The girl piped, slowly coming out from behind Ugo.

"A beautiful name." Sammi assured her. Her eyes landed on the girl's staff and she stiffened.

'_A child that young wielding a staff? How is she still alive…?'_ Sammi glanced at Ugo, searching for answers. He made a movement that assured her that he'd explain at another time.

"Huh? Where is Arba and Solomon, aru? I thought they said they were coming." Falan pouted as she looked around. Sammi's shoulders jumped for a moment at the second name. "Ha~ they must be training again, aru. Those things always go on longer than they're supposed to, aru."

"That's too bad." Ugo said, looking a bit disappointed. "I guess they'll have to meet her at some other time. I think it's time to bring Sammi back to her room so she can rest."

"It's nice to meet all of you." Sammi added. "I hope you all don't mind if I come back tomorrow?"

The response was instantaneous.

"Of course!"

* * *

_ **I met people who would eventually become my greatest comrades.** _

_ **And my enemies.** _

* * *

"…I see. So that's why you came to the tower I was locked in. You thought that I was one of those children who were feeding their magic into those horrible towers." Sammi stated after Ugo's explanation about why Sheba held a divine staff. A hand curled into a fist. "Let me guess. Falan, Wahid, Setta, and Ithnan were the same."

"Yes." Ugo responded sadly before straightening himself. "But that's what the Resistance is for. Our goal is to take down the Orthodox Church and create an equal world with all the species."

Sammi hummed at her former student's explanation. "I understand. That's a good goal to fight for. And this…Solomon? He is your leader?"

Ugo nodded, surprised. "Ah, yes! How did you guess?"

"His name, I suppose." The blonde murmured, eyes misting over with a memory. "Solomon…he has a king's name. I should probably expect amazing things from him."

"He _is_ amazing." Ugo agreed. "I hope that both of you meet. Solomon has similar interests as you and me so you'll get along with him. Maybe you can teach him more about _Phi-seeks_."

Sammi smiled a little at the gentle man's mispronunciation. "Physics." She corrected him fondly. "But close enough. And I'd love to teach another bright mind." Her smile wavered a little. "Teaching children had always been my passion. When did that change?"

Ugo stared at her with an unreadable expression.

"Miss Sammi, would you mind telling me what happened?"

Sammi did not stiffen or flinch away from the question. She had long been expecting it.

"David happened." She stated simply and it was Ugo who flinched. "As you know, I wanted to go back home. David disagreed and did his best to convince me to stay. He kept me away from others, convinced me that the world outside was too dangerous because of the 'beasts', and struck down anyone who offered me even the tiniest of information."

Sammi told Ugo the details of her research and the truth about her existence.

As expected, her explanation was met with incredulity and nervous laughter at first. But the more she spoke, the more doubt fell away from Ugo's eyes. Eventually, there was only wonder.

"No way…"

(Sammi did her best not to think back to the face of another man who made the very same expression when she told him that she was an accidental traveler from another world.)

"You actually saw Il Illah? With your own eyes?" Ugo marveled as he unconsciously moved closer like an eager child. "Amazing. What was he like?"

'_An overgrown spaghetti.' _Sammi nearly blurted out but caught herself at the last minute. She reminded herself that she could no longer speak informally about this world's 'god'. David was no longer her only confidant when it came to this subject. "I…have no words. It…_he_ was a bit overwhelming when I saw him. And it was only for a brief moment before I landed on – well, that's not important." Sammi turned her eyes away and caught a small movement near the doorway from the corner of her eye. "Needless to say, I can't really tell you much about _our father_." The phrase felt like iron on her tongue. "I'm sorry that I can't offer more."

"No, no! It's understandable in your situation. But to think that you were able to cross between worlds and look upon our god with your own eyes…" Ugo trailed off when he saw the expression on Sammi's face. "Miss Sammi?"

"My research eventually led me to the conclusion that my falling into this world was a result of an anomaly. Usually, Il Illah would have the power to return me, but I am not one of his creations. I was outside his law. My return would not be possible until my existence settles into this world long enough to be incorporated or, as I preferred to think of it, to be adopted by Il Illah as one of his creations. And I would need to fulfill a purpose – any purpose that Il Illah should assign to me before I can return home." She paused before putting on a wry smile. "So, I stayed in this world and waited for the day to come."

Ugo tilted his head. "Did it come yet?"

Sammi let out a shaky breath, eyes brightening at the memory.

"_Yes."_

Her eyes dimmed a moment after. "But David realized Il Illah's intentions and my purpose before I did. And, to keep me here, he took away the very thing that gave me purpose in this world. After all this time, I finally found a way to return but…" Grief finally revealed itself as she struggled to finish her sentence. "He caught me at the last second. As a result, he locked me away, suppressed my magic, and _took away my child_."

Horror painted Ugo's face at Sammi's confession as she tentatively cradled her abdomen. "I barely held him before David took my baby and locked me up. That man held back all information about my son from me during the entirety of my confinement. For all I know, he could be in one of those towers. Or he might be…"

A sob tore out of Sammi's lips as she covered her face in her grief. She shook and cried as Ugo did his best to comfort her with awkward pats and sympathetic stuttering. "I promise that we'll do what we can to bring your son back to you." Ugo murmured to his distraught mentor.

"How?" Sammi nearly wailed hopelessly as she lifted her face from her hands. "I know nearly nothing about my son! His age, height, appearance, all of that was kept away from me. I don't even know his _name_!"

"Miss Sammi…"

Ugo had nothing to respond to that. He and the others would undoubtedly _try_ to find the child, but the lack of information on him made finding the boy nearly impossible.

No, it _was_ impossible.

"Do not despair."

Ugo nearly jumped at the new voice and turned to the doorway.

"Arba?!" He chocked. Arba smiled warmly at Ugo and stepped further into the room.

Sammi somehow managed to calm herself as she straightened her body to meet the other woman's eyes. "So you're the one I've been sensing this entire time."

Something akin to approval flashed across the beautiful woman's eyes as she placed a hand over chest and went down on one knee. The act of respect almost threw Sammi off, but she managed to keep what was left of her composure.

"A-Arba?! What are you doing?" Ugo squawked, vocalizing her thoughts.

Arba's eyes remained on Sammi, however. Ugo could only look between the two in confusion. Sammi didn't break eye-contact either. There was a fervor in Arba's eyes that she couldn't name and the inability to name it made the blonde uneasy.

Then, Arba broke the silence.

"Forgive me for not coming for you sooner, Mistress Sammi. If I had known where Elder David had hidden you sooner, I would have prioritized saving you." She bowed her head almost shamefully. "Forgive me."

Sammi cleared her throat awkwardly. "There is nothing to forgive. Please lift your head. But, ah, I'm sorry. This is a bit confusing. Do we…know each other?"

Arba lifted her head and Sammi saw the regret in her eyes.

"Not directly, no." The woman admitted as she slowly rose to her feet. "I served you from the shadows as Elder David requested. Though you have never seen me, I appreciated the small gifts you left behind for me every morning."

"Ah!" Sammi's shoulders jumped in realization. "You were my Brownie!" Then, after a moment, she flushed. "Sorry about that. I never knew your name so I named you after a magical household spirit. And a snack."

Arba beamed brightly. "I don't mind! It suited what I did and I think it's cute! Much assured, your title for me brought me joy in the past along with your gifts."

"Oh, I hardly call those sweets big enough to be considered gifts. It was the only way that I was able to pay you back for your hard work." Sammi insisted. "If you had shown yourself, I would have gotten you something much nicer. Do you even _like_ sweets?"

"I love them." Arba assured the blonde warmly.

"Yes, she does." Ugo agreed from the side, grinning at the exchange between the two women. "Can't get enough of them."

Sammi's lips formed into a pout. It was instinctual and she would later marvel at how easily it slipped onto her lips. Like slipping on an old coat that still fit. "Still. I want to pay you back for what you did for me for all those years. Cleaning up and cooking for another person for nearly three centuries takes a lot of effort and, well, persistence."

Arba laughed and shook her head. "No need. You have given me far more than I deserved, Mistress Sammi."

"Please, just Sammi."

"Sammi." Arba corrected herself. "Though you may refuse to believe me, but it is I who has a debt that I _must_ return. And I will return it right now." She leaned forward, eyes earnest. "Your son is alive and here in the base."

Sammi's breath hitched and her hands fell limp.

Ugo let out a loud sigh of relief. "Oh, thank Illah. Did you hear that, Miss Sammi? Your son is alive!" He turned to Arba. "Who is he? We should bring him here immediately! I'm sure that he would be excited to meet his – Miss Sammi?"

Sammi sniffled as globs of tears trailed down her cheeks. She didn't bother to wipe them away even though she knew it made her look more like a mess than she already did. But oh – all she could feel is _relief, relief, relief_ as her hands curled in a way that dug crescent moons into her palms in a painful way that she would usually hate but she didn't care now since _her son was alive_.

"Arba," she sobbed, "oh Arba, _thank you._ Thank you so much."

And she continued to cry in a way that made her whole body shake as the other woman held her and rubbed her back.

"Hush, Sammi. Everything will be alright. Trust me."

* * *

_ **I also met the person who would gain my complete trust.** _

_ **And betray me.** _

* * *

Sammi had cried herself to sleep after the revelation. She didn't know how long she was out, but she knew she was not alone when regained consciousness. The entire room was completely dark, aside from a lone candle that provided light for the other person in the room. His head was hunched over a book, completely engrossed in its contents.

"…Ugo?"

The moment the name slipped out of her mouth, Sammi felt foolish. _Of course_ it wasn't her kind friend. Ugo had long since grown from the small size of the stranger in her room. But who was this? Sammi waited anxiously as the figure shifted and placed the book aside. The movement drew him to the light.

Sammi knew who he was the moment she saw him. He looked too much like his father for her to miss it.

Her son.

"Hello." The greeting was quiet and hesitant. Her son's hand hovered uncertainly in the air over his book while the other gripped his staff. Sammi paid no mind to the action as she refused to take her eyes off him for a mere second. "I'm sorry I wasn't the person you expected to be with when you woke up. I can get Ugo if it makes you more comfortable."

"No! Please." Sammi knew that her panic made her raise her voice, but she was too desperate to keep her son in the room to care. "Stay. He kept me away from you for too long I…" She let out a shuddering breath as she slowly reached out for his face. When he didn't move away, Sammi cupped his cheek and marveled at how healthy, how _real _he was. "I wanted to meet you for such a long time."

Much to her joy, her son leaned into her touch and closed his eyes. "I didn't even know I _had _a mother until now."

"David is a lying liar." Sammi snorted. "With a god complex. None of this is your fault. Having a son suddenly with no mother? _Ha. _Biology never worked like that. It's like him to make it seem like he reproduced asexually. Bastard always needed to get all of the credit."

Her son's eyes opened as he smiled in amusement at her comment. Sammi pulled her hand back from his cheek and rested it on his free hand instead. Her son seemed "He kept a lot from both of us. You must have so many questions. Ugo said you would."

Damn right she did.

"Are you eating well? You look like someone fed you, but did they really? You're healthy, right? No sickness? Allergies? Injuries?" At his nod, Sammi launched her next set of questions. "How about your age? Are there any favorite foods? Subjects? Hobbies? Girlfriends?" Her son coughed at the last one. "No? Boyfriends?" He coughed again. "I don't mind either way, you know. I had a student who preferred boys and that didn't make him any less amazing and lovable."

"No!" Her son caught himself and cleared his throat, cheeks tinged pink with embarrassment. "I mean, I don't have one of those. I'm not interested in that kind of thing right now." After a pause, he shifted in his seat. "As for the other questions, I'm seventeen years old, I don't really have a food preference, I'm interested in magic and different cultures, and I read or practice sword fighting with Arba during my free time."

Seventeen years.

"For that long?"

Despite the vagueness of her question, her son seemed to understand what she meant.

He held her hand awkwardly and squeezed it. His grip was a little too tight to be comforting, but it was the thought and intention that counted to Sammi. "You're here now." Her son assured her. "This might be a bit hard since we both don't know what we're doing, but I'm willing to try."

"Of course. I'm more than willing to make up for the time we lost." Sammi agreed immediately, excitement lifting her voice and brightening her eyes. Her son's body language mirrored hers. "Oh, I can't _wait_ to teach you everything I know about science and magic! There's so much that I want you to know! I should also talk about my world since it's practically the other half of your heritage."

"I'd love to hear all about it!"

Sammi laughed. "Very well. That will be the first thing that I'll teach you…" She cut herself off with sharp laugh as she remembered something. Her son looked at her with concern. "What is it?"

"I forgot to ask you the most important question!" She explained, lightly hitting her own forehead at her forgetfulness. "I should've asked you for your name!"

"My…name?"

Sammi's expression darkened. "Well, David took you away from me before I could recover from labor so I never had the chance to name you."

"Not your fault." Her son assured her again with a smile. "My name is Solomon."

"Solomon." Sammi repeated blankly. At her son's nod, she repeated his name again. "Solomon. As in the leader of the Resistance, Solomon."

"…Yes?"

"My son is leading a resistance against the current government in order to restructure this world's entire society."

"Yes."

"My son is _so cool_."

* * *

_ **My son had grown into a strong and admired leader of an idealistic cause. Though reuniting with him made me happy, what of him?** _

_ **Would his fate have been a little happier without me in it?** _

* * *

So, her son was pretty cool.

That didn't make the whole 'fighting against David' thing any safer for her boy. The complete opposite, actually. Though she was one hundred percent supportive of her son's choices, that didn't mean she felt comfortable of sitting back while Solomon went out to risk his life daily.

Thus, the hand-to-hand combat lessons with Arba.

"Mother...didn't Ugo tell you that exerting yourself too much would hinder the healing process?" Solomon sighed as Sammi launched herself at Arba. She was effortlessly parried again. "At least take a break."

"Five more minutes, sweetie. Mom's almost got this."

"Mother_, please."_

Sammi ignored her son and continued to strike at Arba. A crowd gathered at the doorway, watching with varying levels of amusement and mockery at the blonde's struggle.

"It's a bit surprising that a woman like _that_ is Solomon's mother."

"Are you sure that information isn't a mistake? She could very well be lying to all of us about her connection with our leader. It can't possibly be…"

"She can't even perform magic! And her form is terrible! It's like she never fought hand-to-hand combat before!"

Falan shot the rowdy group a poisonous glare, silencing them all. She scoffed at how easily she managed to cow them. "Typical, aru. All bark and no bite, they should learn to watch their mouths before Solomon hears them, aru." She muttered darkly.

"It's not like they're wrong about her sucking at fighting." Ithnan commented bluntly, earning a hard smack from the well-endowed woman. "Well, it's true!"

"Take it back, aru!" Falan hissed. "Sammi has been practicing all week in order to support Solomon and the Resistance, aru! Apologize, aru!"

"Yes, Ithnan. You should apologize. That was very uncool of you." Setta scolded him. "Though her form may be imperfect, Sammi's determination and perseverance to help our cause is beautiful. You should learn from her, Ithnan."

Cowed by his brother-figure's words, Ithnan immediately appeared regretful.

"Sorry…"

"Why _isn't _she using any magic?" Wahid asked, making many look to him in surprise. He leaned forward, his single eye squinting critically at the fight. "Isn't she supposed to use a bigger _borg _to avoid any hard hits or something? She should at least strengthen her body if she's going against _Arba_. That's what _I _would do anyway. Che, no wonder she's all black and blue. And what the heck is with that stick? That's _nothing _against a divine staff! Where's hers?"

"That…is a good question." Ithnan said slowly.

"Sammi _isn't _using any magic because her staff is broken."

All of them jumped and turned at the new voice. All of them winced at Ugo's unimpressed expression. Behind him, Sheba clutched peered curiously at Sammi and Arba's spar. She tilted her head when she saw Arba effortlessly push the blonde back. "She isn't doing so well, is she?"

Ugo sighed at the girl's brutal honesty but couldn't find it in his heart to reprimand her. "Sammi was never a physical fighter. She's more of a researcher and teacher. It wouldn't be a surprise that she would struggle against someone as talented as Arba. It would be rude to judge her for something that she's just starting to learn. Right, Sheba?"

Many of the onlookers who had jeered at Sammi flinched at Ugo's pointed tone and sheepishly left to escape from his disapproving stare.

Completely oblivious to the others, Sheba nodded in understanding. "Right! It doesn't matter if she's not strong right now. She'll get better! Besides, Sammi is nice. She let me eat her share of sweets every dinner and she tells the most exciting stories about lands without magic! Even Solomon likes them!"

Sammi had won over the youngest member of the Resistance effortlessly with snacks and story times. Her easy ability to interact with children was what drew Ugo to her in the first place. It made him sad when he remembered that Solomon never had the chance to experience her warmth and encouragement during his childhood.

"You'd be surprised at how powerful Sammi was back then." Ugo murmured to the rest of the group. "No one would really remember since it was before your time, but she used to create powerful spells that were innovative at the time. The transport circle? That was her idea. The spell to magnify the magic's abilities through towers? Her idea too. And the theories behind most of Solomon's amazing spells? Though she prefers that I take all the credit, it would have never been possible without all the knowledge Sammi taught me." By now everyone was gaping at Ugo. He flushed and coughed under the attention. "I'm sure that she'll be able to create more spells once we finish fixing her divine stave."

Everyone turned back to the blonde, staring at her with new respect in their eyes.

"Wow…"

"Don't underestimate her." Ugo drove his point home with a satisfied smile. "She's only recovering right now, but Sammi is more amazing than any of you realize." His smile wavered as his mind reminded him that Sammi's abilities were not always a blessing.

(It was what had drawn David's attention to her after all.)

Meanwhile, Sammi continued to strike at her sparring partner.

"You should work on your defense, Sammi." Arba advised the blonde in between blows. "Your speed and strength is impressive with the current state of your body, but they will do you no good if your enemy overpowers you."

"Improve on my defense." Sammi panted as her arms and legs shook. "Got it. Wow, you're pretty good, Arba."

"…Master Solomon is correct. You should take a break." Arba finally responded as she lowered her staff. Sammi's shoulders slumped in defeat at the other woman's decision. "Okay, okay, you're right. I'll take a break for today. Thank you, Arba."

Solomon appeared displeased at his mother's easy acceptance. "Why didn't you listen when _I _said it?" He grumbled as she limped over to him with a wide smile. "Hey, hey, Solomon, what do you think? Don't you think that I improved a little this time?"

"Yes, Mother." He sighed. "But you don't have to do this, you know. I can handle the raids just fine without the extra help. You should focus more on resting."

Sammi flicked Solomon on the forehead, making him jump. "Brat." She told him fondly. "Don't look down on your mother. I know the limits of my body and I know that your little group needs all the recruits that it can get. Once I regain my strength, I intend to make sure that my little boy is safe."

"Mother! I'm not a child!" He whined as he rubbed his forehead.

Sammi snorted. "Ha, you might have fooled me with the way you jumped around from place to place when we stopped by the Hermit Village."

"You were jumping around too!"

"So? I never said that I was a proper adult, kiddo."

* * *

_ **At the end, my strength was not enough. My knowledge was not enough.** _

* * *

Sammi's hands closed around her staff. A warm, familiar feeling filled her as her magic found a proper conduct. She let loose a strong burst of magic that turned heads and stalled breaths.

Sammi sighed happily as she played around with her magic a little more, stretching and condensing it experimentally. Then, she began to procure objects seemingly out of thin air, making many near her jump away in shock. Bread, apples, and leaves appeared and disappeared around Sammi. She made parts of her own body appear and disappear, warped from place to place, and made herself float.

She finished her experimentation and grinned.

"This feels amazing. It's been so long since I held this staff! Thank you, Ugo!"

"Of course. Solomon helped too." Ugo gestured over to her son despite the frantic gestures the young leader made behind Sammi's back. Sammi beamed at her son.

Solomon coughed at her attention and turned away. "Ugo is exaggerating. I didn't do that much…"

Sammi cut him off with a hug.

"Thank you."

Sammi's smile widened when she felt a pair of arms tentatively wrap around her back and hug her back.

"…No problem…Mom."

Beside them, Ugo smiled proudly.

* * *

_ **Even my magic could not prevent what came for my son and friends. The tragedy was predestined and what happened after was a result of our carelessness.** _

_ **Fate. The Great Flow. Il Illah.** _

_ **Everything that I wanted to change remained the same.** _

* * *

The day when Solomon finally decided that his mother was healthy enough to join him in his raids was when the Orthodox Church became aware of Sammi's escape from her prison.

The havoc that she managed to wreak alone was _tremendous._ She managed to strike fear in the hearts of the people on her own side. Her actions were not reckless, nor were they malicious. Every spell, every barrier, was placed in a way that efficiently ensured victory for her son without any damage from their side.

"_Monster…"_

"_Witch…"_

"_Criminal…"_

Everyone was frightened, yes, but Sammi was the one who got the job done. She helped in the freeing of the enslaved race by demolishing the tower – her very own invention.

As Solomon and the others spoke with the Sylph Tribe, Sammi stayed behind to scour the entire building to see what other atrocities her inventions performed in this world. She wasn't disappointed when she saw the plant-like corpses of the many children in every room, gripping onto their staffs as if their lives had depended on it.

(It had been the complete opposite. Holding onto those things eventually killed them.)

Sammi felt an old hatred rise up with fervor at the sight of them.

Ugo found her a little later as she pried the last corpse from the magic circle, placing it next to all the others. She didn't look up until she adjusted the body in a way that mimicked a sleeping pose.

She even closed its eyes.

So many children. So many minds and hearts thrown away. So many Shebas and Solomons who could have led bright, happy lives if not for David and his _goals._

(Always, _always _his _goddamned __**goals.**_)

How could she have fallen in love with such a twisted, selfish man?

Sammi stood up and fetched her staff. She ignored the look that Ugo sent her and made her way out of the room. The blue-haired male trailed after her uncertainly, trying to gage her mental state.

"Sammi…"

"Is it like that in every place?"

Ugo nodded.

The blonde closed her eyes.

"I see."

After a beat, she took a long, shuddering breath before straightening herself. "Why are you here? Weren't you supposed to help translate for Solomon?"

"Arba knew the Sylph's language, so I wasn't needed." Ugo explained. "Besides, their leader, Foras, wasn't so keen with speaking directly with, um, grown men."

Sammi nodded. "I see. It makes sense. Most of the magicians stationed here were male and all the children were…in there." She breathed out. "Were you searching for something in here?"

"Um, the divine stave that was controlling the _gunuds_." Ugo explained hesitantly. "Every tower has one, though it's hard to find since every tower is structured differently."

"It wasn't in any of the rooms I checked." Sammi informed him shortly as they wandered through the tower. They passed many open doors. From the corner of his eye, Ugo caught sight of the many bodies that Sammi had lined up within those rooms.

He averted his eyes in respect and soldiered on.

* * *

_ **So many lives died because of David's vision.** _

_ **So many loved ones.** _

_ **So many futures…** _

_ **Even mine. Especially mine. He took my future from me. He took away all the chances I had to return to my life back in my world where I had people waiting for me.** _

* * *

Ugo would never forget the sound that Sammi made when they opened the last door.

They searched through the entire tower for the divine stave. Thankfully, the other doors led to only empty rooms and supply closets. Ugo didn't think that Sammi's heart could take any more dead children.

But Ugo knew what would be with the divine stave if they ever find it.

(Sheba had been lucky. So lucky.)

The last door ended up revealing what Ugo had feared. It was almost the exact scene that he saw on the day they saved Sheba. A small girl (smaller than even _Sheba_) clung onto the divine stave, practically chained to the staff and the magic circle. Her limbs were practically sticks and her skin held a sickly pallor that revealed all her veins.

Ugo was no less horrified at the sight than he was when he saw Sheba.

But Sammi's reaction was _worse._

"Oh god." The blonde gasped out after she made that horrible sound. "Oh, that's – that _bastard_. To think that he could sink any _lower _than he already has! First he tears my son away and now he does _this!_" Sammi spat out more expletives and graphic death threats that made Ugo pale and cringe. They were all well-deserved, but the magician had a weak heart.

But then, Sammi's ranting abruptly stopped.

She turned slowly to the small body. "…Say that again, sweetie."

When the body didn't answer, Ugo placed a hand on her shoulder. "Sammi, she didn't say anything."

She shrugged off his hand and shook her head. "No. No, she _said_ something. She's still alive. I _know _my students, Ugo. I always recognize their voices, especially _hers_. She said something. I know she said something."

Ugo paused. "Students?" He repeated, quizzically.

"Say it again. Please, _please, _say it again."

"…help…me…"

Ugo heard it this time. The blue-haired magician's head snapped up in shock at the sound of the little girl's voice.

Sammi acted quickly. She tore the little girl from her bindings and chains, not paying any mind to the damage that it did to her own body as she forced herself through the protection magic. She dragged the small body away from the magic circle and threw away the divine stave in disgust.

"Get help!" She barked at Ugo. She then turned back to the body in her arms.

Magic flowed from Sammi to the little girl, keeping her alive and stable as Ugo scrambled away to get help. "Please, sweetheart, please, please hang on! Keep breathing. There! That's it! I got you. Sammi's got you." A language that Sammi hadn't used in three hundred years sprung forth from her lips as she cradled the little body.

"…Sammi?" The girl rasped uncertainly.

"Yes, yes, it's me! It's Sammi!"

"Am I dead?"

Sammi shook her head as she roughly swallowed. She stroked the little girl's face "Not if I could help it. Hold on for me a little longer, okay? I'll take care of things from here. Just keep your eyes open until help comes."

"Okay." The little girl said obediently. Then, she reached out for Sammi weakly. Sammi immediately responded by grabbing her hand. "I'm not sure if I'm dreaming or not, but I missed you Sammi."

* * *

_ **I was never supposed to be here.** _

* * *

"Oh Phoebe, sweetheart, I missed you too." Sammi cried. "But you shouldn't be here in this world. It was supposed to be only me. _How are you here?_"

* * *

_ **None of us were.** _

* * *

And end of the chapter!

As an apology for the wait, I have two Mirror, Mirror omakes and a Chibi-Omake for you all!

Enjoy!

* * *

**Mirror, Mirror: Hakuryuu [and Kougyoku]**

"…Sister Kougyoku, what _is _this thing?"

Hakuryuu peered into the mirror warily as his reflection peered back with an equal amount of wariness. The Kougyoku in the reflection stood further away from Hakuryuu.

Ah, the stark differences of the same thing that only alternate universes could provide...

"It's a mirror that looks into another world." Kougyoku informed both Hakuryuus. The one in the reflection frowned faintly at her flippant tone while her own only sighed in resignation. "So, it's another crazy thing that your friends found." He summarized dryly.

"Exactly, Haku-chan!"

Hakuryuu sighed again. "Sister Kougyoku, _please_ refrain from playing with magical objects. You might get hurt."

"But this thing is _fine._ Jamal even tested it out!" She insisted. "It only shows a different version of our world. I mean, _look_ at your reflection! He's just as emo as you were before I got my hands on you!"

"You exaggerate. I wasn't _that _bad."

Kougyoku gave her _a look_.

"…Perhaps I was a bit…moody." Hakuryuu finally relented.

Hakuryuu's reflection kept his polite façade but Kougyoku knew that he was confused. Kougyoku's own reflection looked a bit jealous of their easy interaction.

Kougyoku smiled at Hakuryuu fondly. "As long as you recognize it. Don't worry. You've improved _immensely_ after all those years."

Hakuryuu's reflection coughed. Kougyoku grinned at the stiffer version of her brother-cousin. "Yes?"

"It seems that…your world is very different from our own, yes?" Hakuryuu's reflection asked in a formal tone. "From what Kougyoku – ah, the Kougyoku from my own world, sorry – was telling me, your world carries some similarities with our own."

Kougyoku shrugged. "It depends. Sometimes, the similarities of some have barely any differences, like King Sinbad and Alibaba. My counterpart and I are one of the more extreme examples."

"…Oh?"

Kougyoku backed away from the mirror, revealing her entire body. Hakuryuu's reflection coughed at her clothes. She shrugged in response to his reaction. "What? It's hot here."

"Put some clothes on!" Hakuryuu's reflection begged with flushed cheeks. Much to Kougyoku's satisfaction, his entire body language seemed to relax from its stiff position from the shock. Behind him, her reflection giggled behind her sleeves.

"_You _try wearing all those layers and see how you'd like it." Kougyoku sniffed as she turned her nose up. Her reflection giggled even more, probably amused by the image that her suggestion gave.

Hakuryuu's reflection sent a beseeching look to his counterpart.

"Give up." Her Hakuryuu responded flatly. "It's almost impossible to change her mind when it comes to these type of things."

Kougyoku's reflection, on the other hand, spoke up. "Perhaps I should try Sindria's fashion. It _is _a bit warm here."

Hakuryuu's reflection acted accordingly. "No! It is not appropriate for a princess to reveal her shoulders so! Please leave this room before she influences you too!" Hastily, Kougyoku's reflection was ushered out of the room, leaving Hakuryuu's reflection alone with the mirror.

"Rude." Kougyoku huffed. Then, she leaned in with a more serious look on her face. "So, how are things with that witch mother of yours? Causing any problems for you or Sister Hakuei?"

Hakuryuu's refection stiffened at her question.

"You know…?"

Kougyoku snorted. "Duh. That witch isn't really _subtle_ when it comes to her dark aura. My counterpart might not be as aware of the things that happen in the palace below the surface, but I live with those things every day." She tapped the corner of her right eye. "Our world has special people born with abilities that focus on perception. I have the ability to see the _truth_ in people."

Hakuryuu's reflection wore a dark expression. "…So you are aware of Gyokuen's deeds. What did you do when you found out?"

"Nothing." Kougyoku responded blithely. "I was only, what? Five? Six? Practically useless against them. Besides, bringing attention to myself to Al Thamen without strength or power is just a dumb decision. So, I focused on the more important thing: giving your other self some moral and emotional support that he needed after such a horrifying event."

Hakuryuu's reflection's expression soured at Kougyoku's explanation. "So you practically did _nothing _for me." He stated flatly, sounding disappointed.

Kougyoku sighed as her entire body seemed to deflate at Hakuryuu's reflection's words. It was like talking to the old Hakuryuu. "Hakuryuu –

"Sister Kougyoku has done _everything _for me." Hakuryuu spoke up from the side, surprising both his own reflection and Kougyoku. "Though I did not appreciate it back then, she has given me the strength and confidence to move forward." He looked his reflection over critically. "I wish you wouldn't undermine her abilities as you do since I appreciate her even more after seeing _you_."

Hakuryuu's reflection gaped wordlessly.

"Goodbye." Hakuryuu finished shortly before flipping the mirror over. He turned to Kougyoku and rested a hand on her shoulder. "Don't listen to him. I never thought that."

Kougyoku smiled assuringly.

"I know, Haku-chan. Thank you."

* * *

**Mirror, Mirror: Koumei**

"Kouryuu, _please_ don't put strange things into your mouth. You might get sick and your mother would scold me." Again.

Koumei tugged the object from his infant son's mouth none too gently and immediately replaced it with another, _sanitary _toy before his son could voice his displeasure. Much to the father's relief, Kouryuu deemed the toy as a suitable enough replacement and chewed on it contentedly.

"Better?" Koumei asked as he cautiously picked up the infant.

Kouryuu gurgled contentedly.

"Good." Koumei sighed and glanced over at the bed where Amani was currently napping in. "We don't want you waking up your mother now, would we? She's been working hard all day. I think she deserves some sleep."

He began to reach for a scroll that had rolled off of his desk in his panic to snatch away the object, which he now could see was a mirror, but was interrupted by a familiar voice.

"…What? How is this - ?!"

Koumei paused in his movements.

That…that was _his _voice.

But he hadn't spoken at all…

Koumei looked down at the mirror he had confiscated from his son and raised it up to eye-level. His own reflection stared back at him in shock. While it was a simple reflection at first glance, the absence of Kouryuu struck Koumei with fear as he held his son closer to himself.

His reflection's shocked gaze followed Koumei's movements, landing on Kouryuu. His eyes widened as he took in the similarities between both father and son.

Kouryuu giggled from behind his toy and waved.

"What in the world?!"

In a flash, Koumei turned the mirror over and slammed it onto his desk, breathing heavily.

"_Anata_? What is it? Did something happen?" Amani groggily asked as she sat up and slid out of the bed. Koumei was too nervous to take note of how quiet her movements were and how her fingers hovered near her sleeves as if ready to reach for something.

"Mirror." Koumei choked out as he backed away slowly from the desk where the object sat. Amani's entire body relaxed at her husband's explanation. "Ah, that. It seems Kouryuu found the 'magic mirror' that Alibaba told me about. I wonder how it ended up here? Well, what's done is done. I'm sorry if it scared you, _Anata_."

"It's…fine." But he'll keep away from it just in case.

Amani made her way to the desk and gingerly picked up the mirror. Koumei's reflection stared back at her, looking a little paler than his counterpart. "Greetings. I apologize for the scare. My husband isn't familiar with the function of this mirror."

"Function?" Koumei's reflection repeated. "Husband? Please explain. I only found this mirror in my sister's belongings and I'm a bit lost on how this mirror functions."

"Well, according to my brother, this mirror is a window between my world and your own. I was told that, despite some differences, your world is very similar to our own." Amani informed him with a pleasant smile. "In my world, Ren Koumei is my husband and the father of my child."

Koumei's reflection looked faint. "…Ah."

Amani, enjoying the situation a little too much, took Kouryuu from Koumei and held her son up to the mirror. "Ryuu-chan, say hello!"

"Hewo." Kouryuu echoed cutely and waved at him again.

Koumei's reflection could only wave back with a lost expression on his face.

"Well, I think we have overwhelmed you enough." Amani finally took pity on her husband's counterpart. "I hope your curiosity is satisfied, Prince Koumei. I need to go comfort my own husband now. Have a nice day. Ryuu-chan, say bye-bye!"

"Bye-bye!" Kouryuu echoed again with a giggle.

Amani turned the mirror over gently and turned back to her husband, who seemed a little less frazzled after witnessing the calm interaction between his wife and his reflection in the magic mirror.

"Amani, dear?"

"Yes, _Anata_? Would you like me to put the mirror away for now?"

"…Yes please."

* * *

**Chibi-Omake: Meeting Grandfather (Or, How Selene Simultaneously Gains a Last Name and Brings Home her Boyfriend)**

Selene stood in front of Shambal Ramal nervously as her brother finally introduced her to her new family's patriarch.

"Mou, Selene, this is Gramps. Gramps, this is Selene."

'_Hello, Shambal.'_ She signed hesitantly as Sai translated for her. _'Thank you for accepting me into your family. I am very grateful and I hope we get along.'_

Shambal looked ready to burst into tears as he drew her into a hug.

"Sai~! You were right! She really is adorable!" Shambal sobbed loudly, causing Selene to flush brightly at her grandfather's reaction. "Call me Grandfather! Sai told me everything about you Selene. Rest assured, I am more than happy to have you in our family! Don't feel shy and visit me and the others any time! You shall have anything and everything you want!"

Sai saved Selene from Shambal's tight grip. "Maa, maa, let's not strangle her on her first day, Gramps. _Please._"

"You're right." Shambal sniffled pitifully. "It's just…I'm so happy to finally meet you, Selene!"

'_I'm happy to finally meet you too…Grandfather.'_

Shambal began to cry again.

"Selene? Is everything okay?"

Sphintus peered into the room with a concerned expression. At the sight of the young Heliohapt native, Shambal's gross sobbing cut off immediately. For some reason, Selene felt as if everything froze. "Ah? And who is this?"

Sai shrugged. "Selene's new boyfriend. Hey Sphintus, say hi to my Gramps!"

Selene flushed brightly at her brother's response. _'Sai! He's not!'_

"Not _yet_." Sai sang.

Shambal loomed over Sphintus ominously. "Oh? Is that so? Our Selene already brought home a strapping young lad? We haven't been introduced. I am Shambal Ramal, Selene's grandfather. Why don't we have a little…_talk_, boy?"

Sphintus 'eeped'.


	55. Chapter 54: Their Origins

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Phoebe, Harley, Sydney, and Remy deal with their traumatic experiences differently. Sammi tries to support her Rebel Leader Son.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Onwards

"Mother. You should take a break. You haven't eaten all day."

Sammi looked up tiredly from her constant perch beside Phoebe's bed. The small girl appeared much healthier after the hours many magicians put in to stabilize her condition. She still hadn't awoken ever since she passed out from exhaustion.

Solomon came up to the foot of the bed and placed a hand on his mother's shoulder. He glanced at the unconscious child. "What is her name?"

"Her name is Phoebe." Sammi explained to her son. "She was my student from my old world." After a pause, she carefully added, "And your cousin."

Solomon's shoulders jumped at his mother's confession. He stared at Sammi until he was sure that she was telling the truth before turning his gaze back to Phoebe's small body. The child held little to no resemblance to Sammi. Her features were sharper and her hair was darker. He supposed that her nose _could _be similar to his mother's at a certain angle. He had to take his mother's word for it. "Cousin, huh? I've never had a cousin before."

Sammi smiled at Solomon's response. "Neither did she. No siblings either so it'll be a new experience for both of you."

"How did she get here?"

"Do you remember the story I told you when you asked the same question about me?"

"Yes. You told me that you somehow fell into our world when you dropped from a great height." Solomon recited. "Your world was a world that worked with completely different rules and systems compared to this one, so it was difficult to return despite years of research."

Sammi nodded. "That's right."

Her son hummed. "Are you saying that something similar happened to Phoebe? That she somehow fell through the same portal with you?"

"…Well, I can say with confidence that it's not quite that." Sammi said slowly with a grimace. She looked back down at Phoebe's form. "For one, your cousin wasn't this young the last time I saw her. If she had fallen through with me, Phoebe should be twelve at least. She's practically a baby now. Also, the structure and make-up of her body is just…wrong. And yet, it's a bit familiar." She made a distressed noise with the back of her throat. "What the heck did David do to her?!"

"We won't know until she wakes up, Mother." Solomon tried to calm her. "We'll ask her what happened and fix things once she's all recovered. Can you tell me more about my cousin?"

Sammi allowed her son to change the subject, glad to have something else to focus on instead of worrying about the possible things that David might have done to her.

"Yes…_yes_, of course. What would you like to know first?"

"Why does she look so different from us?" Solomon had to admit that the question had been on his mind for a while.

Sammi snorted.

"You can blame her father for that." She chuckled fondly as she smoothed back a stray strand from Phoebe's face. "While my sister and I are of German decent, Phoebe's father is half Chinese. She takes after him more than us, which is why she looks so different."

"German? Chinese?" Solomon parroted, leaning forward in interest. "What's that?"

"Well, in my old world, there are different cultures and races amongst humankind that are sometimes defined by different physical traits and language. It's all a bit complicated. I'll teach you everything later." Sammi promised him nervously, not wanting the conversation to veer completely into a history lesson.

"Okay…" Solomon reluctantly agreed. His disappointment in being denied knowledge was adorable to Sammi.

(From the furthest corners of her mind, Sammi couldn't help but recall a time when David wore that very same expression when she kicked him out of her laboratory whenever she was working on a particularly volatile experiment.)

Sammi laughed. "Really, Solomon, I will keep my promise. I will teach your everything I know." She looked back at Phoebe. "Any other questions about her?"

"What is she like?" He asked next, leaning on his staff. "Does she have any friends? I'd like to get along with her when she wakes up since she's family."

Sammi's smile wavered. "Phoebe…she's a good kid. She's bright and clever when it comes to studying and learning. It's just…" She sighed. "Phoebe has never really been one to make friends easily. Her way of thinking sometimes comes off as a bit…cold. And harsh. She's inexperienced with anything related to socializing, which makes it hard for her to make any connections. Her parents prioritized her education over her social life so…" Sammi shrugged helplessly, "It might take a little time, but I hope you can be patient with her."

"She sounds a bit like me." Solomon concluded, causing Sammi to start. "I used to be a close-minded brat like that."

Her son looked at her and smiled.

"Don't worry. If she doesn't have any friends, Phoebe will be able to make her friends here."

Sammi's chest swelled with so many emotions at his assurance and confidence. "You're sure?"

"She's my cousin. She'll be fine."

* * *

_Interlude: Her Name Was Phoebe_

Phoebe Winthrop was supposed to be dead.

She had died on the day of her graduation. Murdered on the very same place where Samantha Ackerman had died six years before. It was a fitting place to die, Phoebe supposed.

She had been the one to witness her teacher's fall from the roof, after all.

But she wasn't dead. Not anymore, at least. The pain that ran through her limbs as she weakly sat up on what she thinks is a hospital bed and the tight grip that Sammi (_impossible_) had around her confirmed that she was alive.

(But _how?_)

"I…what? Where am I? Which hospital is this?"

The hallucination of Sammi – it _had_ to be all in her head since it was _impossible_ and Sammi was _dead_ – stiffened at her question and released her from her hug.

"…Phoebe?"

"Which hospital is this, Miss Nurse?" Phoebe repeated patiently as she tried her best to pretend that she wasn't seeing a ghost. The strange boy behind her raised his brow, drawing her attention to him. "Are you the doctor, sir?"

He looked young. Around her age, give or take. Her body felt smaller too. And her voice sounded…her perception must be out of whack because of her near-death experience. It was highly possible that it was because of the impact her head made on the ground. Her survival should have been impossible but…well, it was easier to accept than the dead coming back to life, right?

"Doctor –?" She heard the boy repeat incredulously, only to be hushed by the Sammi hallucination.

"…Is there something wrong?" Phoebe had to ask.

"No." The Sammi hallucination said firmly.

_Yes._ Phoebe corrected mentally. _Yes, there is something wrong with me but you're not telling me so I won't strain my mind._

The boy's expression also mirrored the truth despite his grudging silence.

"It's going to be okay, sweetheart." Sammi had assured her again and again, though Phoebe didn't know why. She was fine for a girl who had just fallen from a rooftop. Aside from seeing hallucinations of her dead mentor. Ah well, the doctors did their best. "It will be okay. You're in shock. Just rest, Phoebe. I'll be all better by tomorrow. We'll talk then."

It didn't get better.

It only got worse.

(Phoebe wished that the shock never wore off. She wished that she didn't remember.)

* * *

"Sammi…"

"Phoebe? Do you remember me?"

"…I remember everything."

"Oh, thank God –

"You shouldn't have saved me. You should've just left me there to die."

"Phoebe, what are you – ?"

"I'm not Phoebe."

* * *

**From Ugo: Replaceable**

Ugo felt sorry for the little girl in front of him.

'Phoebe' was what Solomon had called her when he introduced her to him. She was a small, quiet child, which was a sharp contrast with Sheba's personality.

"_I'm a doll."_ He remembered her explaining to Sammi sullenly despite his teacher's vehement arguments otherwise. _"I'm just a husk with all of Phoebe's memories that lived beyond her death. There were dozens that came before me. None of us could hold the real Phoebe. Our bodies were always too small for the actual soul. They always recycled us as power sources in the towers before making the next one."_

Ugo tried to restrain a shudder at the memory.

"_They might have made more of us if you didn't come."_

Sammi had insisted to Phoebe again and again that the revelation made no difference to her. "You're breathing, moving, and your heart beats. I heard it. Please, don't think that you aren't Phoebe just because your body was created. Your memories are enough for me to view you as my Phoebe."

Despite her pleas and insistence, Ugo could see that the little girl remained steadfast with her belief that she was only a copy of the original. Replaceable.

(This did not stop Solomon from cheekily referring her as 'Cousin' despite her protests. As he always had, Solomon won.)

Sammi, though completely devastated by her precious student's misconception about her own existence, did not let it deter her from tending to the weak child. When Phoebe recovered enough to leave her sickbed, the rest of the resistance were there to greet her. Though Ugo – and everyone else – were well aware of the little girl's true age by that point, it didn't keep them from treating her as gently as they did Sheba. It was easy to forget and Ugo knew that it made the poor girl uncomfortable.

The majority of the males, of course, knew nothing when they clumsily interacted with the quiet and unimpressed Phoebe and Falan only clucked over her, letting her maternal instincts take over as she smothered the girl.

Sheba, perceiving herself as the 'older one', graciously took Phoebe under her wing. Much to Ugo's amusement, Phoebe grudgingly became the unofficial babysitter for the pink-haired girl.

Despite the awkward warmth that everyone gave her, Phoebe never _went _to anyone. Many would come to her, but never the other way around.

Well, there was one exception.

Out of everyone, it was Ugo who Phoebe willingly went to. It shocked him tremendously at first (_who _would find a single, magic otaku like him _interesting_ compared to his friends?), but it all became clear when she revealed her intelligence and her interest in Ugo's studies.

"Ugo, what are you doing?"

The blue-haired scholar looked up from his work to smile welcomingly. "Hello, Phoebe."

"Hello Ugo." Phoebe echoed her greetings before turning back to Ugo's project. "What are you doing?" She repeated.

"I'm adjusting the divine staves so other creatures could use magic as we do."

"Really?" Phoebe tilted her head. "Is it hard?"

Ugo shook his head. "Not at all. It's as easy as a borg or a spell."

Phoebe frowned. "Magic is supposed to be easy?"

"With practice." He amended hastily. "Um, well, would you like it if I tried teaching you some magic? I have your staff right here." Ugo offered kindly, holding out the object that they had found her with.

Phoebe shied away from the staff, eyes averting to the floor as she took a step back.

"No thank you." She told him quietly. "I would rather not touch that thing ever again if I can help it."

* * *

_ **Phoebe was only the first.** _

* * *

Sammi searched.

She was at every raid at Solomon's side as she searched for the rest of her students. She knew David and she knew that he never did things by quarters or halves. If he took Phoebe for whatever reason, he more than likely took the rest of her beloved students.

(Sammi regretted those nights when she whispered tales about home to David. She regretted trusting so easily and falling without caution.)

It took time, but she eventually found them.

* * *

_ **Harley, Sydney, and Remy were here too.** _

* * *

_Interlude: Through the Looking Glass_

Harley liked to think that she was dreaming.

At the moment, she was a princess from a far off kingdom who was caught and locked up by horrible magicians from unknown origins. Day in and day out, they would tie her to a staff and force her to endure some unspeakable pain. But the princess stood strong and endured. She would black out from time to time, but she always woke up the next day – powers and strength renewed.

(Harley thought it was to torture her for information at first, but she learned after time that the evil magicians had no interest in what she said. She went back to her dreaming after that.)

The evil magicians placed a curse on the princess, which made her appear much younger than she really was. They stripped her from her nice dress and shattered her crown, replacing them with strange clothes and a tattoo, which they branded onto her forehead.

(_This isn't my body, _Harley remembered thinking in horror when she first woke up. _This isn't real. This isn't real. This isn't –_)

Sometimes, when she was allowed short breaks, the princess dreamed.

The princess dreamed about a world so far, so distant from where she was now. She dreamed of a world where people flew and carriages moved without horses. The princess dreamed about a girl who died. She would always cry whenever she dreamt about the girl though she'd never remember why.

(Phoebe was her best friend. Even when she was deep in dreaming, Harley would wake up a bit to mourn her wonderful, brilliant friend. _I miss her,_ she would always think before falling back into her dreaming again.)

As she clung onto the strange staff, the princess continued to hope.

She hoped that her valiant knight would come to save her from her prison and whisk her back to her own kingdom. Soon.

(_Please…someone, anyone, save me!_)

* * *

"Hey. Hey! Kid, are you alive?"

"…"

"She isn't responding. How do you know if they're alive when they're like this?! Dammit, this is something that the Magic Otaku would know, not me!"

"…Ngh…?"

"Oh, thank Illah, you're alive. Just sit tight and try to stay awake, okay? Help is coming. Oi! Sammi! I found a live one!"

"…My knight?"

"Huh?"

"I knew…you'd…come…"

"Wha-?! Hey! Don't pass out on me!"

* * *

**From Ithnan: Otherworldly**

Ithnan was never good with children. Everyone knew that. He was practically a child himself. The only reason why he got along with Solomon so well was because of his intelligence and his vision. The Resistance Leader was hardly a child, no matter how much his mother treated him like one.

And yet, here he was: watching after a little girl that he found in one of the raids.

It was a duty that was forced upon him at first. For some reason, Sammi found him the most suitable to watch over Harley whenever she was away for raids (which were seldom since Solomon preferred that his mother didn't put herself into danger as often as she did) or visits to the newly freed races to learn of their culture and language (since she was a colossal nerd).

(Ithnan pointedly ignored the fact that it was a quality that she shared with Solomon since there was _no way_ that he would ever label his beloved leader as a nerd. Solomon was too cool for that.)

It was a bad idea, Ithnan had thought when he stood in front of the newly-recovered Harley for the first time. It was a very, _very_ bad idea. Something was bound to go wrong like it always did with him and children.

But it didn't.

Ithnan supposed that it helped that Harley didn't actually fit into the usual mold of the few children he actually had to interact with. She was far more mature than the usual child and she was an attentive listener too. Harley was a good kid. Yeah, she was a bit…out of touch with reality, but Ithnan blamed it on her time in the towers. Who knew what sick things those fanatics did to her before he found her?

So, Ithnan left from that experience without any issues and a new friend.

It wasn't until later after his first babysitting experience with Harley when Ithnan discovered that he wasn't the first choice. There were other babysitters. Many others, in fact. Heck, Ithnan could understand since even _he _thought that the kid's bouncy, red pigtails and squishable cheeks were too adorable to be legal.

But then Harley opened her mouth.

It was obvious that her stay in the towers affected her by the way she spoke. Harley believed herself to be a princess from another world. She frequently rambled about unfamiliar creatures, which Sammi confirmed to be completely mythological back in her world, and called the people around her by titles. Her inability to keep her mind in the realm of reality unsettled many of her past babysitters, causing them to leave her after the first day – second day if they were more tolerant.

Only Ithnan stayed. Only Ithnan returned to his babysitting post without fail whenever Sammi left. Only Ithnan played along to Harley's dreaminess and nonsensical ramblings.

Surprisingly, Harley was completely fine with the arrangement.

Today, Setta decided to accompany Ithnan to his babysitting duty, undoubtedly curious about the little girl who managed to make his usually impatient companion so attached.

"Hey there, princess." Ithnan gave a sharp glare at the magician who coughed when he overheard the term of endearment. Nosey assholes.

"A crown for my knight."

"Ah…thanks. It's beautiful, princess."

Ithnan awkwardly knelt down in front of the child so she could place her handmade flower crown onto his head as she had always done.

Setta chuckled from his side, completely amused by his 'brother's' situation.

(The bastard.)

Hearing the chuckle, Harley's dreamy eyes turned to Setta and she tilted her head to the side like a curious puppy. "Would Sir Knight like a crown too? I'm sorry, but I am out of flowers. Please don't feel jealous of my knight. Here, you can have mine instead." She assured him as she reached for her hair.

Ithnan roared with laughter as Setta did his best to turn down Harley's flowers. He gleefully helped the girl as she finally wove her flowers into Setta's braids as he sat in defeat.

"You're always going to be my favorite knight." Harley promised Ithnan solemnly a little later when Setta was out of earshot. "Even if I gave the other one my flowers. Even if you stray from the path of a knight and don a mask."

Though he had been far from jealous, her words still warmed Ithnan's heart enough for him to succumb to his, ugh, _feelings_ and hug her. (Not like a wimp, though, since Ithnan had an _image _to uphold.) "I know, princess. And thank you for making Setta feel welcomed today."

Harley was a bit…spacey, Ithnan had to admit. But she was a good kid.

And that was all that really mattered in the end.

* * *

_Interlude: No Girls Allowed_

Sydney remembered a time when boys would hang handmade signs up their bedroom doors and treehouses proclaiming, 'no girls allowed'! in the bright, red colors of a crayon. She used to hate those signs during her youth.

When she grew older, Sydney realized that there were many things that girls weren't 'allowed' to do – even without those horrible signs. When she realized this, she fought against those invisible signs as best as she could.

Sydney refused to conform to the invisible rules. She broke them the best she could whenever she happened upon them. Of course, she was never fully successful, but she always felt better whenever she tried.

Her parents would shake their heads at her anger, her ferocity as she tackled every sport and ripped up any dress or ribbon that she could get her hands on. Even after her father hit her for the first time, she refused to yield, eventually seeing his violence as a challenge to rise up against instead of something to be feared. She fought, played, and rough-housed until she managed to gain the upper hand in every game and match. Until she was recognized by every skeptic and critic who doubted her.

'No girls allowed' indeed.

But that was her old world, where she even _had_ the chance.

Now, as she clutches onto her strange, metal staff, Sydney huddles in the corner in order to hide away from her nightmares, feeling the weakest that she has ever been. There were demons behind the closed door, horrible men that she could do absolutely nothing against.

They made sure to remind her of her powerlessness whenever she fought back. She heard so many screams. They frightened her with horrible sights, which silenced her as quickly as her temper used to come. They broke her spirit or, at least, declawed it to its bare bones.

But nothing – _nothing_ – that they do to her would scare her as much as the nightmare of the pillow that smothers her every night.

("You shouldn't have been so nosy, Sydney. You should have left it all alone, but you wouldn't, you silly girl. I'm sorry for this. Sleep. _Sleep. _And never wake up.")

It would always be _those_ moments when she would break.

* * *

"Oh Illah, child, what did they do to you, aru? All those cuts and bruises, aru. Those horrible brutes…did they beat you, aru? Did they…touch you? I swear to you that I'll make their deaths painful if they did, aru."

"No. They didn't."

"I see, aru."

"I was too young, so they only made me watch instead whenever I misbehaved. They also whipped me, but that was rare."

"Those sons of a – !"

* * *

**From Falan: Daunted**

Falan knew the consequences of a war. She knew what war would drive even the most honorable man to do so her enemies' treatment towards young Sydney shouldn't have surprised her.

But it _did_.

Every jump and cry that the young child made whenever a male – any male, really – came close to her. She would retreat into her arms as if they were some impenetrable shell until they had the sense to back away. Falan would glare and snap at them despite their innocent intentions. It wasn't their fault, she knew, but Sydney was scared.

The only person she allowed to touch her, aside from Falan, was Sammi. Even poor, gentle Ugo was someone to be feared simply because of his great height and gender.

Sharp-eyed Phoebe and dreamy Harley kept their distance from the fearful girl, though not out of weariness. Phoebe was wise enough to know that her presence would only overwhelm her classmate.

("They break us in there, you know." Phoebe would tell Falan later. Sammi's niece still thinks of herself as an imposter. "They peel away any signs of spark and flame in there. The more you fight, the more they rip away. I remember Sydney having plenty. They smothered her, I think.")

They would approach Sydney later.

(Far later.)

Falan, on the other hand, kept closely at Sydney's side, minding the child's health and emotional state. It was all but a blessing that Sammi hadn't returned. Falan couldn't imagine how her leader's mother would react to _another_ one of her students being irrevocably changed and traumatized.

Falan refused to believe that the damage couldn't be fixed. She was determined to return the fire back into the young girl's eyes – along with some reinforced steel in her spine. At first, she tried to teach Sydney magic, but that idea was immediately denied. Very much like her fellow classmates, Sydney was less than eager to take up the staff again after her experience. Falan turned to hand-to-hand combat instead. Though she wasn't as talented as Arba, Falan knew basic swordsmanship.

Sydney insisted time and time again that she was broken, at first. Falan did her best to drill that idea right out of her little head.

"You are more powerful than you know." Falan assured her after one of their more strenuous lessons. Sydney does not flinch at the sight of Ugo and Wahid anymore but still keeps a distance. Always cautious. "Don't underestimate the strength of a woman."

"I used to think anything connected to the definition of a woman was weak." Sydney confessed. "Dresses and makeup and the such."

Falan listened, but never judged the young girl's words. "Those can be your armor too, if you let them." She only advised.

"I'll keep that in mind."

* * *

_Interlude: The Divine Comedy_

Remy sometimes wondered why his punishment in Hell wasn't as harsh as it should have been.

Yes, he'd feel completely and utterly exhausted, but wasn't that what punishment was for? He completely and utterly deserved this. Of course, this wasn't exactly what he anticipated when he pictured the eighth circle of Hell. There weren't any trenches or bat-winged creatures. Just men with glorified sticks who sometimes hit his child-like body whenever he failed in his duties. _'Poor Dante. He got it all wrong.'_

But what would he know? What would any of them know?

Remy only knew that his eternal torment for his sins was simply holding onto a strange staff and enduring an occasional beating from the demons that watched over him. They always beat him whenever he 'didn't provide enough _magoi_', according to their snarls.

(Remy had a feeling that he should've recognized that word, but he was too exhausted to care by that point.)

Sometimes, the pain of his punishments caused him to think strange things. What if he wasn't truly dead? What if he's still alive and this wasn't the hell that heaven intended?

Remy knew that it would break him if that were true.

But, there had always been a curious part of him that wondered. He finally questioned his demons one night after a beating.

They laughed and told him the (horrible, horrible, _why?!_) truth.

He was alive.

(The next day, Remy used what was left of his clothes to create a makeshift noose.)

* * *

"…"

"_Oi!_ What do you think you're **doing**, brat?!"

"…?!"

* * *

**From Wahid: Broken**

Wahid saw many messed up things during his life. He was a _revolutionary_ in the middle of a _war _against a _corrupted theocratic government_ for Illah-damned sake. He knew how to hold his stomach when he saw the twisted things that his own kind did to others. He was respected for his strengths and for his ability to get shit done. He could even plow through an entire army with his skills.

But – by the depths of the Continental Rifts – how was he supposed to deal with _a kid?!_

With strained breaths, Wahid hauled the scrawny brat from the edge of the cliff. This was the thirty-fourth time, the _thirty-fourth_, that he had to snatch the kid from the edges of any high places. He just _barely _caught him this time too.

Wahid had no idea how someone so skinny and weak-looking managed to be so quick. His had taken his eye off the brat for just a minute.

A _minute._

"What the heck, brat?! Didn't I tell you not to wander off like that?" He snapped at the child before wincing. His Falan told him that his loudness frightened kids, so he tried his best when he was around the younger ones since they planned on getting one of their own. "It's too dangerous. That's common sense. You'll lose your life if you keep doing stupid shit like that."

Wahid almost bit off his own tongue when he realized that he swore in front of the scrawny brat. _Damn._ That was another no-no that his Falan told him. He was trying. He really was trying.

And yet, _this damned kid_ managed to get under his skin every time with his crazy antics.

"…What if I want to?"

Wahid almost missed it, but the rare sound of the kid's voice was enough to break him out of his thoughts.

"Hah? Whaddya say?"

"I said, 'What if I want to'? Die, that is." For some reason, the child's voice was louder than it ever was before. "I've wanted to die for a long time."

…What the heck?

"I've done so many horrible things back in my world. I deserve to go to hell for what I did to everyone. I'm supposed to be dead. _I slit my own wrists_. But I'm not dead. For some twisted reason, I'm still alive like I'm being _rewarded _for the sins I committed. But I shouldn't. What I did doesn't _deserve _to be rewarded. I'm supposed to be punished. I'm trying so hard to make it right. So why? _Why do you keep getting in my way?_"

Wahid let the brat huff and puff for a little bit before whacking him over the head.

(He _knew _Falan would chew his ear over it later, but this brat needed to see sense before he did something to himself that would be completely irreversible.)

"Oi. Brat. I didn't save your ass so you could throw it away like that."

(Dammit. Another swear.)

"And about your sin…killing yourself off won't do anything to fix it, you know? You're just running away from the real problem like a spineless pussy. Suck it up and face the problem head on."

For the first time, the boy made on expression that wasn't one of complete devastation or blankness. He glared viciously at the one-eyed magician with a fire that Wahid didn't know he possessed. "What do you know? You're probably just saying all that since 'killing yourself is wrong'!"

"Brat, I'm fighting a _war._ Believe me, I'm the last person you should turn to if you want someone to preach about morals and preserving life. I'm putting my life on the line every day. But you want to know what's different between you and me? I'm doing it for something that I believe in. I'm fighting every day in order to reach a better future." Wahid's single eye landed on the angry expression of Sammi's student. "But you? You're throwing away your life to run away from something. What you're doing will only hurt the people around you even more, not spare them like you're thinking."

The boy froze and looked down.

Wahid slowly released his grip when he saw that the child wasn't making any more aborted movements. _'Did I get through to him…?'_

The boy looked up to him, revealing a tearstained face.

Wahid felt his stomach drop.

"Th-Then what should I do?" He asked brokenly. "How could I ever move forward? I can't even face the person I did so much wrong to. How in the world can I ever use this life for someone?"

Shit. He really did it now.

No, wait. This is good. The kid is actually listening to him. He can still fix this!

"Deserving to face them or no, you should still apologize." Wahid suggested, thinking back to the many arguments that he had with Falan. Yes, yes, apologizing first is always the best way to begin gaining forgiveness and moving on from his experience. "You should settle the matter since it's harming both of you. Or…don't tell me…" Wahid paused. "Are they at a place you can no longer reach?" Didn't Sammi tell them that she came from a place that was impossible to go back to or something?

The boy shook his head.

Wahid almost collapsed in relief.

"Okay then. Want to talk to them now?"

The boy shook his head again. "I don't feel ready. I'm…scared."

Well. What to do in this situation?

"Hey kid, want to learn some magic?" Wahid asked, desperate to give the kid something – _anything_ – to distract him from being miserable and prone to throwing himself off of heights.

"…Okay."

Wahid definitely did collapse in relief this time though he would deny doing it to his grave.

* * *

Phoebe, Harley, Sydney, and Remy.

The Onryou Tribe, the Serpent Tribe, and the Kitsune Tribe each harbored a student. Each of them slaved under the influence of the magic that the Church forced from her children. Sammi had worried and wondered where they all were ever since she discovered Phoebe's existence. But the search was over now. Finally, after an entire year, her students were all in front of her. Safe.

"…Sammi? What are we supposed to do now?"

And then, Remy – as always – managed to ask the question that got to the heart of the problem.

"Do we need to fight?" Sydney asked while Harley blinked blankly at her side. "I heard there was a revolution going on that your son is leading. Falan told me that he's fighting against the man who did this to us. Do we…" She paused uncertainly, "do we need to learn magic like Remy?"

"Of course not!" Sammi assured them all quickly. "You don't need to fight _or_ learn magic if you don't want to. Honestly, I'd rather you stay out of the frontlines." She pulled them all closer to her as she said this. "I know that the rest of the resistance might encourage you to join their cause, but don't let that be the reason to involve yourself in a war. Those things a dangerous. Just focus on yourselves now, okay?"

Sydney and Remy nodded reluctantly. Harley smiled dreamily over Sammi's shoulder.

Phoebe was the only one who didn't respond.

"Phoebe?"

"You don't like fighting. You're a pacifist." Phoebe stated bluntly. Sammi nodded slowly. "Yes, I used to be like that back in our old world. Why?"

"…So what did the bad man do to you that made you change your entire philosophy?" Her most clever pupil asked quietly, eyes shining with a sort of _knowing _that made the blonde look away. "What did he do that was so bad enough to push you to fight in a war?"

Sammi swallowed and forced herself to face her students again.

"Many things." She confessed, eyes watering. "Many things that I'm not ready to say just yet. But just know that you can all leave everything to me for now on, okay? So, don't get involved with the fighting. Okay?"

All her students rushed over to hug her.

It wasn't until many years later that Sammi realized that Phoebe never answered.

* * *

**From Setta: Tragic**

"Please, teach us how to fight."

Setta didn't know how to react the first time Phoebe approached him with that request. Harley had accompanied her with her usual dreamy expression. "Sir Knight, I think that my friend would like to seek an apprenticeship from you. I, also, would like to learn a bit too if you don't mind. We will need it later when the world comes down into flames."

Despite the adorableness that the pair unintentionally displayed, Setta had to gently deny them the lessons that they wanted. Instead, he offered to teach them a bit of medicine and healing without magic – since the pair seemed so repulsed at the mere _mention _of staves and the like.

(Setta pitied the children. Though Remy took a shine to learning magic despite his experience, the rest were properly traumatized from their experience in wielding magic. And how could they not? All they saw was the ugliness that magic could sometimes beget. They never saw the beauty that Setta saw in his ice.)

While Harley relented and picked up Setta's lessons with all the grace the young 'princess' could muster, Phoebe was not as easy. She did sit through his lessons, yes, but she never stopped her requests.

"I would like to fight in the frontlines with you. Please teach me how to fight."

"I want to help. Please teach me how to fight."

"Please. I don't want Sammi bearing everything on her own. So please…"

Setta couldn't understand. The young girl was relentless. She never stopped or gave up no matter how bluntly or sharply he rejected her. She chased after the chance of learning how to fight with a fire that he didn't think possible from the normally icy girl. It was startlingly beautiful in its brilliance and ferocity. Setta nearly compared her fire to Ithnan's.

But still, despite that, Setta rejected her again and again.

She pursued his tutelage for over a year.

"Why me?" He finally asked one day. "Why not Ugo? Or Arba? They would be more competent than me."

"Ugo can only strengthen my mind. Though he can teach me how to fight, he will not push me the way I want him to." Phoebe explained calmly without pause. Her icy intelligence that he secretly admired managed to cut through any argument before his mind could even make them. "Arba, on the other hand, has the capacity to teach me how to fight. But she teaches both Sammi and Solomon. She will not give me the attention that I need to improve."

Phoebe looked to Setta. "Wahid will hold back because of my height, youth, and gender. Falan's style, though effective, does not suit me. Ithnan does not have the patience. Sheba does not have the experience. And Solomon…" At the mention of her cousin, she scowled, "Solomon would only tease me. He also has too many other things to worry about as the Resistance Leader to function as a successful mentor."

She looked to Setta. "So that leaves you."

Setta, by then, had grown more and more resigned as he heard Phoebe's logic. "I suppose you're right about that." He sighed. "Fine. I will teach you."

He didn't feel better about his decision when Phoebe smiled one of her rare smiles. Instead, it broke his heart a little bit. That smile will break, he is certain. It will break because of his decision to give the little girl the means to throw herself into this war.

"With hand-to-hand combat, I mostly rely on defensive tactics." Setta warned her when they finally began.

Phoebe smiled again.

"I only need this to protect anyways."

* * *

**From Sheba: Unchanging**

There was something strange about growing up with playmates whose appearances never changed.

Sheba came to realize this as she grew taller and taller. Small hiding spots became too cramped for her to crawl in and old clothes would feel too tight around her chest and thighs as she transformed from a little girl to a young woman.

And yet, all four others remained the same.

"We're dolls." Phoebe tried to explain to her once, attempting to be comforting to her distressed playmate. "Our bodies are artificial so we can never grow. Our memories – or my memories at least – are also replications of another life from another world."

Her explanation only made Sheba even _more _upset. Never changing? Always children?

(The part about the "replication of memories" and "another world" made her head hurt a bit too much, so she stopped thinking about that.)

"That's horrible." Sheba concluded. "You'll all stay that size forever."

"Don't remind us." Remy grumbled with the same, mopey grouchiness that he'd always display. "It's not like we _want _to stay this size forever. It's inconvenient."

Sydney and Phoebe displayed no true mourning over their small sizes. While Sydney came to terms with her physical state a long while back, Phoebe simply didn't _care _about her own well-being or the state of her body. Harley just…well, she was _Harley_. Sheba doubted that she was aware of her situation half the time.

"It's good that our bodies won't have to use up too much cloth or food." Phoebe informed Sheba pragmatically. Sydney nodded at her side. "We can still hide in small spaces when need be. I don't mind."

"What about growing up? Falling in love? Having children?" Sheba pursued the subject again, a few more years later when she finally blossomed into a seventeen-year-old young woman.

Sydney shuddered. "Having children is painful for women. I don't think I want any more pain for a man's expense. I don't even know how Falan did it." Just recently, Falan and Wahid introduced the new member of the family: Tess. Though the child was adorable and well-loved by all, Sydney was properly scared away by the prospects of child-bearing.

"I agree." Phoebe intoned, looking disinterested. She was unlocking a magical puzzle that Ugo had given her to 'stretch her mind and think more creatively'. "Having children? No thank you."

Remy shrugged while playing with his hair. "I think kids would be nice." He commented quietly. "But never being able to find someone is fine. I don't want to tie anyone with someone like me."

"Agreed." Phoebe chimed in as she finished cracking her puzzle. "We have too much baggage to function as a proper significant other."

"Is our playmate asking us these questions because of her newfound attraction with the King?" Harley suddenly asked, breaking through any more questions that Sheba might have. While the pink-haired girl flushed in mortification in Harley's surprisingly apt guess, the rest of the eternal children acknowledged the newfound discovery with varying degrees of amusement.

Sheba backed away from them, face still red. "I-I-I-It's not like that! It's not like that at all!"

"So that's why you've been making such a big deal about us 'growing up' and all." Sydney realized. "You need someone your age to talk to about your boy problems!"

"_Noooooo_!" Sheba wailed loudly in denial.

"We're older than you think, you know, Sheba." Sydney continued gleefully. "Even though I never got into a relationship, I can understand the feeling of liking a guy."

Everyone stared at her.

"What? Just because I'm afraid of guys touching me doesn't mean I can't _look_." Sydney defended herself hotly, with a small flush on her cheeks. "And I'm getting better! A little bit!"

Harley nodded along. "Yes, the Blindfolded Knight's wife has been a very good influence on your recovery. And you have good taste. Sir Knight is indeed very handsome, though not as much as my Knight. He's very passionate and loyal to his brothers-in-arms, traits that I admire in a man."

Sydney, unlike Sheba, didn't splutter in denial. Instead, she looked at Harley suspiciously. "You're surprisingly sharp for someone who's always dreaming. But you're right, Setta is handsome. He fights beautifully too. Have you _seen _his ice magic?"

Harley nodded, distracted by some unseen image. "Yes, they are beautiful. He can shape them into cute little birds and bunnies too if you ask him nicely."

"Hey, hey, since you're so sharp, does Remy have anyone he likes? A cute guy?"

Remy glared at Sydney. "I _don't _like anyone and, even if I did, it wouldn't be a _guy_!"

"Yeah, yeah, stay in the closet, Remy. 'Come out when you feel ready' and all that." She waved the boy's protests away. Sheba giggled at their antics while Phoebe ignored them all in favor of going over the conjugations for one of the beast tribes' languages. She was supposed to speak to one of the leaders to fix a minor dispute the following week.

Sheba turned to Phoebe, turning away from the minor bantering amongst the three. "What about you, Phoebe?"

"Are you asking if I hold any romantic interest towards anyone?" The older-looking girl nodded and continued to prod. "So? Anyone?"

"No." Phoebe denied flatly. "As I said before, I'm not interested in any romantic relationships. I'm too busy to worry about things like that." Then, her tone softened. "But, that doesn't mean that I will not support you in your pursuit towards my foolish cousin."

Sheba looked a bit moved. "Really?"

"Of course." The genius assured her almost gently. "But I warn you, it's going to be difficult. My cousin is…well, you'll see."

Sheba most definitely did. After Arba's encouragement, she did her damned hardest to woo Solomon. And yet, he continued to view her as a child as dismissed her gifts and proposals for dates.

A _child_.

While the other three did their best to help her find different ways to catch Solomon's attention and change his mind, Phoebe could only offer support because of her inexperience with romance. Sheba appreciated it all the same.

As time passed on, Sheba felt a bit helpless, but she found an ally in Solomon's mother, who was always so kind to her.

"He'll come around, Sheba." Sammi assured her. "My son might be a bit dense and stubborn, but he isn't blind. Just continue being yourself and he'll see how much you've grown. He'll see how brilliantly you shine. Just wait."

And Sammi was right.

"I still don't want to have a baby." Sydney announced the day Sheba revealed the good news to the four. Her pregnancy was unexpected, but such a wonderful revelation. Solomon's expression upon hearing about her pregnancy was something that Sheba would always keep in her memory. Harley poked at her playmate's currently flat belly. "But congratulations, Sheba."

"Yeah, congrats." Remy said, not gloomy or grouchy for once. He stared at Sheba's belly with something akin to wistfulness. "I'm sure that Tess is excited to be a big brother now that he'll no longer be the youngest."

Phoebe only smiled warmly at the soon-to-be mother, which spoke volumes.

"He's going to be the Main Character." Harley murmured from her position in front of Sheba's belly. She sighed happily. "Oh, he's going to be _beautiful_ and _brave_! A perfect little prince and a hero!"

Sheba nodded along, completely used to her friend's ramblings. It all sounded good, at least.

"Stay strong, little prince." The girl continued to murmur, her eyes staring off to the distance as if speaking to someone else. She was no longer looking at Sheba. "Stay strong."

_Stay strong, Aladdin_. Sheba agreed mentally, sending all her love towards her child. _Stay strong._

* * *

**From Solomon: Family**

Solomon never really thought much of having a family until his mother and the strange, little family of hers inserted themselves into his life.

His family grew from an estranged one to an interesting five (not counting the many, many members of the Resistance) plus the estranged one he'd rather ignore.

(David was never the best example of a father.)

Solomon found his mother brilliant.

She was patient, kind, and everything that David never was. It relieved Solomon, honestly, when he discovered that he _wasn't _completely like his poor excuse of a father. Yes, he needed to keep an eye on his own pride, but his passion in learning and valuing friendship was something that was completely his mother.

Solomon enjoyed her attention and her love. He enjoyed her thoughtfulness and compassion. He even enjoyed her occasional nagging whenever he did something life-threatening or dangerous.

He was happy that he found her.

And the others, he was glad that he found them too.

Just like his mother, each of them were eager to learn – even after their traumatic experience in David's hands. And yet, there was more to them that drew him to his mother's childlike students.

Phoebe, without a doubt, shared similarities with Solomon that drew him to his strange cousin. Like him, her thought process was more geared towards logic instead of emotion, which sometimes disgruntled the people around her. Though her to-the-point way of approaching things might grate on some people, Solomon knew that her intentions were always good. Solomon felt that he understood his cousin the most out of everyone, even his mother. Despite her coldness and insistence that she was not who he thought she was, Phoebe eventually acknowledged their kinship. It was a victory that Solomon personally considered one of his greatest.

Harley had a completely different world in her own mind. Solomon could only feel a bit sad that he couldn't see all of it. He did his best to gather as much information, though, as he spoke with the endearing girl. He listened dutifully as she told him in detail about the way she saw the world, much to her joy and enthusiasm. Though Solomon was regretfully too busy to look after her as much as he'd like, he knew that Harley was in good hands when he saw how she interacted with Ithnan.

Sydney feared all men and for a good reason. She despised all physical contact and barely tolerated interacting with even _Remy _from time to time. Despite this, she continued to hold an inner strength that her captors were never able to completely diminish during her training with Falan. Mock battles were the only times when they were close since, in those scenarios, he was no longer a man, but an impressive sparring partner to beat. And yet, outside of battle, the two remained familiar strangers. Solomon was only regretful that there were never able to fully bond because of that distance.

Remy didn't seem to like Solomon at all at first, which prompted Solomon to pursue friendship with him all the more. Soon enough, Remy's grouchy and gloomy exterior was only a defensive front for his surprisingly vulnerable and fragile emotional state. Solomon was always sure to treat the boy a bit more gently than he did with the others. Wahid's way of handling things may work for _him_, but Solomon felt safer taking the more empathetic route when it came to Remy.

They weren't quite perfect or whole, but Solomon was happy to have all of them as family.

…

But it didn't quite stop there, did it? Thanks to Sheba, he was going to have one more unexpected member in his already-large family.

Remy congratulated him with gentleness and brief peace in his eyes. Sydney wasn't as warm in her congratulations, but she expressed her willingness to help train his child when they come of age.

His cousin expressed her happiness for his fortune by awkwardly handing him blueprints for a crib.

"The Little Prince will be loved." Harley said in greeting when he visited her. Solomon simply sat next to her and listened as she continued what he assumed were assurances. "The False God will not touch him. The Zealot will not be able to kill him. He will be the guiding light for the new world."

Solomon tilted his head. "Why do you call the baby 'Little Prince'? You can't be sure that they will be a boy."

"But he will!" Harley insisted passionately. "And he is a prince since he is the son of the King!"

"But why am I 'King'?" Solomon asked the girl with an amused smile.

Harley stared back at him blankly. "That's because you are. You just don't know it yet. You'll see." Her lips formed an uncharacteristic frown. "But you'll be lonely when you do. So lonely." She sighed and patted his hand, which was rested beside her. "We'll be there for you when that happens."

He didn't know what she meant until later when he stood high and alone above everyone else.

"Harley always seems to know these things." Phoebe admitted when they were alone. "Not that it would've made any difference even if you did believe her. Everyone was already very well on their way of regarding you as their king."

"And you?" Solomon asked his cousin as he watched her for any signs of change in her interaction with him. "Do you see me as your king too?"

The rude noise that came out of Phoebe's lips surprised both cousins.

"_My_ King?" She repeated almost laughingly. "Not in a million years. Never. And I will say the same thing even at the execution block. You, Solomon, are no king of mine."

Solomon's eyes held something akin to a contradicting mixture of relief and grief.

She sighed.

"But you are my cousin." Phoebe continued. "And you have a goal that is beyond personal desires and beliefs. That is enough for me to play along with this farce. Just don't let it get to your head."

* * *

**From Arba: Blessed**

Arba knew the moment she laid eyes on the children that they were connected to Her Father.

'_Blessed,'_ she called them, though they always seemed confused as to _why_ they held those titles. They were woefully blind, but Arba did not blame them. The Great Sinner, David, was the one who stifled her Mistress Sammi's holy light, so why not theirs too? Ah, to be so unaware of the great power that Il Illah gifted them.

But Arba knew. She knew very well what potential those Blessed Children had as the vessels of Il Illah's will.

"Soon," she promised to the unseen voice reverently as she kept her eyes on the four, "soon, we will release you from David's selfishness."

Her hands folded in prayer.

"Our Father."


	56. Chapter 55: And We All Fall Down

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> David, stop ruining things. Solomon, at least communicate to your people first before overthrowing a god - 
> 
> Arba? What are you doing? Arba, no.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Onwards

"_**The greatest irony is that the end of our dream didn't begin with fire or death, but with hope." – From Queen Sheba's Diary, 2 years into her reign**_

* * *

Samantha Ackerman was a teacher at heart. She enjoyed learning and teaching what she learned to others. And just as much as she loved the subjects that she learned and taught, she loved the important people around her. Her students were all precious to her. Her _son _was very precious to her.

More than anything, she wanted nothing more than to see them all safe.

(Once, very, _very _long ago, _he _was very precious to her too. Above everything and anything else.)

And now, she stood next to Setta with a solemn expression as the chosen magicians and the other species, who were chosen for the planned attack against the Orthodox Church itself, made preparations to leave. Solomon faced her with a just as solemn expression.

"Solomon, about the attack on the Cathedral –

"Mom, you should stay here," he didn't suggest but _told_, just as she knew he would. Sammi voiced none of her arguments and opened her arms instead. Solomon obediently walked into her arms, already two heads taller than his mother, and hugged her tightly. She could feel the tension in his shoulders and knew how worried her son actually was.

Sammi was terrified.

She didn't realize how hard she was trembling until Solomon began speaking to in low tones and rubbing her back comfortingly. "I don't want you to force yourself to face David." He confessed in a low tone. Sammi froze. Had she been that obvious in her fear? "After what that man made you go through, I won't make you face him. David will never touch you again."

"You won't do anything careless, right? You have Sheba and the baby to think about now." Sammi reminded him in a watery voice. "I don't care about getting revenge or anything silly like that. I just want everyone to be _safe_. Come back to me safely, Solomon."

"Don't worry, Mom. We'll be successful." He assured her with a final squeeze before backing away. "We'll be back before you know it."

Meanwhile, a distraught Tess ran away from his parents, screaming that he hated them, drawing the pair's attention to the scene.

"Ah! Hey, wait! Tess! You shouldn't just run off after saying such a hurtful thing!" Sydney shouted after the child. She sent Falan an apologetic look. "Tess is just worried about you guys not coming back home. You'll be safe, though, right?"

Falan laughed and tousled Sydney's hair, much to the child's annoyance. "Wahid and I will be fine, aru! You and Tess are scared about nothing, aru!"

"Tch. That brat. Speaking to his parents like that." Wahid grumbled to himself.

"Ah, well, he's a kid, so it can't be helped." Remy sighed beside him. "Give him some leeway. Tess is a good kid most of the time. He's just starting to get a little rebellious. It's actually a little cute."

Behind his blindfold, Sammi was sure that Wahid was giving her student the stink eye. "Says the bad influence."

"Hey, you're the one who took in the said 'bad influence'. No refunds." Remy teased, looking lighter and happier than he ever did before. Wahid really was a good influence on the boy. After all the years they stayed with the Resistance, every one of her students grew into strong characters despite their scars and trauma. Sammi wondered if it was because he was confident that Wahid and Falan would return home to him that he was able to smile like that. "Go on and save the world, already. Or are you planning on putting it off until we all get old."

"Why you - !"

Solomon chuckled. "See? Remy has faith in us, Mom. I think that in it of itself is a sign that everything will go well."

"If you're sure…"

"You shouldn't go."

Solomon and Sammi's eyes landed on Harley, who stood in front of Ithnan. Setta tried to hold her back, but she shrugged off his attempts and grabbed onto Ithnan's robes. "Don't go. Don't go. Don't go."

"Hey, hey." Ithnan tried to soothe her awkwardly as he knelt down in front of the little girl. "Your knight will come back to you, okay? I swear it. What do you take me for, princess? I'm strong."

"I know. But, if you leave, I won't see you again for a long time." Tears began streaming down Harley's face. "Stars will fall and set the world on fire. You'll stray and wear a mask. I won't even recognize you when we see each other again."

Ithnan and Setta shared a completely befuddled look before looking back down at the crying girl. "Setta will take care of you."

"I'm scared of goodbyes."

"This won't be one, princess." Ithnan promised as he hugged her. "I'll come back to you."

Harley didn't say anything more and hugged the blonde tightly instead.

Phoebe watched on with an unreadable look in her eyes.

"Oh? No 'good luck' for your cousin?" Solomon teased Phoebe, trying to ease the tension that Harley unwittingly caused with her scene. "I'm hurt by your coldness, Phoebe, really."

She sighed at the older man's antics. "What should I be worried about? You'll be fine. It's Ugo that I'm worried about. You sure you can handle the battle setting all by yourself?" She asked the bespectacled magician dryly. Ugo flushed at her question. "O-O-Of course I can! With King Solomon and the others there, I can do anything!"

Phoebe sighed. "And that's what I'm worried about. You depend too much on my cousin."

"Phoebe! That's too mean!"

Sammi sighed as Solomon chuckled beside her. Something warm blossomed in her chest.

_Hope_.

Yes, she was feeling hope that everything will turn out okay.

* * *

"_**Sir Knight, I'm sorry. Ice can do nothing against a world on fire." – From the Prophecies of Harley Kingston, said in response to Magician Setta's insistence that they will be safe before the attack**_

* * *

Sammi never should have hoped for such a thing.

The entire world was burning. She had tried and failed to protect the people around her. Her barriers and spells were all but useless as her friends were burned or crushed mercilessly by their attackers. Behind her, she could sense her students trembling as they circled protectively around a sobbing Tess. As everything burned as screamed, she faced only one person and one person alone.

David

Of course. Who else but him to appear when she was losing everything again?

Sammi's lips curled into a sneer. "You bastard."

"My Bathsheba." As if completely oblivious to her hatred, he walked toward her. Behind him, what remained of Setta's body has yet to completely cool as his lone staff lied near him like a grave marker. Sammi's mind still played her comrade's death over and over behind her eyes. He had fought. Despite the hopelessness and how outnumbered he was…he continued to fight. Even as he was sliced up, burned, and – eventually- skewered.

Harley was still crying. No one had to the heart to tell her to stop.

"How _dare _you come back into my life after what you did to me." She seethed. For some reason, David looked pleased by her outburst.

"I missed your voice, Sammi." He said with such adoration in his voice that it was almost hard to believe that the man using such sappy phrases was the orchestrator of the entire massacre. "Twenty-five years may be nothing compared to my lifespan, but waiting for you to finally break out of your despair was an eternity. Can't you see how much I love you?"

Sammi's expression twisted. "You're horrible."

"Ah, yes, you're still upset that I took Solomon away from you." David sighed. "I was hoping that my little gifts to you would lessen your anger, but I can see that you found them before they were ready." He gestured over to her students. "They're defective. I will rectify that mistake immediately."

Sammi held out her staff threateningly as she went through the many spells in preparation to fight David off. "Don't you even _think _about it, you monster." She spat. "You'll have to kill me before I'll let you touch these children."

David smiled almost pityingly at her as he stretched out his hand. "Please forgive me for this, but you're not making it easy for the both of us by standing in my way. This is God's will after all."

Sammi tried. She really did try. She pulled everything that she could from her training with Arba. She tried to buy her students and Tess _some _time to escape, but what she managed to pry out from her all-too-brief fight with David _wasn't enough_.

At the end, she was burnt, bloodied, and bruised on the ground – just barely alive. David proceeded to move onto her students. Everything seemed so silent now that the screams around them stopped. Sammi vainly tried to move her body as the scene played in front of her eyes.

'_No…'_ She tried to beg as her students all squared their bodies against David bravely. _'Please don't…not my students. Not my…'_

Sydney and Remy pushed Tess back further, encouraging the child to run. Tearfully, he did. (They would never know that he never made it far enough.) Harley, for once, was not staring off at a random direction, but at David. Resigned and sad.

"I remember you." Phoebe told David before he shattered their artificial bodies and took their souls. There was no anger, fear, or resignation on her face as she stared at the man who thought of himself as God. "You were there in Eric's eyes when I fell from the roof, weren't you?"

"Ah. That's right. You were the first."

With that, David's hand closed around her neck and snapped it. Phoebe's entire body collapsed before deteriorating into a small, bright ball on the ground.

Sammi screamed as David took the rest of her students away from her in front of her eyes. She screamed and screamed until she lost her voice and breath and succumbed to the darkness.

* * *

"_**After the founding of the Orthodox Church, Our Father showed favor onto Elder David by sending down his only daughter. With her, she brought knowledge and enlightenment, which brought upon a bright age. And thus, she was bestowed the title 'Bathsheba', which means Daughter of an Oath." – From the Bibles that serves as the remnants of the Orthodox Church**_

* * *

The cruelty of the situation became all the clearer when Sammi regained consciousness.

David had her in his arms and they were flying. To where, Sammi didn't know or care. Her wrists and ankles, shackled with the same shackles that repressed her magic, prevented her from any movement. Still, she tried to squirm away from him only to cry out in pain as she irritated her burns and bruises. David hushed her calmingly and even had the gall to look _concerned_.

"You shouldn't move around like that, Sammi. It took a lot of magic to piece your body back together in the first place. Rest and regain your strength for now. You can return to your escape attempts once you have recovered."

"_Fuck you_." She seethed.

"Ah yes, I remember now. You're still angry with me." David sighed as he readjusted his grip in response to her continual struggling. "If it's about my gifts, you should understand first that they were already reaching the end of their artificial 'lifespan' before I removed their souls from those shells."

"Give them back!"

David gave her a curious look. "But you already have them with you?"

Sammi looked at her arms and realized that, though shackled, they were cradling four, tiny balls of light that were all in some clear container. With a start, she realized that they were all her students. "Phoebe, Harley, Sydney, Remy…oh, what did he do to you?"

"I merely rendered them back to their original form." David explained, looking bored. "Their shells were not suitable enough to hold their souls for long. It's difficult to find anything to contain them since they are not of this world." He huffed. "No matter how much time passes, I am still amazed by the strength and individuality of the spiritual representation in your world. Memories and experiences can disappear after death. But your _souls_ are always there to be used again. So different from our spirits when we pass on. We scatter and converge into a great whole. All of the people in your world can just…return. Again and again. Do you know how hard it was to get my hands on _one _of these? It was a miracle that I managed to get all of them. I had to have them killed first, which had been a challenge of its own."

Sammi stared at David with growing horror. "You…killed my students?"

"No, the man named 'Eric' did all of that on his own. Of course, I encouraged him to make the process faster, but he would have done it anyways." David admitted freely. "He was horribly fond of you."

"Eric? No, he wouldn't –

David laughed. "He wouldn't?" He repeated mockingly. "You place too much faith in the man. I might have encouraged him to kill the first time, but he carried out the next two murders on his own. Even his own family! Was that the sort of man you were trying to return to? Was that the kind of world you wished to reach?"

"Eric was my friend. You twisted my best friend into killing his own student, _his own sister._" Sammi stared at David blankly. "Is doing this kind of thing so easy for you?"

"Easy as breathing." The man admitted without a beat. "He was just a man. One mortal out of millions and millions of other mortals who are just as susceptible to the same sins and mortality as him."

Sammi's eyes continued to remain blank.

"And all those magicians? The elderly, the husbands, wives, and children of your own world?" She asked further. "What about them? Why did you slaughter all of them?"

David, again, did not pause for a moment in his answer. "They were offerings to Il Illah."

"How did you feel when you ordered their deaths? Upset? Regretful? Elated?" She asked further, feeling more and more desperate to grasp for an emotion from David's eyes.

But…

"Absolutely nothing."

David's eyes remained empty. They were like still water. There was nothing alive underneath when he regarded the many lives he just took. He hadn't even batted an eye when he rendered Setta into screaming ashes.

In response to his emotionlessness, Sammi's temper flared up again.

"How could you?" She cried out, wounded. "_How could you say such a thing?!_ They were people with dreams and lives to look forward to! Every one of them!For you to take them all away without feeling anything…how could you even manage that? The David I once knew would have never –

Sammi's impassioned speech cut off abruptly when David forcefully raised her up to meet her eyes. The emptiness that had angered her before was completely replaced by an emotion that wasn't quite rage and wasn't quite incredulity. The closest word that Sammi could ever find in that moment was utter despair.

"_**To ensure your safety and to convince you to stay by my side, I have killed more magicians in the past than the sinners I have sacrificed today."**_

Like ice water, Sammi's mind suddenly numbed.

"…What…?"

"My mercy and my kindness only existed because they were qualities that seemed to please you. Any acts of thoughtfulness or understanding were reserved for you, only for you." David's hands seemed to _burn _her skin now that ice seemed to spread throughout her veins. "I have killed and sacrificed in your name more times than you can ever count. I went against God's will in order to keep you content. I even set aside the inevitability of destiny for a time for you because of your beliefs."

Sammi stared at David as she never had before. "What are you talking about? Going against your God? Setting aside destiny? David?"

"Out of everyone in this world, you were the only one who understood me the most." It was as if the words leapt out, unbidden from his mouth. "And yet, you were so different. Someone who can see the flow of destiny yet not abide by it. You were a being who managed to coexist with Il Illah's will while also defying it. You nearly fooled me into thinking that I, too, could also be free from the constraints of fate. But then…"

"But then?" Sammi repeated, afraid of his next words.

David looked almost surprised at her ignorance.

"But then, you fell pregnant with a son and I realized how powerless it was to go against fate in my state. You trying to leave me cemented that belief." He breathed in sharply. "But that won't last long. Soon, I will become one with _him_ and we will no longer have to worry about such things."

Sammi reared back by the sudden change in David's mood. "What? David, what are you talking about?"

"For now, it is goodbye, my dear." He clarified with a wide smile. "It will all be over once you wake up. There is no need for you to interfere, after all."

"Interfere?" _Solomon._ "Don't you dare touch my son you - !"

"_Sleep."_

And once again, Sammi was forcefully pushed back into the darkness.

* * *

"_**On the day that I fell through into this world, I came face-to-face with an entity that I would later discover to be a god. To this day, I do not know why it took me from this world. I only know that it is my only chance to get back home." – From one of the earlier entries of Sammi's Journals**_

* * *

David told the truth. By the time she awoke, everything _was_ over.

And yet, at the same time, that was the moment everything began to change.

Cradling her students' souls, Sammi stood in the middle of the control room with countless and countless of others as they all came to the realization about the world's structure and the flow of fate.

A familiar presence pressed into Sammi's mind as her third eye wept at the revelation that she had known all along ever since she fell through into this world. Though its thoughts did not form any words, she could understand.

'_You.'_ Recognition. _'The one who fell through.'_ An image of Sammi's body falling from the school roof, her face etched with horror and her lips open in a silent scream. _'The chosen one. The stepping stone to the great flow.'_ An image of her with David. An image of Solomon.

A stepping stone?

'_Yes. You have completed your purpose well.'_ The being called Il Illah presented her with an image of a portal that, Sammi realized with a start, led back to her own world. _'Return? Go back?'_

Go back? She could return to her own world? After years of giving up on her seemingly fruitless dream, it took a bit for Sammi to completely process what Il Illah was offering her. She clutched at the souls of her students with hope welling in her chest. They could all return. They could pick up their lives and return to their families.

'_No.'_ Il Illah refused immediately upon seeing her hopes. _'Cannot.'_

And then Sammi remembered.

All of her students were dead. Killed so that David could bring their souls over to this world.

'_Too weak.' _The god added, showing Sammi an image of itself. It looked pathetically small in comparison to the massive size that she witnessed upon her arrival. _'Only one.'_ An image of Sammi.

Well. If that was the case, she already knew her answer. With a slightly heavy heart, she rejected the being's offer.

Sammi will stay in this world and support her son. She will stay and find a way to return forms back to her students.

Il Illah expressed acceptance in her choice before their interaction was abruptly cut off. It was as if the being's presence was smothered by…something else. Something familiar. Sammi only had a moment of realization and horror before the entire world's structure was turned over on its head.

* * *

"_**My son is born. I never desired to have a son in the last 800 years, but if that is what it takes to keep her here, so it shall be." – From David's Prophetic Writings**_

* * *

Sammi mourned the loss of her son privately.

While Sheba – now, Queen Sheba – insisted that Solomon was merely weak and sick, she knew the truth. She had always known the truth. The moment the felt the loss of Il Illah's presence, she knew what her son decided to do. Solomon, her brilliant yet foolish son, decided to take things by his own hands and free everyone from the shackles of fate.

Ah, why didn't he speak with her? They could have found another way together.

But it was already too late. Solomon had made his own decision and now her son was somewhere so far that she could no longer reach him. Yet another thing that Sammi lost during her time in this world.

Her child. Her son. Her baby.

Sammi couldn't help but feel that it was horribly unfair that their time together was so short. She had wept for days, clinging onto small objects and books that held pieces and memories of her son.

But the blonde magician was not one to wallow in grief forever. After the fifth day, Sammi washed her face, dressed, and left her room with the souls in tow. No one stopped her as she made her way through the Cathedral, which the magicians used as their new base despite the horrible memories attached to it.

Sammi finally reached to the door, which led to her old laboratory. Recognizing her magic, the door swung open, and she entered. Despite the dust that had settled from age and disuse, everything remained the way it was.

She got right into work.

For days, Sammi poured her efforts into understanding the relationship between the soul and the birds that Ugo called 'rukh'. She tried again and again to see what went wrong from David's previous experiments in creating the bodies.

Sheba was the first to find her.

"Sammi, please help me convince the others that what Solomon did was right!" She pleaded passionately as she forcefully dragged the blonde away from her notes. "We need to help the others see that we can still reach his dream!"

Gently, the older woman pried Sheba's hands away from her arm.

"Sheba, the others are mourning. I know that achieving Solomon's dream is important, but we can't ignore their pain. I'm sure that Solomon would understand this too. Be patient." Sammi told the young queen calmly. "Give them time. You also need to rest too, you know. You're starting to form rings under your eyes."

But Sheba didn't listen. Instead, she threw the woman a betrayed look before storming out of the laboratory.

In her efforts in trying to forget the anger and accusation in Sheba's eyes, Sammi dove even further into her research.

Arba was next to approach her.

"Please, Sammi, make King Solomon see sense," the woman pleaded with sincere concern in her eyes, "he has gone too far by taking Our Father's place. Out of everyone, you are the one he will listen to. You are his mother! Properly admonish your son for his arrogance!"

Sammi turned from her notes and faced her longtime friend.

"Arba, "she sighed, "you should know more than anyone else that Sheba is currently not allowing anyone to have audience with Solomon."

"Then override her order! You are in a position far higher than her own!"

Sammi shook her head. "I refuse to be part of the politics here, Arba." God knows that she had involved herself with the politics within the Cathedral enough already. "Sheba is the Queen."

"You must speak to Solomon!" Arba continued to insist. "He has taken Il Illah and desecrated him! He took hold of the power and flung Our Father from his rightful seat of power! Sammi, speak to him! Your son will listen to you!"

Her chest panged in pain at the reminder that _she could not_.

"I cannot." She told her friend honestly, hurt in her voice. "Even if I speak, my son can no longer answer me anymore."

"His arrogance has surpassed even David's!" Arba shouted.

Any warmth or compassion that Sammi had on her expression froze over at Arba's words.

"Get. Out."

The woman's exit was far more graceful and quiet than Sheba's, but Sammi knew that Arba's anger was no less than Sheba's. Without a doubt, she was not finished with what she had to say.

Wahid, Falan, and Ithnan's visits cemented her suspicions.

"Sammi, we need to speak to Solomon."

It took everything that Sammi had, including the years of friendship she had with the three, not to scream at them. The wounds were fresh and everyone was oh so determined to continuously throw salt at them by reminding her that her son was _gone._

"I can't." She told them shortly instead. "We haven't spoken since he rewrote the entire system. I'm just as outside the loop as you three are. Perhaps even more so."

"But you are his mother, aru." Falan insisted and Sammi thought back to her previous conversation with Arba. Her heart clenched unpleasantly. "Surely –

Sammi glared at the other woman.

"_How many times do I have to tell everyone that it's not possible for me to speak with Solomon anymore?!"_ Grief was palpable in the blonde's voice as she raised her voice sharply. "I can't give you what you want. It's not possible. The only person who can talk to him now is Sheba. I just want to be left alone so I can focus on my research!"

Though Falan appeared shaken into silence, Ithnan was not as easily swayed. He stepped up, glaring down at the woman as he did so. Sammi, in return, refused to back down at the face of his threatening stance. "What is so important about your research that you're refusing to see the real issue here!? Solomon has become arrogant! He has made a decision without conferring with the rest of us!"

Sammi stared at Ithnan coldly. "If you imply that my son is anything like _that man _just as Arba did, I am kicking you all out of here, friends or not." When Ithnan did not say anything more, she sighed and gestured over to the shining lights on her desk. "As for my research…it's because of them."

Wahid, who had drifted over to the glowing lights, tilted his head. "And these are…?"

"My students."

The angry and cold expressions dropped from all three faces as they looked at the souls with new eyes. "But I thought they died." Wahid admitted quietly. "Since everything burned down, I thought they were destroyed with it."

"Their bodies shattered when they faced David." Sammi agreed. "It's only a saving grace that their souls are strong enough to survive the whole experience. I'm trying to find suitable bodies for them."

Ithnan fell on his knees. His eyes didn't leave the souls.

"Princess…"

Falan and Wahid wept as the darkness that previously surrounded them seemed to temporarily disappear as they clutched onto each other.

"I'm sure that they all will have better words of comfort to offer all of you than I ever could." Sammi began. "But please believe me when I say that I'd like you all to properly grieve before hurting each other. It's not your fault. None of it is your fault."

"No," Ithnan shook his head as he climbed back onto his feet, "it's because we're trapped in the flow of fate."

Sammi felt lost as her friends left and wondered if she should have said something more.

But she had no time for that and she continued to throw herself into her work.

Ugo was the last to visit her.

Unlike the others, he had no interest of seeing Solomon or taking sides on the entire debate. He simply took up some of the notes and joined her in her research with tears in his eyes.

Sammi could have kissed him for that, but settled with giving him a smile.

* * *

"_**As the representative of the Chimera Tribe, I proclaim my allegiance to King Solomon and his honored mother, Bathsheba Sammi." – From a document signed by Tribe Leader Andromalius**_

* * *

Andromalius was the strangest of the chieftains.

Of course, it was mostly because of his unnatural form. Unlike the others, he was _created_ instead of naturally born, which alienated him from the rest. With feathers, scales, and skin, Andromalius and the rest of his tribe knew that they did not belong anywhere.

But King Solomon and his mother did not shun them, nor did they turn them away.

They welcomed them with open arms. Sammi gave their kind a name and a reason to hold their heads high despite the unnaturalness of their birth. King Solomon gave them power to protect themselves.

So that was why, during the coronation and official birth of Alma Toran, Andromalius swore that he would remain loyal to his king and his king's mother.

"Bathsheba Sammi, why are you not with King Solomon and his Magi? Surely, you are of a position that is worthy enough to stand with them." Andromalius insisted when he noticed his golden-haired savior standing at the back with the rest of the magicians.

Sammi smiled, though the chimera sensed a bit of exhaustion in her eyes.

"I don't like crowds." She said her excuse as she turned away from the celebrations. "And I still have work to do."

Andromalius looked at his savior's small shoulders and wondered how she had managed this far bearing the entire world's problems and blame on her shoulders.

"You have my loyalty." He reminded her. "And I am willing to shoulder any burden if you ask of it from me. Anything. My tribe and I have a great debt."

Sammi's eyes softened at his words, which filled the household member with pride.

"I will remember that. Thank you, Chief Andromalius."

And with that, she left.

* * *

"_**The more you blindly trust another, the more likely you'll get your back stabbed the moment you turn away." – From a loose piece of paper that Remy Perdue used to emotionally vent**_

* * *

In hindsight, Sammi should have seen it coming.

But really, how could she when she was locked up in her laboratory, trying to piece what remained of her family back together while she simultaneously grieved for the loss of her son?

She was human. She made mistakes. But this mistake wasn't one that could be fixed so easily.

They were hurting. All of them were hurting. But Sammi had underestimated _how much _her friends had changed as a result to their losses. Who knew that they would fall this far while she wasn't looking? Who knew that it had been this easy for them to turn away from Solomon?

She thought that her son meant more to them than this.

But they had made their choice the moment they slipped on their masks (like cowards) and attacked the moment it was confirmed that Solomon was on his deathbed (since even the rebels recognized her son was someone to be feared). Everything was burning and there were dark creatures everywhere.

"Bathsheba Sammi, what should we do?" Voices cried out. "What should we do? We are doomed! We are abandoned!"

"Fight." She answered simply. Then, in a stronger voice, she shouted. "We have no time to cry or fear. Right now, we all need to fight! Protect this land! Protect its people! Protect yourselves! Fight!"

And so they did.

Sammi joined into the fray, using her magic to both save and destroy. Most of the dark creatures fell by her hands.

Despite the color of the rukh, she did not sense Il Illah's presence or consciousness. The rukh, instead of being in its pure, black form, was only tainted. Sullied.

'_Who are you?'_ Her mind and, possibly, her rukh sang out. _'Who are you?'_

The answer that cried back felt like elation and smugness. Sammi was immediately repelled by the presence. It was not Il Illah. It was not natural.

(David.)

Angry at what the twisted beings represented, Sammi lashed out at all of them before they reached the towers and soldiers.

And then, just when she thought the hordes of dark beasts would just swallow her whole with their numbers, she saw the faces of the traitors.

Wahid, Falan, Ithnan…

And leading them all was Arba.

* * *

"_**Dear Brownie, thank you very much for cleaning the room again! I hope you like sweets!" – From a small note written by Sammi hidden away under an old mattress**_

* * *

"Arba, **no! **Please, don't do this!**"**

"Sammi." Arba calmly turned from the chaos raging around her to face the other woman. "You have always been a very bright woman who I respect, but…your decisions are completely clouded by your bias and loyalty to Solomon. I knew you would be against me in my choice."

"Stop this." Sammi insisted once again, pleading with Arba. "We endured too much to throw ourselves into another war. Il Illah is not gone! Can't you see? He's still here. He is in you, in me, in all of us! Just because you cannot hear his voice anymore does not mean that he is gone. Solomon has made it so that fate will run by individual choices. Please, stop this madness!"

"This is for Our Father. This is to stop Solomon's arrogance."

Sammi shook her head.

"There is no going through your head, is there? You will destroy this world by doing this. I won't let you."

Arba turned her gaze toward Sammi coldly.

"Bold words for a woman who doesn't belong in this world. Why do you care so much?"

"Because – " _Even if I didn't come from this world, it's still mine. Everyone I care about exists in this world. _

But all words never left her throat as her eyes landed on Arba's staff.

That wasn't Arba's staff.

(No, not Sheba. Not her unborn grandson.)

"Arba, what did you do?"

A grotesque smile skittered across Arba's face as she lifted the staff. Crocodile tears streamed down her face as she answered.

"Why, this was given to me by the deceased Queen Sheba. The poor girl, because she was deceived by the arrogant King Solomon, she was led astray. She has trusted her dying wish onto me."

Sammi didn't believe a word of it. She knew more than anyone that Sheba believed in Solomon's dreams and ideals. Out of everyone, she had been his greatest supporter.

This was the greatest mockery that anyone could ever do to Sheba.

(Sammi didn't think that she could ever forgive the woman for what she has done either.)

The blonde lifted her staff and met Arba eye to eye.

"You have made a very, very poor choice, Arba." Sammi's tone bordered murderous as she readied her staff. She reached within herself and unlocked a part of herself that she had sworn to never use again because of the consequences. She held back when she was imprisoned. She held back with her battle with David. But now, Sammi didn't care. She was too angry, too hurt from the ultimate betrayal.

Power thrummed through her veins eagerly as the seal broke.

(Il Illah took her from her world. In return, she was granted three wishes, which gave her an irrevocable connection with the old god.)

Arba's eyes widened as Sammi's rukh turned dark.

"Have you ever wondered why they called me the daughter of Il Illah?"

* * *

"_**When you come into this world, I hope that you'll find it beautiful because that's what we're fighting for." – From a letter to King Solomon and Queen Sheba's child written by Sydney Trent**_

* * *

But Sammi never had the chance to use her power.

At the brink of death, Wahid offered himself up as a conduit for the strange, dark beast on the other side – Sammi could barely call it Il Illah anymore – and it completely ravaged the rukh from the land.

Nothing was left.

Everything touching the ground was dead within an instant. The magicians were able to survive with their ability to fly. Sammi was able to avoid being part of the calamity too as she launched herself onto the sky. Her rukh, that had turned dark in her anger, faded back into its light form as she looked down at the ruined world.

'_You.'_

Sammi's head whipped up at the familiar voice in her mind. It was so faint, barely there amongst the chaos that was the other conscious that resided within the mass of black rukh, but she still heard it.

'_Your last wish.'_ It reminded her.

Sammi had only made two before she was thrown onto David's lap.

She still had one more wish.

* * *

"_**Being too idealistic will only bring disappointment. That's why, I believe that there must be a sense of balance between "happiness" and "tragedy" in order to achieve even a semblance of a perfect world." – From an essay on philosophy written by Phoebe Winthrop**_

* * *

With the entire world falling around her, Sammi made her wish.


	57. Chapter 56: Sammi's World

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sammi crafts a world for her students and her son before making the ultimate sacrifice.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Onwards

At the end, only Sammi and Ugo were left in a dying world.

"What should we do, Miss Sammi?" The student wailed with the others as he turned to his teacher. Many other eyes turned to the mother of their king for the guidance that they no longer had. "What should we do, Bathsheba?"

"We survive, of course." She answered. "We must live on for the sake of the deceased. Meanwhile, Magi Ugo and I will find a way so that we can move forward as a civilization."

And so they did. They moved underground where they lived and waited for their king's mother and their magi to find a solution.

But they were creatures who could not bear to live in a world without sunlight and fresh air. Soon enough, depression and irritation fell amongst the tribes and they grew more and more weary of their living situation and of each other.

Fearing for a repeat of the infighting, Magi Ugo decided to take matters into his own hands. He presented the unborn Aladdin as the avatar of Solomon and the four souls of Sammi's students as the Blessed Children of Solomon in order to inspire a sense of unity.

And so, everyone was once again happy.

Meanwhile, Sammi began to plan for a new world and future for everyone.

* * *

**Ugo says to Sammi: "There aren't any more resources in this world. We should find another one so everyone can survive."**

**She replies: "I already found one, Ugo. Now, let's start planning on how to transport everyone there."**

* * *

Sammi and Ugo threw themselves into calculating and creating formulas for transportation circles that are large enough to carry the entire population of the underground to the new world that she found.

No matter how many times Ugo asked her how she managed to find it, Sammi would only smile mysteriously and keep her mouth shut on the subject.

Dantalion was eager to help with the entire process and sent most of her time in Sammi and Ugo's laboratory despite her great size – a result of her transformation into a djinn. Sammi grew to appreciate the presence of the snarky and to-the-point chieftess as they worked together.

"The constellations that you use for your transportation circles are beautiful. They remind me so much of the stars back at my old home." Sammi complimented the other female as she studied the details of the djinn's spell. The demon-like woman flushed at the genuine compliment as her sharp teeth clacked together in pleasure. "I don't care much about the beauty of my transportation circles," the djinn lied, "but they do their job, Bathsheba."

At the mention of her title, Sammi's lips thinned as an hourglass behind her slipped more and more sand down to the bottom, counting the length of time Dantalion could hold her transportation circles. "Call me Sammi, please. You and the others are my friends."

"Gwhahaha!" The djinn cackled with glee as her magic broke behind her, much to Ugo's audible displeasure. "Okay! I'll call you Sammi from now on!"

"Dantalion, Sammi, please! We need to take this seriously!" Ugo pleaded to the two women. "Make another circle – and no more distractions!"

The djinn sniffed at him disdainfully for ruining their fun, but obeyed.

"Men," she would snort to Sammi later on when they were alone, "they're nothing but trouble, I tell you. I just don't understand how Leraje could still be so hung up on that womanizing bastard Focalor. She has horrible taste."

Sammi was sympathetic to Leraje's plight since she had witnessed firsthand how Focalor casually threw away their relationship. "Don't criticize her so," she scolded the djinn in front of her lightly, "Love is a difficult emotion to control. She can't help but feel heartbroken from her poor experience. Remember, I was once David's wife and lover."

Sammi was too tired and weary to feel shame toward her shared past with David anymore. The confusing way he left her and the revelation of her hand in his transformation into the man he became left had her reeling.

"Men are nothing but trouble." Dantalion reasserted with more strength.

"Not all of them." Sammi insisted. "Ugo is kind. Remy is sensitive. And my son…"

Dantalion nodded in agreement with the last one. "I agree. But not all men are like King Solomon. Most of them are complete idiots. I'm sure that Prince Aladdin will share his father's intelligence and responsible when he grows up."

"Oh, so smart men are your type." Sammi teased. "So, should I take it that Ugo is your type, Dantalion?"

The djinn flushed as she shook her head in violent denial.

"That guy? No way! I'm not interested in such a weak-spirited guy! And clingy! Don't twist my preference of kings into something like that!"

Sammi laughed at her reaction and assured the djinn that she was joking.

'_An intelligent and responsible man, huh?'_ She thought to herself wistfully. _'The two weaknesses for the women in my family. David was intelligent and responsible. I suppose those were two qualities that drew me in. I can only hope that Phoebe will find someone better.'_

'_Ah, but I should focus on making a new world first before I worry about that!'_

It took longer than expected, but Ugo and Sammi finally created their transportation circle and moved onto the next part of their plan for their new world.

* * *

**Ugo says to Sammi: "I do not want to create infighting within our new world like in the past. To prevent that, let's give everyone the same form so they can get along together."**

**She replies: "Though it won't prevent fighting to break out forever, I agree with you. Since I'm already trying to find a way to create bodies to hold my students' souls, let's expand on that research to include finding a way to safely change a body's shape."**

* * *

Solomon's notes and texts on the cultures and traditions of all of the other species were useful for understanding them, but woefully lacking in the difference in their body structures.

Sammi took it upon herself to visit every species and learn as much as she could about them since Ugo was too shy to do so himself. Though she was reluctant to use her grandson as an excuse, her student insisted that it was the only way she could visit every chief of the other species without drawing suspicion.

"It's too early to let them know about this plan. You know that the idea of changing their forms might be upsetting to some of them. We can't have another uprising when we have such a crucial time limit." Ugo told her as he held out the shining orb that held her grandson. Knowing that he was right, Sammi could only accept the offering with a grimace as she cradled Aladdin close. "I'm so sorry for using you this way, Aladdin." She murmured to her grandson when she was a good distance away from Ugo. "This wouldn't be what Solomon wanted for you."

Her son never liked being put on the pedestal. Sammi was only thankful that Aladdin did not yet have a consciousness of his own to recognize his surroundings.

Fortunately, because of Aladdin's presence, Sammi was able to speak with all of the djinn and gather all the much-needed information without garnering any major suspicion from the djinn's end. Questions like "What are the differences between your own body and the others?" and "Do you have specific quirks about reproduction that might be different to the magicians?" were met with either giggles from the females or flushed stuttering from the males. Her questions were always answered to the best of their capability. Sammi suspected that their acceptance of her curiosity was because of their pity towards her because of her great loss of Solomon and Sheba.

(Well, they weren't quite wrong.)

But there were some sharp ones who were more suspicious than pitying.

Zagan, for example.

"Why are you so suddenly so interested in something like this? If you don't mind me asking Bathsheba Sammi." He asked her as his eyes wandered away from Aladdin's small form. Beside him, Foras was still cooing and clucking at Aladdin. Sammi laughed nervously. "Is it really that strange?"

"Well, yes." Zagan said bluntly, causing the other djinn to slap his shoulder for his honesty. "Zagan! That was rude of you! I'm sure she's just curious."

But there was curiosity in Foras' eyes and Sammi knew that she had to do _something _to avoid the possibility of people asking questions before they should.

So, she stuck with the half-truth.

"Well, I've been considering our future. With so much lives lost, children are even more important than ever." Sammi said, glancing at Aladdin. Then, her eyes wandered over to Foras, who was looking at the fetus with wistfulness in her eyes, and she had an idea. "Successful and safe pregnancies are the main focus, but I'm also thinking of finding a way so that children resulting from cross-species relationships will be possible too."

Technically, it was true. By turning them all into a humanoid form, Sammi and Ugo _were _making it possible.

A light appeared in the female djinn's eyes. "Really?"

"Yes, but please keep this information to yourselves? I don't want any disappointment or disagreement." She pleaded to the pair.

Zagan nodded and crossed his hand over his heart, completely oblivious to the female's excitement. "Of course. Foras and I will be sure to keep your secret, Bathsheba."

Sammi left the pair quickly, relieved that she managed to get out of the possible mess without any issues. She decided that it was enough information for that day and brought her findings over to Ugo, who thanked her profusely.

"Making a new world is hard, Aladdin." She sighed to her grandson as Ugo went right to work, insisting that he'll handle this part on his own since she did everything else on her own. "But it'll be worth it in the end. Thank you for helping me."

* * *

**Ugo says to Sammi: "I believe that this new world should share the same language."**

**She replies: "I agree. A universally shared language will be convenient. But I also think that there should be diversity since different cultures will be inevitable. Let's form secondary languages for the different areas in this new world."**

* * *

"Ah! There are so many languages! How do you know so many?!" Ugo gasped as he went through the rolls and rolls of paper filled with the different structures and conjugations of the various languages.

Sammi grinned proudly. "Back at my old world, this was my specialty! Along with history, anthropology, and literature, I was most proficient with learning various languages. I even tackled some dead languages." She gestured over to the Latin section of the scroll as she said this.

Ugo stared at her in amazement. "So many languages. You never taught me any of this before…"

"Well, that was because they would have been useless to you, Ugo." Sammi informed him patiently as she reorganized her scrolls. "Besides, you were more inclined to the science and math field. Though I wasn't as good as Eric, I'm still good with those fields too."

"Eric?" Ugo repeated the foreign name in confusion. "Who is that?"

Sammi realized her slip of tongue and bit the inside of her cheek.

Dammit.

(So it seems that she wasn't as weary as she thought when it came to the subject of David and his atrocities.)

"Sammi?"

Sammi shook her head to clear her mind. "He was a co-worker from my old world." She answered shortly. "And Sydney's older brother."

"Really?"

"Yes."

Sammi attempted to distract herself from the subject by beginning to write her next language. Egyptian hieroglyphics were always interesting to tackle despite its difficulty.

"Was he a good friend?" Ugo continued to pursue the subject innocently.

Sammi swallowed as she reached over to the four souls at her desk. She rested her hand on the barrier over them. "Once. But he changed throughout the years we were apart." Her smile turned bitter. "I was even under the impression that we would eventually settle down together and get married after I learned to love him." She shook her head. "I was naïve to think like that. Emotions never work that way."

Ugo watched his teacher carefully as he slowly set down the scroll in his hands.

"Miss Sammi, did you love Elder David?"

Sammi froze at the direct question from her student, completely at a loss in how to answer.

"I just realized that we have never asked you this before." He continued, expression apologetic. Sammi couldn't find a reason _why _her student would wear that sort of expression. "All of us had just assumed that he was a complete monster who manipulated you into his bed, but that wasn't the case, was it?"

Tears began to well up in Sammi's eyes as a sob began to work up her throat.

"I-I-I-I'm not saying that you weren't a victim!" Ugo quickly amended when he saw her tears. Distressed, he came over to her side. "That's not what I meant! You're not the person who did wrong. How could you be when it was Elder David who hurt you so much? I'm sorry for bringing up something so painful to you so thoughtlessly. I wasn't thinking!"

Sammi shook her head mournfully at all of Ugo's assurances.

"No," she said, "you're right, Ugo. You're completely right."

"…Eh?"

"I," she swallowed a hiccup, "I loved David. I loved him so much." And like a dam, the rest of it fell out as she began to spit out all of the truth that she hid away from even her son. "Out of everyone in this world, he was the one I knew the longest. I knew his flaws and the worst parts of his personality like the back of my hand before I even completely understood the laws of this world. I knew what he was capable of becoming. And yet, I fell in love with him all the same. I trusted him. He was my _friend. _He never tricked me or forced me into his bed before we had Solomon. It was completely consensual. Our marriage wasn't something that he forced me into either. I became his wife because he was someone who I respected and cared for. We were happy. _I have to believe that we were both happy._"

Sammi took a breath, refusing to look at Ugo's reaction as she continued her confession. If he stopped her now, she didn't know if she would ever have the courage to speak of it again.

"I…_thought_ we were happy. But I somehow made it wrong when I tried to go back home when I had the chance. I couldn't help it. I needed mom and dad and Phoebe and _everyone _to know I was fine and happy and with a child. I needed to at least say goodbye." Sammi wiped her eyes as they blurred her vision only to be replaced by more. "Sometimes I feel as if all of this mess started because of my stupid, _stupid _choice. Because I tried to go back home, Solomon grew up without a mother. Because of my choice, Setta, Tess, and Sheba are dead. Because I ignored the signs just as I had when I was with David, we were betrayed. Because of me my son is –"

Her voice broke off as her grief engulfed her. She became all the more aware of the gaping wound that the death of Solomon left behind when he made his decision. Her son. Her precious, wonderful son. She loved him the moment she found out that she was carrying. Her time with him had been too brief. She didn't even get to say goodbye.

_Oh Solomon, why did you leave me? Why did you leave your mother like this?_

Sammi felt Ugo's arms wrap around her.

"You suffered like this all by yourself. I'm so sorry for leaving you all on your own like this, Miss Sammi. I'm sorry. But please believe me when I repeat that this isn't your fault." He took a shaky breath before saying it again. _"This isn't your fault_."

Sammi continued to cry.

The next day, they continued to work on their project.

Ugo did not mention David's name in front of her again. It was as if the very man's existence was erased from her student's mind. Instead, he made sure to remind her again and again that she wasn't at fault.

(Perhaps one day she will believe it.)

* * *

**Ugo says to Sammi: "I would like to create a cycling system of three Magi so they can advise the people and understand the great flow of the rukh."**

**She replies: "I'm fine with that, but they will be your responsibility."**

* * *

Sammi looked on in amusement as Ugo attempted to piece together his magi project. The bespectacled man appeared frazzled as he scribbled unorganized notes all over the paper. She stifled a giggle as he knocked over a pile of documents in his haste to get to the other side of the room.

"Look at him working so hard, Aladdin." She murmured to her grandson. "Ever since I told him that this part of the world-making process is his responsibility, Ugo insisted that he'd do everything himself. He really wants this to work, doesn't he?"

"…"

"Don't worry. Your grandmother will try her best to make this world a wonderful world too. So let's work hard together, Aladdin."

"…"

"…I wonder, are you fine with everyone expecting you to become a king?"

"…"

"Oh, look at me. Asking you questions before you can even understand them or even answer them. I'm projecting onto you again, aren't I? That isn't healthy."

"Don't worry, I do it too." Ugo said suddenly at her side, surprising Sammi. She turned to face the remaining magi and smiled sheepishly. "You heard all of that?"

Ugo nodded, repositioning the scrolls in his arms. "Yes. But don't worry. I won't let Aladdin bear the weight of being king forever. It wouldn't be fair to him. Instead, I will find an alternate way so that he can be free of those expectations." He looked down at the scrolls in his hands. "That's why this magi system is important to me. By placing magi in the new world, I believe that the people will choose and follow their own kings."

Sammi's eyes widened in understanding.

"In that way, Aladdin won't have to bear the burden of being king when he comes into this world."

"That's right! He'll be able to live as normally as he can and make friends just as Solomon did!"

Sammi felt the invisible weight lift from her shoulders as she sighed in relief.

"Thank you, Ugo."

Ugo's eyes softened behind his glasses.

"Of course. I care about Aladdin too, so don't think that I won't prioritize his happiness."

* * *

**Ugo says to Sammi: "If you don't mind, I would also like to add a system for the Blessed Children in honor of your students. Each will bear a unique power that will support their chosen king."**

**She replies: "Thank you, Ugo. I'm sure that they will appreciate it. Why don't we think about the details a little more together?"**

* * *

Sammi and Ugo huddled around their plans as they discussed about the possibilities of the Blessed Children system. The blonde couldn't help but enjoy herself as she considered different abilities that she could give them.

"We should make sure that they aren't too overpowered." Ugo said seriously. "We wouldn't want them to accidentally become tyrants."

"Yes, so why don't we add in a law that says Blessed Children can never become kings?" Sammi suggested. "Just like a magi, they will only be able to choose and support a king candidate, but never take on the role of a king?"

Ugo grinned. "Sounds good!"

Sammi stood up to grab a blank scroll. "Great! Let's write this all down so we can remember this. It'll be a shame if we forgot just because we didn't – oh." The scroll slipped from her hand.

"What? Sammi, are you alright?" Ugo questioned worriedly. Sammi shook her head and pulled her shaking hand close to her chest. "No, it's nothing too serious. Just a small papercut. It took me by surprise, that's all."

Ugo sighed in relief and picked up the blank scroll that she dropped in her carelessness. "That's good." Then, he looked at the scroll quizzically. "Strange…there is barely any paper left on this roll. It's like the rest was burned off. Did Barbas do this to play tricks on us again?"

"You shouldn't blame Barbas for everything, Ugo." Sammi chided as she kept her hands on her lap. "He might be a mischievous little fox, but even he knows not to come in here and mess up our work."

The magi nodded reluctantly. "I suppose you're right. I guess it was just a faulty scroll."

"Right." Sammi repeated as she looked down. Ugo fetched another scroll of paper and set it down between them, grinning.

"Now, what other things should we consider so we make our Blessed Children system work?"

* * *

**Ugo says the Sammi: "In our new world, we should make a system of kings chosen by the djinn. Any chosen king candidate will have the capacity wield the power of the metal vessels."**

**She replies: "I trust their judgement. Fine, let's do that. But Andromalius will have an individual duty of his own that is different from the others so please don't interfere."**

* * *

"Bathsheba? You have summoned me?"

Sammi looked up from her scrolls and smiled brightly at the sight of the djinn. "Andromalius! Welcome! Thank you for coming at such a short notice. Take a seat. Would you like some tea?"

"Yes, thank you."

As they seated across each other with their respective cups of tea, Sammi pulled out a scroll. Much to the djinn's alarm, both of her hands were heavily bandaged. "Bathsheba! What happened?"

Sammi laughed his concern away. "Oh, it's just a burn from my baking attempt. I tried it for the first time after centuries of relying on others and magic. The cookies came out well, though." She added optimistically. "Ugo seemed to like them."

"Please, Bathsheba, be careful." Andromalius chided. "It will not do well if we lose you too."

At the djinn's comment, Sammi's smile wavered. "Yes, yes you're right. It will be bad if I die before my intended time, wouldn't it? I'll be more careful from now on." The blonde looked back to the scroll in her hands. "Which reminds me, Andromalius, you told me before that you are willing to help me when I need it. Is it still the same right now?"

"Yes."

Sammi nodded. "I see. Well, that is fortunate for me since I need your help."

"Then I will help you with all of my power, Bathsheba." Andromalius vowed solemnly. "Whatever burden you have, I and my entire tribe are willing to bear it if you allow us."

"Even if you would have to use your powers over time?" Sammi asked knowingly, making the djinn stiffen. It was a well-kept secret, but Sammi was aware of his clan's supernatural abilities over time and memories. The experiments that the magicians put the chimeras through managed to create extremely powerful creatures. Sammi and Solomon had agreed to keep their abilities a secret so no one else would be tempted to use the clan for their own selfish ends. "Even if my mission will leave you all alone? Are you still willing to bear my burden, Chief Andromalius?"

Despite his initial apprehension, Andromalius was steadfast in his loyalty.

"Of course, Bathsheba. I will follow you until the end of the world if must be."

Sammi sighed sadly.

"Unfortunately, what I am going to ask of you will be beyond that. You see, the world _will _end. And I want you to use all your power and strength to prevent that."

* * *

**Sammi says to Ugo: "I don't believe that the world will stay safe for very long. I sense a looming threat that will most likely destroy everything that we've worked for. So that's why I am planning on enforcing a backup plan to protect this new world." **

**He replies: "I believe you, Miss Sammi. Tell me the details of this plan, please."**

* * *

Sammi mapped out her idea to her student with a blackboard.

"Promise to listen to me until the end Ugo. You might not agree with everything that I'm going to say here, but know that whole picture before you do that, okay?"

At her student's nod, Sammi gestured over to a filled circle.

"This will be the representation of the New World."

Then, she pointed to an empty circle.

"This is a dimension that I discovered when I was searching for the New World. I call it the Void. It is a place that runs by rules completely different from any world that we've visited. There is nothing there. No life. No god. While it's an unknown place, we don't need to know anything about it except that it will act as a cage."

Her finger moved onto a picture of a cartoonish creature with horns and sharp teeth.

"And let's call this the calamity. This is the unknown danger that will eventually come and destroy the entire world. Whether it is the result of Al Thamen returning or David's success in taking control over what is left of Il Illah, I'm not sure. But I want this world to be ready." She pointed to the Void. "I would like to eventually trap and send the calamity in here if it threatens the world to the point of possible destruction."

Ugo nodded. "I see. I'm not arguing about anything so far."

"That's because this is only the last resort. You should listen to the rest of what I'm planning to do to make this failsafe possible."

* * *

**Sammi says to Ugo: "In order to set my failsafe, I will need this new world to have different rules than my son intended. Ugo, I need you to place souls into the new bodies of the inhabitants of the new world so reincarnation can be possible."**

**He replies: "It will be difficult, but if it will protect everyone, I will do what you say."**

* * *

"Miss Sammi, the souls are too much." Ugo insisted as he showed Sammi the issue. "Unlike the rukh, your souls hold so much energy that it leaves imprints behind in the world that are _not _rukh. They won't join the flow. They just…wander."

"Yes, we have a name for those, you know." Sammi sighed. "Ghosts. Accumulations of powerful memories that souls leave behind after death."

Ugo scratched his head in frustration. "They conflict with the rukh, Miss Sammi. I don't know what to do with them! I don't think this reincarnation plan will be possible!"

"It will be." Sammi assured him. "For the souls, you can shift the dimensions so that they can function in a completely different plane than the rukh. Just like how the dimensional planes between the physics of the world is different from the magic of the world."

Ugo shook his head. "But the imprints that you call ghosts…"

"_I'll _be handling that."

Ugo turned in surprise at the newcomer while Sammi smiled. "Ah, Barbas, you're here! Thank you for making time."

The foxlike djinn nodded at Sammi respectfully before forming a slow, smug grin when he saw the sweating Ugo. "Magi! Why does it seem as if you're not happy to see me? I'm hurt."

"Don't think that I didn't forget about what you did to me the last time I visited you, you jerk!" Her student cried, making the fox laugh. "You used 'steal' to prank me so horribly!"

"Back to the main point." Sammi interrupted the two sharply, knocking sharply at the table to gain their attention. Then, she winced and clutched at her hand.

Barbas looked at her in concern. "Bathsheba?"

"I'm fine." Sammi forced out. "I twisted it the other day so it's still a bit sore. Nothing that rest can't fix. Please, Barbas, tell Ugo your part in our plan."

"Of course." With one last concerned look, Barbas cleared his throat. "Well, since my clan has the capacity of 'stealing' and passing another's abilities amongst ourselves, Bathsheba had the wonderful idea of entrusting my tribe as the sole shepherds of these lingering 'ghosts'. By giving us a special 'sight', we will be able to take care of the issue by giving the leftover memories a sense of peace so they could reunite with their souls or a new soul to continue the reincarnation cycle."

Ugo frowned. "Does everyone in your tribe agree to this?"

"Of course." Barbas huffed, almost offended. "We are pleased to serve Bathsheba."

"You are also pleased that your tribe will have a unique ability in the new world." Sammi added dryly, making the fox djinn laugh. "Ah! You caught me there! Yes, the ability to see the dead is truly a wonderful gift."

"At least show a bit of shame for your selfishness!" Ugo snapped.

Barbas stuck his tongue out. "I'm not selfish. I'm just opportunistic. I need to look after my own people, you know."

Sammi looked away from the bickering duo and to the four souls on her desk. They flickered contentedly in their container, completely oblivious to the outside world.

"This is my gift to you four." She murmured quietly. "And my curse."

* * *

**Sammi says to Ugo: "I would like to use the Blessed Children system as part of the failsafe. While the powers will be passed on from generation to generation, I would like the souls of my students to reincarnate into the roles so they can protect the world."**

**He replies: "But to prevent any confusion in the new world, let's have their memories sealed like everyone else so to not disrupt the cycle of reincarnation."**

* * *

Ugo placed his hands over the souls in the container. A glow washed over the souls as he worked his magic over them.

Behind him, Sammi looked away.

"Phoebe, Harley, Sydney, Remy…" He closed his eyes. "You will never be able remember your time at Alma Toran. I'll miss you, but this is for the best. You've all suffered in our world, so this will be a second chance for all of you."

Sammi frowned as she pulled at the long sleeves of her robes. She had taken to wearing more modest clothing. "Ugo, why remove their memories from Alma Toran? Aren't we sealing the entirety of their memories away anyways?"

"I can only preserve their identities before their time here." Ugo explained sadly. "Not that it will matter anyways since they won't remember after reincarnating, but it's a bit sad that they won't remember me or the others."

Ugo's hand tightened on his staff.

"Please, forgive me for this."

* * *

**Sammi says to Ugo: "In order to prevent the destruction of the new world, I will grant each Blessed Child with the ability to defeat the great enemy."**

**He replies: "These powers are too great and I do not want any Blessed Child to abuse them. I will place two seals so that they will only be able to use a small part of their powers unless necessary."**

* * *

"What powers would you like to grant the Blessed Children-to-be?" Ugo asked tiredly as he glanced at the flickering souls. They seemed lighter and more vibrant somehow after the memory sealing. The sight only made him sadder since it stood as a reminder of what he did. "And how are you even able to grant such power?"

"It was one of my wishes to Il Illah before I fell into this world." Sammi murmured, fingers fiddling with her bandages. They went all the way up to her elbows. "I wished to share his power, which included granting wishes for other people. It's limited, but I have enough to give power to my students."

Ugo stared at Sammi. "You had such power after all this time?"

"I told you, it's limited. It can't bring back to dead or fix a dying world. If I could, I would have done it in a heartbeat." She told him patiently, making him flush in shame at his outburst. "But I can do this at least. I will reach into the souls of my students and grant them their wishes."

Ugo and Sammi decided to gather the next generation of the Blessed Children.

Amongst the entire underground, Sammi and Ugo chose the representatives who will bear the titles of the Blessed Children. After much debate, they agreed on the next generation. A favored maid of Foras' entourage, Chief Gamigin's only son, a youngling from Vinea's tribe, and an amateur magician all stood to receive their blessings from Ugo and Sammi. They were all very young and not yet aware of what their responsibility truly meant.

And so, the ceremony began with only the six of them and the souls.

"Do you accept the burden of these abilities and the burdens that come with it?" Ugo asked the successors.

"We do." All of the chorused.

"Will you find and teach your own successors?"

"We will."

Ugo nodded approvingly and turned to Sammi.

"Sammi?"

Sammi looked to Sydney's soul first and placed her hand over it. A lotus symbol floated above the soul. "In her honor, I grant any Blessed Child who takes after her to have the ability to realize and offer the truth from the minds of the entire world. She will understand the truth more than anyone else. She will understand even her greatest enemies as she understands herself. To Sydney's successor, I gift Enlightenment."

"That's too much power." Ugo cautioned. "For the sake of all future Blessed Children who take after her and for the world's, I will limit the power unless necessary. This Blessed Child will only sense a small part of the truth so they won't be overwhelmed."

Slithering to the pedestal, the snake accepted the lotus symbol, and the power that came with it, into her body. Then, she slithered back to her position.

Sammi turned to Remy's soul next. A symbol of a laughing raven floated over the soul. "In his honor, I grant any Blessed Child who takes after him to have the ability to reshape the entire identity and purpose of any evil that he faces. While it is the greatest lie to take away a person's "self", I believe that it is also the greatest mercy that he can bestow upon his enemies by offering them a second chance. To Remy's successor, I gift Memory Manipulation."

"Again, too much." Ugo repeated. "I will limit this power so that this Blessed Child will only be able to fool the sight with illusions on their own form."

Stepping forward to the pedestal, the magician accepted the laughing raven symbol, and the power that came with it, into his body. Then, he stepped back into his position.

Sammi's hand moved onto Harley's soul. A symbol of an hourglass floated over the soul. "In her honor, I grant any Blessed Child who takes after her to have the ability to save their friends and stop any opposing threat. It is a gift that will act as a heavy burden, but it will save countless lives at the most crucial moment. No mountain will block them from achieving their success and any opposing era would be devoured at the face of its power. To Harley's successor, I gift Time Stop."

Ugo gave Sammi a dry look. "Miss Sammi, you're doing this on purpose, aren't you?" Then, he shook his head. "This one, I will definitely limit so that this Blessed Child will only be able to stop their enemies in their tracks upon eye-contact from even a far distance."

Stepping forward to the pedestal, Gamigin's son accepted the hourglass symbol, and the power that came with it, into his body. Then he stepped back into his position.

Sammi went over to the last soul. Phoebe's soul. A symbol of a moon floated over the soul. "In her honor, I grant any Blessed Child who takes after her to have the ability to make the most important choice when the need comes to be. They will be able to erase the existence of any impossible foe. The opposition will become nothing at the face of her judgement. To Phoebe's successor, I gift Nonexistence."

"Miss Sammi! That kind of power is – oh, never mind. It's already done." Ugo sighed heavily and sent an apologetic look in response to the frightened expression on Foras' maid. "I will limit this power so that this Blessed Child will only be able to divert the attention of eyes and make it so they don't exist in the minds of others.

Shakily, Foras' maid stepped forward to the pedestal and accepted the moon symbol, and the power that came with it, into her body with a nervous smile.

After the ceremony, the four successors approached Sammi.

"Bathsheba, don't you think that it is unfair that Magi Ugo sealed away our fullest potential?" The young magician complained. "Please, lift it off of us."

"I'm sorry, but it was what Ugo and I agreed to." Sammi informed him regretfully. "Besides, the powers are too great to use carelessly. Instead, I can only hope that you can find a way to leave hints to your successors on the greatest potential of your abilities."

Gamigin's son nodded in acquiesce. "I understand, Bathsheba Sammi. I will inform my father so that he may brand me with clues with our tribe's ink. No matter what happens, the ink of the Onryou Tribe will stay on our skin and pass onto our successors." He turned to the others. "The offer is also open to the rest of you."

While the youngling from Vinea's tribe accepted, the other two declined.

"The Sylph Tribe cannot bear your ink. We'd perish upon its contact." The young maid revealed. The young magician only expressed his dislike for marks on his skin.

"Then accept these gifts." Sammi offered as she held out a rolled-up piece of paper and a bookmark that she pulled from her old knapsack. It had been with her on the day she fell from the rooftop and into this world. "The message on these objects will only be clear to certain successors, so be sure to take great care of them."

The pair accepted her gifts and went on their way.

Meanwhile, Sammi went to her bedchambers. She was tired and it was time for her to change her bandages.

* * *

**Sammi says to Ugo: "I would like the grant Andromalius with the key of the failsafe. His ability over time is crucial to our backup plan."**

**He replies: "I will only agree if you convince him to make his trial nearly impossible and the price heavy so the King Candidate who will bear his power will be worthy of it."**

* * *

Andromalius towered in front of Sammi and Ugo as they explained about his role in the entire plan as a 'failsafe' along with his new role as a tester for potential kings.

"Though, because of your circumstances, your test will be different." Ugo warned the djinn. "You will need to test the complete character of every king before you choose one. We cannot risk your powers to be taken advantage over by an unworthy character. Remember, when all seems to be lost, _you _are the last hope of the entire world."

Sammi nodded in agreement. "Your King Candidate will also play an important role, Andromalius. Since he or she will bear your metal vessel, which means when you turn time back, you will also send their mind back too. Make sure to choose someone who will save the world no matter what."

"Understood, Bathsheba, Magi. I will carry out my duty." Andromalius promised. "I will choose a king worthy to carry on this mission. I swear it."

"Thank you, my friend." Sammi said in response. "And goodbye."

"Until we meet again at the Great Flow." Andromalius promised, confident that their separation wasn't forever.

* * *

**Sammi says to Ugo: "It would be nice if Solomon could live and experience what this new world offers."**

**He replies: "Yes, wouldn't it?"**

* * *

Sammi sighed as everyone began to leave.

"I suppose it's time, isn't it? I'm sorry, Solomon. I can only hope that you'll love the world that Ugo and I made." She laughed sadly. "Honestly, I made it with you and my other students in mind. If you get too tired wandering in the rukh, feel free to enjoy this world and think of it as your mother's last gift."

She closed her eyes.

"Please, be happy."

* * *

**Sammi says to Ugo: "Ugo, I need to tell you something."**

**He replies: "I'm listening, Miss Sammi."**

* * *

"I will not be going down to the new world with everyone else." Sammi told him with a sad smile.

"Eh?"

Ugo stared at Sammi blankly as the last transportation circle in front of him glowed in its activation. Everyone else had already been transformed and transferred into the new world. The djinn had all accepted their duties to wait for and choose their kings. Even the Finalis Clan and the Great Mother Dragon moved to the new world.

It was just Sammi and Ugo now.

"But that can't be! Miss Sammi, we agreed that it is _me _who should become a djinn and become the Guardian of the Sacred Palace!" Ugo insisted, looking distressed at his teacher's sudden change of heart. "Out of everyone, you worked the hardest to make this new world become reality! You made sure to enforce a safety system to protect everyone! You should enjoy it and live happily like you wanted to!"

"That's right." Sammi sighed. "I told you all of that. It was such a nice dream, wasn't it? But it's time to wake up." She looked up and met her student's eyes gravely. "Ugo, I have lied to you."

"What?!"

Sammi gestured over to the transport circle. "This transport circle will not take me to the new world, Ugo. I made it specifically to take me somewhere else. Somewhere far, far away from you and everyone else."

"But…why?!" Her student asked, desperate to understand. "Throughout the entire project, you showed no indication that you found anything lacking. You were even part of the creation! I thought that you cared about the new world!"

"I do. I do care. I love this world. I do love everyone in it. So that's why…" Sammi began to unravel her bandages. Ugo's pupils dilated in horror at the state of her hands. They were both as black as coal. "So that's why I am going to lock this body away so it won't harm everything we worked so hard to create."

Ugo's shoulders shook as he took in the damage. "Why didn't you say anything? What happened that made you like this? Miss Sammi!" He reached out to take her hand, but Sammi quickly stepped away into the transportation circle. "Don't touch me! If you do, my body will consume you and your rukh! Step away."

Seeing where she was standing, Ugo held out his hands in a placating manner. "Miss Sammi, please, step away from there. You don't have to do this. We can find another way to fix this."

"You don't understand." Sammi's voice broke as she pulled down her collar. Instead of embarrassment in her action, Ugo could only moan in misery at the coal color of her neck. "This body doesn't have very long right now. It took so much in me to contain it for this long in the first place."

Tears pricked at Ugo's eyes as he began to beg. "This new world still needs you! _I _still need you! Please, Miss Sammi, stay here! I can't do any of this without you! None of us can! Can't you see how helpless we will be without you? What will we do without you when the end of the world comes upon us?"

"_Don't you understand that the calamity that we were working so hard to protect this world from is __**me**__?"_

Ugo was struck silent by Sammi's shout.

"It's me." She repeated brokenly. "This entire time…it was me. When I came into this world, Il Illah created this body. Why did you think they call me 'Bathsheba', Ugo? I am quite literally his child. This body's strength and magic was inherited completely by that being. I even inherited Il Illah's hunger when Solomon sealed it away." The darkness began to spread up from her neck to her chin and cheeks. "And now, just as Il Illah did, this body will eat away at this world and the new one if I don't seal it away."

"No." Ugo's face was now wet with tears as he sobbed over his teacher's fate. "No, _please_. Wherever you're taking yourself, you won't be able to see your son again. We will _never _see you again!"

Sammi's cheeks were just as wet as she began to activate the transportation circle.

"I'm sorry, Ugo. I'm going to have to leave you all alone to face it all by yourself. I'm so...**so **sorry."

"Miss Sammi –

Ugo stepped forward and reached out.

"Please…don't leave me alone."

Sammi's smile seemed so final as her skin continued to blacken in an alarming rate.

"Take care of Aladdin for me, won't you?"

Before Ugo could reach her, Sammi was gone in a bright flash. Only the last member of the Resistance was left behind, sobbing over the empty transportation circle.

* * *

The image of Ugo's tearstained face broke into a violent static as Aladdin slowly pulled away his projection spell. The magi slowly turned to the shocked audience.

"I know that this wasn't what you expected," the young magi began with a sad smile, "but I hope that you found that you were looking for."


	58. Chapter 57: Uncertain

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Reeling from some truths, the Blessed Children make their decision whether to continue helping Shion or to separate ways.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Onwards

"No way…"

Shion and the others continued to stare at the empty space where the light projection disappeared. The Blessed Children all looked hopeless as they tried to process the information that they were given by the memory of Sammi. The other magi, though confused, knew well enough that they shouldn't interrupt the others as they reeled from the shock. Even Judal was silent as he watched them attempt to cope.

"Sammi is the Black Bird." Kikiriku finally said, breaking the silence. "The darkness spreading all over her body, her connection to the creature that almost ate up Magnostadt, the fact that she had to create the Blessed Children to protect the world from _her, _it all lines up. I…can't believe it. So, she was the Black Bird's true form all along."

Opal sharply elbowed the Imuchakk Warrior's insensitivity. _"_She was their **teacher**. Don't phrase it like that."

"But it's true, isn't it?" Hel spoke up, causing her to turn her glare at him. Completely undeterred, he continued. "Sugarcoating the issue or even ignoring it all together is never a good idea. It's best to confront the truth now."

'_Yes, but there is also a thing called __**timing**__.' _Selene stressed as she signed angrily at her two friends. _'Let my brother and the others process and mourn for their teacher properly before pasting a 'monster' title onto her head.'_

Kikiriku looked contrite when he realized how his statement sounded, but Hel was having none of it.

"I didn't say that –

"Hel." Shion interrupted curtly. "Shut up."

The part-Finalis let his argument die on his throat at the uncharacteristic harshness in the purple-haired boy's voice. Currently, the young prince was clutching at his head. Sorrow as heavy as chainmail under water slammed down on him. Shion knew that the raw grief wasn't his own.

'_Stop it.'_ He bit out mentally as he tried to regain his bearings. _'Whatever you're dealing with, just keep it to yourself for _once_! I'm already having a hard enough time accepting that you're an outsider riding in my mind. Don't make it harder by forcing your emotions onto me!'_

The emotions pulled back abruptly, leaving Shion dizzy from the mood whiplash.

'_I apologize.'_ He heard King say shortly. _'I lost control of myself. Excuse me.'_

And then, King's presence disappeared, taking the hurt and ache with it.

With a sigh of relief, Shion lifted his head. Jamal stared at him with a question in his eyes. Shion answered with a shake of his head. _'It's fine_.' The action spoke. _'He's not causing trouble anymore.'_

"Sorry about that." Shion apologized to Hel sincerely. "Didn't mean to snap at you like that. But Selene is right. Give them some space and time before asking questions and making assumptions. We're not definitively sure that Sammi is the Black Bird."

Shion turned his eyes from his generals to the Blessed Children, on edge and prepared for whatever reaction they might have.

"So that's it. That's the reason why we're here. All along, we existed only to destroy _Sammi_?" Kougyoku voiced everyone's main distress. She shook her head miserably as Judal clumsily tried to calm her. "No. _No. _I didn't sign up for this. We were supposed to _save the world_, not kill our teacher!"

"Took the words right out of my mouth, Kou-chan." Sai gritted out, looking ready to rip something apart. Yasmine buried her face into her hands and made a sound that suspiciously sounded like a sob. Jamal was at her side in an instant, doing everything he can to comfort his sister. "I mean, _what the actual fuck_?!"

"Sai," Shion approached the shape-shifter cautiously, "you should probably calm down."

"**Don't** tell me what to do, Princeling!" The Blessed Child snapped. His anger, usually veiled and shrouded, was now out in plain sight in its most raw and ugly form. "You might have been my king when we thought we were only saving the world, but this changes _everything_. When I agreed to your crazy quest, I never agreed to do all of this at the cost of being responsible for the death of _another _important person in my life!"

"We won't have to." Amani said loudly, causing the rest of the Blessed Children to fall silent. "Didn't you see? Sammi sealed herself away in a place where even the rukh cannot reach. She sacrificed her freedom and her _only _chance to see her son again to ensure that this world is safe from her. We're only a failsafe, remember? A precaution to make sure that her body gets locked up into a prison if it ever returns. As long as we prevent anything else from trying to pull her body from its current location to this one, everything will be fine."

"How can you be so calm, Bee-chan?!" Sai snapped, whirling around to face Amani. "Sammi was your _aunt. _Can't you stop being so unfeeling just for – oh." His anger fizzled out abruptly as he took in Amani's appearance. Silent tears tracked down on both sides of her face as her shaking shoulders betrayed her efforts in holding back her sobs. "Oh, Bee-chan, I'm sorry."

Amani shook her head and took a shaky breath. "There's nothing to forgive. You're grieving. You're upset. We all are. But that doesn't mean that we should lash out and panic. Shion is right, Sai. We should all calm down and breathe." Her lips began trembling at this point. "And, and we should all – Oh Solomon." Her voice hitched as a hiccup escaped from her lips. "Oh, _oh Sammi, __**no**__. No._"

Shion saw Amani unravel like this only _once_ before and it had frightened him just as much as it did now. She descended from her feet to her knees as she voiced her grief with a trembling wail. Yasmine, who had already been crying, joined her. Kougyoku and Sai were slower but eventually joined in with their own expressions of grief.

And Shion couldn't do anything.

(_Again._)

All of his generals, all the magi were all silent as they witnessed the shared grief between the four outsiders of this world. One by one, they all retreated to their tents, leaving Shion with his Blessed Children.

"She was alone." Amani sobbed as she clung onto Yasmine and squeezed all feeling out of Sai's hand with her tight grip. Kougyoku's head on her shoulder did nothing to ease her grief. Her eyes met Shion's as he stood a respectful distance away from their grief. "In the end, she was all alone. She shouldn't have been."

"No," Shion agreed quietly from his position, "she shouldn't have been."

But she had.

"Shion…what are we going to do?" Yasmine finally spoke up from her position in Amani's arms. She sounded so lost and helpless as she turned to her king for help. "We had such a clear mission before…what do we do now?"

Yes, that really _was _the question, wasn't it?

But to this, at least, Shion knew the answer.

"Nothing." Shion informed them all, catching their attention. "None of you have to do _anything_, do you understand me? We stretched the rubber band far back enough to prevent the most damning events that led to the end of the world and the appearance of the Black Bird. All of you worked hard to prevent Al Thamen from causing more trouble than they already did. That should be enough. It _is _enough. Leave the rest of it to us." He gestured to his generals. Each of them nodded solemnly in agreement to his proclamation. "Kougyoku is right. None of you signed up for this. It was unfair of me to drag you all into my crazy plans in the first place. So, we'll pick it up from here. I swear to all of you that I will stop at _nothing _to prevent all of you from facing the Black Bird. You don't deserve this."

Kougyoku looked at him in concern. "Shion –

"Please." The Sindrian Prince begged quietly. "All of you have already been through so much pain. This doesn't mean that I'm forcing you to give up. I'm just making it clear that you four aren't responsible to keep the world safe. Leave that part to me." He smiled at them all sadly. "It was _my _mission anyways."

Shion waited patiently as the four fell into contemplative silence.

Then, Amani answered in a quiet voice. "Okay."

The other three looked at her in surprise at her easy decision to back out. She had been the first who joined Shion.

Shion, on the other hand, nodded in understanding. "Focus on taking care of Kouryuu and winning back Balbadd. You deserve to live, Amani. I wish you all the luck."

Sai stared at Amani for a long moment before making up his mind with a nod. "Maa, I guess that I'll be staying then." He sighed, ignoring all the gaping expressions around him. "It's no good to leave our little Princeling alone. I'll help out in pulling out what is left of that rubber band. But I refuse to fight Sammi when it comes to it." He added sharply to Shion. The purple-haired boy nodded in agreement. "No worries. I never expected you to."

"Can we…think a little more on this?" Yasmine begged for herself and Kougyoku, breaking Shion's heart. "Of course. And none of your decisions have to be definite either. You can leave and stay however you please. I am not your jailor."

"No, you are our _king_." Amani stressed as her brown eyes met his blue. Despite the tears, Shion could still see the fierce promise in her eyes. "And even if it breaks my heart, I _will_ stand with you against the Black Bird if you need my power in the end."

Shion's breath hitched at her promise.

Amani had just offered to use Nonexistence on the Black Bird – on _Sammi – _if need be.

He hoped that he would never have to take her up on it.

* * *

"What the heck was _that_, chibi?!"

Making sure that his voice was low so to not interrupt the grieving group outside their tent, Judal sent his filthiest glare to the fourth magi. Aladdin all but quailed under the ex-dark magi's angry gaze.

"Hey now, don't bully Aladdin." Yunan scolded his student lightly while bopping Judal on the head with his fishing pole staff. "Though the revelations were upsetting to the Blessed Children, _they _were the ones who specifically requested the information from him. It's no good to take your anger out on the innocent party. Aladdin never knew that they would react like that to Sammi's fate, did you Aladdin?"

The blue-haired magi shook his head. "No! Of course not! If I had known that they retained their memories from their past life I would've – oh, I wasn't supposed to say that." Aladdin covered his mouth in horror as the other three magi processed the information he accidentally let slip. "Please forget what I just said."

"Like hell we will." Judal growled. "Explain."

"Yes, I'd like to know what you're talking about too." Titus agreed quietly as he glanced outside the tent where the four Blessed Children were huddled together. "I want to understand what's happening. What do you mean by 'past life'?"

Yunan also glanced at Aladdin curiously.

The blue-haired magi looked ready to burst into tears.

"Please! This isn't my secret to tell!" He begged as he fumbled with his own staff. "I don't even understand most of it either, so I'm not the best person to explain all of this. I'm sorry."

Judal's eyes darkened. "Like hell you aren't–!"

"Yo, stop ganging up on Aladdin, guys!" Jamal's voice barked as he entered into the tent with a protective glint in his eyes. He planted himself right in front of the magi and sent the others a disappointed look. "Geez, if I knew that you'd all be doing this to the poor kid, I wouldn't have set up all of you together in this tent in the first place." He glanced back at Aladdin with a softer look in his eyes. "We're switching. I don't think Kikiriku would mind the change. Head out for the next to last tent on the left." He patted the blue-haired child's shoulder sympathetically. "Sorry for what happened to your parents and your grandmother."

As Aladdin quickly fled to the other tent, Jamal turned to the remaining three magi and clapped his hands. "So! I guess all of you have questions?"

Jamal spent the next three hours answering any questions that the three magi had about the situation. Since the figurative cat was already out of the bag, the scientist was open and honest with his answers. He told them about Shion's wish, the end of the world, and the Blessed Children's identities as reincarnators who retained their memories from a past life.

"It's hard to process, I know." Jamal finished, looking at all the magi carefully. "This isn't a normal situation. It took us…a while to actually process this ourselves but" Jamal opened his arms, presenting himself "here we are. I hope you won't look at Amani, Sai, Kougyoku, and my Nee-chan any differently because of this."

Judal opened and closed his mouth as he slowly attempted to process the information that the Sasanian prince dumped on him. He looked as if the entire world had just turned on his head. Titus, on the other hand, looked thoughtful and – to Jamal's faint surprise – relieved.

"Thank Solomon." Titus sighed as his shoulders sagged. "So that's what it was all along. I knew that Sai was still hiding a lot of himself from me, but it wasn't because he didn't want to tell me. He just _couldn't _tell me."

"Thank you for telling us this important information." Yunan said to Jamal quietly as the two younger magi coped with the revelation in different ways. "Am I correct to assume that this is sensitive information that no one outside this group should know?"

Jamal nodded. "Yeah, it's pretty important that the secret stays a secret. We're pretty sure that the cause of the world's end was the meeting that Aladdin arranged with both the Seven Seas Alliance and Kou in our original timeline. Why?"

Yunan smiled as his hat shadowed over his eyes. "Just curious. Thank you for telling me, young Jamal."

"_I'm _not finished grilling the kid." Judal spoke up, grabbing the young scientist's attention. "Tell me everything again in a way that I can understand this entire mess. I don't want to look like an idiot when I speak to Princess."

Jamal shot the magi a look.

"Dude, weren't you even listening? I literally told you the entire thing!"

"Well, tell it _better _since I didn't understand a fucking thing!"

"Then isn't that _your _problem?!"

While Judal distracted Jamal, Yunan turned his eyes over to the opening of the tent that faced the walls of the Colosseum. He stretched his senses beyond the eyes and ears of the rest of the group. His gaze focused on a Papagoras bird trying to make itself appear inconspicuous.

It flew away the moment their eyes met.

* * *

Judal found Kougyoku outside her tent at sunrise. She was perched on one of the many seats of the Colosseum as she stared blankly out at the dawn as if searching for something.

(A sign? An answer? A curse?)

Since he was horrible with words, the magi only wrapped his arms around her and watch the sun rise with her. He had questions. Millions of them. But right now, even Judal could sense that this wasn't the time.

Judal waited Kougyoku to break the silence.

"…I'm sorry that I wasn't the person you were expecting." The Blessed Child of Kou apologized quietly. Judal looked at her in confusion. What was she saying?

She smiled almost bitterly at his genuine confusion. "When you first came up to my door with gifts at hand, the girl that you imagined me to be wasn't truly me. I…kept a significant part of myself from you throughout the years we've known each other. I understand if you don't want to be with me anymore." Her voice broke at the end.

Judal stared at her dumbly for a few minutes before breaking himself out of his shocked haze. He shook his head at the absurdity of it all. "Do I really seem like the type of idiot who'd give up the only good thing in his life just because of some secrets?" After a meaningful pause, he huffed. "Don't answer that." Then, he looked down at the staff at his feet. "If I was the same brat before I met Tao, I would've left you. I would've been pissed that you kept something like that from me." Judal hated acknowledging that part of himself, but he knew that Kougyoku would only accept the truth at this state. "But I'm not that stupid boy anymore. Even though I'm confused as hell about everything, I think I understand why you didn't tell me. It's okay." Judal purposefully projected his thoughts to her as best he could. _I'm not going to leave you. Not ever. I wanted and loved you for too long to ever consider doing that._

_Please believe me._

Kougyoku stared up at him with an expression that made him melt.

"Really?" She whispered and he knew that she heard him. Every word.

Judal somehow managed to nod. "Yeah. Can't lie to you, can I?"

"No." Kougyoku finally smiled as her eyes began watering up with tears. "No, you can't. So, don't you dare go back on your word, Judal. I don't think I can handle the thought of you leaving me again. I love you too much to be that thick-skinned."

Judal felt light at Kougyoku's verbal confirmation that she returned his feelings. He had always known despite her silence, but to hear it was another thing. He squeezed her tighter and kissed the top of her head gently in a way that he saw Koumei do to Amani before.

In response to his attempt at gentleness, Kougyoku tugged his head to her height and turned her face to kiss him. Their positions made the entire thing awkward, but Judal didn't care a bit.

When they separated, Kougyoku leaned into his arms, nuzzling his neck in a way that sent shivers down his spine. He distracted himself by stroking her hair.

"…Judal?"

"Yeah?"

"Can you tell me about Falan?" She asked almost timidly. Since he couldn't see her face, he could only guess the embarrassment and sadness that could have been on her face. "I don't remember her. No matter how hard I try…but I'd like to know."

Judal felt himself nod. "Sure." And he told her.

(About Falan. About Barbarossa. About Serendine. About his hand in destroying the first Sindria.)

He told her everything.

* * *

On the other side of the world, the once-Empress Gyokuen seethed.

Al Thamen was whittled to a mere _splinter _of what it used to be. Since the entire world was cautious of her and the organization, the places she and the remaining members could seek solace in were limited.

This wasn't the first setback that Gyokuen experienced before. Ever since the birth of the First Class Singularity, nothing had gone right. But then suddenly, out of _nowhere_, a seemingly inconsequential _child _seemed to flip all of her plans over on its head by somehow gathering all four of the pesky Blessed Children and destroying (what had been at the time) all minor Al Thamen bases all over the world. It all made _sense _when she discovered the child's parentage.

"I hope that you're finished brooding on your own, Empress. We still need to go over our losses."

Gyokuen turned her eyes toward the woman who spoke. Her lips curled into a parody of a smile as she considered the Cursed Child. "Camilla, was it? Tell me."

"The bases located near the Tenzan Plains and all the members in it are gone. They were gone for a long time, your highness." Camilla reported flatly. "The only bases I was able to contact were the ones in the small villages outside Heliohapt and the one located in the middle of the barbarian tribe near the Sasan border."

Gyokuen's sharp nails dug into her palm.

"I see." She responded with difficulty. "And how far is Raul in his experiments with the black rukh?"

"Give him a little more time." Camilla responded, tone leaning a bit too close to reproving for Gyokuen's tastes. "He's only getting used to his new arm. And even with the handicap, Raul is already very far into finding a way to completely inject the black rukh you gave us into our bodies." She frowned. "He would've been finished with it in half the time if it weren't for the black rukh you gave us. It's denser than we're used to."

"_Of course _it is." Gyokuen's smile widened to the point her lips looked ready to snap. "It's the _special _kind that I had you and Ithnan gather from Sindria all those years ago."

Camilla's eyes widened at the new information.

"Oh yes, _now _you see why I'm in such a hurry, dear." Gyokuen tittered sharply. "I gave Raul the remaining batch. We are desperate and out of time. We _need _to find a way to gather all members of the organization _and _complete the Cursed Children experiment before our little window of time is up."

Camilla nodded sharply.

"I'll tell Raul to hurry up, then."

"Please do, dear."

When Camilla was out of sight, Gyokuen's false smile slid away into something dark. The black rukh-gathering process should have gone slowly and gradually, but Camilla was no longer stationed in Sindria as a trusted maid. There was no one to preserve and strengthen the black rukh during this window of opportunity before the _next _chance, which would come _years _later,came. Al Thamen was quickly becoming smaller and smaller in numbers. Gyokuen didn't like being _pressured_ by anything, but she had no choice since the _brat_ and the pesky Blessed Children somehow managed to cut her off from everything that would have made gathering what she needed _easy_.

"You look like you need help, Empress." An unknown voice sounded out from the solace of the trees. Gyokuen turned sharply at the sound.

"And who might _you _be?" She sneered, patience lost.

The figure smiled as he stepped from the shadows.

"An opportunity."

* * *

_Three weeks later…_

* * *

Shion wandered aimlessly through the halls of Sindria Palace, mind still whirring with the events that occurred in the Colosseum.

He had intended to come out of the experience with a clearer mind and goal. He had left the whole event feeling emptier and more lost than ever.

And his Blessed Children – he all but lost them. Shion almost regretted allowing Aladdin to share his memories because of what it cost him. His friends' faith in him. His own confidence in being successful this time around. His ability to lift spirits with his words.

Shion had no other words of comfort to offer to his Blessed Children that night. How could he? Their teacher, Sammi, had denied herself the possible chance to reunite with everyone who she cared for in an act of self-sacrifice. Shion had nothing to say that would lessen the blow without lying.

And even if he did find the words, Shion undoubtedly had no right to say them.

The Black Bird was his most hated enemy, after all. Throughout his two lives, Shion devoted every moment to take it down so to avenge and protect the people he cherished.

And the realization that the creature used to be a beloved mentor and hero?

It made no difference to Shion's resolve, as much as it made him hate himself to admit. At the end, the Black Bird was a threat. Whatever was left of Sammi no longer existed in the monster that killed his mother on that fateful day. There was only mindlessness and eternal hunger whenever the creature awoke from its sleep. Shion would know since _he _had been the one to face the thing, kill it, and survive from the experience.

(And yet, _how _did he manage it? No matter how hard Shion tried to remember his final encounter with the Black Bird, the memory always eluded him. He managed to slay it, certainly, but he didn't remember anything more about it after that. Just the wish that he made with Andromalius.)

"Something doesn't feel right…" Shion murmured to himself. "I'm missing something here."

It must be something connected to his sealed memories. If he could talk to his Uncle Yunan, he might get some answers. He should –

"_You shouldn't trust your uncle so blindly, foolish student."_

Shion's footsteps faltered at the new voice. He turned his head and reared back in surprise at the blurry image of a taller figure standing beside him. The stranger's face was shadowed, but there was something distinctly familiar on how he held himself despite the many battle wounds and scars littered over what was exposed of his body.

"_There are so many things that you don't know about the state of this world. That uncle of yours believes that he has done a mercy to you for hiding it all from you."_

"What are you talking about? Who are you?" Shion asked quietly as he stepped towards the stranger in almost a trancelike state. For some reason, he didn't feel alarmed to see the blurred form of the stranger.

(It was as if the stranger was an old friend.)

"_You visited __**that place **__with your uncle__**, **__didn't you? So? Did you see it? Did he tell you the truth about the tragedy that started this whole mess in the first place?"_

The truth?

Shion tilted his head. "What truth? What was it that Uncle Yunan so desperately tried to hide away from me? Please, tell me. There is so much that I don't know and so many people are hurting because of it."

"…_Che. Of course he didn't. That coward."_ As if the stranger didn't hear Shion, he snorted derisively at some unheard answer to his previous question. _"Should I tell you the truth, foolish student? Should I tell you what everyone is so desperately trying to keep from you?"_

Before Shion could nod, a loud shout filled his mind.

'_Don't listen!'_ The familiar yet weak presence of the Veteran ordered sharply. _'Don't you dare listen to that stupid memory anymore! The seal is barely holding up as it is!'_

The seal?

'_Yes, the stupid seal that you slapped onto your memories to forget all of this.'_ Veteran snapped moodily as the stranger's blurry figure disappeared in front of Shion's eyes. Despite himself, he felt a stab of frustration at the Veteran's interruption. _'Believe me, you made yourself forget all of this for a reason. You don't want to know. And it's better off if it stays that way.' _

'_You should listen to Veteran, Shion.'_ King's voice sounded quietly from the corner of Shion's mind.

Shion felt irritation rise up from Veteran's end. _'Where the fuck were you?! Preventing us from tripping over these memories was supposed to be __**your **__job!'_

'_I was…preoccupied. My emotions were getting too much for Shion so I thought that it would have been better if I left him alone…'_

The Veteran snorted. _'Fat lot of good __**that **__did. Now come over here and _fix this _before it blows up in front of our faces.'_

'_Fine. It won't be a perfect fix, but it should hold back what it needs to. Sorry about this, Shion, but this is going to hurt.'_

Just as King warned him, Shion felt a sharp pain burst from his forehead.

And once again, he felt himself fall into darkness.

* * *

Jamal muttered quietly to himself as he paced around his laboratory. Since it was late, Marga had already gone to sleep. The other scientists had already gone back to their homes. Only Jamal was there.

"Okay, I know that you're probably not going to listen to me, but I'd like you to shut up now." The scientist muttered to himself with hands clapped over his ears. He paced around in erratic circles. "Solomon, why do you have to be so irritating?! You've done nothing but make my life harder. Do you know that?"

'_Free her. Free her. Free her. Free her. Free her. Free her. Free her. Free her. Free her. Free her. Free her. Free her. Free her. Free her. Free her. Free her. Free her. Free her. Free her. Free her. Free her. Free her –_

Jamal scoffed. "Very original. Not like you weren't driving me crazy with _that exact phrase _for the entire week. I need more than that. I don't even know what you're talking about."

'_Free her. Free Sammi. Free her. Free Sammi.'_ The voice in his head chanted. _'Sammi. Sammi. Sammi. Sammi. Sammi. Sammi. She's all alone. So alone. Needs to return. Return. Return. Return.'_

"Um, _no_." Jamal shook his head. "That's the exact thing that I'm trying to avoid, thank you very much. Anything else you might want that doesn't involve the end of the world as we know it?"

'_So hungry. So, so hungry.'_ The voice seemed to whine in Jamal's head. _'Hungry. Hungry. Hungry. Hungry.'_

Jamal's footsteps paused at the chant. "Hungry, you say?"

'_Hungry. Hungry. Hungry. Hungry.'_

"You know, you used to be so convincing." The scientist scoffed. "You'd wax poetic about all the things you want me to do because of the 'flow of fate' and all of that. What happened to you? It's like you're a completely different –

Jamal's words cut off abruptly as a thought hit him.

"You…you're not him, are you? You can't be. You feel completely different from the other voice. You're just some replacement to keep me busy with your nagging and whining."

'_Hungry.'_ The voice petulantly insisted, confirming his suspicions.

Oh no.

Usually, Jamal would've been jumping for joy at the prospect of no longer having a freaky, disembodied voice doing its damn best to make a puppet out of him at almost every pivotal moment of his life, but the idea that _the voice was in someone else's head _put a damper on any thought of celebration.

(Aladdin's little movie had also enlightened him of the identity of the voice in his head. Jamal had a feeling that the not-so-passive ghost of Elder David wasn't above using the malleable mind of a gullible child.)

"Shit." Jamal hissed as he ran a hand through his hair. "Shit. Shit. _Shit. _This is bad. This is really, _really _bad." He shook his head. "Think, Jamal, _think_. That voice shouldn't be too far. It's too obsessed with Shion's fate to _not _be. If I was a disembodied voice with a god complex, whose mind is the most ideal to possess?"

Then, it hit him.

"Shion's dad."

Jamal was up and running towards the Sindrian King's office in an instant.

* * *

Yunan calmly sipped his tea as he held eye contact with the King of Sindria across from him. The said king smiled pleasantly, only the minute twitching of his right eye giving away his true feelings.

"So Yunan, are you here to finally accept my offer to stay here in Sindria? Ranya would be pleased."

"That's not what I'm here for and you know it." The blonde sniffed as he finished up the last of his tea. With a careless wave of his hand, the cup and saucer disappeared into thin air. The eldest magi then leaned forward and narrowed his eyes. "You had no right to listen into that meeting, Sinbad."

Sinbad expression darkened at Yunan's chastisement. "I have every right to know what's happening to my son and, after learning the truth, I didn't regret it. This mission my son is undertaking is not something that he should do on his own – older than he appears or not."

'_Yes, your son's safety is what matters most.'_ The voice that Sinbad would sometimes hear whispered into his ear, clearer than it has ever been before. _'He can't do this alone. He would get hurt or worse. You are his father. Protect him. Take up his mission and prevent this danger that he had faced all alone.'_

"The information disclosed that night was not for your ears. It was never supposed to leak out from the Colosseum for the sake of this world's future." The blonde stressed. "If Shion could turn to you without any unpredictable repercussions that might result with you knowing, he would have consulted you."

"But I know now." Sinbad reminded the magi. "Nothing can change that."

Yunan glared at the Sindrian King. "_Yes. _You overheard a personal and dangerous conversation because of your nosiness and possibly tore apart everything that Shion and his friends worked for. _Thank you_ for the reminder, Sinbad." He spat with a venom that Sinbad never knew the gentle man was capable of.

For a brief moment, guilt flashed across the king's face, but that quickly smoothed over to a more neutral expression.

"Shion is _my son_." Sinbad stressed. "I am not about to let _my son _face some unknown danger on his own. I admit, it was in poor taste that I listened into the conversation, but I don't regret it."

'_If I hadn't told you that the conversation was important, who knows what your son would have done in the name of protecting the world?'_ The voice questioned, sounded concerned and sympathetic. _'Though he calls himself Shion's uncle, __**he **__doesn't understand the risks Shion is taking on his own.'_

Sinbad's mind flashed back to the memory of Shion on the ground, screaming as Ithnan's curse covered his entire body. His son had taken in the curse meant for him. His son had almost _died _because he pushed Sinbad away and took his place.

Who knows what other dangers his son would throw himself into?

Yunan, on the other hand, sighed. "Well, I can't argue with that. You're right, Sinbad. You already know everything now so there's no sense in keeping you out of this. Just…please don't reveal what you heard to another soul. Shion had sacrificed too much to fail now."

Sinbad nodded. "I swear on Sindria itself that no one will hear the truth from me."

"Good." Yunan breathed out in relief and smiled wearily. "I suppose that you'll need to speak with Shion about this –

Abruptly, the door to the office swung open, revealing Shion. Both the Sindrian King and the Magi froze at the sudden appearance of the young boy. Shion's bangs hid the expression in his eyes for the time being, but the two adults could see by the tense set of his shoulders and the whiteness of his clenched knuckles that he had been listening into the conversation enough to know what Sinbad did.

"You know about everything that happened in the Colosseum." Shion drew out slowly, tone suspiciously calm. "You…_listened into _everything we said and did in there."

Sinbad's expression reflected the same false calmness. "Yes. I was worried."

"Worried." Shion repeated flatly. "Somehow, I doubt that."

Sinbad reared back, calm façade breaking at his son's blatant show of doubt for the genuineness of his concern. But, even seeing the hurt flashing across his father's face so openly, Shion did not relent in his silent anger.

"Shion," Yunan looked between father and son cautiously, "I know that you're upset but –

"_Upset?"_

The metaphorical dam broke. Unlike the breaking of Sinbad's façade, which was like mud washing away from skin, Shion's calmness _shattered_. The amount of rage and bitterness displayed over his nephew's face made even the age-old magi falter at the face of it.

"Me being '_upset'_ doesn't even amount to what I'm feeling right now." Shion snarled as he glared at both his uncle and father. "Neither of you have even the slightest of clues of what was sacrificed to get to this point. You know _nothing._"

"Shion –" Sinbad started, only to be cut off.

"Don't speak to me so familiarly, old man!" Shion snapped. "Shion might consider you a father, but _I don't._ I never did. You gave me _absolutely no reason _to trust or love you as that naïve idiot does. For all I know, you might ruin everything we worked for until now!" He snorted derisively. "It sounds _just _like you to swoop into big problems like some all-knowing god and fuck it up even more."

Realization slowly filled Yunan throughout Shion's rant. "Ah, I met you before. You're the one Shion calls The Veteran, aren't you?"

"_What clued you in, genius?!"_

Sinbad's hurt wavered at the confusing exchange. "Yunan?"

"Shion's mind couldn't handle the stress and trauma he endured during his first life." Yunan informed the Sindrian King almost sadly. "So, it split itself into three…four? Distinctive personalities to cope with what he experienced." He gestured to the bitter Shion. "This one is the result from Shion's time during the war."

Sinbad nodded slowly. "I…see…"

Shion – The Veteran – scoffed at Yunan's explanation. "For someone who always kept his mouth _shut _whenever I needed to know important details, you're very chatty, _Uncle_."

Now it was Yunan's turn to appear confused. "What? I don't know what you're talking about."

"Che, _of course._ Always with the excuses and dodging. Always giving me the important facts _after _shit goes down just because you're too scared to face what you did. Didn't it ever strike you that _I'd _be the one to clean up all of your messes as a result? Or did you think that the consequences would never affect me if you kept me blind long enough? Teacher was right. You are a _coward, _Uncle." Veteran spat, looking angry and disappointed.

"Shion." Yunan tried to calm his nephew. "Shion, I'm sorry for whatever I hid from you in your timeline. It's a shortcoming that I'm slowly coming to terms with. But please, trust me –"

"Trust you?! I trusted you above everyone else during the war! I trusted you because you were the only family left but I guess _the joke's on me _since the secret you were hiding from me the entire time was –

Shion's aggressive stance stiffened as he was cut off in mid-sentence by some invisible force. His expression warred between angry and chiding for a long minute before the latter emotion won out. Shion's shoulders relaxed as he exhaled loudly as if he performed an exhausting feat. With a sheepish chuckle, the purple-haired boy turned to the concerned adults in the other side of the room.

"Goodness. I haven't seen Veteran riled up like that in a long time." Shion commented lightly. He inclined his head towards Yunan's direction. "Magi Yunan, it's a pleasure. I am the personality Shion calls 'King' though you are free to refer me by anything you see fit. I apologize for Veteran's words. They were…uncalled for."

"It's no issue." Yunan assured the calmer personality with relief in his eyes. "I'm sure that he had endured and seen many things that we'd never understand."

King nodded in agreement. "And Shion is doing his best to ensure that you never do." He said quietly. He then turned to Sinbad with a smile. "Hello, King Sinbad. Thank you for taking care of Shion. You have made him very happy ever since you came into his life. Please don't take Veteran's words to heart. He has…unresolved issues that he's projecting onto you."

Sinbad's smile froze when they made eye contact.

(Those were not Ranya's eyes.)

'_Don't trust him.'_ The voice murmured, also weary. _'I know what is inside his head and he is not your son. He is a ghost wearing Shion's skin. Don't trust him.'_

"You aren't him." Sinbad said accusingly. "You aren't part of Shion. Who are you?"

Surprise flickered across King's face before it settled into something more resigned. "I can see where Shion's sharp sense of perception came from though you were far quicker than he was." He sighed, making Yunan squawk in alarm at his admission. "I am not…_technically_…a part of Shion's personality." King worded his explanation carefully. "Rest assured, I value Shion's safety as much as the both of you and I swear on my rukh that I would never intentionally harm him in any way."

"Get out of my son's head." Sinbad's expression was stormy as he stood up.

"I can't." King confessed. "Not completely. It's a bit complicated. If I could, I would've left him alone a long, _long _time ago but we're _tied_. Until the threat of the world's end is erased, I'm here to stay. I also can't leave until I'm sure that Shion's mind doesn't destroy itself. There are…some memories that Shion isn't ready to face." He finished with a wince.

Yunan stared at King with a heartbroken emotion in his eyes. "The memories that Shion asked me to suppress…?"

King nodded shortly. "The very same."

Yunan breathed in sharply. "If that is the case…thank you for keeping them away from Shion I…" he swallowed, "I didn't know what to do when he kept having those nightmares. I thought that he…I never want to see Shion like that ever again. He's much better now."

Sinbad looked stricken by what Yunan's words revealed. It wasn't uncommon for Shion to wake up in the middle of the night in cold sweat with names on his lips. Sinbad knew about the nightmares.

…But to think that those nightmares could have been _worse_…

"Which reminds me." King interrupted Sinbad's thoughts while turning to Yunan. "Shion unintentionally broke through one of the memory seals recently, which was the reason why Veteran took over. If you don't mind…"

Yunan nodded resolutely. "Of course." He said. "Of course. We don't want that to break. Thank you for holding it together as long as you have."

"Wait." Yunan jumped in surprise at the hand that landed on his shoulder, preventing him from moving forward. "You didn't answer my question. Who are you?"

King raised a brow, looking amused. "You haven't figured it out yet, King Sinbad? I would've thought that _he _would have told you my name by now."

"I don't know what you're talking abou –

SLAM!

Everyone in the room jumped at the sharp sound of the doors being thrown open as Jamal scrambled in. Looking around wildly, the Sasanian Prince's eyes zeroed onto Sinbad's form. _"You."_

Sinbad made a sound of confusion and stepped back.

He was wise to do so.

Somehow catapulting himself over Yunan, Jamal made a grab at Sinbad's robes, only to be yanked back by a firm hand. Writhing against the grip, Jamal began to howl. _"Get out of Shion's Dad's head you insufferable asshole! It's horrible enough that you ruined my entire life! I swear to Solomon that I'll find a way to blast you away to nonexistence – don't you think I won't – if you do anything to make Shion's dad do something that he doesn't want to do -!"_

"Peace, Jamal." Shion's voice laughed from behind him. "Frightening King Sinbad won't help with the situation, I'm afraid."

Jamal froze and turned to Shion, who was gripping at the back of his shirt tightly. He tilted his head. "…You're not Shion."

Shion's body barked out a laugh. "Caught again! And without any hesitation too! Shion really has people who know and care about him very much! Though that's to be expected since you always were sharper than others, Jamal." His eyes softened. "I am who Shion calls 'King'."

"Wait, the voice in his mind that occasionally takes control of his body and gives him strange dreams?"

"Those weren't on _purpose_. How many times do I have to say that before everyone gets it?" King groused under his breath before turning to Sinbad and Yunan. "Well, we'll be leaving for now. Shion's body is already getting a bit tired, so I'll take it to bed. Jamal, help me?"

Jamal nodded stiffly. "Yeah." Then, he shot a dirty look towards Sinbad's direction, much to the poor king's continued confusion. "Don't make any trouble I swear to Solomon or I'll make sure you _pay_."

"Not helping, Jamal." King reminded the Sasanian Prince as he gently tugged the redhead out of the room. "Good night, King Sinbad, Magi Yunan. Shion will be back to you safe and sound by sunrise. I promise."

"I can't trust that." Sinbad insisted firmly with the whispers of _'don't trust him' _ringing through his mind. "I don't know how much I can value your word."

King sighed. "Davidisn't letting up at all about my identity. That's concerning. You really should view everything he says with a grain of salt. He might just manipulate you like a puppet if you're not careful though Jamal managed to do a beautiful job in avoiding that." He cleared his throat. "Fine, if it really concerns you so much, I'll make a vow that you'll never doubt. I swear on my mother, Bathsheba Sammi, that Shion will come back to you unharmed and whole." He met Sinbad's shocked gaze solemnly. "I care about him too. I have lived in his mind and watched him grow. I will make sure that he will return to you by next morning. Good night."

And with that, the pair was out of the room.

* * *

"…So." Jamal drew out slowly and awkwardly as he walked beside Shion's body. "You're Solomon."

"Yes."

"And you've been, what, _sleeping _in my best buddy's mind for Solomon-knows-how-long? Wait."

King – no, Solomon sighed with resignation as the frequently used term slipped out of Jamal's mouth. "I _asked _Shion to tell you to stop using that. It's so strange hearing your own name being used in the place of a god's."

"Hey now, until recently, we all thought that you were." Jamal defended himself. "I mean, _now_ you're just same weirdo hanging out in Shion's brain, but before everything, we used to think that you were some higher entity who created the world or something. Now we know for certain that it was actually a djinn-turned magic otaku who used to live in a kid's flute which…honestly doesn't sound better."

"Please don't talk about Ugo like that. He's my friend."

Jamal crossed his arms and scoffed. "Him being your friend doesn't change anything. He's a magic-otaku just as much as I'm an insane scientist slash inventor. Not to mention that the crazy part is _your dad's fault._"

"David has always been insane." Solomon argued with something that looked like a pout. Though the expression looked adorable on Shion's face, Jamal's knowledge that it was _King Solomon_ of all people making that expression made it look unnerving. "It's unfair to pin all the blame on me. I spent most of my life trying to take him down, you know."

"Fair." Jamal conceded. "But we're digressing from the main point. Why the _heck _are you in Shion's head? What is it with ghosts from Alma Toran invading into other people's heads?! Is it some sort of trend I don't know about?"

Solomon shook his head. "It was an accident."

Jamal looked unimpressed. "Uh huh. They _all _say that. Nice try, immortal weirdo in Shion's head."

"No really. It was an accident." Solomon repeated with a straight expression, pointedly ignoring the nickname. "Shion is my reincarnation. After a series of miraculous events that I _won't _go into detail – so don't ask – I ended up within the consciousness of an impossible child. Since his soul is extremely compatible with my presence, I'm a bit…stuck. The time traveling effect doesn't help."

Jamal stared at Solomon. "…Impossible?"

"When two miracles collide, something impossible comes from it." Solomon clarified with a helpless shrug. "Shion's existence in it of itself was never planned or expected. So, according to the laws that mother placed when creating this world, Shion is…mine. Or me. Or –"

Solomon cut himself off with a shake of his head.

Jamal, taking pity on the ghost possessing his best friend (and wasn't _that _just the strangest thing), picked up the conversation. "You somehow reincarnated into Shion despite being completely made up of rukh and yet your main consciousness is somehow independent to his. Is that right?"

"Yes. That's right." Solomon said, relieved.

"…That still doesn't explain why you're messing with Shion's head and taking over his body." Jamal accused, making Solomon sigh dejectedly.

"I'm not here to hurt him, you know."

Jamal scoffed. "Actually, I don't. I don't know that. So stop randomly possessing his body! It's freaking him and the rest of us out!"

"Fair enough." Solomon nodded in solemn agreement. "It was an emergency this time, so it couldn't be helped, but I'll keep away after tonight. I don't want to cause unnecessary stress to Shion." He turned to Jamal with a serious look in his eyes. "Which reminds me…Jamal, be sure to start preparing yourself. There's something amiss in the rukh."

Jamal snorted. "I bet it's Al Thamen. Those jerks are always up to something – Solomon? Hey, what's wrong?"

Solomon had stopped walking, clutching at his head.

Then, he looked up with glassy and confused eyes that was completely and undeniably _Shion_.

"Jamal?" He slurred out, looking both exhausted and scared. "What…what happened? Where am I? What-?"

"Hey." Jamal did his best to sound comforting. "Welcome back, buddy."

* * *

Shion slept through the entire day.

Despite the assurances of both the royal healers and Yunan, Sinbad still worried and Ranya refused to leave her son's bedside. She had been informed of the events that transpired the night before and feared that the strange, foreign entity – she _refused _to acknowledge anything that hurt her precious boy by name – had taken over her son's entire consciousness.

"I've encountered a djinn that could take over another's mind. It was even used on _me _once when I was younger. I would wake up to find that my body performed acts with no memory attached to it. The experience was frightening." Ranya murmured to Kikiriku as she accepted food from the young Imuchakk. Sinbad turned away. "If a djinn could offer power like that…what could King Solomon himself do to Shion? What if he goes back on his word? I can't trust the words of a being that is so similar to Al Thamen."

Thankfully, Ranya's fears never came true.

Just as Solomon promised, Shion was in complete control once he awoke. Both Ranya and Sinbad expressed their relief with hugs, kisses, and many, many check-ups.

Which eventually landed Shion in indefinite bedrest. Again.

("But it _wasn't _my fault this time!" Shion complained.

"Shion." Sinbad sighed. "Bedrest doesn't mean you're grounded.")

Jamal, meanwhile, filled Shion in on the details of what happened. At the explanation, Shion's eyes widened and he choked.

"Wait…are you seriously telling me that I _literally _have Solomon in my head?!"

"Yup."

"…And Father knows? About everything?"

"Uh-huh. Which reminds me, you _really _have to talk with him about his snooping habits. It's seriously becoming an issue, buddy. You can't just barge into someone else's privacy like that. I know he's your dad but…no."

Shion made a fantastic attempt in smothering himself with his pillow. Camilla would've been jealous.

Jamal sympathetically patted Shion on the shoulder. "It's a lot to take in. I get it. Take your time."

In the end, Shion didn't get to 'take his time' to gather himself back together.

He didn't have the time.

A bird came to Sindria. It was such an innocent thing and the piece of paper on its leg had been so small, so short. Jamal almost overlooked it in favor of comforting his best friend.

Thank Solomon he hadn't.

The blank expression on Jamal's face as he read the paper's contents should've been the first warning. Him taking a long moment before handing over the note to Shion should've been the second.

Maybe if Shion had considered them, he wouldn't have been so shocked as he read the short note. It was only a sentence – a question, really.

But the _handwriting –_

'_Did you miss me, my king?'_

– Shion would recognize it anywhere. It sent a cold chill down his spine and kept him frozen even as Jamal left the room to tell Kikiriku and send out warnings to everyone else. It wasn't until Jamal returned from his tasks to tentatively shake him back to awareness.

"Hakkan."

"Buddy –

"That's Hakkan's handwriting. He's…"

Hakkan was back.

He was back and he –

(The _bird. _The bird was one of _theirs_.)

Shion's hands clenched on the paper.

"Jamal." He said, urgency leaking into his tone as he held up the paper unique to only one country. "Jamal, he's in _Kou_."

* * *

_In Kou…_

* * *

The exiled Gyokuen – once again Empress – perched herself beatifically on the throne as thousands and thousands of Al Thamen priests filled the throne room, repressing any official or soldier from acting out against the sudden change of power. She had thought taking back Kou would have been impossible…but a new player had joined her side, turning the table and giving her an edge that brought her back to the palace.

And he was right at her side, there was her King Candidate – Prince Hakkan of Heliohapt, son of Cursed Child Eirenne, and wielder of the djinn Belial

He was also the metal vessel user who singlehandedly defeated Emperor Kouen and Empress Seishin. The rest had no choice but to surrender.

"Remember our agreement, Empress Gyokuen." He reminded her almost gently as he touched the necklace that held his oh-so-useful djinn. "Prince Shion of Sindria is mine. I will be the one to fight him. No one else."

Gyokuen was pleased with him. She was pleased with him indeed.

"Why of course~" She nearly cooed as she imagined the sound of the Sindrian brat's bones breaking under the power of her new King Candidate. "And please, dear, call me Arba!"

* * *

And thus starts the first part of the final battle. Everything is set up. The actors are all ready.

...Only for everything to wait until the next update!

But no fear! I have two omakes for all of you! Enjoy!

* * *

**Chibi-Omake: Meeting His Parents (Or, How Sphintus' Family Realizes Just How Lucky Their Son Is)**

Selene nervously brushed her hair back for the fifteenth time as her other hand grasped the handle of the basket she was holding.

'_Do you really think they'll like the food I made?'_ The blonde signed to Sphintus. _'I'm sure that I'm not as good as your mother or you but…'_

"No, no, they'll love your cooking. And most importantly, they'll _love _you." Sphintus assured his intended. "You're amazing and there's no doubt in the world that my family will see that and more. Actually, I'm pretty sure they'll be jealous of me for being so lucky."

Selene flushed. _'You're just biased, Sphintus.'_

Sphintus shook his head. "I'm the luckiest man in Reim and the entire Seven Seas." He said with absolute certainty.

Despite Sphintus' assurances, Selene remained nervous the rest of the way to the Carmen household. She swore that her heart leapt to her throat when Sphintus' parents paused for a moment upon welcoming them at the door before recovering and letting her in. She received similar treatment when Sphintus introduced her to the rest of his large family.

Selene was relieved that they all warmed up to her as she stayed longer. She bonded with Sphintus' mother over the small treats she brought (brownies). And she managed to impress the family elder with her knowledge in medicine and affinity for snakes.

In the end, Selene left Sphintus' home with a content smile on her face and a promise to return again.

As the entire family waved Selene and Sphintus goodbye, they began to murmur with each other.

"Out of his league."

"Totally out of his league."

"How did Cousin Sphintus get so lucky with that one?"

"Mom, mom, can _I _go and study at Magnostadt next year so I can get a pretty girlfriend too?"

* * *

**Mirror, Mirror: Judal**

It only took one look before Judal's reflection made a disgusted noise.

"I can't believe the old hag is right. I really _am _weak in the mirror. What the hell happened to us on the other side?"

Judal stared at his reflection and didn't say a word. Bile began forming in the back of his mouth as he watched and listened to his reflection. The horror wasn't from how different his reflection was to him, but it was the glaring similarity. The boy staring back at him looked _too _familiar. It was like someone rewound time back before Balbadd or erased his memory.

"…Are we dumb or something?" His reflection snapped, looking impatient and annoyed. "Are we unable to talk? Is that the difference? Wow, we must be so lame in your world."

It made him sick just looking at himself.

"Hey, wait a minute. What the heck are we wearing?!" Judal's reflection suddenly snapped out of his musing to lean closer to inspect his clothes. Judal looked at himself with confusion written over his face. "What? This is what I've always been wearing." During his entire stay at Sindria, he had no choice but to don these robes since the clothes he wore were tattered when he arrived.

"What the heck is this?! Those robes are exactly what the small fry wears! Are we the idiot king's magi?!"

Judal made a sound of surprise. "Huh? N–

No.

He wasn't Sinbad's magi. He was only a visitor. The king hardly trusted him and nearly everyone kept him an arm's length away from him at all times.

He wasn't –

Judal paused.

Then, he opened his mouth.

"Yeah. He's my king. What of it?"

His reflection balked. "No way. No way, that can't be true. He's the _idiot king_. He's stupid! And weak! We managed to take him and his country down easy years before!"

"That's _King Sinbad _to you." Leapt unbidden from Judal's lips, similar to how he heard the stingy advisor chide him many times for his rudeness. It seemed to flow easily from his mouth now that he's speaking with his reflection. "And I know what you did to Sindria." He added with a darker tone.

The attack on Sindria was one of the greatest regrets of Judal's life. Tortured ghosts of the people who died by his hand no longer haunted him in his dreams anymore, but Judal would never forget their screams. He would never forget their anger. It was something he was trying to reconcile with, something he's trying to _fix._

"Yeah? What of it? Don't tell me that it didn't happen over at your world. It was our greatest achievement!"

And Judal despised how his reflection treated the whole event like a joke.

"You killed so many people. You ruined the lives of so many families." Judal accused his reflection, filling each word with the hate he undeniably felt. "…And you didn't feel anything other than amusement when you did it."

His reflection snorted.

"So? They were all weaklings. They _deserved _to be razed to the ground. If they were stronger, they would've survived." He insisted. "Aren't we magi? We're better than them. We're _special_."

Judal gritted his teeth.

(How many times had he himself repeated that same line to others as he pushed them down? How many times did the influence of Al Thamen manage to delusion him to the point that he thought he was immortal?)

"Better than them?" He parroted bitterly. "How could you say that when you allowed yourself to be controlled and used by Al Thamen your entire life? Or did you not realize it yet?" A look flashed across his reflection's eyes. "No, you already know, don't you? And you're _still _like this. You're not special. You're just easily manipulated. All the other magi work on their own. You're the only one who's working under the orders of a crazy bitch. You have no control over your own life."

Judal's reflection's expression soured. "Shut up."

"Seems to me that _you're _the weak one."

"_Shut up."_

"They completely replaced our family in your eyes, didn't they? Mom, Dad, Mei, and Tao are that easy to replace with those monsters, aren't they? They must be _such _a great support group." His lips parted into a mocking smile. "_I _at least have family who make sure I don't end up as fucked up as you."

"_Shut up. Shut up. Shut up. Shut up. Shut up –_

"Do you even _know _your name? Your real name? I bet you're using a stupid one that Al Thamen gave you."

"SHUT UP!" His reflection roared, shaking the walls of the room with the force of his scream. "SHUT UP! Stop talking like you know anything about this! You know NOTHING! Someone like you who grew up with their weak family and works with the idiot king know _nothing _about me! You don't understand! You will _never understand what I've been through_!"

Crying.

His reflection was crying. He should feel bad since he was the one who pushed himself so far.

But still, Judal couldn't bring himself to care or feel guilty. He just felt cold and empty as he faced himself in the mirror.

"I don't even want to understand. You don't deserve anyone to understand. You're an unforgivable monster."

His reflection glared balefully at him. _"I hate you."_

"I hate you." Judal echoed back with no less venom and tossed the mirror away. He stared blankly at the wall in front of him as he heard his reflection scream and curse from across the room.

"I hate you." Judal repeated, but to no mirror.

He felt arms wrap around him from behind as someone sighed softly. "Oh Judal."

Judal didn't turn around to look at Kougyoku.

Instead, he hunched over and hid his face.


	59. Chapter 58: Storming the Palace

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Time to kick some Al Thamen butt.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Onwards

It was Aladdin who felt it first.

He had been on an impromptu trip with Alibaba and Morgiana when it happened. After the events in the Colosseum, Shion had suggested that he took a break from the entire mess. "Go somewhere," he seemed to almost beg the young magi, "anywhere. Maybe even go on an adventure with Alibaba and Morgiana like old times."

Aladdin listened to the time traveler and did just that: went on an adventure with his friends. Alibaba seemed to be eager to have something distract him from his problems and Morgiana was open to spending more time with her dearest friends.

It seemed like the best idea at that time.

Now, as the rukh collectively shrieked and darkened around him so suddenly and abruptly, he wasn't so sure.

"Aladdin? Are you okay?" Alibaba fretted as the other boy doubled back as if he was physically hit. "Hey, Mor! We need to stop for a second! There's something wrong with Aladdin!"

"There's something wrong." Aladdin muttered under his breath as he distantly felt both of his friends support him. Panic and anxiety closed around his throat as he stared at the large gathering of dark rukh rushing from a specific direction. "There's something very, very wrong."

Morgiana looked around cautiously for any threats as Alibaba tried to get a clearer answer from the magi.

"Kou." Aladdin gasped. "Something is very wrong in Kou."

* * *

Yasmine didn't really have much attachment to Sasan.

The city itself was a place she seldom visited during her second life despite her title as its princess. She was only summoned whenever her grandfather or his council members needed her power.

But…she had to admit that she had missed her little hut.

To her surprise, it was well-maintained despite her absence. Kouha had vocally expressed his relief when he discovered the continuing survival of her comfortable bed and jumped into it. She joined him, too weary from her travels to complain when he wrapped his arms around her under the covers.

It seemed that her grandfather had other ways than poorly arranged marriages to show that he cared.

The following week, Yasmine and Kouha hunted and relaxed in her old home. They hunted, swam, ate, and slept without worries about the responsibilities that they left behind. Especially Yasmine's. They were mainly here because of Yasmine. After her visit to the Colosseum, Kouha had taken one look at her expression and _knew _something happened.

But he didn't ask.

(And, for that, Yasmine was thankful.)

One night, she took him to Raja's grave. It wasn't the first time, but Kouha retained the same solemnness and respectful air as he followed her to the marked land covered in Yasmine's namesake. She was surprised to see that the tiger bone mask was still there. She cleared the grave and dusted off the mask before putting her hands together in prayer.

'_Raja, I hope you can hear me now. I need your help. I need your guidance. Now, more than ever. What should I do?'_

As always, there was no response. No sign.

Her shoulders slumped. She didn't know what she was expecting, honestly. The dead never spoke. And even if they did, only Judal's brother was able to truly converse with them, she heard.

'_My greatest enemy is my own __**teacher. **__I lost a significant part of my memory when I was reincarnated. Can I truly call myself Harley while being this incomplete? What am I fighting for anymore? Is there even a point?'_

'_What's the __**point?**__'_

"Yasmine?"

At the murmured question, Yasmine broke herself from her thoughts and turned to her companion. Kouha stared back at her with concern.

"Are you okay?"

Yasmine's entire world stilled for a moment when their eyes met. She had long since shed herself from her blindfold and Kouha continued to keep eye contact despite it. The blatant and easy show of trust whenever he unflinchingly met her eyes blew her away every time.

'_Oh.'_

That…that's the point, wasn't it? Sammi was her teacher, yes, but the whole _reason _she sent herself away was because of this world. She had wanted it to survive. She had wanted it to _live_.

And, if the world could create beautiful miracles like Kouha, Yasmine wanted it to continue living too.

"We should get married." Yasmine finally said, the words leaving her mouth more easily than she expected. "After I'm done with what I'm supposed to do, I'm going to go to your brother for his blessing."

She left him behind, gaping.

"I – we – did you just – what?!" Kouha somehow managed to break himself out of his reverie to chase after her with the widest smile on his face. "No! Wait, say it again! _Yasmine!_"

* * *

Then, Yasmine and Kouha found an injured Hakuryuu, an exhausted Tiare, and an eerily silent Tao at her front door.

They told them about what happened.

While Kouha began to shout, Yasmine went to the back of her hut to fetch her scythe.

* * *

Shion did not wait.

Even as Ranya begged and Ja'far argued, he sent out emergency messages to every chibi general with the reluctant help of Yamraiha and her crystals. He even sent a private call to Sai, who he _knew _would be prompt and efficient despite his history of being a bit rebellious.

This was no longer the time for games.

Only Sinbad seemed to show no sign of argument. He simply offered a few soldiers and ships for the upcoming battle. Shion awkwardly refused the offer, knowing that they would only end up becoming causalities in _his _fight against Hakkan and Al Thamen.

"I don't want anyone else getting tangled up with what I brought back into this timeline with my wish." Shion explained as his father listened patiently. "Hakkan was my mistake. My generals and I need to face him alone." After a brief pause, he added quickly, "But I'm not against having backup ready when necessary since Al Thamen is your enemy too, Father."

When it was time to go, Shion faced his family with a regretful quirk in his smile.

"Well, I'll be leaving, everyone."

Ranya cried and held Shion closely to her chest, insisting that she _refused _to let him go.

"There's something wrong with the rukh." She told him with a distressed tone as she cradled him tightly. "They're usually so chatty but now they won't tell me what's happening in Kou. There's something _unnatural _happening in the palace. Shion, you shouldn't go there. You _shouldn't_. I don't want our family to be separated again. Oh Sin, _say something! _Tell him he shouldn't go."

Sinbad's expression was pained, but he remained firm in his decision to allow Shion to go.

"Ranya, he's old enough to make his own decisions." He forced himself to say through gritted teeth.

Ranya, with all her anger and fierceness of a mother, refused to accept _that _statement as a proper answer. "Sin, he's _ten_!" She snapped.

Yunan attempted to placate her. "Ranya, _please._ You know that Sinbad has Shion's interests and safety as his highest priority. He has a reason for this. Listen to him."

"When did you start agreeing with Sin?! I thought you loved Shion." Ranya accused bitterly.

Yunan flinched visibly.

"Mom, I need to go."

Ranya looked back down at her son. Her anger immediately crumbled at the expression on Shion's face. He was resolute yet well-aware of what exactly he was going to throw himself into.

"I need to go." Shion repeated in a softer tone as he tugged himself out of her arms. It hurt, but he didn't want to let himself return to the comfortable illusion of being the ten-year-old Shion everyone thought of him to be. He wasn't a child. Hadn't been for a long, _long _time. "I know it's not safe, but that's why I need to be there, so I can stop it before it gets worse." Shion looked down at his mother's still-flat belly. "If I don't go, even Sindria won't be safe for the baby anymore. Nowhere would be. I'm confident that the rukh told you that too, didn't it?" He guessed tentatively.

Ranya breathed out a shaky sigh, telling Shion that he was right, before acquiescing with a short nod.

"You're right."

Then, with a softer and more vulnerable tone, she begged, "Please, be safe Shion."

"Don't worry, ma'am." Jamal chirped from his position next to Shion. "Kikiriku and I will make sure to bring him back to you in one piece. We're pretty good at that."

Kikiriku nodded from his position within the mountain of hugs his siblings were giving him.

"You're being foolish." Ja'far chided Shion resignedly for the last time, already accepting the fact that he would have no chance to talk Shion out of his mission. "You're really…too much like Sin when it comes to that. Please. Don't do anything reckless. Are you _sure _you can't bring any of our soldiers with you?"

"It's my fight." Shion repeated firmly. "I…the issue in Kou is _my fault_ so I can't get anyone else involved unless necessary. I can't tell you why – and I'm sorry that I can't, really – but I need you to trust me."

Sharkkan looked ready to cry. "Are you _sure_ you don't need us to help you, my prince?"

"Yes, please allow us to help." Yamraiha chimed in from the swordsman's side with a hopeful shine in her eyes. "Kohaku is my apprentice too. With my magic and Sharrkan's unmatchable skill in swordsmanship, I'm sure that we can help you in storming the castle."

"What about _us_?!" Pisti wailed as Spartos did his best to hold her back from tackling Shion and preventing him from leaving shore. "We want to come and protect Prince Shion too!"

Shion laughed sadly at their insistence. "I'm sorry. I can't…all of you…" He sighed. "Please, take care of my mother and father while I'm gone. Don't worry. I'll come back." With a wry smile, he continued, "As your prince, I thought I'd have a little more trust than this."

As the other generals scrambled around to retract their statements, Masrur's hand landed on Shion's head.

"It isn't that we don't trust you or your abilities." He rumbled gently, "There's no doubt that you are capable. But we all can't help but worry for you, Prince Shion. We all love you very much."

Under the large hand, Shion ducked his head and trembled.

'_I love all of you too.'_ He didn't say. _'That's why I'm doing this.'_

The image of a desolate island and a single tomb with his father's name still haunted Shion's thoughts.

"Take care of my parents." He repeated after he cleared his throat. "Keep them safe. Keep Sindria safe, okay?"

Later on, when Shion was far, far away from Sindria's shores thanks to Jamal's hastily-crafted motorboat, he prayed that the Rubber Band didn't snap back.

_Please_ let it not have snapped back.

* * *

"Yare, Yare." Sai sighed as he lazily watched the magicians around him create a large transportation circle. Behind him, Opal paced around the room impatiently. Surprisingly, Hel appeared mostly calm despite hearing the news from Sindria and focused on sharpening his weapons instead. "And to think we'd get a decent break for once."

"He's back." Opal muttered to herself repeatedly under her breath as she paced. "He's back. He's back."

Sai glanced at Hel curiously. "You're not going to comfort her?"

"She does not need to be comforted." The part-Finalis responded flatly as he inspected his current blade.

"Harsh."

"This is something that I can't help her with. I wasn't part of her life back then like the carnivore and the other herbivores who follow him." Hel clarified, letting a bit of annoyance creep into his tone. "I was…I have no right to tell her to stop. The Snake hurt her the most. Opal has every right to be angry and stressed." His eyes flickered over to the lounging Blessed Child. "And so do you."

Sai hummed. "Strange that you say that, little Hel. What makes you think that I'm affected?"

"You're bleeding." Hel pointed out flatly, glancing at Sai's spotless hands. They twitched slightly at either the attention or the words. "I can smell it from here. You should probably wrap that before it gets infected. We don't need you dragging us down."

Sai stared at Hel blankly before he let out a loud exhale. As he did, the image of Sai's relaxed hands melted into clenched fists with fingernails biting through bone-white skin. He forced his fingers to uncurl as he inspected the self-inflicted damage with a wry smile. "I _knew _I forgot something. The smell. It's always the smell."

"The other Blessed Children will be fine. Their claws will be enough to keep them alive in Al Thamen's hands." It was not quite an assurance, but it made Sai look up. "Be more concerned about preparing to storm the palace."

Sai's good eye flickered over to the sharpened blade in Hel's hands before flickering back up to the part-Finalis' red eyes.

Hel knew that the other understood.

Titus chose that time to wander over to them, finished with setting up the magic circle.

"The magic circle should be stable enough to send you all over a few miles outside – _Sai!_ What did you do to your _hands?_"

* * *

Kougyoku hissed and scratched as much as her restraints allowed as Al Thamen priests and traitorous soldiers alike dragged her from her cell to Gyokuen's feet. Judal, who was even more so bound than her, received similar treatment. He screamed garbled expletives and threats behind his gag, which the soldiers forced onto him after a good handful lost their fingers to his teeth and fury.

"My children!" Gyokuen – no, _Arba _cooed sweetly from her position on the throne. "It has been too long since we've been together, hasn't it?" The Blessed Child bristled at the bitter and syrupy taste of the woman's smugness as she sat on the seat that had been Kouen's.

Beside her, Hakkan – _that traitor! _– lazily slouched against a pillar, looking down at her dispassionately with his metal vessel at his side. Kougyoku's eyes stung with angry tears as she turned her fury onto him. _He _was the reason everything was like this. Because of him, Kou Palace was once again in the hands of Al Thamen. Because of him, her family was threatened. Because of him, Kouen was –

She bit back a whimper. She would not show weakness in front of these monsters.

'_En-nii, I won't let them get away with what they've done.' _She swore silently as she collected all her anger and grief and held them close. _'Just watch. I'll rip all their throats out the moment they let down their guard.'_

Arba tutted at the face of Kougyoku's stubborn silence and Judal's blatant rebellion. "I must say, both of you have been _very _naughty ever since the last time we met."

Kougyoku sneered at the monster on her brother's throne in response. The creature in front of her was all dark, sadistic, broken, and insane in her eyes.

(And to think, in a life she didn't remember, Sydney used to laugh and train with this same woman. She loved and trusted that woman once and wasn't that crazy?)

How far Arba had fallen in the millennia.

As if sensing her thoughts, the reinstated Empress' smile curdled and warped into something that Kougyoku could only guess was an imitation to her own sneer.

"Yes." The zealot murmured to herself. "Very, very naughty child. You sent all of my plans into flames with all your meddling. To think that you were this dangerous." Her eyes sharpened. "My mistake was underestimating you, all of you. Your kind generally avoided getting involved with my plans, so I generously allowed you lot to stay…but to think that I let in such a viper inside my very home as a result. I should have strangled you the moment Ping brought you through the palace doors."

Kougyoku held back a shudder at the heavy threat that peeked out under Arba's list of regrets.

"Hah," she forced herself to huff instead. "Viper? Coming from a turncoat like you, I'll take it as a compliment."

"I wouldn't blame you for not understanding my reasons," Arba simpered behind her sleeves. "This is all bigger than you can ever understand, child."

'_She knows __**nothing.**__'_

Kougyoku's head snapped back at the amount of poison in the thought she overheard.

'_She's bitter.'_ Kougyoku realized. _'She __**wants **__to gloat, but she thinks that we don't know the situation enough to appreciate it.'_ Her eyes narrowed speculatively, _'I wonder what she'd say…or, at least, what she'd __**think **__if I showed her that I'm capable of understanding everything?'_

It was a huge risk, maybe even a foolish one.

But it was all Kougyoku had.

"We know more than you think," the words slipped from her lips like water as she carefully tracked the zealot empress's reaction, "_Arba._"

At the sound of her true name, Arba stilled.

"Ah-ha, so it's true after all. You used to be one of Solomon's magi." Kougyoku pushed further on, trying to wiggle out a different reaction – preferably, the chattier kind with gratuitous monologue. That's what villains in manga sometimes did, right? She hoped that Arba sure as hell fell into the stereotypical category.

Arba tilted her head curiously. Meanwhile, from his corner, Hakkan remained silent yet watchful of what was unfurling in front of him. "How unexpected. I haven't heard of this name in a long while. And to think that _you_ of all people would know of it. Tell me, what else do you know?"

Kougyoku shrugged carelessly from her position on the floor. "Oh, you know, the basics. You pretty much raised Solomon. You used to be the greatest swordsman among all magicians. You also stood beside Sa - _Bathsheba_ as both a friend and a confidant."

Arba seemed thrilled at the amount of knowledge Kougyoku had.

"And you are the traitor who turned her back on her own friends and family in favor of a dying god." Kougyoku concluded with a disgusted snort.

Gyokuen's face abruptly shifted into an ugly snarl and it took Kougyoku a second too late to realize why. "Do not speak of Il Illah so lightly, you **heathen**. You do not know what you are speaking of."

Kougyoku quailed at the face of the other woman's rage. For the first time, the horrific monster that had always surrounded the false empress separated from its host to pin Kougyoku down. She choked under the force of its blind fervor and its righteous anger. She felt it claw at her scalp and back as she stared up at Empress Gyokuen's beautiful face – twisted by the large, gaping smile she wore as she loomed over the Blessed Child.

Somehow, the sight without the monstrous shroud was far more frightening.

Distantly, Kougyoku heard Judal's muffled shouts become more panicked, though she wasn't so sure.

At the moment, she can't do anything. She can't move. She can't breathe.

(She can't breathe. She can't breathe. Shecan'tbreatheshecan'tbreathe_shecan't_ –)

She was Sydney Trent all over again, struggling to breathe as she was suffocated by her own pillow. She was Sydney Trent, keeping silent even after discovering that the accident that befell Phoebe Winthrop was not actually an accident after all. She was Sydney Trent, pulling her sleeves over her many, many bruises made by hands far larger than her own.

'_I can't do this. I'm not capable enough to handle something like this. I should just step back and keep my head down. Someone else can do this – __**anyone **__else. Just not me.' _She thought to herself for one, cowardly second.

But then, she remembered – _"Tabula Rasa"_

That's right. She was no longer Sydney anymore, was she?

She was Kougyoku, Eighth Princess of Kou and Blessed Child. With her own strength, she seized the titles of General and High Priestess. The djinn Vinea had chosen her. _Judal _had chosen her.

She was fire. She was bloodlust. She was ferocious.

_She will not be quashed so easily._

Kougyoku took a deep breath and pressed back against the monster.

Fire began to lick up its many limbs as she channeled as much of her rage, determination, and bravery into beating away the weight of the personification of Arba's intimidation.

"I know what I heard and saw. David stripped your god of its power by the time you found it." Kougyoku forced through gritted teeth. "Il Illah was already weakened before King Solomon converted the dark rukh into light. It became a starving beast that tried to feed itself through Bathsheba's body."

The pressure on her body increased.

'_Courage, Kougyoku, courage.' _She reminded herself.

"He did something to it back then, didn't he? Something that made you unable to hear its voice from the beyond anymore."

Abruptly, the pressure on her body was gone.

"…You hear Our Father's voice?"

The air around Kougyoku was heavy with something different now. It vibrated with barely contained energy that tasted of too much static to be joy. Whispering began to erupt from Arba's mind, skittering around too quickly to be coherent enough for Kougyoku to understand.

"I can see, hear, and taste the truth. That is my ability." She answered neutrally. "Are you really that surprised, Arba?"

The traitorous magi clapped her hands together in glee like a little girl, eyes shining with tears. "Then! You understand!"

A torrent of voices crashed over Kougyoku at once. Desperately, she grabbed onto the loudest ones, trying to find a thought that would give her a bigger picture of what Arba, Hakkan, and the Cursed Children were scheming.

'_She's lying. She must be lying. I'm the only one who could ever hear him. I even thought that I might have been hearing things since I was the only one…'_

'_Of course, since she is the truth-seer, that child is aware of the all-encompassing truth that is Il Illah. There should have never been any doubt about this. Why did I never think of it before?'_

'_HoW dARE shE HeaR HIS wOrDs aNd STilL wORk AGaiNsT him?!'_

' – _wrong! Solomon was wrong! Even his own creation agrees that –' _

'_Our Father Our Father Our Father Our Father Our Father Our Father Our Father Our Father Our Father Our Father –_

'_finally, i am no longer alone'_

If Kougyoku was a kinder, more compassionate person, she would have managed to scrounge up a scrap of pity for the once powerful woman in front of her.

She was not kind to her enemies.

' – _can hear him then that means that our efforts in collecting the dark rukh from the cracks has been successful!'_

_ **There!** _

Kougyoku grabbed onto the thought and held tight.

And then…

A myriad of information concerning Arba's line of thought downloaded into the Blessed Child's brain in an instant. In mere moments, Kougyoku got the gist of what Arba was planning. The cracks. The experiments. Arba's frustration at the dwindling numbers and influence of Al Thamen. Arba's desperation to reach for the dimension behind the cracks – to reach for who she believed was Il Illah. Arba's zealous drive to destroy the seal that was blocking her from what was on the other side.

This seal's connection to the Blessed Children.

Kougyoku blanched.

'_No way,'_ she chanted in her head numbly as her mind drew the connections despite her desperate denial. _'No way. No way. No way.'_

Sammi sent herself away from this world. She sent herself to a place where she couldn't be reached ever again…right? So this thing that Arba was currently harvesting destructive, dark rukh from can't be Sammi.

Right?

…

Kougyoku might have become better at lying, but she knew more than anyone that trying to convince a truth-seer to swallow a lie is impossible.

Instead of allowing herself to drown in her despair at the discovery, Kougyoku latched onto her anger and let it loose upon the false empress in front of her.

"_Do you know what you've just done?"_

This woman – this _thing _– has not only rendered Sammi's sacrifice useless, but Arba was also desecrating what was left of her teacher's body. This was _all her fault_.

"…? What exactly do you mean?" Arba tilted her head, bemused by Kougyoku's sudden shift in character. "Everything that I have done, everything that I have destroyed has been for the sake of our father. Surely you can understand."

Kougyoku _could._ But that didn't mean that she _did._ And she didn't want to. Ever.

(This kind of consuming obsession was a black hole. It took and took. And for what? A possibility? A mirage? No matter how much she was capable of emphasizing with Arba, Kougyoku knew that the effort would result with the destruction of everything she loved and held dear.

No, Arba was not worth the risk.)

Arba peered down at Kougyoku almost sweetly.

"Join me, Princess. Together, we can end this senseless conflict quickly and finally release Our Father from Solomon's arrogant rules."

"Never." Kougyoku did not even hesitate. "I am no traitor."

_Unlike you_, was never said but heavily implied.

Arba appeared unsurprised with her answer, but Kougyoku could see the disappointment pooling at the woman's feet in murky, thick globs.

'_A pity.'_

"I see. Well, that's unfortunate. Judal-chan," Arba called out, making the magi freeze in his struggling, "I think it is time for you to return to us as our Oracle, no? Our Blessed Child and Princess has done well in performing your duties during your absence, but it's time for her to rest now." Gyokuen tilted her head to the side with a grotesque parody of a smile, "no?"

The implications in her words caused Judal's thrashing to renew. His movements were more desperate and Kougyoku could see the shadows around her magi simultaneously lash out at Gyokuen while also cradling her protectively.

'_No, no, no, no,' _his thoughts wailed loudly against her ears. Memories that weren't her own flashed across her eyes. _'Don't hurt her. Not her. Don't. I'll do anything. Anything. So don't. __**Don't take her away from me.**__'_

Kougyoku's chest tightened.

_Judal…_

Arba, satisfied with his reaction, sat back. "I see. You do not want our Princess to rest. How selfish of you! Ah, but you have always been a spoiled child. You must work for your reward. Our Blessed Child staying with us will depend on whether or not Judal-chan is willing to be a good boy. For now, she will stay with me. I need her to draw out the rest of the Blessed Children after all!"

This** bitch.**

Arba left the throne room, reeking of smugness and triumph.

Kougyoku seethed as Judal's struggling ceased once again, defeated.

Hakkan tilted his head curiously, showing emotion other than apathy for the first time. "Blessed Child?" He repeated slowly as he looked Kougyoku up and down. "You?"

Kougyoku snarled back at him. "Fuck off, traitor."

He completely ignored her words. Or he didn't care.

"…You're not Jin."

"What?"

"No, nothing." Hakkan shrugged, losing interest in her quickly. "It doesn't matter anyways."

Kougyoku watched him as he slunk into the shadows, disinterested in what Arba had planned for them. Behind him, she saw a wounded animal – covered in too much darkness to be recognizable – limped after him, making low and pathetic noises as it went. She would have felt pity for him if she didn't hate him so much.

It didn't matter what his intent was.

Hakkan of Heliohapt was the reason why she was here at Arba's feet. He was her enemy.

* * *

Thick chains wrapped around Amani's wrists, ankles, and neck. They held her in place within the already heavily guarded cell. None of her guards were going to take any chances on her escape as they were well aware of her abilities.

Usually, in this situation, Amani would be amused. This was the most attention she'd received by people outside of her ring of close companions and family in a long while.

But now was not the time to feel amused.

Amani had let her guard down. She had been careless in her desperation to turn away from the burden that the Colosseum meeting had dropped onto her. From the moment Shion walked into her room and brought meaning into her reincarnated life, Amani never wavered in her faith in her king or his cause. If it was possible, she made it her mission to make Shion's dream to protect his world come true. But then, Amani found out that her entire purpose of reincarnating – for _existing _– was to help Shion kill Sammi. _Sammi_.

So, Amani all but ran back to Kou. Back to her husband's arms. Back to familiarity, family, and safety.

_It's over. It's done with. Shion can take care of the rest. _She had attempted to comfort herself as she left Shion. Her choice had felt so _wrong_ but it was a choice she made anyways. She turned and walked away from the problems she was so confident her king was able to resolve.

Amani had no idea that the problems would follow her back home.

Now, Kou was in shambles. All servants and soldiers loyal to the Kou Family's faction were either imprisoned or killed. Gyokuen and Al Thamen were back on the seat of power. And Kouen was…

Amani closed her eyes and calmed herself. This wasn't the time to mope or panic. Gyokuen or Arba or whatever the witch was calling herself at the moment had two Blessed Children under her thumb. Amani didn't know what the traitorous magi wanted with them, but she wasn't going to let her have her way so easily. The priority was to escape.

Fatima's lessons and training flitted through her mind. Amani could hear her mentor's voice coaching her through the many different ways to wiggle out of ropes and shackles.

"_If you have time, pick the locks," _Fatima had lectured her while fastening metal cuffs onto Amani's wrists. Those were reserved for violent prisoners, assassins kept alive for questioning, and other criminals. _"I know you can do it. For children with your background, this is merely second nature. Do it slowly so they won't notice. Always have your lock-picking tools with you. They are as important as your weapons."_

Amani quietly cursed herself for leaving those important tools in her drawers. But Kouryuu would have accidently found them and hurt himself.

"_But, if there is ever a case you don't have any of those with you…"_

Amani's hands, which were pulled behind her back, shifted around until they managed to grab ahold of her hair. During her struggle, her hairpin had been broken and her hair was down.

No one thought to look in her hair when they put her in chains.

After a bit of fumbling, Amani managed to pluck two bobby pins Jamal had crafted for her at her request. While beautiful, traditional Kou hairpins could hold up so much hair in a battle or with a curious infant.

She gripped those small gifts as if they were a lifeline.

* * *

Shion met up with the rest of his generals right outside the Kou border, just as they had agreed. The usual smiles that they exchanged with each other whenever they reunited was noticeably absent.

"I say we go in there right now and storm the palace." Jamal announced resolutely the moment everyone was back together. "We have the strength and numbers to do it and I bet the rest of Al Thamen are gathered there."

Opal voiced her agreement loudly and Selene nodded with eyes burning almost maliciously.

"No. That's a bad idea."

Shockingly, it wasn't Kikiriku or Shion who piped up as the voice of reason, but Hel.

Kikiriku coughed. "Not that I disagree with you, Hel, but _why_? Aren't you usually all gung-ho about the 'biting weak herbivores to death' thing?"

"Yes," Hel agreed, "_weak herbivores._ But we are walking into a viper's den. She might pull tricks on us. She might use Kohaku." Shion winced. "_And _we have that Snake to consider."

Opal's expression darkened at the mention of Hakkan.

Shion sighed. "Hel's right. We'll be facing a very ancient being and a person who knows us just as well as we know each other. I wouldn't be surprised if they _expected_ us to come rushing in without a plan."

"Mou, Princeling, I'm offended," Sai's voice drawled from behind him. "Did you _truly _expect me to come to the battlefield empty-handed? It's Bee-chan and Kou-chan's life on the line, you know." He turned to Jamal. "Go wild. Don't hold back. It won't matter just as long as all of you manage to get me close enough to the bitch who started this whole mess."

* * *

Yasmine had expected a little more…resistance when she and Kouha barged into Kou Palace armed with their djinn equip. But it was almost offensively easy to make their way towards the main palace.

Yasmine got the answer to her mental question when they drew closer to the ground.

Behind them, Tiare snorted in amusement at the sight of the countless shattered remnants of Al Thamen dolls all over the ground. Everything around them was either damaged, burned, or iced over.

_Ah,_ Yasmine couldn't help the amusement that filled her chest despite the gravity of the current situation, _Jamal was here._

Which meant that Shion was here too.

"Very impressive. Your younger brother and his friends have a talent for destruction," Tao noted from behind her. His head tilted to the side as he listened to the voices of the dead. "They're not too far. The battle here was recent."

Kouha huffed out a laugh at the information Tao relayed. "Yasmine, your brother is a _menace_."

"Says the biggest menace of Kou," Yasmine teased affectionately, making him laugh and slip his hand into hers. "You're the one who decided to marry this menace," Kouha reminded her.

"Enough flirting," Hakuryuu interrupted curtly, eyes trained on the ajar doors into the main palace. "We're here for a reason and our family isn't safe yet."

The reminder turned both of them somber.

"We need to go to the throne room," Tao announced, breaking the awkward silence. "That's where my brother and Miss Kougyoku are." His expression darkened, "As well as Queen Gyokuen and that Heliohapt prince."

"Kouha, you go and search for your brothers," Yasmine encouraged, knowing that it was his main concern. "We'll be fine."

Hakuryuu nodded. "Yes, someone needs to free everyone who was imprisoned." He put a hand on his household member's head. "Tiare will go with you to help evacuate them once you set them free."

After they split ways, Hakuryuu turned to Yasmine and Tao.

"Queen Gyokuen is dangerous," he warned them, "there's a reason why I spent years amassing enough power to defeat her. Don't underestimate her. She's powerful and cunning."

"I know," Yasmine replied steadily, keeping face trained forward. "Believe me, I'm well aware of how dangerous she is."

_Maybe even more than you_, she wanted to add but bit it off at the last minute. Comments like that would require answers and explanations, which they didn't have time for. _It doesn't matter. Gyokuen. Arba. They're just names of the same dangerous traitor._

Tao nodded, "Yes, I'll be sure to remember that, Hakuryuu. Your brothers warned me about her too."

Hakuryuu nodded. "I'm sure that they did. Koumei-dono has always been very cautious and wary when it came to Gyokuen."

Tao looked as if he wanted to say something before thinking better of it and moving forward.

As they drew closer to the throne room, Yasmine took hold of her blindfold and tugged.

* * *

Somewhere, Kohaku held onto her mother as Seishin cried.

* * *

"You're not going to win."

Arba looked down at the Blessed Child at her feet with amusement.

"Oh?"

"You won't."

Arba's lips curved up almost mockingly. "Did you see it as the truth with your eyes, Priestess? Or did you _taste _my so-called inevitable defeat? Do tell. Which is it? I'll be sure to show that even your abilities can lead you astray from the truth."

"He will make it into the truth."

Arba nodded slowly.

"Your faith in your king is admirable. But he will not be able to save you, Blessed Child."

She placed a hand almost tenderly on the shoulders of her King Candidate and her reinstated Oracle.

"_That _is the truth."

At Arba's feet, out of sight, Kougyoku smiled.

* * *

In the cell beside Amani's, a haggard-looking Koumei held a whimpering Kouryuu close to his chest. He angled his body away from the door, acting as the last line of defense for his son – as pitiful as his strength was. He knew of Gyokuen and Al Thamen's strange interest in his child and hoped that they would remain distracted until help came.

"Da," Kouryuu warbled miserably into his father's clothes. "Da."

"It's okay. It's okay." Koumei murmured into his son's hair and trying his best to keep himself together. He couldn't stop shaking. "I'm here. Don't worry. Da's here. Everything is going to be fine."

He didn't know who he was trying to convince.

(Everything went so _wrong _so _quickly._)

Kouryuu stopped his sniffling and looked up at his father with large, watery eyes.

"Ma?" He inquired.

Koumei swallowed and he felt his heart slide down as he did it.

"I'm sorry, Kouryuu," he heard himself say. His mouth moved, and the sounds came out well enough. "But Amani…Ma isn't here. She can't be here with us right now."

"Pwease?" His son implored, looking hopeful. It was the magic word, after all. "Pwease? Ma?"

Koumei barely managed to bite back the sob climbing up his throat. Just barely. He roughly pushed it down right next to the heart he swallowed.

"Kouryuu –

A shout cut Koumei off from answering. The door muffled most of the sounds, but he heard weapons being drawn and heavy footsteps. He flinched as the shouts rose and rose until –

Silence.

Then, there was a loud click of a lock being turned.

Koumei held his breath and held Kouryuu closer. The person on the other side could be a rescuer, but he did not survive this long being an optimist. For all he knew, his guards won and decided to move Kouryuu somewhere else. Koumei's grip tightened at that thought. _No._

_He would not allow it._

His son didn't make a sound but looked close to tears at his father's fear and desperation.

The door opened only partially.

"_Anata_? Ryuu-chan?"

Both father and son jerked in response to the voice.

"MA!" Kouryuu shouted excitedly and almost squirmed out of Koumei's slack hold. Koumei nearly lurched for the door himself but stopped himself at the last second when a thought hit him.

Why wasn't she coming in? Why was she outside?

"…Amani?"

Was it a trick? Was there someone else with her, holding a blade at her throat?

"_Anata."_ Amani's answer was stilted and almost hesitant, alarming Koumei even more. "I'm fine," she was quick to assure as if she read his mind. _But was she really?_ "I'll be coming in. I just need…please, cover Ryuu-chan's eyes. I don't want him to see this."

Though confused, Koumei immediately obeyed, earning himself an indignant squawk from his son.

The door swung open further and his wife stepped in. Alone.

Koumei didn't have time to be relieved about that. Not with his wife looked so tired and resigned. Not with her pale skin and dress splattered with red. Not with the sword in her hand that was practically _soaking _with blood.

At her feet, a soldier's head rolled.


	60. Chapter 59: Whiplash

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The battle of the throne room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Onwards

Shion's mind had been pounding ever since he entered the palace. Unlike the first time he visited, the entire place was void of people and sounds. And yet, despite the unsettling aura of the entire place, Shion was hit deeply with a sense of déjà vu.

"_It's been such a long time since I've set foot on this place."_

Shion jumped at the unexpected voice. He turned to the source and saw the familiar, blurry figure of the stranger he saw at the halls of Sindria before he lost consciousness. "You again?"

Hel sent him a strange look at his outburst. Shion ignored it in favor of what the blurry figure beside him.

"_It looks so different now," _the stranger said wistfully as he hobbled forward, _"I can't recognize a thing." _He barked out a bitter laugh. _"It's ironic. I'm standing in the position that many of my enemies have stood. They all must be laughing now…wherever they are. And I deserve it."_

The stranger scoffed at an unheard response.

"_You know nothing of what I've done, foolish student. You have missed out on much during your years in that dungeon."_

Shion sighed as the one-sided conversation went on without him.

But then –

"_Do not search for the Black Bird anymore."_

Shion paused in his steps. Strangely, it seemed that the him in the memory did the same since the stranger also stopped his hobbling to turn back.

"What?"

"_You heard me, foolish student. Leave it be. It's better slumbering away forever than to be bothered by a brat like you. Al Thamen is close to being finished. You've taken most of the world back from them, including Kou."_

Something sharply jerked in his brain, making Shion wince and stumble forward.

"Shion?" Opal asked, putting a hand on his shoulder. "You okay?"

"_Foolish student! Fix that head of yours! You are a thousand years too early to argue about this! Turn back! Be content with your country and your allies! Be content with Amani!"_

Sai strode up to his side, looking him up and down for any physical signs.

"Mou, let's call back Selene, Princeling. She's better at healing magic than me."

"_Shion! Don't make the same mistake __**he **__had!"_

Shion shook his head. "No. No, there's no time for that, now. Besides, she's with Jamal and Kikiriku taking care of the remnants of Al Thamen. That's more important. Don't worry about me. I'm just…remembering things."

Opal nodded sympathetically. "Right. I remember. We took back Kou in the last timeline, didn't we? We were so hopeful and happy back then. What did you remember? The celebration? The dramatic take-down of the main base of Al Thamen?"

_I think I made a mistake, but I don't know what,_ Shion wanted to say but couldn't.

Hel stopped in front of them, jerking the pair behind him from their memories. "We're here."

The doors to the throne room loomed over them.

Shion placed a hand over his lamp and it warmed in preparation.

"Andromalius."

The djinn equip settled on Shion's body effortlessly as result of the rigorous training he put himself through. "Ready?"

Opal and Hel readied their Household vessels. Sai's grip on his staff tightened.

"Ready."

Shion then drop kicked the doors open.

"How rude," Empress Gyokuen sighed from her seat. "And late. How long were you going to make me wait, Prince Shion?"

At her feet, a magically shackled and gagged Kougyoku widened her eyes and struggled against her restraints. The Al Thamen witch made a noise that parodied the shushing noise that Amani would frequently make to calm Kouryuu. "Now, now, don't struggle so much, Priestess. You need to be _considerate_ of the guests. No need to ruin the surprise so soon."

Shion was already tensing at the feeling of _danger, danger, danger _thrumming through his entire body from head to toe. Perhaps, it was the only thing that prevented him from having his head lopped off by the bone scythe that swiped at him out of nowhere.

"Shi~on!" Hakkan sang as he swiped at the purple-haired boy again. There was a wild gleam in his eyes as he took in Shion's form. "It's been forever and ever since we last met! And look! You managed to master Andromalius!" Hakkan stepped back, revealing his djinn equipped form.

Familiarity struck through Shion at the sight of the equip.

_Belial!_

Hakkan's wide smile turned smug at Shion's expression.

"That's right. Thanks to Arba, I was able to get a metal vessel of my own! Say hi to Belial, Shion!" Then, he brought his scythe down. "Bye, Shion!"

Before the metal vessel could reach Shion, a blade and a hammer blocked its trajectory.

Opal snarled while a low, threatening sound erupted from Hel's throat. Both of them stood in front of Shion protectively.

Hakkan's excited expression dimmed instantly at the intervention. "Oh. You two." He tilted his head and hummed, eyes flickering from between the two warriors. "Mind getting out of the way? This is between Shion and me." He sighed. "Honestly, both of you are such eyesores."

Opal's grip on her weapon tightened to the point that her knuckles turned white.

"I'm going to throw down your ass _so hard _that you'll be spitting out your spleen!" She spat before she lunged.

While the four battled, Sai remained at the back and watched in silence.

* * *

Koumei stared at his wife.

Amani stood across from him and their son, almost sheepish as she discreetly kicked the head back outside the prison cell and out of sight.

"…I'm sorry for the mess."

Koumei snapped out of his daze when Kouryuu wiggled impatiently in his arms. He had heard his mother's voice and wanted to see her. Amani, seeing her son's distress, quickly wiped her hands clean and rushed over to Kouryuu.

Since she was so close, Kouryuu didn't see all the blood when he finally managed to turn his head. He babbled happily at the sight of his mother's face.

"I missed Ryuu-chan too," Amani said affectionately as she kissed his little nose. Then, tentatively, she turned her face up and kissed her husband on the cheek. "I'm glad both of you are safe."

The shock had worn off by then. The overwhelming confusion that had kept Koumei in place was immediately replaced by relief at the familiar sight of his wife showering him and their son with her love and gentle care. He chased after her lips when she drew back and kissed her, pouring every emotion in it as he was made aware of the possibility that this may be the last for all they knew.

_Oh._

_I almost lost this._

"I love you," he told her almost desperately when they separated. "I love you so much. Don't leave us again. We were so miserable without you, you have no idea. I don't think we can take it if it happens again."

Kouryuu gurgled in agreement.

"I'll try not to," Amani assured them both. "Now, let's get out of here. We need to find the others and get Kouryuu somewhere safe."

"Safe," Kouryuu mimicked, nodding sagely.

"Yes, love, safe." Then, her eyes landed on the chains around Koumei's ankles. "Of course, you need to get those off before we can even get moving. One moment, I think one of the guards down the hall had them." Amani was gone and back in what seemed like an instant. The keys were soaking with blood, but she paid it no mind as she unshackled her husband.

Koumei sighed at her nonchalance. He once again covered his son's eyes as they made their way out of the cell. The number of dead bodies was immense, which made him all the more grateful that Kouryuu wasn't seeing this. "Kouha was a bad influence on you."

"I was already like this long before I met him. Please, give me some credit," Amani corrected him as she walked over a corpse.

Unlike his wife, Koumei chose to walk _around _the corpse. "…Why didn't you tell me?" He asked her, doing his best to keep the question from sounding too accusing. It wasn't. He was merely curious why his wife kept this part about her from him.

(Though, Koumei _would _be lying if it didn't cross his mind that his wife was originally sent from Balbadd to assassinate Kouen.)

"_Anata,_ I'm sorry for not telling you," Amani apologized remorsefully. "But I honestly thought you knew."

Koumei nearly tripped over a wrist.

"What?"

"I mean, you were always so efficient in gathering information about people who approached your brothers and yourself, so I thought you did the same about me," Amani continued, completely unaware of her husband's reaction. "My training under Fatima wasn't even a secret."

Koumei tilted his head. "Yes, I knew that you trained under Fatima. She was your predecessor and one of your father's advisors."

"And his personal assassin," Amani added helpfully.

Oh.

"Oh."

Amani turned back and patted his shoulder consolingly. "I realize you didn't know until later and, by that time, we had Kouryuu and there were just so many things happening."

Koumei was about to respond to that, but then, they were interrupted by a handful of guards, who came down as reinforcement.

"The prisoners have escaped! Get them!"

Knowing his wife was capable of taking down many people at once and seeing it were two _very _different things. Koumei watched as Amani ducked and sliced her way through, leaving a bloody trail at her wake. She made killing look so elegant and effortless even though he _knew _those movements required strength and power. His breath caught at the sight and he struggled to swallow around his dry mouth. It took a moment for Koumei to realize what he was feeling wasn't fear.

Immediately, he reared back from the thought and shoved it somewhere deep into his psyche where it would hopefully be forgotten about forever. This was not the time and place. This was **not **the time and place. He was in the middle of a blood-soaked hallway with his less-than-a-year-old-son and threatened with the possibility that they weren't going to make it out alive.

This was **not **the time and place.

Amani managed to get close enough to a soldier to disarm him and wrap her hands around his neck. She snapped it with the ease of snapping a brush in half.

Amani set down the soldier's body before turning to him, completely unharmed. There wasn't even a sheen of sweat on her forehead.

"Shall continue searching for the others?"

Koumei swallowed again and nodded, face flushed and a little dazed.

Oh.

Oh no.

* * *

General Opal of Partiva seldomly allowed anyone to cover her back while she fought. Even after Shion came into her life, she was slow to trust and slower to give her love. Still, she came to trust her friends and came to love the cheerful and dense Hakkan.

And now, here they were. In a throne room at another timeline. So much had changed.

"Why did you do it?" Opal heard Hel ask. "Why did you turn your back on them?"

Hakkan ignored his questions completely in favor of trying to gain Shion's attention. "Shion? Hey, Shion! Call these two off and fight me properly! Hey!"

Shion, in turn, did his best to ignore him.

"Hakkan's djinn equip is dangerous! It's Belial! Watch out for illusion-based attacks and _don't _get hit by his scythe! It sends whatever it chops up into another world!"

In moments, Hakkan's face was right up Shion's. Despite the pout he wore, Shion could see that the eyes were empty.

"Hey, Shion. _What makes you think I haven't used my illusions on you all already?"_

* * *

Alibaba, Morgiana, and Aladdin stared down at the destruction in horror. With the help of magic and metal vessels, all three of them were able to float above the capital.

"What happened here?" Alibaba wondered, dread filling his stomach as a thought hit him. "No…Amani and Kouryuu, they're in there! We need to go in there and see that happened to them!"

Morgiana nodded sharply. "Agreed. I'll help search."

Before any of them could begin their descent, something caught Aladdin's eye. "Over there! I see survivors!"

True to Aladdin's words, a stream of people exited from a section of the palace. All of them looked haggard and weary from whatever experience they came out of. To the tearful relief of Alibaba, he caught sight of his sister leading the crowd.

"Amani!"

Amani looked up and smiled at her brother. He rushed over and crushed her into his chest.

"You're safe! Did all of you get out safe? Where is Prince Koumei and Kouryuu?"

"Lee!" Kouryuu crowed happily from his father's arms, soothing one of Alibaba's main concerns. An exhausted Koumei nodded at his brother-in-law in greeting. "Prince Koumei! I'm glad to see that everyone is safe!"

Koumei's expression darkened. "Well…"

Alibaba's smile dimmed as he turned back. Behind him, he saw a tearful Seishin supporting a limp figure that looked too familiar. Kohaku trailed after them quietly with her head down. Alibaba's heart sank at the sight.

"Is that…?"

Amani nodded somberly. "Yes, Alibaba. That's Kouen."

Alibaba's heart almost gave way in relief when the body moved. _Oh thank Solomon_, he thought, _Kohaku won't be losing her father._

"Seishin," Kouen grunted with effort, "Don't cry."

"But Kouen! Your legs! Your arm! All of those years of training…" Seishin sobbed as she clutched onto her husband. "How will you achieve your dream now?"

Kouen pressed his cheek against her shoulder. His legs dragged at the ground and his right arm flopped limply at his side. "It's fine. We made it out alive. We'll worry about those things later."

Kohaku gripped at her dress tightly as she sobbed silently where her father couldn't see.

Meanwhile, Aladdin and Morgiana were helping the rest of the escaped captives.

"Prince Kouha!" Aladdin recognized in surprise. "What happened here?"

"Gyokuen and Al Thamen," Kouha spat bitterly as he glanced at his family, "They stormed the palace with this upstart King Candidate from Heliohapt. I think it's that missing heir the Seven Seas Alliance was yapping about."

Their conversation was cut short by a flash of black that flew out of the palace. It stopped right in front of Morgiana. "Tiare!" The Finalis greeted her fellow household member in surprise. "Where is Hakuryuu-san?"

"He went with Yasmine and Tao to face that witch," Kouha answered for her while looking at the sack in Tiare's mouth curiously. "What do you have there?"

Tiare dropped the sack promptly, causing many metal vessels to roll and clatter out,

Morgiana looked from the weapon pile to the dragon before giving her a smile. "Good job."

Amani stepped out of her brother's embrace to pick up her gourd. The symbol shined upon contact. She caught sight of a pair of butterfly swords that were undoubtedly Opal's craft. She picked them up. After a moment of consideration, Amani turned to Koumei and handed him his fan. _"Anata,_ if you have the energy, transport everyone out of the capital."

Her husband looked at her searchingly. "You're not coming with us, are you?"

"No."

"…And there's nothing I can say that can change your mind?"

"Nothing. Never."

Koumei sighed. "Come back to us," he begged softly, "that's all I ask of you. I know you're strong enough to keep it."

Amani turned from her husband to face her brother.

Alibaba looked at his sister in alarm. "Amani?"

Amani smiled at him sadly.

"I've been running away from this fight for too long. It's time I returned to my duty as a Blessed Child. The others need me."

Alibaba shook his head. "Screw that stupid title, you're not responsible for any of this. What are you talking about? _We _need you," he pleaded as he took her hand, "Koumei. Kouryuu. _Me. _There must be another way. We can get reinforcements after we leave Kou. Don't do this. _Please."_

"Take care of everyone for me, Alibaba. I know you can."

Her brother shook his head again. "Not without you."

Amani gave his hand a comforting squeeze. "I made a promise, long ago, that I would help save the world. I can't turn my back on that. Not again. You'll be fine, Alibaba," she soothed. "You've grown so much that you've outshined me in ways that I never would have predicted. I trust you."

Alibaba sniffled miserably.

"Do you trust me?"

"…Yes."

Amani drew Alibaba into another hug for what he hoped was not the final time.

"Miss Amani?" The twins separated in surprise at the unexpected voice. Aladdin stood in front of them with a determined gleam in his eyes. "I'm coming too."

* * *

This was not how Tao Gui planned to save his little brother.

He had stormed into the throne room with Hakuei's younger brother and the exiled Princess of Sasan by his side. He was no swordsman, but he was capable of handling any weapon that he could lift without scandalizing weapon masters _too _much.

All he had to do was point and stab. And getting stabbed was only a minor inconvenience.

Scythes were his preferred weapon, but none of the scattered corpses of soldiers that they had come upon on their way to the room wielded one. A disappointment, but not the end of the world.

_But how did it come to this?_

Tao stumbled to the side to avoid a blast of magic shot at his direction half-heartedly. His brother looked miserable as he lifted his wand once more. It was as if Kido had reverted back into a washed-out version of Al Thamen's Judal. Tao would have been concerned if it weren't for the shackled and magically restrained Kougyoku right at Empress Gyokuen's feet.

Hakuryuu and Yasmine had initially fought with Judal, letting Tao stand back since it was _his little brother_ who was the enemy.

Empress Gyokuen had gloated. They were nothing but puppets dancing to her own thought-out play in her eyes. She was a heartless and ruthless villain. Tao didn't need to see the many, many ghosts that stood behind her throne to know that. She had laughed at all of them mockingly – her own son especially – and then brought out the person Tao had least expected.

Hakuei.

She was so pale and still that Tao feared that she was dead for a brief moment. But she wasn't and that was all the more dangerous.

("So? What will you choose? For them to live or die?")

It was a horrible decision to make. It ripped at Tao, but he already made his choice. He chose Kido.

(Tao would do it a thousand times. Even though it would tear his soul apart every time, always Kido.)

It seemed that Hakuryuu made a similar choice. He stood beside the magi as coerced partners in order to protect his last full-blooded sibling. Tao couldn't find it in himself to blame the Kou royal for letting Gyokuen play around with him. How could he? He knew the fear of losing a sibling, especially one who was the only family left.

Yasmine didn't blame Hakuryuu either even as they crossed blades, leaving Tao alone with Kido.

"It's okay, Kido. I understand." Tao assured his little brother for the nth time as he avoided another magic spell. He made no move to attack his brother. As he danced around his brother's weak spells, Tao noted grimly that the other battle – the one with the Sindrian Prince and his household members against an unknown enemy – was also a losing one.

At the back, Sai shifted from his position and moved.

* * *

"Mou, someone's feeling cheerful," Sai drawled casually as he sauntered over to Arba's side with the satisfaction of a cat catching the canary. He turned to her and grinned. "Long time no see, Arba."

Empress Gyokuen's face softened from her ugly sneer into an expression that almost seemed _fond_ when her eyes landed on Sai. She reached out for him and Sai obediently complied, letting her pat his cheek. "Sai, you have returned to us at last! I have missed you! My loyal Blessed Child!"

Sai's expression mirrored Arba's as he patted her hand. "I'm sorry it took me this long. Didn't want any of them finding out like they did with Camilla. I couldn't fail you as she had."

"Of course you wouldn't," the Al Thamen witch crooned, "you're much too good at what you do, Sai. Raul has raised and taught you well." She sighed. "Such a pity that all the other Blessed Children weren't found by him. Everything would have been _so much easier_."

Sai shook his head ruefully. "Maa, maa, we can't all be lucky. How is Tou-san, by the way?"

"Preparing," Arba answered with a secretive smile.

The Blessed Child shrugged. "Ah, keep your secrets and surprises, Arba. I'll find out later." He glanced at Yasmine and Hakuryuu's fight. "So, there's Kou, Sasan, and me. Three out of four in the same room. Not bad. Where's Balbadd?"

"Locked up and watched…carefully." Arba said, satisfied. "Don't worry. We even have the potential vessel for Our Father."

"Potential vessel?" Sai parroted, genuinely confused. "Arba, please remember that I'm _seriously _behind on the details ever since I made first contact with the other Blessed Children. Tou-san kept me out of the loop just in case I got caught. Leaks are messy." He wrinkled his nose and stuck his tongue out.

Arba nodded. "Yes, how clever of Raul. Of course. I was speaking of her brat."

Sai whistled. "Kouryuu? A-re, A-re, I was wondering why you wanted him so much. Then again, he _is _the first child of a Blessed Child. His existence must be rare and extraordinary. But why dead?"

"All we needed was the body." Her eyes gleamed. "The entire process has requirements that are delicate and picky. A living infant wouldn't know how to lie still."

"Harsh," Sai hissed, only to be betrayed by the little giggle at the end. "I wonder, do you have other potential vessels that are more promising than the baby? There _must _be _someone _worthier of acting as a vessel for Our Father."

Arba nodded patiently. "Of course. She is our first choice, after all. And since she is where she is, there will be no issue with reopening the crack for Our Father to descend back into this world!" Her hands clasped together in girlish excitement at the thought. "With all four of you here, taking care of that pesky lock is finally possible!"

Sai nodded slowly. "When will you need me and the others? Soon? I can take them to the location –

"No. No need, Sai. We have enough time to let all of this play out." She declined his eager offer. Her eyes wandered over Hakkan playing with the trio with his illusions. The Heliohapt Prince leaned against a pillar and watched as Hel, Opal, and Shion fought against thin air and, occasionally, each other. "Silly, aren't they? Falling for those weak illusions and letting their minds to get tricked."

Sai nodded, his good eye flashing in amusement as if he was told a good joke. "Yes. All of them are so _silly _for falling for such a trick."

Sensing a pair of eyes on her and Sai, Arba's painted lips curved into a smirk as she looked down at Kougyoku. "Ah, Princess Kougyoku. Why don't you join our conversation?"

"Yes," Sai purred as he slunk down to Kougyoku's level. "Join us, Princess Kougyoku. You always have something enlightening to say. Oh wait. You can't, can you?" Sai held up her restraints and admired them. "Arba was even nice enough to reinforce this with strong magic. Beautiful spellwork."

"Didn't expect this, did you?" Arba gloated at Ping's successor. "One of your own, a traitor. Sai has managed to fool you all. It seems that even your all-seeing eyes couldn't catch…his…lies…" Her sentence trailed off as a feeling of _wrongness_ filled her senses.

Arba reviewed her memories of her interactions with Sai and found holes. They had been easy enough to overlook with the familiar banter and instinctive fondness that she felt for the Blessed Child. She sunk her nails into her mind and tore down everything, revealing the truth.

Sai was never hers. Raul had never found him.

And the small bit of fondness she felt for the Sai in her memories had really been for a quieter and smaller boy she had known a long, long time ago.

Arba gritted her teeth as the air crackled with volatile magic. She turned her eyes back onto Sai. He was fiddling with the chains, trying to break his fellow Blessed Child free from her restraints. Kougyoku's gag lay on the floor.

"Sai," Kougyoku hissed, "she woke up from your memory manipulation."

Sai spat out a curse under his breath. "That was faster than I thought."

He barely had time to throw a borg over both of them as the enraged witch blasted powerful magic at their way. He then danced a good distance away from Kougyoku, giving up on trying to free her.

"**How dare you!"**

"How dare I?" Sai parroted innocently. "But Arba, I thought that falling for _weak mental tricks _are for _silly _people. Surely, you weren't fooled for a moment, right?"

Arba screeched as she sent another blast in Sai's way. He countered it with a strained smile. His borg cracked.

"Ah~ she's stronger than I thought." Sai's good eye landed on something over Arba's shoulder for a moment before he readied his staff. "I think I can take one more shot. How about you?"

Arba crossed her arms over her chest as she prepared a great spell. Her staff floated in front of her as countless black rukh rushed into her. Arba clenched her hands with a distorted smile.

"_Medoun Al-Samm."_

"_Dhoruf Sabaha."_

The blast shook the entire palace. All fights paused at the amount of destruction that Arba's spell wrought. Arba smirked at the destruction in front of her for a moment before it changed into a glare. "You…!"

The entire ceiling of the throne room was no more.

Sai stood in the same place, completely unharmed from the attack. He casually brushed nonexistent dust from his shoulder.

"That all you got?"

Arba's face twisted even further when she realized what kind of spell Sai used to avoid being hit by her destructive spell.

"Impossible! That spell! Only King Solomon knew how to use it!"

Sai laughed.

"Nah, not impossible. Yeah, it takes away too much magical energy, but it's doable. You just need to understand physics, a subject which yours truly happens to know _very well_." He leaned against his staff, panting at the exertion. "I hope I stalled her long enough, guys. I don't think I can do that again."

Two figures stepped out of the smoke left over from Arba's blast.

"Yes, it was enough, Sai. Thank you."

Amani and Aladdin supported a now-free Kougyoku. Seeing this, Arba was quick to secure Hakuei quickly. Her daughter's limp body floated out of reach and behind her to ensure Hakuryuu's continued subservience as she knew she had already lost Judal. She looked warily at the newcomers with a smile.

Aladdin stepped forward, smiling almost cordially.

"Hello, Miss Arba. I'm –"

"I know. You're Aladdin."

"Would you please give Miss Hakuei back to us?"

"I don't like your face. It reminds me too much of those two."

Amani managed to pull Aladdin back just in time to avoid a weak but concentrated magical blast that Arba sent to their way.

Arba's ever-present smile wavered as she raised her staff again.

"Get out of my sight."

* * *

Inevitably, everyone – even Hakuryuu – thought it was best to attack Arba together to take back Hakuei since they all outnumbered her. Yasmine did her best to try to catch the traitor from Alma Toran with her third degree.

"Dammit. She's. Too. Strong!" Yasmine panted as she tried to freeze Arba once more. The longest she could ever hope to hold her still for was ten seconds, which was not long enough to reach Hakuei. "Sit still! _Rot!_"

Gamigin's attack only managed to rot away a sleeve.

Foras' sands didn't fare any better. Arba would always manage to wiggle out of the sands hold whenever she fell into it by splashing down water spells.

All the others pulled back from their djinn equips in fear of overusing their magoi. Only Yasmine and Amani were left and even their own djinn equips were chipping away, leaving them to use their most basic attacks as a last resort.

Amani looked from Hakuei's floating body to Arba as a plan slowly formed in her mind.

"Hakuryuu, be ready to catch Hakuei."

Hakuryuu turned to her in surprise before nodding. "Yes."

"Aladdin?"

The young magi turned to her expectantly.

"I'm so sorry."

Amani closed her eyes and Arba suddenly held onto nothing by thin air. The ornament of what once was Sheba's staff fell and Hakuei fell with it. Hakuryuu was quick to brush past a shocked Arba to snatch back his sister and bring her to safety as the ornament clattered onto the floor.

"…The staff…is gone…?"

Amani held her ground as she stared down Arba, who looked down in disbelief. "You left me with no other choice. Without your magic, you will no longer be able to hold Hakuei captive. Nor will you be able to cause any more trouble."

Arba looked up at Amani and smirked. She held up a sword. "No more trouble, you say?"

Yasmine cursed. "Where did she get that?!"

Hakuryuu's eyes widened and he turned to his empty scabbard.

"She must have snatched it when we were all distracted," Kougyoku muttered as she readied her swords. Sai snorted ruefully. "She's sneaky like that."

"Be careful, everyone!" Aladdin warned them all, "Arba might have been strong as a magician but as a swordswoman…she's the strongest!"

Everyone tensed in preparation for Arba's attack.

None of them were ready.

* * *

After the explosion, the trio snapped out of their illusions and faced Hakkan head-on from there. Seeing Arba forced into battle, Hakkan began to fight the three of them in earnest. Shion had dispelled his djinn equip long before in favor of fighting alongside Hel and Opal just in case Hakkan sent him under another illusion. He cringed guiltily in his head when he saw the gashes and burns on his comrades.

"It's fine," Hel grunted and Opal somehow managed to nod in agreement, "Your weak scratches mean nothing to me, Carnivore."

Shion was about to respond to that but was distracted by the sounds of clashing swords. He turned and saw Arba fighting against everyone singlehandedly…and winning.

"_Shion. Let me take over." _Solomon insisted in his head. _"I know how to handle her."_

There was no time to hesitate. Shion felt himself fall back from control as the other entity filled into the empty space. Unlike the other times, Shion could still see through his eyes. Andromalius pulsed in his hands and changed into a polearm that resembled Hakuryuu's weapon.

"Opal. Hel. Please take over for me." Shion felt his mouth say. "I'm going to help the others."

"Hey now, you're not going anywhere!" Hakkan tried to prevent Shion from leaving their battle, only to be blocked by Opal and Hel's weapons. "Try it," Opal dared, "we'll block you in every turn, Hakkan."

In a blink of an eye, Shion's body rushed over to where Arba was and intercepted an attack meant for Aladdin with his weapon.

"Prince Shion? So, you have come to play with me too?"

Aladdin panicked behind him. "Shion! She's strong!"

Solomon grimaced, using Shion's mouth. "I know, Aladdin. Keep everyone who can't fight anymore back." He parried her and began their dance. Much to the amazement of many, he managed to keep up with Arba's swift and powerful attacks.

Arba looked at Shion strangely as he met her blows as if he were familiar with them. "This feels so familiar. I used to train like this with King Solomon. How? **How?** Why are all of you bringing back so many horrible memories?!"

"This is no memory, Arba." Solomon looked into her eyes as he struck, making her freeze. "I am here."

"King…Solomon?!"

Solomon struck again. "Yield, Arba. This will be the only time I will give you this offer."

"Yield?" Arba seemed to shake off the shock with her growing rage. Her strikes became faster and more intricate as she began pushing Solomon back. He gritted his teeth against the onslaught as he just barely manages to keep up. **"Yield? **Your arrogance has not abated during our years apart!Who exactly do you think has the upper hand in this fight?" She kicked him back. "You? **I was the one who taught you, King Solomon!"**

Solomon avoided a swipe and stood his ground. "Yes. In normal situations, my loss to you _would have been _inevitable. I am not as arrogant as you think I am to overlook that. But you forget," Solomon somehow managed to grin, "I am not alone."

A pair of chakram embedded themselves into her back, surprising her enough for Solomon to once again gain the upper hand in their fight. Arba continued to avoid well-aimed throwing knives and strikes from scythes and butterfly swords as she was pushed back by Solomon.

At the end, Solomon managed to pin Arba onto the ground with Andromalius. She had long since lost her sword and the use of her limbs, thanks to the nerves Amani purposefully aimed for with her knives and needles.

Solomon looked down at Arba with all four Blessed Children standing behind him.

"It's over, Arba."

Instead of looking victorious, Solomon's expression was just…sad.

"It didn't have to be this way."

Arba's watery eyes glared hatefully up at the man who was once her king. "I hate you, Solomon. You took My Father from me and created this miserable world by taking his place. You have become like Elder David in your arrogance."

"Perhaps I _am _arrogant," Solomon conceded, "but make no mistake, Arba. This world came to be without my influence. It was my mother's gift and her sacrifice. Do not make light of it."

Arba did not answer. She was already gone.

Solomon stepped back from the body, suddenly very exhausted.

"_Shion, I will be giving this body back to you."_

Shion was abruptly pushed back into control, making him stumble. He winced as he felt his muscles scream at him for pushing them so hard. He looked down at Empress Gyokuen's empty body and then at a silent Hakuryuu. "I hope we didn't intrude by killing her off without your permission."

Hakuryuu shook his head as he clutched his sister's body closer. "She needed to be gone. How it should have been done does not matter anymore."

Shion turned his attention to the still-fighting Hakkan.

"Hakkan," he called out, "it's over. It's done."

"You don't understand, Shion," Hakkan's eyes stared into his unnervingly as he easily parried away Opal and Hel's attacks, "It's not over yet."

* * *

Hakuei stirred in Hakuryuu's arms. She blinked blearily as she looked around in confusion. "Hakuryuu? What…happened?"

Hakuryuu and many others cried out in relief at her awakening. Judal grinned and turned to his brother. It dimmed a little at the concerned frown that Tao was wearing. "What's wrong? Aren't you happy? Hakuei is safe and that witch is gone."

"I don't know, Kido." Tao shook his head in uneasiness. "I feel like something's off."

"Off?"

"Yes, off. Can't you feel it?"

Judal was about to prod further when he heard Hakuei's voice cut through the voices of relief and victory.

"_Ala Raqesa."_

It was like the entire world decided to press onto his shoulders. He couldn't move and he couldn't speak.

Hakuei rose from her frozen brother's arms, completely unfazed with whatever was holding down everyone else in the room.

And then, Hakuei's lips stretched into an all-too familiar smile.

"Ahahaha! Look at all of your faces!" Arba cackled with Hakuei's lips. She curled over in her mirth as everyone in the throne room stared on in mute horror. Judal's eyes automatically turned to Tao and winced.

There was heartbreak and terror written all over his older brother's face.

"Was it really _that_ hard to keep me out of this spell circle, Arba?" Hakkan asked her from his position. He seemed completely unfazed by the weapons that were disturbingly close to slitting his throat. "Freezing me in place seems a little…counterproductive in killing Shion, isn't it?"

"I was in a little tight spot, my king candidate," Arba cooed. "Don't worry, I'll get you out of the spell soon," her smile widened, "_after _I kill off all of these pests."

Judal struggled against the magic that held his muscles still, making his body twitch erratically. He could see Aladdin doing the same from the corner of his eye. Everyone else could only move their expressions at best and their eyes at worst.

Arba knelt down and picked up a stray knife from the ground.

"Now, I wonder, which should I kill first? Perhaps, I should start with the creations that sprung from King Solomon's arrogance?" Arba mused aloud as she wandered from person to person. She stopped at where all Blessed Children stood. "Should I kill you first for daring to twist my mind?" She mused as she trailed her fingers down Sai's face. Then, she turned to Amani and Yasmine. "How about you two? You both seem loved very much by Koumei and Kouha. Killing either of you would _devastate _them." Then, much to Judal's curdling horror, she stopped at Kougyoku.

No.

"Ah! Princess Kougyoku, my eternal thorn on my side! I think it would be fitting for you to be the first to go! After all, it is because of you that the Oracle has gone astray."

No.

"Yes! I have made my decision! You shall be the first!"

**No.**

Arba traced the knife up Kougyoku's cheek and paused right at the corner of her eye. "I think I'll take those eyes of yours before offing you. Then, your tongue. Solomon has created you wrong! So wrong! How is it that you, the one who can see the truth of everything, be so blind?"

No.

"Shall I make it quick or slow? No matter what, your death certainly must be painful after all that you and your predecessors ruined!"

"No."

For a moment, Judal thought he managed to regain enough control over his body to speak.

"Do not touch her. Do not even _think_ about laying a finger on her." Tao said dangerously from his position, gaining Arba's attention. She drew away from Kougyoku and went up to the elder Gui, interest written all over her face. "Goodness! You can still speak even though you aren't a magician? How impressive! Aren't you a resilient one!"

_Sttk._

"Well~ how about we test this resilience with _you_, then!" Arba's lips stretched unnaturally wide as her knife sunk into Tao's gut to the hilt. She pulled it out before stabbing again.

Tao didn't flinch. He _couldn't _flinch, much to Judal's growing despair. Blood poured out from his wound and pooled down to the ground.

"You love my daughter, don't you? Is it painful? Being killed by the one you love so much?"

"Very," Tao agreed calmly before his hands grabbed her shoulders and jerked her back, surprising everyone. The movement caused the knife to slip from Arba's hand and clatter onto the floor. "But I'd go through it a thousand times more if it would ensure that they're all safe in the end."

Arba's hands scratched and pounded onto Tao's wrists, shoulders, and chest as she tried to wiggle herself out of the Gui's powerful grip.

"Hakuei-sama, I love you."

Hakuei's beautiful face distorted into a horrible expression as her nails dug into Tao's shoulders. He didn't even flinch as he stared into her eyes, searching for any trace of the woman he loved.

Then, Tao lifted a bloody hand and brushed her cheek with his thumb, leaving a red imprint of his touch.

"Hakuei-sama. Hakuei. _Koi_. This is not your fault. None of it." He pressed his forehead against hers, completely ignoring the sneer that crawled over Hakuei's features at the gentle action. "It will be over soon."

"Yes, it will all be over soon," Arba agreed as she snapped Tao's neck, "you foolish boy."

"TAO!" Judal screamed as his brother's body collapsed. Judal somehow managed to rip himself away from his paralysis the moment Tao's body hit the floor. He stumbled and stared in horror as Tao's head rolled back and his eyes stared sightlessly forward. Blood pooled under his limp body and stained the floor. "Tao, _no_. I – I –" His eyes landed on Arba's smug form. _"You did this."_

Arba nimbly jumped away from the volatile blast of ice that Judal sent her way and laughed gleefully as the rukh around the magi turned darker and darker.

"I'll kill you," Judal snarled, hatred written in every movement he made. "I'LL KILL YOU, YOU BITCH!"

Arba giggled as she avoided another blast of ice. "Can't you see how your brother had held you back? You are free from his influence now." She opened her arms. "Fall back! Fall back into depravity and accept Our Father's will!"

Her lips pulled back and her teeth gleamed.

"Judal, my child –

Arba choked and spasmed.

Abruptly, the paralysis spell broke, causing everyone to either fall onto their knees or stumble. All of the Chibi Generals immediately whirled around to face Hakkan only to see that he had disappeared.

"Coward," Opal bit out bitterly but made no move to chase after the traitor. She shook her head and sighed.

He wasn't worth it.

Hel glanced at her for a moment before turning his attention to the spasming figure of Arba. Aladdin was doing his best to hold Judal back from sending any more blasts at the Al Thamen witch.

"Let GO, Aladdin!"

"No! You're falling into depravity and hurting her will only make it worse! Besides, Miss Hakuei is still inside that body! You'll destroy it completely if you continue like this!"

"_Good."_

Aladdin shook his head. "No. Not good. Arba is a _spirit _using Miss Hakuei's _body_, remember? You won't be able to hurt her permanently by harming the body. You'll only hurt Miss Hakuei. If you do that, wouldn't it make Tao sad?"

Judal's grip on his wand loosened at the mention of his brother. "Tao is dead."

"Yes," Aladdin agreed sadly, "I know. But he died for her. Shouldn't that matter?"

The wand in Judal's hand dropped as he brought it up to cover his face.

Right. The chibi was right.

"Thank you, Judal." Aladdin turned to Arba with a tilted head. "Huh, something mysterious seems to be hurting her already."

"What…? What is this? I can't move! What's happening?" Arba howled in frustration as her body shook.

"Didn't I tell you? It will be over soon." Judal's head jerked to the source of the voice in shock as Tao, alive and well, propped himself up. He grimaced at the blood on his clothes. "All this blood will take _forever_ to wash off," he complained as he stumbled back onto his feet. "I hate dying from wounds. They're always so messy."

"T-Tao?" Judal looked lost. "You're…alive?"

"Well, yes. I can't die. As the last surviving Gui heir, I am responsible for keeping our family alive. Until the next generation comes into this world, the curse will never let me go." Tao smiled apologetically at his little brother. "Sorry, Kido. This isn't exactly how I wanted to reveal this to you. We'll talk more about this later, okay?"

Then, Tao turned and walked to Hakuei's spasming body. He poked her forehead, making her jerk back sharply before falling into his arms like a puppet with its strings cut.

Tao cradled Hakuei's body tenderly.

"With my life's blood, I banish you from this body. Evil spirits can never again touch the bodies marked by the blood of a Gui, especially my own. You will harm Hakuei-sama no more, Al Thamen witch."

Tao looked up and at the pinned body of Empress Gyokuen just as it jerked and suddenly drew breath. _"Gui_._**You bastard!**_"

Tao smiled, looking more like Judal than ever with the smug and vicious expression he wore as he looked down on the woman responsible for the destruction of his entire family.

"You lost."

"You fools! You heretics! Do you really think that you have stopped me? No, my faith has kept me alive for this long and _I will see to it that my Father regains his power again! _It will happen soon!" Her large, watery eyes landed on Shion and looked _through _him. "You have failed, King Solomon."

Shion met her gaze calmly. "I am not him and we have not failed."

Arba laughed.

"Blind, so blind. You have already lost. You couldn't protect your people then, King Solomon, you will endure the same loss now. Il Illah will return with the help of the sing –

Arba's ranting abruptly cut off as a scythe made a movement to behead her. At first, Shion thought that Tao had finally done the deed. But the scythe was different and the elder Gui was too far.

"_Belior Goldoreza."_

Gyokuen's body lay limp as a ragdoll. Instead of being headless, the color of her skin from neck-up was darkened into a bruise-like color.

The scythe was pulled back and rested on its owner's hip.

"There," Hakkan said blithely as if he hadn't just sent the biggest threat that had plagued the world to another dimension with a simple sweep of his weapon, "now she can be reunited with her precious 'Father' _and _she'll shut up. Two Papagoras birds with one stone."

Abruptly, Hakkan dispelled his djinn equip and took off his necklace. He turned to Shion, ignoring everyone who were tensing in preparation for an attack and casually tossed the metal vessel over his shoulder.

With a cheeky wink that looked almost charming, Hakkan held out his wrists to the shocked Sindrian prince.

"I surrender."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Koumei's Thoughts on Amani's Identity as an Assassin-trained Princess: Koumei thought he was the most normal Kou out of his crazy, bloodthirsty siblings, but little did he know that he was just a different kind of abnormal. If it wasn't obvious already, he really doesn't mind about Amani's ability to singlehandedly break a grown man's neck with her bare hands. He loves his strong, talented wife very much.
> 
> Belial Belonging to Hakkan: I know that Belial originally belonged to Hakuryuu, but I gave him to Hakkan instead since his abilities really scare me. It's pretty threatening if you think about it and it suits his character the best.
> 
> What Happened Between Hakkan and Kouen: Believe or not, Kouen didn't expect Hakkan to be so much of a threat. Think about it: a tiny, upstart heir of Pharaoh Armakan who was infamously defeated by Shion (who was only wielding a leaf at that time) who just got his metal vessel. He was also overpowering Hakkan in their initial battle. So, when Hakkan took away feeling and movement in Kouen's arm and legs (cannon injuries that Kouen gets in the manga), Kouen didn't have time to respond. All he had to do was hold Kouen at knifepoint for everyone else to surrender. (He took care of anyone too violent with his illusions.) Remember, Belial isn't the most traditional when it comes to attacks. In a way, Belial is like Zepar in his ability to screw someone's mind over.
> 
> Sai's Third Degree: Mind Manipulation. He stood back for a while since properly re-writing Arba's memories without arising too much suspicion took a while.
> 
> Amani's Third Degree: Nonexistence. It's usually greater in its threat (she can wipe out countries with her abilities), but Amani made it more concentrated when she erased the staff (sans the ornament).
> 
> Yasmine's Third Degree: Time-stop. Yeah, you all saw it already before. But, it has a weakness: The freeze time shortens significantly depending on the power of individual who's being frozen.
> 
> Medoun Al-Samm: Arba used this spell against Hakuryuu and Judar during Night 247 in the manga. It's pretty scary.
> 
> Dhoruf Sabaha: The famous spell that Solomon used during the flashback. It's usually limited to Aladdin and Solomon, but Sai - being from another world - studied in physics so he understood the concept enough to copy it.
> 
> Ala Raqesa: Arba used this spell in her battle against Hakuryuu and Morgiana in Night 230. It forces gravity onto the bodies of her opponents so they can't move. Tao is able to shake the spell off since, well, he's a Gui and magical spells that aren't projectiles tend to slide off of him like water on a duck's back. (Curses from the Gui Clan are pretty amazing.)
> 
> Belior Goldoreza: This is Belial's attack. Hakuryuu uses this on Alibaba.
> 
> Tao's Blood Ritual: This is inspired by exorcisms performed in Taoism. Chanting and blood are involved. Arba can't touch Hakuei ever again.


	61. Chapter 60: Not Yet

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Arba is dead. Hakkan surrendered. But it's not over yet.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Onwards

Shion walked over to Arba's corpse.

Her dead body was an ugly sight. He grimaced as he had to climb over her to take out Andromalius from her chest. The moment the long weapon left her body, it shifted back to its lamp form. After he retrieved his metal vessel, Shion jumped away from the body.

He looked at it again. This time, instead of disgust, sadness bubbled up his throat. All too familiar with experiencing emotions that wasn't his own, Shion let it flow through him as he sat down near Arba's body.

"…Strange, isn't it? Arba had been our enemy this entire time and yet, I don't feel happy that she's dead."

Shion turned to Amani, who was sitting beside him. Knowing her abilities, she was probably sitting there the entire time and he simply hadn't noticed.

"Solomon feels the same," Shion shared. "That guy…he really can't keep his emotions to himself. I know she used to be his friend but…"

"But she caused so much harm for such a pointless cause," Amani finished as Yasmine wandered over.

Yasmine glanced at the body and looked away, shaking her head. "Maybe there's still a part of us that remembers being close to her? She _did _have a hand in all of our recovery back in Alma Toran."

"Mou, well, _I'm _glad the witch is gone," Sai announced as he sauntered over to where the pair sat. He plopped himself between Shion and Amani. "I'm happy and ecstatic, just like all of us should be after defeating the big bad!"

"Liar, you're just as conflicted as the rest of us," Kougyoku called out from Judal's arms. The magi hadn't released her from his grip just yet, still recovering from the scare of her multiple near-deaths. She buried her head back into his neck and hugged him back. "It's okay, Judal. I'm good. You're good. We're all good," she murmured soothingly into his ear.

Shion looked away from the couple, shaking his head. "Sai's right. We won. Let's all just be grateful that we all made it out alive!"

All four of the Blessed Children voiced their agreement, moods rising at Shion's words.

On the other side of the room, Aladdin picked up the ornament from his mother's staff from the floor and held it close to his chest. He, too, looked at Arba's still body before looking away with an indescribable expression.

Shouts of relief and loud crying rose from both Hakuryuu and Tao as Hakuei stirred awake – for real this time.

"Sister!"

Hakuei-sama!"

Hakuei weakly looked around the room, genuine confusion written across her beautiful face at the destruction of the throne room.

"What happened?"

* * *

Hakkan was shackled and kept under the close watch of both Hel and Opal as everyone prepared to move out of the throne room and regroup with the survivors of Kou. The necklace that held Belial was pocketed by Hel while the rest of the weapons on him went to Opal. Hakkan went with the entire process willingly, almost helpful even. Shion wanted to be suspicious, but he was too tired and relieved with the result of the battle to try to puzzle out why Hakkan had chosen to surrender so easily.

As the entire group made their way out of the palace, they caught sight of the survivors and made their way to them.

Jamal, Selene, and Kikiriku were the first ones to greet them, cheerful and seemingly confident of their safe return.

"All remaining Al Thamen members were either frozen solid, shot, or poisoned to death," Kikiriku reported to Shion smugly once he got close enough. "Don't worry, we got all of them. We triple checked."

Selene nodded in agreement. _'We were thorough. How were things in your end?' _She aimed her question at her brother, who ruffled her hair fondly in response. "We managed. Good job in taking care of those goons, Selene."

"Those peons had nothing against our brute strength!" Jamal gloated before giving Yasmine a tame version of his usual tackle-hug, minding her injuries. "Nee-chan! I bet you kicked a lot of butt too!"

"More like we got our butts kicked before it got better," she grumbled grumpily but returned her little brother's hug. "But still, we made it. And Arba is dead."

"Yasmine!"

Jamal was abruptly pushed away from Yasmine and was immediately replaced by a fussing Kouha. He looked more frazzled than usual as he looked over the many bruises and cuts that littered her body. "Did that Heliohapt brat hit you anywhere?" At seeing her shake her head, Kouha relaxed. "Good," he sighed as he crushed her to him in a tight embrace, "it's the one thing that Phenex can't heal. I'm glad you're safe, Yasmine."

"Oi! _I _was hugging her, you sister-stealing bastard!" Jamal howled from the side.

Instead of being annoyed by the interruption, Kouha smiled at Jamal smugly. "A sister-stealing bastard who's making it official. I guess you're going to have to call me Nii-chan soon, brat."

Jamal gaped.

"No."

"Yes."

"_No."_ Jamal turned to his older sister beseechingly. "Nee-chan, you _didn't_."

Yasmine shrugged, confirming Kouha's announcement. "You don't have to call him that," she offered.

As Jamal wailed, Amani reunited with her family. Both Alibaba and Kouryuu sobbed loudly as they clung onto her dress. "Don't leave us again, Amani! We were so worried!" Alibaba cried. Her son sniffed and buried his face into her chest. "Ma, no go. No go."

"Yes, yes, love. Mama will try." She sighed as she kissed the top of his head.

Koumei stood behind his son and brother-in-law, sighing at their antics. When his eyes met hers, he let a smile slip through. He reached out and stroked her cheek. "Welcome back."

Amani leaned into her husband's touch and closed her eyes. "I'm back."

Sensing that he was in the way, Alibaba wiped his cheeks and quickly excusing himself. He rushed over to Morgiana and Aladdin.

Now that Alibaba wasn't between them, Koumei drew closer and kissed her properly, completely disregarding the possible audience. Amani accepted his kiss and sighed in relief as she rested her forehead onto his after they separated. "Did I worry you too, _Anata_?"

"Yes." Koumei wasn't even going to _try _to deny it. "But I'm used to it. You have a talent of making me anxious for you," he pointed out dryly, "even with your impressive strength."

Amani noticed the subtle shake in his voice and the faint flush of his cheeks as he mentioned the last part. It took her a moment to connect the dots, but when she did, she couldn't help but giggle.

Koumei groaned in embarrassment, knowing very well that his wife found him out. "Please, forget this," he begged as he avoided eye contact. "This never happened."

"No, no, don't be ashamed. I'm flattered and happy that you think of me that way, _Anata,_ really." Amani made her husband face her. "I was afraid that you would no longer want me after finding out that I didn't completely conform to the housewife image."

Koumei sent her an incredulous look. "Not want you? Never. I love you."

"I'm glad to hear that, since I love you too," Amani returned happily. They shared another kiss. Both of them looked down at Kouryuu, who was now napping soundly after all of the excitement. "This is a good timing," she mused thoughtfully, making her husband tilt his head curiously. "I _was _thinking that it was about time we should give Kouryuu a younger sibling."

Koumei coughed.

Hakuryuu turned away from the heartwarming scene with a neutral expression. A sharp nudge on the side snapped him out of his thoughts. He came face-to-face with Tiare. She was still in her dragon form, tail wagging.

"Tiare," he wrapped his arms around her neck, "I heard what you did. Good job in protecting everyone until I came back."

Tiare shifted back into her human form and hugged Hakuryuu back.

"I'm glad that you got back safely with your sister, master." She tilted her head to the side to the direction where Hakuei stood with Judal, Kougyoku and Tao. The Gui was talking to them and gesturing to himself nervously, probably explaining to them about the strange state of his body.

After Tao was finished, he was swarmed with hugs from all sides.

Hakuryuu heard Alibaba call him over. He released Tiare and went to join the blonde, tugging the younger girl with him.

Shion walked through the many joyful reunions and celebrations that the battle was finally over. He was happy for everyone, but the scene felt too much like the one in Kou in the nonexistent future for him to be completely at east.

After all, it had marked the beginning of the end.

"_Don't let the happiness get to you."_

Shion sighed and turned to the stranger. "Well, hello to you too. I was wondering when you were going to show up. Are you going to reveal yourself to me now or continue being all mysterious?"

"_If you're going to continue being stubborn, then accept the consequences that come with your choice. Keep your guard up, foolish student."_

The stranger turned to face him. While his face was still shadowed by the hood, Shion could see his eyes clearly.

Gold. The stranger's eyes were gold.

"_It's not over yet."_

Shion was hit with a horrible, sinking sense of déjà vu as the stranger began to hobble ahead of him. He followed, almost afraid of seeing what's next. "Where are you going, old man?" The words slipped out of Shion's mouth unexpectedly.

"_To see my family," _the stranger responded. _"I haven't visited them in a long time. I wonder if that place was changed too?"_

The stranger abruptly stopped, making Shion bump into him.

Wait, _bump into him_?

Shion's eyes traveled up and stopped at the familiar golden eyes of Ren Kouen. He stood unsteadily on his useless legs, supported only by a cane. He looked down at Shion questioningly. The stranger's transparent form overlapped his image perfectly.

'_Oh,'_ he realized as it all clicked into place.

His mentor, the man who he looked to as a father figure had been him all along. Ren Kouen. The memories of the truth didn't quite flow into his mind as it usually did whenever he recalled a lost memory – Shion _had _remembered the basics about his mentor after all. Instead, it felt as if someone drew the curtains that were omitting the details. Kouen was Amani's – _his _Amani's – only surviving Uncle. Kouha and Koumei had already fallen during the fight against Al Thamen, trying to retake the home that was taken from them, by the time Shion came to Balbadd. Shion remembered that Prince Kouen, after being overthrown by Prince Hakuryuu with the help of the Seven Seas Alliance, was 'executed' publicly. Unofficially, he was banished along with his brothers. Despite Shion's relation to the man responsible for his banishment from his own home, Kouen had willingly gave a hand in Shion's growth as a metal vessel wielder and king-to-be.

"_What's with that expression, foolish student?"_

"What's with that expression, Prince Shion?"

Shion jerked himself out of his thoughts. He forcefully shook himself from the old feelings that were suddenly attached to the Kou Prince. This was a Prince Kouen who still had his family and country. He bowed to him formally. "I'm sorry for bumping into you, Prince Kouen. I wasn't looking where I was going."

"Shion!"

Shion looked up, relief crashing into him as he saw Kohaku running to his direction. He raised his hand in greeting but was thrown back she slammed into him. He landed on his back as Kohaku clung onto him, sobbing loudly into his chest.

Shion propped himself up so he could properly hold her. Seishin came up and smiled at him and Kohaku tiredly. "Hello, Shion."

"Miss Seishin. I'm glad to see that you're safe." Shion said genuinely. "Mother was so worried."

Seishin smiled ruefully as she walked up to Kouen's side. "I'll be sure to contact Ranya to tell her that I'm all right when I have the time. I'm so sorry that you had to take care of our mess. Kohaku was worried about you too."

"They took everything from us, Shion. Everything. I thought they were going to take you from me too." Kohaku whimpered as she looked up to him with an expression so vulnerable that it broke his heart.

"Don't worry," Shion assured her while hugging her tightly, "I'm not going anywhere. Arba and Al Thamen are gone. They're gone for good. We're safe now."

But the words felt hollow as Shion couldn't shake off the foreboding feeling that he had been feeling ever since Arba said her last words.

"_It's not over yet."_ The memory of Kouen had said and Shion couldn't help but agree.

* * *

Eventually, the survivors streamed back into Kou Palace. The Kou Family, sans Amani and Kougyoku, led them all after they thanked Shion again for his help. Judal and Tao also accompanied them to help out with the reconstruction and recovery efforts.

"We'll leave Kohaku with you for now," Seishin had said, looking apologetic. Kohaku hadn't budged from her position no matter how much everyone tried. Shion had assured her that it wasn't a problem. "Kohaku is important to me too. She's been through a lot. She'll come back when she's ready."

It was also decided that Hakkan remained with them despite his hand in the destruction. While Kouha and Koumei wanted nothing more than to have the teem executed, they were met with resistance from the entire group from Sindria. Surprisingly, it was Hel who was the most vehement when arguing against Hakkan's execution. "The Snake isn't in his right mind. He can't be held accountable for the actions he made under the influence of the Dark Seed. That thing eats away at the mind and twists nonsense into logic. Al Thamen took advantage of him that way. He's a victim. What he needs is _help_, not to be killed. If he needs to face consequences, he'll face them in Heliohapt."

Even Hakkan had looked shocked by Hel's defense from where he was restrained.

Though everyone was ready to return to Sindria, they decided to give Shion and Kohaku some space. All four Blessed Children also elected to stay to give them support from afar.

Shion stared off at Kou Palace with an intense frown on his face. Kohaku had recovered enough to separate herself from him.

"…What now?" She asked him almost helplessly.

"Now, we rebuild and move on from all of this," Shion would have answered her. But he wasn't confident that it was completely over as she was. There was something he was overlooking. Something…

Kohaku fiddled with her fingers. "I know that this is a selfish thing to ask, but did you manage to ask Ming Hua why she did the things she did?"

Shion froze. "No."

Kohaku flushed at his reaction and looked down. "Stupid question. That should've been obvious. It's silly of me to even ask. All of you were fighting for your lives and all that I can think of is –

"No, Kohaku, I mean that I didn't see her there," Shion interrupted her, panic rising in his voice. "I didn't see _any_ of them there. It was just Arba and Hakkan in the throne room."

Kohaku's mismatched eyes reignited with emotion at the new information. Shion would have celebrated the change from the devastation in her expression if it were in any other situation.

"If they weren't there, where are they?"

Shion was on his feet, pacing back and forth. He thought back to Arba's last words and rolled them around his head over and over, trying to parse together what she had meant before Hakkan had cut her off. Literally.

"_You have already lost. You couldn't protect your people then, King Solomon, you will endure the same loss now."_

"Arba told me that I will endure the same loss of not being able to protect my people," Shion muttered to himself. "I experienced many losses, but none with her directly involved. But she wasn't talking to me, was she? She was talking to Solomon. And the last time he suffered a great loss was –"

Shion's mind flashed to the burned city that David had sacrificed to Il Illah.

"The city." His pacing stopped. "The city. It was filled with Solomon's people. It wasn't the place he was born in, but it had been his _home_." Shion looked up, horrified. Kohaku shared his expression, coming to the same conclusion that he had. "Sindria. The Cursed Children are at Sindria."

Both of them ran to the rest of the group.

"Hey, buddy, what's with the running?" Jamal greeted him as he and Kohaku tore into the area. Alibaba and Morgiana, who were speaking with Amani, looked up from their conversation in confusion. Aladdin frowned, taking note of the erratic fluttering of the rukh around the pair. Shion turned to all of them with a grave look that made them all tense and stiffen. Even Hakkan, who was tied up between Opal and Hel, had the same reaction.

"We need to go back to Sindria. Immediately," Shion said carefully as he tried to keep his voice calm and authoritative. "I don't know how, but the Cursed Children are there. Arba had planned this out all along. She put something there. I don't know what, but –

"It's Sammi," Kougyoku's voice was soft with horror but it still carried to Shion's ears. She looked up. "I saw it. In Arba's mind. She found Sammi's cage locked up by a special seal. She thought it was Il Illah inside, so she tried to open it, but she couldn't. Not without us."

"That's why she needed all four of us so much," Sai recalled with a grimace, "we're the key. Maa, well, as long as we're not willing to open it, Sammi will stay caged –"

Kougyoku shook her head. "The cage has cracks." Her voice quavered as she relayed the information. "It's cracked as a result of an unknown event. Arba was able to harvest some _very _tainted rukh because the cracks were wide enough. That's how they created the Cursed Children. Arba found a way to make four otherwise _normal _people into creations with the single purpose of destroying us. Who's to say that they won't be able to force the cage open themselves?"

Something inside Shion went cold. "Back then, Sindria was the first place the Black Bird destroyed." His fists clenched. "They made it happen before, they're going to make it happen again."

After the words left Shion's mouth, Hakkan jumped into action. He was free of his bindings in a heartbeat. Hel tried to grab for him but stopped as he started to cough up blood. The veins on his arm bulged and seemed to purple. Shion recognized the signs instantly.

Poison.

Shion was on his feet and jumping away from Hakkan as the older boy grabbed for him. He chucked stray branches and stones at Hakkan with Andromalius to widen the distance between them, not that it hindered the other boy too much.

"What the heck is happening?! I don't understand!" Alibaba squawked in alarm as he witnessed the fight unfolding in front of him so suddenly.

"Talk later, we need to act now," Yasmine said shortly as she pushed him away from the fight, knowing that he might cause more trouble than help if he ever intervened. "Go to Amani and help her gather everyone. We need to move _now_."

Much to Shion's relief, Selene was at Hel's side immediately, giving him the medical attention he needed before he died the same way he died in the nonexistent future.

Hakkan tackled Shion to the ground, taking advantage of his distracted state to overpower him.

Shion immediately began to struggle against him and tried to reach for Andromalius again. Hakkan was quicker and kicked the lamp away so it was too far to reach. He turned back to the purple-haired boy, desperation in his eyes.

"Don't go back," Hakkan gasped with a white-knuckled grip on Shion's clothes, "If you go, you'll see the Black Bird. That should never happen. All of you were so close to your happy ending. _So close. _Don't throw it all away for this."

Shion stared up at Hakkan coldly.

"You're asking me to stay put while my friends and family are in danger."

"I'm asking you to not chase after the Black Bird. I am asking you to turn away _for once –_"

Hakkan was abruptly pulled away from Shion before he finished his sentence. The Sindrian prince was at his feet in an instant, but Hakkan made no move to grab him again. He couldn't. He was preoccupied with a certain, furious blacksmith.

"I _knew _that your surrender was suspicious. I _knew _we should've handed you over to Kou to be hanged when we had the chance, you fucking two-faced jackal!" She spat viciously.

Hakkan was under Opal as she railed punches upon punches on him. He managed to get out from under her with a lucky kick.

"Hahaha, you never hold back, do you Opal?" Hakkan commented cheerfully as he got back up to his feet. His tone was betrayed by the annoyed twitching under his right eye. "Your passion was always your greatest strength when it came to battles." He spat out a tooth to make his point.

"Don't talk to me so familiarly, you bastard!" Opal gritted as she stumbled back onto her feet. "You have _no right _to speak to me like that after everything you did. _Especially _after what you did to Hel!"

Hakkan rolled his eyes as he dodged a swing. _"Please. _Your boyfriend is _fine._ The amount of poison I jabbed into him isn't enough to kill him. His Finalis and Tenzan demon blood can handle worse. Besides, Selene is with him."

"That's not the _point!_" Opal barked as she kicked him in the shin, making him fall with a pained grunt. "You hurt him and now you have to pay!"

Before she could get another hit in, she jumped back in alarm as Hakkan swiped at her with something sharp. He swiped at her again with his other hand, driving her back. Hakkan looked up, revealing the blackened veins around his eyes and the black blades attached to his hands.

"What the actual fuck?" Opal hissed as she took out her hammers in response to the grotesque sight.

Hakkan laughed. "Oh, these? They're just side effects to that seed planted inside my brain. They're not pretty, but dear Hel used to have something like this too, you know. You just couldn't see them under all that armor. But these are _nothing _compared to what the Cursed Children have in store for you. They can change their entire body now without falling into pieces like those tacky dark metal vessels given to the grunts."

Hakkan took a threatening step forward, only to be intercepted by a pair of swords. They slashed at Hakkan's skin, drawing out a stream of blood.

Hel, completely recovered and annoyed, stepped next to Opal. The blood that he drew turned into blades and floated beside him preparation to attack.

Behind them, Shion gathered everyone into a transportation circle placed by Amani using Foras. Seeing this, Hakkan lunged at Shion's direction, only to be blown back by the force of Opal's hammers as she slammed them onto the ground in front of him.

"Hel, Opal, we need to leave now!" Shion called out to them as he stood at the edge of the transportation circle.

Hel shook his head. "The Snake won't give up. I'll stay and make sure that he doesn't cause any more trouble."

"_We'll _stay," Opal corrected him from his side stubbornly. "Go ahead, Shion."

Shion nodded. At that moment, Hakkan recovered enough to try again. He fought hard against Opal and Hel's defense, trying to get through their defense.

"Shion, Amani has the transportation circles ready. You better hurry up." Kikiriku called out. Shion turned to leave.

"NO!" Hakkan shouted over Hel and Opal's shoulders. For a brief moment, Shion hesitated at the sight of raw desperation on his old friend's face. "Shion…don't go. _Please don't go._"

Blue eyes met grey.

"Hakkan." He froze in his struggling and looked at Shion hopefully. "Sorry. But I'm not going to lose my family. Not again."

The Sindrian prince turned away and joined his friends in the magic circle. Amani, who had used her djinn equip to mimic Dantalion's abilities, tilted her horned head. "Ready?"

Shion nodded, expression resolute.

"To Sindria."

* * *

They slammed into Sindria's barrier like pigeons to glass windows.

It was only by Amani's skillful use of Dantalion's transportation circles, that she was able to get everyone onto an area that _wasn't _the inaccessible island and the sea.

Which meant, she managed to get them on the nearest boat.

"What…the heck…was that?!" Kougyoku gasped as clung onto the boat's solid surface for dear life. Yasmine rubbed at her face sourly as it reddened from the impact. Amani was completely apologetic. "I'm sorry. The circle was supposed to get us into the palace, not outside the barrier. I must have miscalculated."

Sai tried to stop his head from ringing. "Mou, that's new. Bee-chan never makes mistakes like these."

"No, she didn't." Shion shakily got to his feet. "The barrier wasn't supposed to keep us out. Or, at least, not with me here. That shouldn't have happened."

"That's correct, Prince Shion."

All heads look up at the new voice. In front of them were many Sindrian guards, both (understandably) wary of their sudden entrance and happy to see their prince. Leading them was Drakon.

"Drakon!" Shion looked relieved. "Sorry for surprising you. We were trying to get to Father. Something terrible is about to happen to Sindria. We need to evacuate everyone from the island before it's too late."

Drakon's expression become more and more troubled at Shion's explanation.

"I'm afraid that can't be possible, my prince. No one has been able to get in or out of Sindria ever since you left for Kou." The general pointed to the barrier, drawing all of their attention to the large, glowing symbol they had overlooked in their panic. "Symbols like this one appeared all around the island barrier."

Sai was immediately in front of the general, paying no mind to the Sindrian soldiers who were immediately on guard. "How many were there? Where _exactly _are they located? Do they all look like this one or are they different? When did they appear or when did you notice them?" He interrogated seriously.

Drakon looked at him strangely. "And _who _are you?"

Sai let out a frustrated huff and shifted into his default form when he was back in Sindria, eliciting sounds of recognition from most of the soldiers. "Hi, I'm Blessed Child Sai and your best bet of bringing the barrier down to save everyone you care for and love on that island. Now, _answer the damn questions._"

Drakon and the soldiers gave as many details of what they knew about the symbols around the island. Selene wrote and drew out everything she heard as Sai tried to parse out the symbols. Kohaku and Aladdin also helped out, making the process faster.

"Raul inverted the function of the barrier while strengthening its original purpose of keeping unwanted people out," Sai concluded, whistling at the intricacy of the spellwork. "I might hate his guts, but I'm not afraid to admit that my sire is one _hell_ of a magician. No wonder that old man sung praises about him. He must've been one of the best."

'_These four symbols were placed around Sindria some time back, just waiting to be activated,' _Selene signed grimly. _'They've been planning for this for a while.'_

"The symbols don't work on their own. It's like the trap back in Magnostadt. It needs people to hold it down." Kohaku noted as she continued her calculations, writing them out on the deck with a piece of chalk that Jamal happened to have in his pocket. "It'll take a bit, but I think that I can trace these symbols back to their anchors and incorporate the locations to two-way transportation circles."

"Let me guess," Yasmine spoke up from the side, "the Cursed Children are the anchors."

Sai groaned. "That bastard did this on purpose. He could've made it impossible to crack his stupid seal, but he _wanted _us to know about the anchors. It's bait."

"And we're going to have to bite if we want Sindria's barrier to go down," Kougyoku said resignedly.

"It was going to happen eventually," Amani pointed out from her position. Alibaba looked lost but kept quiet. Morgiana was beside him, holding his hand comfortingly, also unaware of the entire picture of the issue. "We can't avoid confronting them forever. The best we can do is plan accordingly against what they might have in store for us."

And so, while the magicians calculated for a way to trace the symbols back to their anchors, all four Blessed Children and Shion began to scheme. When the magicians informed them that each symbol is connected to a specific Blessed Child, their plans and precautions became clearer. Amani and Yasmine listed out the possibilities, Kougyoku added whatever she could from what she learned from Al Thamen, and Sai created new spells.

When there was no more need for him to contribute, Shion left all four Blessed Children to their planning to join Kikiriku, who was standing at the edge of the ship facing Sindria. His expression was blank.

"Hey. You okay?"

"They've trapped them all inside." Kikiriku stared at the transparent dome that used to bring him so much security. "All of them. My father. My aunt. My sisters. My brother. It's going to happen all over again, isn't it? The only thing that's changed is that I'm here to see it all happen in front of me this time."

"We can't think like that," Shion insisted. "Not now. Not when we got this far. We need to _fight _against this outcome until it's impossible. It's why we came back."

Kikiriku tore his eyes away from Sindria and looked down at the Sindrian Prince. Then, he shook his head. "Yeah. Yeah, you're right, Shion. Don't know what came over me. I can't give up yet."

In the end, it was agreed that each Blessed Child would be transported to their assigned Cursed Child as their enemies had planned.

But the Chibi Generals, Kohaku, and Shion would be fighting along with them.

"It's safer in numbers," Shion explained to the others. "They probably wouldn't expect it."

After the long planning session, Shion encouraged them all to contact their respective countries to get help just in case anything goes wrong.

"And you should contact your loved ones too," Shion added a bit somberly.

_This might be the last time you'll talk to them, _wasn't said but heard.

* * *

"…And that's why we need to do this," Amani finished her explanation to Alibaba.

She had told him as much as she could about the current situation, omitting the parts that involved reincarnation, time-travel, and other worlds. Her twin stood across from her with hands shaking.

"Alibaba?" She called out to him tentatively. "I know that you hate it when I get into dangerous situations, but I have no other choice. If I wait, the Black Bird will be released from its cage and kill all life. Nothing would be able to stop it."

Alibaba took a deep calming breath.

"Okay."

Amani tilted her head. "Okay?"

"Yeah. Okay. I really, really don't like it, but I get that you don't have a choice." Alibaba turned to his twin. "What can I do to help?"

Amani took a moment to stare at Alibaba. "Alibaba…you…"

"This is all I can do. What can I do to make things easier for you, Amani?"

"Then, can you make sure to tell everyone about the situation if the barrier fails to fall?" She asked him. "And, if I don't make it, look after Kouryuu for me? Please?"

Alibaba made a pained expression. "I will. I promise."

"Hey, am I interrupting anything?"

Both twins looked up to see Yasmine holding up the magic crystal that acted as a communication device. Though it usually only worked if both sides had a magician, but Kohaku found a way to improve it after studying at Magnostadt. Jamal helped with the mass production of the improved version. It was still on its testing stages, but all rulers had them. "I just finished speaking with the Knight King with Jamal. He's making his way over to Sindria. We're about to call Kou."

Amani and Alibaba came over. Kougyoku joined in too soon after.

It took a bit to properly connect, but Kouen's face appeared. He looked a bit miffed before he caught sight of the people on the other end. He regarded them all curiously. "Yes?"

"We're all in an area close to Sindria," Kougyoku stated, getting to the point. "It's an emergency. Can you get the rest of the family here?"

Soon, the entire crystal was filled with many faces.

Kougyoku focused on Judal's face. She took a breath. "Sindria is in danger. Apparently, there are cracks in the cage of the Black Bird and it's right above the island. The Cursed Children are the cause of it, so we're going to have to bring them down."

As the only one who could completely understand the contents of her announcement, Judal was immediately tensed up. "Don't you _dare._"

"I'm going to have to, Judal."

"Those freaks were _created _to hunt and kill you. What makes you think that I'm going to be fine with you just walking up to them and making their jobs easier?" He shouted.

Seishin followed the conversation before her eyes widened. "Cursed Children…do you mean Ming?"

"And others," Yasmine added helpfully from the side. "Don't worry, we'll do our best to handle them before they hurt anyone else. _We're _the ones they really want dead, after all."

"…I see. Is Kohaku with you? Can I speak to her?"

Yasmine shook her head. "I'm sorry, but she's part of the team who's working on the transportation circles that will lead us to the Cursed Children. It's a delicate process and we need it working before we waste any more time. I'm sorry."

"Don't let her –

"We're not stupid!" Kougyoku hissed at Judal loudly as they argued, interrupting the exchange. "But it's either fight _them _with the possibility of dying to save _millions _of lives or do nothing and see the entire world destroyed by the Black Bird! There's no winning! We have no _choice_!"

Kougyoku took a long, calming breath.

"Sindria needs backup and help if we manage to get the barrier down. En-nii, can you please send some ships for the evacuation effort? I know Kou is currently in poor shape, but just a few ships will do. Anything."

"I'll send them," Kouen promised. Hakuryuu nodded resolutely from his side. "I'll prepare Tiare and come over to provide aid immediately," he promised before leaving and doing exactly that.

"I'll be coming too!" Kouha announced determinedly from the back. "My troops will be ready to lend a hand as soon as we get there." His eyes landed on Yasmine. "Be there when I get there, okay Yasmine? We still need to get married."

Yasmine's hold on the crystal tightened.

"Yes, I'll try my best." After a moment of hesitation, she added, "I love you, Kouha."

Instead of being overjoyed, a stricken look overtook Kouha's features before Yasmine passed the crystal to Kougyoku and excused herself.

"I don't want our last words to each other to be an argument," Kougyoku informed Judal plainly, making him jerk back by her honesty. "Even if it's how we started our relationship, I don't…" she sighed before she started again. "You've come a long way since that bratty Oracle who called me an old hag. Even if you had a rough start, you're going to make a great magi. It's the truth. Don't let all that hard work backslide even if I'm not there, okay?"

Judal gritted his teeth. "Kougyoku…"

"I'm not going to let them take me down without a good fight. Don't underestimate me. You know what happened the last time you underestimated me," she reminded him, managing to make him smile a little. "So, tell me you love me that you wish me luck."

"Princess, I love you," Judal's voice cracked as a hand landed on his shoulder to support him. Kougyoku knew it was Tao. "Kick their ass before I get there first."

Kougyoku bared her teeth. "You bet I will. Love you too." She turned to the person behind her. "Hey, Amani, would you like a turn with this? Sorry for hogging the device."

"It's fine," the blonde assured her as she accepted the crystal, "May I speak with my husband alone?" She requested the current Emperor. Kouen didn't hesitate in handing over the crystal to his brother. Everyone seemingly vacated the room, judging by the noises in the background as Koumei's pale face came into view. Kouryuu was still peacefully sleeping against his father.

"_Anata_," Amani began, but was interrupted by Koumei. "Why you?" He demanded, abandoning all the logical calm that he was known for. He clutched onto the crystal from his side with his free hand. "Why does it always have to be you? You _just _came out of a dangerous situation alive and now you're jumping into another where your enemies are almost assuredly going to kill you. You're smarter than this, Amani. We can find another way that doesn't put your life on the line like this. Come back home. _Please _come back home."

Amani wilted under Koumei's desperate plea.

"I _can't._ Many lives depend on this, even our own."

"So, _you _have to sacrifice yourself so the world can live? What has the world ever given you to deserve such a hefty price?" Koumei demanded, frustrated tears streaming down his face. "Nothing, not even the world, is worth that. Not to me."

Amani began to cry.

"I'm sorry, _Anata. _I'm so sorry. I want to be with you and Kouryuu. I don't want to go, but this world has already given me _so much _for me to turn my back on it now." She somehow managed to smile through her tears. "Blessed Children aren't supposed to live a long life. Because of this, we are advised against falling in love." She looked at Kouryuu's sleeping face fondly. "We are advised against having our own children. But here I am, the luckiest Blessed Child alive. I have both."

Her brown eyes burned.

"And because of that, I have more reason than anyone else to _fight._"

* * *

"Sai? Did everything go all right in Kou?" Titus' bright face filled the communication crystal. Sai nodded affirmatively. "Yeah, Al Thamen is gone and Kou is still standing. There were some causalities, but they were mostly from the other side."

Titus let out a sigh of relief. "That's good."

Sphintus' face appeared near Titus'. "Sai! Is Selene there?" He asked, face eager. A dark expression skittered across Sai's face, making Sphintus shudder. "Mou, Sphintus, what's with that greeting? Am I really that irrelevant that you'd overlook me? Guess that you don't need to pretend anymore since you got what you wanted from me, huh?"

Sphintus shook his head so hard Sai half expected it to fly off.

"Th-That's not true…"

In seconds, Sai's expression turned innocent. "Just kidding~! Maa, maa, you're so gullible, Sphintus. I worry for you sometimes." He took the crystal over to Selene. "Selene~ guess who's on the other line~?" He sang. She took one look at the crystal and brightened up.

"Selene!" Sphintus nearly cried as they exchanged sweet words and 'I miss you's'. Sai was almost jealous by the nice atmosphere between the two. Well, it was to be expected since they were still in the process of courtship.

'_No matter what, Selene has to get out of this alive,' _Sai swore to himself quietly as he watched Selene's happy face.

"I'll have to cut this short," Sai interrupted them after giving them some time. "Sphintus, I need to talk to Lordling. Leave us alone?"

And, just like a good, little sister's boyfriend, Sphintus obeyed immediately, vacating the room. The moment Sphintus was out of sight, Sai's lackadaisical expression abruptly turned grave.

"Sai?"

"Lordling, is the General there with you?" Sai asked, already knowing that he totally _was _since he was a nosy bastard. And, just as he predicted, Muu's face popped up from the side, as cheerful as ever. "Hello, Sai!"

"Send your ships and troops over to Sindria right now."

Muu frowned. "Sai, you don't really have the power to order that."

"Maa, right, sorry, General," Sai apologized with a sheepish smile that mimicked the one Muu frequently wore perfectly, "I guess I phrased it wrongly. Let me reiterate." His entire demeanor shifted from pleasant to hostile within seconds. "Send your ships and troops over to Sindria right now or Reim will fall."

Muu sighed. "Honestly, are you threatening us right now? I'm aware that Blessed Children have great abilities but –

"Kou will fall. Partevia will fall. Heliohapt will fall. Artemyra will fall. All minor kingdoms ranging from Akita Kingdom to Qishan will _fall._ No, my good general, I am not threatening you. I am _warning _you of what will happen if _I fail _to bring down the barrier that's currently keeping the entirety of Sindria captive_._" Sai finished his sentence with a serious look in his eyes. "I'm _asking_ you right now to get ready for the possibility of Al Thamen succeeding to release the Black Bird into this world."

Titus shook in his seat, something that Muu noticed immediately. "Titus…he isn't lying?"

"No, he's not." Titus turned to Muu. "The Black Bird is not something to take lightly. It's a creature that is far more powerful than the medium you and many other metal vessels fought in Magnostadt. Even as a magi…I won't be able to protect Reim from that thing if Sai fails. Prepare our troops and ships."

Muu left the room immediately to obey Titus' orders.

Titus turned back to Sai, expression worried.

"Sai, there's something else, isn't there?"

A bitter smile crossed the Blessed Child's face. "Nothing can escape you now, huh?"

"Sai."

"Marga is in there," Sai answered plainly.

The horrified silence filled the space between them.

"Don't worry," Sai's expression was soft, "I don't intend to let her get hurt. Just worry about anything except getting here, okay, Lordling?" He pressed his forehead against the crystal.

"You'll see. The barrier will be down by the time you get here. I promise."

* * *

"Um, Kohaku?"

Kohaku turned from her position over her notes. They were finished with tracing the symbols back to their anchors, but she wanted to double-check with the calculations. She wiped the sweat from her brow with a sleeve. "Yes?"

Aladdin walked over nervously, holding something behind his back. Kohaku regarded the youngest magi curiously. "Is there something the matter, Aladdin?"

"Back in Kou…you left behind your staff, right? And you're planning to face the Cursed Children with our friends?"

Kohaku nodded. "I know that magicians are usually useless without their staff, but I'm actually pretty decent in performing magic without one. It takes more effort, but I can handle it!"

Aladdin shifted uneasily again. Jamal swooped over and swung an arm around the blue-haired boy's shoulders. "What Aladdin is _trying _to say is that he has a solution to your little problem!" He nudged at Aladdin none to softly. "Go on, give it to her! I didn't spend thirty minutes on this with you on this for nothing!" He hissed under his breath.

"Here." Aladdin held out a staff nervously. Kohaku's eyes widened. "Aladdin, isn't this–?!"

In his hands was Sheba's staff.

Well, it was obviously shortened to in correlation to her size, but it didn't change the fact that Aladdin was _giving _her his mother's staff. "But Aladdin, isn't this important to you? Why are you giving this to me?"

"I already have one," Aladdin said. "And…I think that the staff suits you best, Kohaku. I want you to have it. Please, at least use it during the fight."

Kohaku took the staff. It felt comfortable in her hands. She smiled at the magi happily.

"Aladdin, _thank you_."

"Hey, hey, me too! I helped out with the metalwork! That thing didn't have its base before I got my hands on it, you know!" Jamal called out.

Kohaku giggled. "Thanks, Jamal."

Aladdin watched the rukh around Kohaku intently as she held onto the staff. They felt warm, kind, and familiar.

He turned away.

Truly, Kohaku is best suited for the staff.

(He only hoped that it would help them succeed in their mission.)

* * *

Four transportation circles glowed on the surface of the ship. At the center of each one, there was a unique symbol that connected to the select destination where the Cursed Children were.

Each Blessed Child stood in front of the circles.

"Well, just in case this is the last time I see you guys, I want to say that it's been a good run," Yasmine told them with a small smile. "I can't think of better people to be roped with in saving the world."

Kougyoku beamed. "Same here. Even if this is the last time, I want all of you to know that I never regretted a single moment of this."

"Maa, maa, if we're going to be all soft and sappy with each other now, I guess I can add in my bronze coins too," Sai huffed and cleared his throat. "Thanks for putting up with a troublesome guy like me. You're all the best."

"Being with all of you was an honor," Amani agreed earnestly. "I couldn't ask for better friends."

A small form jumped out from the back and latched onto Yasmine.

"Don't worry about coming back. I'll make sure you're safe, Nee-chan!" Jamal swore as he waved his frying pan around enthusiastically.

Yasmine patted her little brother on the head. "I have no doubt that you will, Jamal."

"I'll support you throughout the entire fight. Don't worry, Aunt Kougyoku!" Kohaku said, clutching onto the staff that Aladdin gave her as she walked up to her side. Kougyoku noticed the staff but made no mention of it. "Oh! And make sure that your bracelet is on correctly!"

"I double-knotted it. Don't worry," Kougyoku assured her.

Selene came up to her brother's side nervously. Sai took note of it and ruffled her hair.

"Sorry for this. We're going to have to get you close to that guy again."

'_Don't worry about me. I'm not going to let you face him alone.'_

Amani laughed when she saw who was going to accompany her to her own fight. "My, I feel important! Usually, I'm overlooked in these situations."

"I hope you don't mind being crowded like this," Kikiriku said apologetically. Shion came up to her other side and took her hand. "Like old times?" The Sindrian Prince joked.

"Yes," Amani agreed, "just like old times."

They all faced forward.

"_Let's go."_

Then, all of them took a step forward.


	62. Chapter 61: Beautiful Monster

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Once upon a time, a monster and a maiden with beautiful eyes fought each other.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Onwards

_Once upon a time, in a kingdom far, far away, there lived a maiden with beautiful eyes._

* * *

Yasmine and Jamal ended up in Heliohapt.

Or, at least, _somewhere, _in the middle of the desert.

Jamal took one look at the sand under his feet before giving his older sister a long-suffering look. "Nee-chan, we're going to have the _worst _sunburns. It's going to be horrible and we aren't even at a nice beach to make up for it!"

Yasmine sighed at her brother's antics and looked up. She stiffened.

"Jamal."

Jamal immediately turned around, on guard.

Only a few yards away from the transportation circle, there sat an impressive, stone throne. And, sitting on it, was Queen Eirenne. Yasmine had to admit, the Heliohapt woman was very beautiful. If Eirenne had existed in Harley's world, she would've undoubtedly been a celebrity or a model. Behind the blindfolds, her eyes trailed from Eirenne's figure to the familiar markings at her feet. Yasmine took note of the seals set around the throne.

After scouring her surroundings for any traps or people and finding none, Yasmine began walking towards the throne. Jamal trotted at her heels, hand on the trusty frying pan at his side.

"Welcome, Blessed Child of Sasan!" Queen Eirenne greeted her dramatically as she opened her arms wide, presenting the sand around them as if it were a masterpiece. "Welcome to the great kingdom of Heliohapt! Well," she giggled, "at least, welcome to our desert. The capital itself is too noisy and crowded. At least here, we won't be interrupted."

She gestured to herself. "I am Queen Eirenne, wife of Pharaoh Armakan Amun-Ra, the most beautiful woman in Heliohapt, and mother of Prince Hakkan, firstborn and next-in-line." She introduced herself grandly.

"Greetings, I am Yasmine," Yasmine returned the greeting simply as it was only polite. "And this is my younger brother, Jamal Leoxses."

Eirenne completely disregarded Jamal's existence, focusing completely on Yasmine instead. She clapped her hands together like a child. "Yasmine! What a pretty name! I hear from many sources that you have the most _beautiful _eyes. And I thought, I _must _see them for myself! I would like to see them. May I?"

Yasmine was unsurprised by Eirenne's request. It was part of her reputation, after all. She and all the predecessors before her were known to have the most beautiful eyes despite their danger, according to the lucky individuals who survived the encounter.

Usually, she would resist the idea, but this woman was an enemy.

Yasmine reached up and unwrapped her blindfolds. After she was done, instead of pocketing them, she tossed them over her shoulder.

Then, she opened her eyes.

Eirenne took a long time admiring Yasmine's eyes from where she sat. It wasn't a clear view, but it seemed to be good enough for the queen. Her green eyes, which was more of a piercing color instead of the washed-out olive which were standard in Heliohapt, glittered in the sunlight as she took in the rare sight.

"How beautiful! The rumors about their beauty are true! Such a pity that it has to be hidden away." Her smile took a cruel edge. "But it's no wonder, since beautiful things that grow in the wild tend to be dangerous."

_Her family hated her. They didn't want her there. _

_They didn't like her eyes._

"Sasan would agree with you completely on that respect," Yasmine noted calmly, more impressed with Eirenne's capacity to maintain eye contact than offended with her passive aggressive comments. She'd heard worse from her own family, after all. "That was why covering my eyes and sending me away was necessary. They were all afraid for their lives."

"Except Jamal," her brother piped up meaningfully from her side.

"Except Jamal," Yasmine agreed.

Eirenne stared at the Blessed Child across from her with a strange expression in her eyes before clearing her throat.

"So, tell me. How did you find me here so quickly? Did that witch Gyokuen send you? Or was it my darling Hakkan?" She wondered aloud.

"Arba – you know her as Gyokuen – is dead. We killed her back at Kou. Well, your son did before he surrendered. Don't worry," Yasmine quickly assured the woman before she threw herself into a panic, "Hakkan should be alive. He's just…being held back."

"Yeah, by Hel and Opal. He should be getting his ass kicked really hard back in Kou," Jamal snarked with his arms crossed.

Eirenne's body sagged in relief. The action was subtle, but nothing escaped Yasmine's sharp eyes. "Oh, so it's just the bastard and his harlot. My darling Hakkan should be able to handle them, even if it wastes a bit of his time."

Yasmine felt Jamal twitch beside her.

"Shall we move onto the battle, then?" She asked the queen quickly, knowing that her brother was seconds away from just throwing down the gauntlet himself. "We don't want to waste any more of your time after all."

"Oh, how chivalrous! As expected of a citizen of Sasan!" Eirenne tittered as she stood up from her throne moved away from the seals. Yasmine's eyes followed her movements as her brow climbed up. "Oh, don't fuss about that. The barrier won't fall just because I moved around a bit. My dear Raul fixed that little problem about the sensitivity of the magic circle after the debacle in Magnostadt."

Pocketing the information away in her mind after it was provided, Yasmine nodded. "Thank you for explaining, your majesty."

Now it was Eirenne's turn to raise a brow. "I'm impressed. Polite even after being presented with an inconvenience. Tell me, are all you Sasanians like this?"

"Nope!" Jamal crowed from Yasmine's side. She patted his head and shushed him.

Eirenne sighed. "Well, all families have their exceptions. Though, I can't talk."

She circled around the Blessed Child. Yasmine smoothly turned as the Cursed Child did, keeping her back faced away from the Queen. Yasmine maintained eye-contact the entire time.

"My, you are just like the noble knights in stories who would slay monsters and save princesses. I used to love hearing about those when I was a little girl. Oh, _pardon me_." She covered her mouth as if she said something offensive. "I forgot! You wouldn't have known about those stories since you were practically raised in a hovel!"

Jamal bristled at her tone.

Yasmine tilted her head.

"Do you mean fairy tales? Oh, I know those. I would listen to them before I went to bed when I was younger." A wistful smile crossed her face. "The knights were my favorite too. Used to think that one of them would come and save me and Raja one day."

Eirenne appeared thrown aback by Yasmine's offhanded comment. The younger woman offered a smile to the Queen.

"You have good taste. I didn't realize that they told stories like that in Heliohapt too."

"Thank…you…" After the words left her mouth, Eirenne shook herself from her daze and regained her composure. She sent Yasmine a pitying smile. Her sharp nails began to tap at her side. "You're such a well-mannered child. It's a pity that you were born a Blessed Child. I would've kept you alive if it weren't the case."

BAM!

Yasmine grabbed Jamal and barely managed to dodge the attack. The sand where they once stood on flew everywhere at the impact.

Eirenne clicked her tongue, lifting her foot from the sand. What Yasmine had initially assumed were black sandals shifted and writhed around the Cursed Child's feet as if alive.

"And here I was, trying to make this a quick death for you and you brother," she scolded them as she prepared for another attack.

* * *

_Her family sent her away. For the sake of their own protection and the safety of their loved ones, they gave her up. _

_They sent her to a battlefield, a beast's den. Enemies were at every corner._

_Surprisingly, instead of dying, the maiden bloomed and flourished in this new place. Her beautiful eyes helped her survive._

_She was hated there too._

* * *

Yasmine expertly dodged another one of Eirenne's attacks, running across the sands as she fired off random bursts of attacks with Gamigin.

Of course, she realized very early on that Eirenne's skin was near-indestructible, which meant that Gamigin's _rot _only momentarily weakened her skin. Yasmine had tried again and again to paralyze Eirenne with her eyes, but – for once – her abilities didn't work on a person. Truly, this Cursed Child was created as the perfect killing machine that would have been able to overcome Yasmine if she had depended solely on her eyes.

But Yasmine was more than that. She even had a metal vessel.

Unfortunately, Gamigin wasn't really a game-changer at the face of Eirenne's skin. Of course, if she had donned her djinn equip, Yasmine would have been able to cause more damage.

But she didn't. Instead, Yasmine chose to wait. She waited to see if Eirenne had anything else up her sleeve as she saved up her energy.

Jamal had filled her in on the Heliohapt Queen's abilities that he gathered back when he helped Hel fight her back in the Magnostadt War. The scientist Raul somehow managed to engineer concentrated black rukh into Eirenne's skin in a way that it could buffer any attacks. Well, aside from Jamal's gun, according to her little brother.

But Raul had learned from their previous fight, if what Eirenne said proved to be correct. He had improved his magic seals to be more flexible. Why not improve Eirenne's skin in a way that would make it harder to take her down with a gun?

With her eyes, Yasmine barely managed to parry a swipe that Eirenne made with her hands by taking advantage of a weak point. Her arms still strained at the effort of redirecting the attack, speaking volumes about Eirenne's strength.

'_I have to be careful. One or two of those hits would kill me.'_

"You're holding out a lot longer than I expected!" Eirenne trilled from behind her, reluctantly impressed since it was giving her a hard time. "Even at the face of death, your fighting form and stamina is extraordinary!"

"Oh this? This used to be every other week."

Yasmine tried to slice at Eirenne's heel with her scythe with no avail.

"After Raja died, the Knight King would sometimes send assassins at my doorstep, either to test my skills or as an actual effort to kill me. Being in a life-risking situation isn't really a new thing for me." Yasmine panted as she avoided another strike.

Eirenne gasped loudly as she drew back her fist. Though it wasn't covered with any gloves or clothing, Yasmine caught sight of it briefly turning black after striking something. "Assassinate you? I've heard rumors that Sasan were fearful of their Blessed Children, but to think that they would go as far as to try and _kill _you. They almost did my job for me!"

"As you can see, your majesty, I'm _very _good, so that wouldn't have been possible," Yasmine allowed a bit of pride to seep into her voice. "I might have been young when they started to come for me, but I was already trained to fight against opponents like them. Raja had taught me after all. And when he was no longer there, I learned from the barbarians I was tasked to wipe out whenever they tried to invade Sasan."

The older woman looked surprised. "Goodness! And I thought Sasan was full of gallant knights! Leaving a young lady to fight alone. What poor taste!"

Yasmine smiled ruefully before going in for another strike. This time, she managed to time it well enough to break skin, causing the Cursed Child to recoil and shriek.

"Monster, remember?"

Across from them, Jamal did his best to distract Eirenne from Yasmine as she angrily retaliated, doing his own brand of dodging too. The sand wasn't the most ideal place, but her little brother was still capable of performing amazing flips and jumps while running.

Whenever he could get close enough to Eirenne, he would test her skin with multiple different metal weapons, purposefully avoiding the gun until further notice. Currently, he was wielding a chainsaw.

Surprisingly, it managed to put a slight dent on her skin, which was more than what could be said with the lances, spears, military flails, and other weapons he had tried out.

"Hey, hey, look at me! Look at me, Queenie!" He called out obnoxiously, trying to get her attention as much as he could with what he did best: annoying people.

"You call that a punch? Boo! Horrible form! You get an F for Failure! Try harder than that!"

"I've seen baby penguins smack harder than you do! C'mon!"

"Was your seamstress _blind? _Your clothes look like someone skinned a camel and wrapped you with its entrails!"

"You empty-headed animal food trough-wiper! Your mother was a hamster and your father smelt of elderberries!"

Well. Yasmine had to admit that they were creative and amusing from her end.

"Did your so-called indestructible skin get _worse?_ I might not even _have _to use a gun to bring you down!" Jamal shifted his metal vessel back to its true form. "I bet I could take you down with Miss Maya's pan! Hah!"

While the previous comments had successfully riled Eirenne up, this one made the attacks aimed at both siblings stop abruptly. Her beautiful face twisted into an ugly expression as she regarded the pan in Jamal's hand.

Yasmine and Jamal were still on guard, but they also stopped running. Who knew when a convenient break like this came around in their death battle?

"…Hey, you know, I never really understood why you're still after Hel," Jamal spoke up.

"Isn't it obvious?" Eirenne sneered. "That feral bastard stands as a threat to my darling Hakkan's throne!"

"Queenie, I'm pretty sure Hel doesn't want your precious son's throne," Jamal snorted. "Like, can you imagine? _Pharaoh Helios Amun-Ra. _He already hates the gaudy title they slapped onto him back at Reim. I bet he'd hate ruling a country he doesn't know even more. Hel cut ties with his bio dad pretty quick, which takes him out of the competition. And I bet you know about that too. What's the real reason?"

Not too eager to jump back into battle just yet, Yasmine encouraged the conversation. "I would like to know too, your majesty."

Eirenne looked at both Yasmine and Jamal condescendingly.

"Neither of you are aware of the details of Heliohapt culture, are you?" She sniffed. "Well, of course not. What would you know as outsiders? You've never been a bastard growing up in a country like Heliohapt. You might think that a country that accepts polygamous marriages and relationships are capable of being kind to its illegitimate children, but it's not. My kingdom is still very traditional in its views on children born out of wedlock."

Her expression darkened.

"Usually, they are left out to die or grow up in the streets. Even _if _the family chooses to keep and raise the child, the children are treated with hatred and malice."

She shrugged.

"It's practically tradition in my country. Since I'm its queen, why shouldn't I follow it? It's expected of me, after all."

"Okay, fine," Jamal sighed. "Hel could take whatever you try throwing at him, anyways. But what about Miss Maya? I don't think that falls under the so-called societal rules that you described. There's tradition and there's cruelty. And what you did to Miss Maya, chaining her up and taking away her dignity as a human being? That was cruelty."

"You don't understand. _You_ will never understand," Eirenne said lowly. Every surface of her began to ripple, broadcasting the emotions that she was barely able to keep beneath her skin.

The warning signs were there. Any common man would've stepped back and dropped the subject.

But there was nothing common about Jamal. As for the warning signs, he knew they were there. He just didn't care about the consequences that might follow. Jamal _existed _just to push every single button until he got his answer.

"Try me."

Yasmine took a step back.

"Try? **Try?! **Fine then –

The ground where Jamal used to stand just a moment before exploded. Sand flew everywhere and obscured everyone's vision aside form Yasmine's. She quietly sighed in relief as she held onto Jamal.

'_That was close…'_

Yasmine watched as Eirenne stayed in her position, fist buried in the sand. She was bent over so the Blessed Child couldn't see her face.

" – I'll _try _to make you understand the _hell _that a woman with no familial influence and only a single person to depend on has to endure within the royal harem. I'll _try _to make you understand the things I had to do, the things I had to give _just _to wake up alive for the next day. I'll _try _to make you understand how important even a _scrap _of attention from the Pharaoh was to me, much less the title of the official wife. I'll _try _to make you understand how all those other women made me feel just because my beauty was a threat. And you know what?" She laughed. "They were _right. _The moment I had enough power, enough influence, I killed them all. The only reason I am here now is because of the blood, sweat, and tears I gave for this position. And I was _not _going to let a feral whorewho went through _none _of the struggles that _I _had to go through to take away everything I worked for!"

Eirenne looked up.

The sand had settled by then and Yasmine was already a good distance away from Eirenne with her little brother still in her arms.

"Neither of you would _ever _understand the pains that I had to endure to get to where I am today. **Never.**"

* * *

_But the maiden had one friend._

_He was hated, too. He was hated longer than her. "Monster!" some had called him. But, to her, he was just kind and true._

_He taught her how to survive._

_He made her bloom into something beautiful._

* * *

"Oh, _grow up_, Eirenne."

Everything went silent.

Since _he _wasn't the one who talked, Jamal gaped up at Yasmine, who was glaring at the Queen of Heliohapt.

"Never understand? Me? Ha, what a joke. I understand that kind of feeling more than anyone. Maybe even more since I _lost _the only person who ever gave a _damn _about me. But you don't see me trying to put people down for cruelty's sake even after all of that, do you?"

Her vibrant, blue eyes narrowed as it leveled a look that would have stopped the heart of any other opponent. She lifted her scythe up in preparation.

"So, don't you dare spout about things _you _don't understand."

Rage covered the entirety of Eirenne's face as she attacked Yasmine and renewed their battle.

The strikes were heavier, and her skin was beginning to take on a strange, black sheen to it.

Soon enough, Yasmine was forced to resort to putting on her djinn equip and take to the air.

Eirenne followed easily, looking over Gamigin's equip enviously.

"How elegant and mysterious. I've always been jealous of how beautiful djinn equips are. Raul tried his best with mine, but my dark djinn equip holds no shine to my Armakan's."

Yasmine tilted her head.

"Thank you for the compliment. I think Gamigin did a wonderful job in designing this for me. But I personally think that Kouha's djinn equip is far more beautiful," she said while recalling Leraje's soft colors and crystal-like structure.

"Kouha? Oh, are you speaking of Kou Empire's third prince?" Eirenne covered her mouth as if she was about to hurl. "Honestly, can you even call him that with his girlish appearance and strange mannerisms? I had thought that he was one of Koutoku's many daughters when I first laid eyes on him."

"OI!"

Both women looked down to where Jamal stood with a snarl on his lips and a fire lance at his side.

"Shut your trap about that sister-stealing bastard! Yeah, he might be a bit girly, but he's a lot more capable and dependable than that son of yours who got his ass kicked by a tree leaf! He's the guy that Nee-chan chose to be her future husband, so don't you dare badmouth him! Only_ I_ can do that!"

He fired the traditional weapon at Eirenne's face. It didn't leave as much of a scratch, but it distracted her enough for Yasmine to kick her back down onto the ground.

On the ground, Jamal progressively upgraded his fire lance to a hand cannon to the handgun he used back in Magnostadt. While the upgrade did shift the skin around a bit, it was not as effective as it had been before.

"Trying to use those sneaky tricks again, hmm?" Eirenne laughed as she showed off her skin. It had an unnaturally black sheen to it, as if someone pulled tinted saran wrap all over her body. "Raul learned _all _about the flaws you pointed out and agreed with you. There _is _no such thing as a perfect in the field of science. You've inspired him, boy, so I suppose I should be _thanking _you for that!"

Jamal grimaced at the new information as he looked over her body.

"Well, I got to give praise when it's deserved, that Raul of yours is a genius." His grimace deepened. "He's also either an idiot or a sadist. That so-called 'improvement' you're talking about is only killing you faster. You know that, right? I mean, it's already bad news to forcefully pump yourself with dark rukh to begin with. But those improvements? They're consuming more of your magoi than a normal human can produce. Using it too much will exhaust your reserves."

Eirenne tilted her head. "And? I am not normal. Raul has made sure of that."

Jamal rolled his eyes. "Yes, yes, you're a special snowflake who's one of the only four people who can handle becoming a Cursed Child without internally combusting. Congrats, want a gold star sticker to come with that? _It doesn't matter if you're not normal _since the rukh that your Raul used? That ain't normal either_._ Sooner or later, that super special bodysuit will start wearing _you _if you're not careful."

"It's sweet that you're concerned, little boy, really," Eirenne cooed. "But I trust Raul's word more than anyone else's in the world. He's stood by me and helped me too much for me to ever doubt him, especially over the words of an obnoxious _child._"

Jamal sighed resignedly.

"Well, can't say I didn't try to warn her."

Then he shot her with a bazooka.

* * *

_The maiden's beauty did not go unnoticed. More friends with powerful connections approached her. They gave her a purpose that would affect the entire world._

_The maiden was suddenly taken from her miserable battlefield and was shown a world that did not look at her with hatred. It was far bigger than she had ever imagined. She was no longer afraid._

_With her newfound power, the maiden cut ties with her family._

_She was free._

* * *

"_Rot, _Gamigin."

Yasmine had been trading blows with Eirenne for a while. Much to her mounting frustration, her attacks only seemed to injure the Cursed Child less and less and time went on. Even Jamal's many weapons had little to no effect.

'_Impenetrable skin indeed,' _Yasmine thought wryly.

"Give up, there is nothing more your pathetic attacks can do to me now," Eirenne taunted, as Gamigin's attacks barely even disturbed the surface of her skin, much less move her clothes. "And to think, you're in this horrible situation to begin with because of your status as a Blessed Child. Trapped your entire life to serve the people who despise you until your death, and now you're trapped _here _until the end of your life to fight _for _the very same people. And for what? To prevent your loved ones from becoming sacrifices? What a horrible fate you have! I pity you. I truly do."

Eirenne came up to Yasmine's face and smacked her down from the sky and into the sand. Jamal cried out in alarm.

"NEE-CHAN!"

"You should be _thanking _me for putting this much effort in killing you!" She crowed as she stood over the broken silhouette, obscured by the disturbed sand. She smirked smugly. "I now free you from your duty, Blessed Child Yasmine Leoxses."

The sand settled, revealing the body.

Or, well, what _should _have been the body.

A shattered rock, obviously taken from a part of the stone throne that Eirenne had perched on, sat in the sand.

"Thank you for your consideration, your majesty, but your concern for me is unnecessary," Yasmine's voice sounded from behind Eirenne, making her shriek in surprise and stumble back. "Y-Y-Y-You! How are you even alive?"

"You might have some new tricks, but we have our own too," Yasmine revealed, but did not expand on the thought. No need to boast about the details of her abilities of stopping time. "Now, about my position is Sasan, your information is horribly outdated. I am no longer its Blessed Child or its citizen. My predecessors might have remained on its lands out of misplaced loyalty, but_ I_ wasn't going to lose my life to a useless cause. So, I took matters to my own hands and freed myself by abandoning my identity as its Princess. I am not bound by my traditional duty as a Blessed Child, haven't been for a long, long time."

Eirenne's eyes widened. "No…"

"I got tired of waiting for my knight to save me," Yasmine revealed a little sadly, "so I saved myself. You might have remained in your high tower, your majesty, but I took my freedom with my own hands."

"_Weak,"_ Eirenne sneered, "you are _weak _for simply _leaving _your country." Her voice rose higher and higher as she continued. "You had the ability to be _more _than your predecessors who couldn't rise above the duties forced onto them. You could have made them all _bow _to you. You could have made them _pay_ for what they've done to you!"

The Queen of Heliohapt glared balefully at her counterpart.

"You had all that power in your hands ever since your birth, and yet…"

'_You sat back and let them go,' _she seemed to silently accuse her.

"It seems like you're speaking from experience," Yasmine noted calmly. "From what I've heard from everything you've said up until now, I have a feeling that you went through something similar. Pardon my guess, but your parents weren't married when they had you, were they?"

Eirenne twitched.

"So I was right."

"That's right." For once, Eirenne's tone was neither flippant or wrathful. Yasmine felt as if she was meeting the woman in her raw form for the first time. She wasn't sure how to feel about what she saw. "I was a bastard. It was obvious to everyone who saw me. I might have had my mother's face, but my father – some foreign ruffian who was most likely a bandit or a thief – left me his eyes." Her expression darkened. "As expected of our society, the Carmen Clan despised me."

Yasmine's eyes widened as she shared a look with Jamal.

"It was only out of their love for my mother that they kept me as long as they did. But they wished to get rid of me as quickly without killing me themselves. So, because of my beauty, they sent me to the royal harem when I was old enough to be eligible. Weak young girls, especially bastards like me, usually died within the harem within a month."

Tears began streaming down her face from her green eyes, making them shine like emeralds.

Or like poison in a cup before it was mixed.

"What did I do to deserve that?" Eirenne demanded. "I kept out of their way. I was far more obedient and talented in the medical arts than the other brats within the household! They could have at least thrown me out if they hated me so much! But the harem…that was a death sentence. They wanted me _dead_."

Eirenne quickly composed herself. "So, I returned the favor. Once I was chosen to be the official wife of my dear Armakan and had enough power, I elevated the Carmen Clan as personal medics for the previous Pharaoh. I gave them influence, position, and riches beyond their small imaginations." A satisfied smile crossed her face. _"And then I whittled them down one by one."_

"The Carmen family was a noble family that the Royal Court used for assassination because of their knowledge in the medical field and their tendency of bearing magicians. Its patriarch at that time, Sphintus' grandfather, spoke out against this treatment and was exiled from the Royal Court, making them impoverished despite their position as nobles," Jamal explained to Yasmine.

Eirenne sighed. "Well, the old man _was _one of the cleverer ones. When he realized what I was doing to his family, he rebelled like a fool." She shrugged. "Simply kicking that lot out and humiliating them was a _kindness_. I could have executed them all at the spot for their gall."

Yasmine nodded, "I see. So that's why you were so upset with my inaction."

"Yes! For you to simply forgive and forget them for everything they've done –

"Who said that I've forgiven them?" Yasmine interrupted Eirenne curtly. "I have not stated or suggested in any way to you that I have forgiven them."

Even Jamal was staring now.

"Despite our blood ties, they treated me as a stranger. They threw me out the moment they saw my markings and forced a man, who had absolutely _no _experience with handling infants, to raise me. They took away the only person who loved and cared for me before I was ready to fend for myself. They entrusted to me, a _child,_ with a duty that should have been given to master knights. They tried to kill me – _many times._ And then, even after all of that, they believed that they had the right to give me off to a husband of their choosing. There are too many wrongs that they've done onto me to even _count._" Yasmine took a long, calming breath. "Of course, I haven't forgiven them. Of course, I still resent them."

Yasmine looked up at met Eirenne's eyes with her own.

"But that doesn't mean that I would waste my life and time on making them as miserable as I was." Yasmine swiped at Eirenne with her scythe, managing to make a small crack on her skin. "Because that would be an impossible."

The battle restarted, but this time, Yasmine and Jamal had the upper hand. More and more cracks appeared on Eirenne's body, no matter how much she tried to harden her skin against the onslaught of attacks.

'_No,'_ she thought as the color black seeped into every part of her skin, _'no!'_

* * *

_But not everything was well._

_There was a threat that would take everything away. All of it. _

_If that happened, she would be at the mercy of her cruel enemies. She would be weak and powerless again._

…

* * *

"NO!" Eirenne shrieked desperately as her skin cracked.

* * *

…

**Eirenne refused to let that happen.**

* * *

Eirenne's body suddenly broke open.

It was like witnessing a butterfly crawling out of its chrysalis except for more unnatural and disgusting. Yasmine's eyes were able to track the way the dark rukh, that was undoubtedly the stuff that the Cursed Children pumped up their veins with, clambered out of its shell and reformed into a far more frightening image.

The top half was Eirenne, who was adorned with a black crown and armor. She was still devastatingly beautiful as ever despite the blank look on her face.

The bottom half though…

Yasmine abruptly scooped up Jamal from the ground and began to flee from the horror that was the creature behind her. Completely disproportionate to its upper half, the monolith of a scorpion's body loomed over the siblings. Its many legs and tail curled in preparation before it jumped.

It was only because of Yasmine's time-stop that they were able to avoid being crushed by the monstrous body.

They were just barely out of range when Yasmine lost her grip on her third degree.

The force of the attack threw her and her brother forward.

"Dammit," Yasmine swore under her breath. The plan that she and the other Blessed Children had agreed on was to kill off their designated Cursed Child before they shifted into their final form. "There goes my last chance in surviving."

"Nee-chan, don't say that," Jamal insisted quietly from her arms.

Yasmine angled her head toward the direction of the glowing transportation that they had used to get there and avoided her little brother's eyes. "Go back to Sindria, Jamal. Tell Shion that I'm sorry and that I'll at least take her down with me."

Jamal started at this. "Nee-chan, I'm not –

"No. We're not arguing about this. Jamal, you need to –

"NO! Listen to me, Nee-chan!" Jamal grabbed at the front of her djinn equip and gave her a hard shake. "I'm not leaving you to face that monster and die alone! Not again!"

Yasmine was struck silent by the ferocity in Jamal's tone. Her shock almost cost both of their lives when the dark djinn monster caught sight of the siblings and jumped at them again.

"_Third Degree: Time Stop."_

Yasmine rushed out the monster's range before releasing her third degree. She was ready for the shock wave that resulted from the impact and stood her ground, not talking her eyes off her brother.

"…I'm sorry, Jamal."

Jamal sniffled. "Just don't say things like that again," he tried to say sternly. He failed.

"Okay," Yasmine conceded. "I won't say things like that again. We'll keep fighting together."

Jamal hugged her tightly. "Damn right we will."

With a heavy sigh, she looked back up at Scorpion Eirenne, who was preparing for another jump. "What are we going to do?"

Jamal stared at the monster descending on them and didn't bat an eye at the possibility of being crushed since Yasmine was there to stop the creature just in time.

"…You know, she's a lot fatter this time around. I almost didn't recognize her," he suddenly commented, nearly making Yasmine trip as she ran to avoid the attack once again. _"Jamal."_

"No, this is a serious thing, Nee-chan. I promise! You see, back my original timeline, her scorpion form wasn't this big or scary. Last time, she was more like a small house. Now, she's a decently-sized apartment complex. Yeah, she's a whole lot scarier _now_, but a size like that means more volume."

Yasmine unfroze time.

"What do you mean?"

Jamal gestured over to the dark djinn monster. "_Look at her._ Queenie's skin might've been completely impenetrable when she was closer to being human-shaped, but her new look gives her a huge arachnid butt, which also means too much volume. The result? Her hard, impenetrable skin can't cover all of her when facing a really strong attack," Jamal explained seriously. "There has to be at least _one _soft point. The key to taking her down is to find and strike hard at that weak point."

"How do you know if it's a weak spot?"

Jamal shrugged. "I dunno. I never saw. I wasn't the one who made the final blow or even participated in the battle that finally did her in. Shion said that it glowed like a target circle when he tapped it."

"…He just _tapped_ it?"

"Well, he _hit _it. But it was probably just a tiny love tap for Queenie. That's not the point! There's a weak spot and it's probably our only chance!" Jamal pointed at the underside of the irritated djinn monster, who was gaining on them fast.

Yasmine hummed and stopped time once again. Instead of rushing, she took Jamal away from the impact site at a leisurely pace, counting under her breath all the while. She held onto it a bit longer than usual before she released it. "…I can hold Scorpion Eirenne still for a maximum of five minutes. It takes about two minutes for you to run to and from her body. That means you only have three minutes to find the soft spot after I attack her and stop time."

Jamal nodded, a wide smile threatening to tear his face into two. "Got it, Nee-chan. I'll give a holler if I find it."

"Remember, we can always try again. Don't dally and _leave _once you reach the time limit, okay?"

Yasmine didn't give Jamal enough time to answer as she went into the air and met Scorpion Eirenne head-on as the monster jumped.

"Gamigin! _Rot!"_

* * *

**Never again.**

* * *

Jamal scurried along the underside of Eirenne's scorpion body. He shot at it as he ran in front of it, praying under his breath for something – anything to light up. He had already tried the underside, the back, and the middle. This was their third time and he _really _hoped that they didn't have to do a fourth.

Yasmine was getting tired and he didn't know how much longer she would be able to last like this.

_Clink._

Jamal's desperate prayers were answered when he saw the glowing symbol on the area where Eirenne's human abdomen met her unnatural lower half.

The Sasanian prince continued shooting at the one spot to make the job easier for his sister.

"Nee-chan!" He shouted loudly before he was forced to run away before he got caught up in the range of impact. He kept shooting despite it getting more and more difficult to hit at the target point. "It's at the connecting point!"

Yasmine immediately unfroze time and went to attack the weak point, chanting the spell for her ultimate attack.

"_The Spirit of Perseverance and Battles, thou who gives powers to kings, bring forth the greatest silence and render all life to dust!"_

As if sensing Yasmine's plan, Scorpion Eirenne's tail flashed forward, with the intent of skewering the Blessed Child in front of her.

BANG!

Jamal whooped victoriously as the tail jerked away from its original target. He shifted his weapon from a long-distance rifle back into its original form. "Gotcha! Thought you could pull a fast one, huh? Not on _my _watch! Go get her, Nee-chan!"

"_Extreme Magic!_"

Yasmine buried Gamigin into the glowing target.

Immediately, the attack began to rot away the black rukh from the inside. Usually, Yasmine would never use such an attack as it ensured the deaths of an entire army's worth of lives and was irreversible. But this was a special case and Yasmine couldn't risk anything with the entire world on the line. She watched intently as Scorpion Eirenne let out an inhuman cry as its legs and tail began to warp and flail. It fought valiantly against the rot, trying to protect itself and its host.

Eventually, Gamigin's power won out and Yasmine was thrown back at the force of the entire body shattering into pieces like glass. The dark rukh that tried to escape never made it far as Gamigin's rot was still in effect. Eventually, only dust was left behind.

Yasmine stumbled onto her feet, no longer in her equip. She was immediately thrown back to the ground by the familiar force of Jamal's tackle-hug.

"We did it!" He gasped, tears of relief streaming down his face. "We did it, Nee-chan! We're alive!"

"Yeah. We did it," she echoed and drew him closer. She let out a sigh of relief and laughed. "We made it."

After celebrating a little longer, both siblings got back onto their feet and made their way over to the transportation circle to go back to Sindria. Ironically, it was right where the Cursed Child was destroyed as Yasmine recognized the gaudy throne, which was a little broken thanks to her.

Yasmine stopped.

Jamal asked what was wrong but she didn't answer, eyes trained on the dust and other remnants of the scorpion body.

At the center of it all, was the collapsed body of Queen Eirenne – still alive.

* * *

**Never…**

* * *

Queen Eirenne of Heliohapt blankly stared upwards. She had long since given up on trying to move. She was sure that she was completely paralyzed.

"Impossible."

Her fingers twitched as she turned her head back and forth helplessly.

"It's…impossible. I couldn't have been…defeated. I…_couldn't._" Her darling Raul had _promised _that nothing could get past her skin. Nothing. And he never lied.

So why was she here in this position?

Eirenne moved her head again, only to pause.

In front of her, stood the Blessed Child. Her beautiful eyes glinted forebodingly and Eirenne had a sinking suspicion that she was no longer immune to those poisonous eyes.

"…G-Get back!" Eirenne cried out as she somehow managed to curl around herself defensively. She squeezed her eyes shut like a little child. She heard footsteps coming closer and closer. She made futile cries against it, breaths coming out short. "Don't come…any…closer! Don't! …Stop!"

Eirenne quivered as she felt the Blessed Child near. She was right in front of her. And then she –

She squeaked in surprise when she felt gentle arms envelop her and lift her up.

Eirenne's eyes involuntarily opened back up as Yasmine began to move. Her little brother stood a bit away from the two, watching silently.

She watched as they made their way towards the broken throne.

"…What…are you…doing?" Eirenne managed to ask between labored breaths as Yasmine set her down onto the well-sculpted stone. "You've…won…so why?"

The Blessed Child did her best to arrange Eirenne's body so she was sitting up. "I don't take pleasure in being unnecessarily cruel. You are no longer a threat to me and everyone dear to me." Yasmine's blue eyes flickered up to the queen's face. Already, some parts of her skin were darkening and crumbling. "There's not much a dying woman can do to me now."

Eirenne trembled at the sight of her only shield against the world crumbling away. She suddenly appeared very vulnerable. "No," she moaned as her eyes teared up, "no, not like this. I don't want to die like this."

"Like what?"

"Ugly."

Yasmine hushed her soothingly. "Don't look at that. Look at me. Look into my eyes, your majesty." Surprisingly, Eirenne obeyed her. "You are still very beautiful. And you will remain beautiful. I promise this to you."

Eirenne's eyes shone with an unnamed emotion as she stared up into the eyes of Sasan's monster.

"Oh," she sighed. "Your eyes are the most beautiful things I've ever seen."

Yasmine blinked.

Eirenne's empty eyes stared back. The Blessed Child withdrew her hands and stepped back. Jamal, who had been silent until that moment, spoke up.

"That was kind of you, Nee-chan."

Tears began streaming down Yasmine's face as she continued staring at the throne.

The statue of Eirenne, forever beautiful, sat there crying eternally and eternally looking up at the sun.


	63. Chapter 62: Lotus Blossoms

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> At what point does a liar begin to believe their own lies?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Onwards

_Minister Wang of Kou was well known as the most righteous and honest noble of Kou. Even Emperor Hakutoku, who had been in power at that time, praised the man for his work and good deeds._

_To the entire country, he was lauded as a hero who fought with the truth._

_So, naturally, his daughter Ming Hua of the Wang Clan must also be honest._

* * *

Kougyoku and Kohaku ended up in Kou.

Kougyoku recognized the place as an old battlefield. Since the land was razed horribly, there were no settlements that rebuilt over the area. She had a feeling that the Cursed Children chose an area like this more because they didn't want to be interrupted and not because they cared about the collateral damage.

"Princess Kougyoku, I've been expecting you," Ming Hua greeted her politely upon their entrance. The reserved woman stood within an intricate circle, which Kougyoku immediately recognized as the magic that's keeping the entire island of Sindria trapped. When Ming Hua's eyes landed on Kohaku, however, her eyes froze over. From the perspective of Kougyoku's sight, it was literal. "And…Princess Kohaku. What a pleasant surprise." Shadows around Ming Hua seemed to stretch out threateningly at Kohaku's direction.

It was the only hint that Kougyoku got before the entire ground burst with thousands of worms. Their teeth grazed at the Blessed Child's ankles as she barely managed to change into her djinn equip and take flight before they took a limb.

Kohaku easily avoided the worms' teeth with her borg as she took to the air.

"Wow, Ming Hua _really _doesn't hold back, does she?" Kougyoku gasped when both of them were a good distance from the ground. "She just got right to it."

"It's my fault. She doesn't like me that much," Kohaku grimaced. "Actually, she doesn't like me at all. Period. Don't expect her to hold back now."

Kougyoku gave Kohaku a sympathetic smile. She couldn't argue with her niece since it was the truth. Ming Hua seemed to always _despise _Kohaku even before the reveal of her identity as a Cursed Child. Kougyoku had assumed that she simply hated the idea of children and overlooked it. "Well, it can't be helped."

Kohaku looked down at the mass of worms. "We're not safe up here. They can reach us even at great heights and there's too many to fight off by ourselves."

"Don't worry, I got that covered."

Kougyoku raised up Vinea. _"Spirits of Sorrow and Isolation, thou who controls the power to make Kings, bring forth the great raging streams and judge the surfaced earth!"_

She brought her weapon down.

"_Extreme Magic!"_

The entire land was flooded, washing away all of worms from the ground's surface and allowing the pair to get back onto the ground.

Much to Kougyoku's irritation, Ming Hua herself remained completely untouched by the flooding. Kougyoku suspected that it had to do with the magic circle around her. Ming Hua looked mildly amused by the spectacle, judging by the laughing mouths at her feet.

The Kou Noble raised her hand.

Another wave of black worms replaced their fallen brethren, mouths sneering and snapping.

* * *

_And she was. Once._

_Even as a child, everyone expected Ming Hua to uphold the values that her father unwittingly placed upon her shoulders. She did. She always put others first. She always stood up against any wrongdoing. She always told the truth._

_Ming Hua the Honest, many called her._

…

_It wasn't always a good thing._

* * *

"_Anshaha masn!"_

An onslaught of plants rose from the ground and wrapped strangled the black worms. They also defended Kohaku whenever one of the worms tried to take a bite out of her and her borg. Behind her, Kougyoku was throwing her water spears left and right.

One of the bigger worms paused in their attack before tunneling back underground.

**Crunch**.

Kohaku winced at the sound.

"Did you think that I would fall for the same trick again, Princess Kohaku?" Ming Hua asked from her position within the circle. The big worm appeared beside her and spat out pieces of what used to be magic tools. "I've looked into your background after our battle. The Sindrian magician Yamraiha was your mentor, was she not? She used the same tactics in her battle against Apollonius."

She chuckled quietly behind her sleeves.

"Now, now, we both know that you're better than cheap tricks like this. Why don't you fight me at full power like you did before, Princess Kohaku?"

Kohaku gripped at her staff.

(How dare she act this way after all that's she's done to her mother? How dare she take away the dreams of not one but _both _of her parents? How dare she? Howdareshehowdareshe**howdare** –)

"Hey."

Kohaku jerked at Kougyoku's voice. She turned to her aunt.

"I know it's easier said than done, but don't let her get to you," Kougyoku warned her. "I know you're upset with Ming Hua for what she did to Seishin," she said sympathetically, "believe me, I do. But we need to keep a steady head so we can beat her, okay?"

"Oh, I wouldn't be sure about that," the subject in question called out.

Kougyoku was immediately on guard when she tasted Ming Hua's smugness in the air.

The Cursed Child released another wave of her worms at Kohaku and Kougyoku's way. While they appeared like the same bunch that Ming Hua had been throwing their way the entire time, something about them felt…_off _to Kougyoku.

The worms crowded around the cautious Kou royals.

And then, one of them opened their mouth and **spoke.**

"_You are replaceable. You think just because you were blessed with powers upon birth that you're special? There are thousands of people worthier of the ability than you. They could have done __**so much more **__than what you have done."_

And then, as if the floodgates opened, all the others started talking too.

"_Even after leaving to train in magic, you are still as powerless as ever. Your mother's misery is your fault. It's all your fault!"_

"_You can't save any of them. In the end, you're too powerless to save yourself. Because of your weakness, the people of Sindria will become sacrifices for our victory."_

"_Being born is your greatest sin. You've brought nothing but unhappiness to your mother. Your unnatural eyes, your inability to speak properly in front of people is such an eyesore!"_

"_Always knowing when someone lies? What kind of ability is that? You're nothing compared to them. Why are you even there? You'd only hold them back."_

"_Your mother almost died on the birth bed because of you – because you tore your way out of her, you little freak."_

"_Do you really think that magi is in love with you? No, what he's in love with is your __**power.**__ I wonder what happens if he realizes that you actually have none?"_

"_A whore, just like her mother."_

"_Waste of space. __**Waste of space.**__" _

They started as annoying whispers, at first, but then the whispers grew louder and louder until they were impossible to ignore.

Kougyoku _knew _what the black worms were spouting were lies and utter trash. But then, the voices seemed to stick in her ear and repeat their horrible words again and again and again in her mind. Worse yet, she couldn't see through them. The words didn't feel, taste, smell, or _sound _like lies. And their thoughts mirrored their words perfectly.

What…what was she supposed to believe?

What if they were _right?_

Kougyoku covered her ears and fell onto her knees, dispelling her djinn equip as she went down. Overwhelmed, she curled up as she tried to keep all the voices out of her head.

Beside her, Kohaku was barely standing on her feet. But she fared better than her aunt. She wasn't the one capable of seeing truths and reading minds, after all. She defended both of them as the silent black worms returned in their efforts in trying to eat them.

"Auntie Gyoku…I'm sorry," Kohaku apologized to the fallen Blessed Child, "but I don't think that I can stay calm anymore."

Her hands gripped her staff once again as she looked up at Ming Hua with a cold, murderous look in her eyes.

"**Ming Hua."**

She brought her staff down violently.

From the ground, plants burst through in droves. Ming Hua scoffed at them.

"And what exactly are those going to do against my worms? They didn't work before. What makes you think _more _of them would make a difference?"

In response to the Cursed Child's question, one of the plants bloomed, revealing a grotesque mouth full of teeth. It snatched up a mouthful of the black worms and gobbled them up.

Ming Hua's eyes widened and she took an involuntary step back.

"What –?!"

Kohaku let out a loud sigh. "Ah, I really didn't want to use this spell on people ever. These plants aren't very nice, you see. The person who taught me this back in Magnostadt wasn't very nice to people he didn't care about either." She looked at Ming Hua darkly. "But I think I understand them a little better now."

The plants loomed behind Kohaku as she tilted her head eerily.

"Ne, ne, Ming Hua, let's see what's faster: Your mouthy worms eating me or Doron-sensei's plants swallowing you?"

* * *

_Many bullied her, either because her honesty annoyed them or because their parents ordered them to. Minister Wang had as many enemies as friends._

_And Ming Hua was the perfect weak point._

_Usually, the abuse was only verbal. But that day, the bigger ones resorted to pushing her into the mud._

_But then, just like a dream…a hero_ _came swooping in to her defense, wielding a practice sword. The bullies scattered and ran away, of course, since they recognized Ming Hua's savior._

_Then, her hero turned and asked if she was all right._

_When Ming Hua assured them that she was fine, they gave her a small smile and helped her up. Her beautiful dress was sullied, but they assured her that she looked fine._

"_Lotus blossoms bloom best in muddy waters."_

_No one could have blamed Ming Hua for falling. No one._

* * *

Kohaku had to admit, Ming Hua was _very good _at avoiding getting eaten by her sensei's carnivorous plants.

Whenever one got too close, she'd just sacrifice the worm nearest to her into its maw. If she was lucky, it would choke and shrivel at the sheer size or be eaten up from the inside. If not, she would use the same tactic. Rinse. Repeat.

Kohaku arranged her plants in a way that Kougyoku, who was still curled up in a fetal position, would be protected from all sides. Satisfied with her work, she made her way over to Ming Hua.

"Why?" She asked the woman when she came close enough. "Why did you betray Mama when you were childhood friends for _years?_"

Ming Hua remained focused on deterring the carnivorous plants and didn't answer her.

"Why did you spread those horrible rumors that gave her such a hard time in the royal court? Why did you lie to her whenever she came to visit you?"

No answer again.

"Why did you make Mama drink that horrible tea? Feed her those terrible snacks? It's not possible for her to have any more children because of you. Why did you do it?"

When the silence continued, something in Kohaku broke.

"How can you _stand there _and act as if you did nothing? Do you even know what you've done? Do you even _care_? So many lives, so many dreams, so many hearts, they were crushed and destroyed because of _your _actions and _your _lies!"

In reaction to her emotions going haywire, the carnivorous plants' attacks began to grow stronger and fiercer. They ate more of the black worms than the worms were being produced. Their little voices screamed as they were eaten.

Kohaku didn't care.

"I **HATE **YOU!" The young princess screamed with hot, angry tears streaming down her face. "For everything that you've taken from me, for hurting everyone I love, I HATE you, Ming Hua!"

"_Sometimes, your mother thinks that you shouldn't have been born."_

"_Nearly ruined your mother's military career with how you dislocated her hips when you came out wailing into the world."_

"_She screamed so loudly and there was so much blood. So much blood."_

"_You bring nothing but trouble and pain."_

"_Didn't you even __**notice **__how your mother would cry about you sometimes? You're so selfish."_

"_Your parents were married because they accidentally had you in their shared grief for Prince Hakuren. They tried to hide it, but half the court knows."_

The more she heard, the more agitated she became.

The magical attacks that she shot at the worms and at Ming Hua became sloppier and more erratic.

And it was exactly what Ming Hua was waiting for.

Breaking through Kohaku's defenses, one of Ming Hua's more clever worms threw Kohaku back, breaking her concentration and allowing the dark worms take the upper hand over the plants.

Now, without any more obstacles barring her from her goal, Ming Hua stepped out of the glowing circle and leisurely walked towards where Kougyoku lay. Her worms separated and made a clear path for her as they kept Kohaku too busy and distracted to get in the way.

In the end, Ming Hua stood right in front of Kougyoku.

* * *

_Her hero was from a family whose prestige was only one step below the imperial family themselves._

_Her hero was training to be in the army, like many others. They preferred the sword above any other weapon. They were talented and loyal to Kou and its Imperial Princes._

_Her hero was the eldest. They have two, younger brothers they loved and cared for very much. Even if the middle child gave them grief with his antics._

_Ming Hua collected information about this person like pieces of candy. She savored each of them before searching for more._

* * *

"What bad shape you are in, Blessed Child."

Ming Hua wasn't the sort to sneer, but she made an expression that held the same sentiment as its rougher counterpart.

"I never would have guessed that the Eighth Princess Kougyoku was Kou's Blessed Child. You were always so…noticeable. You never took the effort to hide yourself like any of your predecessors had. You even approached me with rumors – many times. Though, thinking back to it, they were never truly rumors, were they? You knew they were the truth."

Ming Hua's expression became apologetic.

"I liked you. I truly did. But I have a duty to fulfill and that duty requires your life."

Many dark worms rose up between them. Their mouths cracked open, revealing sharp teeth and nothingness held within their maws.

"Goodbye, Blessed Child Kougyoku."

The black worms began to descend on Kougyoku's prone form only to pull back and hiss when a bright light hit them. Ming Hua peered over them to find the source only to raise a brow.

It was coming from a tacky-looking bracelet around Kougyoku's wrist.

"_Vainel Arros."_

Ming Hua and her black worms were abruptly flung back by a powerful spear of water.

Kougyoku's eyes snapped open and she was back on her feet in seconds, re-equipping Vinea. The bracelet on her wrist continued to glow, shining like a beacon.

"Surprise, bitch."

Seeing the light beacon, Kohaku sent a final blast at the black worms around her and flew back to Kougyoku's side.

"Is it time?" Kohaku asked, mismatched eyes flickering over to the shining symbol on the bracelet's charm.

"Not quite. We still have a few minutes."

Bursting out from the sea of her black worms, Ming Hua stormed back to where the pair stood, sopping wet. Kougyoku snickered in satisfaction at the sight. The woman seethed at the Blessed Child's expression.

"How?" She demanded. "How did you break away from my worms on your own? Raul gave them voices for the sole purpose incapacitating you."

"Well, they _were_ effective, so don't go crying to your scientist about it not working just yet," Kougyoku informed Ming Hua wryly. "All of your little earworms were overwhelming and annoying. You should be proud of them."

Ming Hua gritted her teeth. "But they didn't. Keep. You. _Down._"

"Look, your trick might have completely kept me down if it were the me two years ago, but I've grown a lot since then." Kougyoku gave the older woman a helpless shrug. "It's hard to explain. Creating a creature that believes all the lies you feed it was an ingenious idea, but it didn't work because I already figured it out. The truth isn't always clear-cut even with my eyes. It depends on the _perception, _of both me and the person. I learned from my mistakes, with both King Sinbad and En-nii."

Ming Hua shook her head. "I can't accept that. Even if you saw beyond the lies, they were still overwhelming to the senses. How could you even function enough to attack me?"

"Oh, that? Well, it _was _painful, but it wasn't really much compared to how my boyfriend used to be and Arba's crazy mind." Kougyoku whistled. "I mean, I'm pretty confident that I can brave through _anything _after taking a dip into that woman's mind. Her demons are _way_ worse than yours."

"Arba?"

"Right. You don't know her by that name. _Gyokuen_, I meant Gyokuen," she corrected herself hastily.

Kougyoku made eye-contact with Kohaku meaningfully before turning back to Ming Hua.

"Well, Ming Hua, it's been a _pleasure _fighting against you, but I have to go."

"What–?"

"Oh! And thank you for helping me move beyond my mistakes and become better. I was aware that I needed to improve myself, but never really got myself in a situation that forced me to incorporate what I learned until now. You really helped me out there."

The glow from her bracelet began to blink.

"As a sign of goodwill, I'll give you a warning: I might be bad, but he's a hell lot worse. Good luck."

Kougyoku threw a cheeky wink at Ming Hua and held up Vinea in preparation of an attack. The other woman responded by being on guard.

"_Vainel Arros."_

Then, there was a great flash.

* * *

_Ming Hua approached them with words of gratitude at first. Then, friendly acquaintanceship. Then, something bordering the respectful friendship._

_She reeled them in closer and closer at every meeting. She was close, so close._

_But…_

_There was someone else who also wanted her hero's attention. It wasn't surprising, but it annoyed her. _ _ **That person ** _ _always got in the way, no matter what. Ming Hua was kind to them, of course. She even pitied them at first since it was never meant to be with Prince Hakuren as her hero's first priority, along with the Crown Prince._

_But then, Ming Hua saw how her hero began to look at _ _ **that person ** _ _with new eyes. _

**And so, she told her first lie.**

* * *

A smug-looking Sai stood right where Kougyoku once was.

"Surprise~!" He waved at Ming Hua cheekily.

"What?! Raul?! What are you doing…?" She looked at Sai, confused. She quickly recovered and regarded Sai with suspicion. "No, you're not Raul. Who are you? And where is Princess Kougyoku?"

Sai's shoulders shook with barely restrained mirth as his body shifted into the form the many usually connected to 'Blessed Child Sai' briefly before he flickered back to his true form. "Do you know me now?"

"Oh, I see." Ming Hua's eyes flashed with recognition. "You're the lying one. Weren't you supposed to be with Raul?"

"Maa, well, I _was _with him a few minutes ago," Sai admitted, "but he was beginning to become such a chore, so I decided to give him to Kou-chan to take care of." Without looking, Sai reached out and ruffled Kohaku's hair. "How's my favorite Princess holding up?"

Kohaku glanced at Sai and took note of the slight scratchiness to his voice and the light swelling around his eyes. He had cried recently and was too weak to hide it with his ability. "I'm okay," she lied. "And Selene? How is she?"

"She'll be fine. Kou-chan is there with her."

Kohaku nodded, internally relieved. Selene was still alive.

Sai looked around himself. The black worms around him writhed and hissed nasty things at the newcomer. "I see that Kou-chan was having a hard time too. Nasty things, aren't they? I bet they were made specifically to take her down. Well, all of us knew that we would be in a disadvantage if we simply came over to fight all of you fair and square, so we improvised."

"We devised a failsafe for each other." With a grin, Sai held up his wrist. Around it was a bracelet with a tacky-looking charm.

A tacky-looking charm that had a glowing magic circle inscribed in it.

"Mou, you might think that we completely depend on our powers as Blessed Children, but we're pretty talented in other things, you know? For me, I'm a pretty damn good magician. I was able to convert Dantalion's transportation magic into this little thing." He sighed. "But it's only a one-way trip. Sorry, but you're stuck with me now."

Ming Hua scoffed. "Are all of you so insecure about your abilities against us that you'd pull a cheap trick like this? You're all weaker than I thought."

"It's true." Sai shrugged. "But that's because you were all specifically created to hunt us down and kill us, right?" Sai tilted his head. "So, if that's the case, why should _we _be the ones to roll over and die because of our pride?"

Sai shrunk his staff and pocketed it before shifting out of his magician form again. The scar over his eye was gone, but this time, he maintained his true features. He wasted no time in taking out his chakrams. "Kou-chan's gotten better at lying, but she's not _good enough._ The odds are stacked against one master liar fighting another? _Now_ it's fair."

"Fair?" Ming Hua repeated. "And what about the other two Blessed Children? From what I recall, your little trick works between you and Princess Kougyoku, but what of the other two Blessed Children? Switching them around wouldn't change a thing for them. Their deaths are certain."

"Oh, I wouldn't worry about _them._ Jazzy-chan has that watchdog little brother of hers taking care of her. When in doubt, he'd probably bend reality to make sure his Nee-chan gets out okay." A smug grin took over Sai's features. "And Bee-chan? She has an Imuchakk warrior _and _our king at her side."

Ming Hua's many mouth creatures gathered at Sai's feet. He calmly side-stepped them without sparing any of them a glance.

"I think they'll be fine."

* * *

**It was just a small one. It was just to push **that person **back to where they belonged: with Prince Hakuren, as expected of their vows.**

**So, what if Ming Hua sowed a little discord between the Prince and **that person**? What if she tried to make it so that her hero and **that person **were wedged apart by misunderstandings? **

**They were only little lies.**

**(That piled and piled and grew as she looked away for just a moment.)**

* * *

Sai sliced yet another of Ming Hua's worms in half with his chakrams. Behind him, Kohaku held her own, already used to handling the little monsters. He laughed at them as they attempted to pull him down with their whispers and hisses.

"_You'll die like your predecessor, alone and untrusted."_

"Psh, as if I didn't hear _that _one before." _Slash._

"_Even your friends doubt whatever comes out of your mouth."_

"Lame. That's not even a lie! Even Kou-chan has to stop and wonder what I said was the truth and she _sees _lies!" _Hack._

"_The only reason why you lasted this long was because you hid behind other people, other faces. They got hurt because of you. They __**died **__because of you."_

"Are you guys even _trying_? Ya-re, ya-re, what poor quality of lies. Try again." _Stab._

"_You're just like Raul. You're just like your father."_

"Sorry. That specific insecurity was handled just recently. I think it would've actually been effective if it weren't for that. Mou, what bad luck." _Slice._

"_That Magi of Reim is young and naïve. He'll realize that you are unworthy and leave you for someone better."_

Sai paused at that one.

"Okay, that one actually hurt," he conceded. Abruptly, he activated his metal vessel and put on his djinn equip. In this form, his fox ears twitched. "Now I'm angry at all of you for picking at my love life. Prepare to pay, fools."

Magic circles activated on Sai's gloves before they scattered into multiple little ones all over the battlefield.

"_Extreme Magic."_

All the voices went quiet. It took a few seconds for Kohaku to realize _why._

Sai had stolen all of their voices.

Taking advantage of the situation, Kohaku urged her carnivorous plants forward. She didn't see Sai's raised brow at her choice of spell. She made them eat up every single voiceless worm they could swallow. While usually intricate with her execution of spells, the attacks were obviously influenced by some negative emotion, making them careless.

Sai shrugged, thinking that she was still feeling the aftereffects of hearing the worms' lies, and gleefully released the voices he stole onto Ming Hua. She was confused at first, but then, the realization set in. Then horror.

He was too far to hear every word of what the whirlwind of voices were whispering to her, but his fox-ears managed to catch pieces.

"_Freak."_

"…_are unnatural. Your feelings…"_

"_Princess Kohaku's fault. If she hadn't been born…"_

"…_loves you too."_

Since no more black worms were popping up, Kohaku noticed Ming Hua's predicament too and began to guide her plants over to where the woman was. Usually, Sai would've been fine with this, but he couldn't ignore the problem in front of him anymore.

Sai didn't like the look in Kohaku's eyes.

"Kohaku-chan," he called out. When she didn't respond, Sai cleared his throat and called out to her even louder. He gave up after the third call and just flew over to her side. Kohaku squeaked in surprise when he plucked her staff from her hands and quickly caught her before she fell with his other hand. Below them, all of the carnivorous plants shriveled up. Good riddance. Sai never liked them anyways. "I'll be taking that from you, Kohaku-chan. We need to talk."

"We can do that later. We _have _to take Ming Hua down, Sai!" Kohaku pushed at his chest insistently as she tried to reach for her staff.

Sai looked at her intently.

"Mou, this isn't like you. The Kohaku-chan I know wouldn't be so sloppy and angry with her attacks. She wouldn't be using spells as tacky and useless as those plant monsters." Sai tilted his head at her in concern. "Don't tell me…did that woman get to you?"

Kohaku paused in her struggles and shook her head.

"No," she refused stubbornly, "nothing's wrong."

Sai sighed. "Okay, I guess I'll have to take the hard route then." He turned to Kohaku. "Let me guess: You're still upset and confused about the events that happened in Kou, so you're focusing all of that onto Ming Hua, who is responsible for all the bad shit that happened to your mother. At first, you tried to cope through trying to understand the reasoning behind this woman's destructive actions. But when she didn't give you what you wanted, you got angry and lashed out in a way that clouded your rationality. Am I right so far?"

At Kohaku's silence, Sai took it as an affirmative and continued.

"You want her to hurt, but you're just slamming into a brick wall over and over again with how you're approaching it. From what I'm seeing, I bet that this problem was what got you and Kou-chan cornered by the time I got here," Sai informed her flatly.

The fire in Kohaku's eyes spluttered out. She nodded, ashamed.

Sai tousled her hair. "Maa, maa, we all hit that point when the negative feelings get too strong. We can't be perfect and emotionless. Even Bee-chan has her moments." He handed her staff back. "Here. Since you've calmed down, you can have it again."

Kohaku floated and looked at the staff in her hands, ashamed. "Aladdin gave me his mother's staff so I could protect the ones I love, but I used it for selfish intentions."

"But we both know that you're going to use it to do exactly that from now on, right? You'll have my back just as I have yours." At Kohaku's nod, Sai grinned in relief. "Good. I'm glad you understand. I was afraid that you would keep that strange look in your pretty eyes. It doesn't suit you at all."

Then, his smile turned a bit sinister.

"But~ that doesn't mean I'm just going to let what that woman did to our sweet Kohaku-chan slide either. Rest assured, she'll get her just desserts. I'll make sure of it. Just distract her for me and I'll do the rest, okay?"

* * *

**But, in the end, her hero chose **that person**. **

**It was to be expected. Prince Hakuyuu and Prince Hakuren were gone. Without their vows and ties to the Imperial Princes, what more could stop them from being together?**

**(Not her.)**

**Ming Hua could only stand back helplessly and watch their happiness.**

* * *

Ming Hua somehow crawled out of the whirlwind of voices that Sai had set on her not long after. She looked disheveled and shaken, but all of that melted away once her eyes landed on the perpetrator of her unstable state.

She sent a glare at Sai that would've sent chills down any other person. As an individual who received such a glare various times throughout his life, Sai was completely unruffled by it.

"I…am going to kill you, Blessed Child. _Slowly and painfully._" She said dangerously. She raised a hand, gathering thousands upon thousands of her black worms.

Sai didn't answer her, eyes blank and distant. He was out of his djinn equip with only his chakrams hanging loosely from his fingers.

Beside him, Kohaku gripped at her staff in preparation for another fight.

But these worms didn't attack them. Instead, they all began to move to Ming Hua, encasing her body with themselves. They started with her feet before moving up to her ankles and the hem of her dress. Mouths appeared all over Ming Hua's body as more and more worms stuck onto her.

Kohaku sent concentrated blasts of magic at the woman and the black worms, trying to prevent the completion of the monstrous transformation.

"It's too late, Princess Kohaku," Ming Hua called out. "You and your irritating friend will die here."

"Ming Hua…why did you do it? Why did you betray Mama?" Kohaku called out as she continued firing blasts. "Tell me. Was it because she married Papa and took the position that you wanted? Or something else?"

"What would a child know or understand?" Ming Hua shook her head as more and more of her worms crawled up her dress and up into her sleeves. Her clothes and skin were darkening as more and more mouths appeared all over her body. "The situation between me and your parents far more complicated than you or anyone else could ever guess."

"Fine. You don't want to talk. I can respect that," Kohaku conceded. Then, her mismatched eyes hardened in determination. "Instead, listen to me."

Surprisingly, the black worms seemed to stop all movement as Ming Hua stared at Kohaku intently.

"When I told Mama about Magnostadt, she thought that Al Thamen tricked you or used an illusion of you. She thought they kidnapped you. It didn't cross her mind, not _once, _that you worked with the same organization that took away Prince Hakuyuu and Prince Hakuren. But then, the proof stacked up to the point that even she couldn't deny it. Did you know how much Mama cried for you? She cried so much that she barely had enough tears to spare for _herself _when she found out about the tea."

The black worms that had not yet converged with Ming Hua began to twitch.

"You have no idea what your actions did to her." Kohaku's eyes, for once, were not clouded with hate or anger. She stood tall as she calmly stared down at Seishin from above. "I might have been fine with all the rumors you spread about me, but Mama wasn't. It stressed her out and made her feel so, so small. But you knew that, didn't you? You were the one she confided to every time the rumors got bad." Her forefinger tapped at the base of her staff. "You lied to her. You betrayed her. You stand with the very people who tried to kill her. But, out of all of those things, you did the worst thing possible when you made her drink that tea. Did you know? Mama was stressed that she couldn't give me any siblings. She always wanted a big family. She thought there was something wrong with her body."

Kohaku watched as every mouth on Ming Hua's body trembled.

"And now, Kou is in shambles. Papa lost his legs and arm. And Mama can't have any more babies. I think you broke her." Kohaku smiled ruefully. "Congratulations, Ming Hua. You have brought down General Seishin like you've always wanted. How do you feel?"

There was a tense moment of silence before the mouths all over Ming Hua's body peeled open and _shrieked_. The rest of the black worms surged forward in response and completely enclosed over Ming Hua into a ball-like structure.

For a moment, there was a tense silence.

Then, the black ball cracked open like an egg and shattered.

Wispy shadows poured out, maintaining its many mouths with the addition of twice the number of eyes. They blinked and rolled until they landed on both Sai and Kohaku.

Kohaku's eyes widened at the sight. She knew this form. She _saw_ and _fought _this form in a time that no longer existed.

'_That was the thing that killed Jin.'_ She realized. _'It ate her up, from mind to body.'_

And now, it will do the same with her and Sai if she didn't do anything.

As the shadow-like creature loomed over them, Kohaku stood tall in front of a silent Sai.

"I will not let you hurt any more of the people I care about, Ming Hua. Not anymore," she called out to the monster. "You'll have to get through me first."

All around her, Ming Hua and her many mouths began to mock her.

"_Weak, weak."_

"_Kou Empire nearly fell, and she wasn't able to do anything. Just cry."_

"_Powerless."_

"_What can a little slip of a girl do? Summon more of her plants?"_

In response to their taunts, Kohaku closed her eyes and performed a spell. She pulled her arms close to her chest as if she was drawing someone into an embrace. Then, she flung them out with palms open, sending out a wave of magical energy.

It wasn't plants this time. It wasn't even offensive magic.

It was a borg large enough to cover both Sai and herself.

Upon seeing it, all of the mouths burst into collective laughter. They mocked and jeered at Kohaku. Some even dared to snap at the edges of the barrier that the young girl created.

"_Is that all you've got?" _One of the mouths challenged as the eyes near it narrowed.

Kohaku smiled confidently as her staff floated beside her. "Nope."

The borg began to shift and move. Eight heads shaped like dragons burst from the defensive structure and struck out at the dark cloud of mouths and eyes that once was Ming Hua.

"_Borg Al-Samm!"_

The creature cried out in pain as the attack hit, attempting to shy away from the light before it was destroyed completely. Some of its eyes glared hatefully at the silhouette of Kohaku standing at the center of it all.

For a moment, there seemed to be a taller and older figure whose image overlapped the young princess. It was feminine with strange clothes and even stranger hair.

But it was gone in a blink, leaving only Kohaku behind.

* * *

**And then, Ming Hua was approached by Queen Gyokuen herself.**

"**What beautiful, black rukh!" She had praised. "I have an offer for you, Ming Hua. I think you'll be just perfect for the role. I can give you what you most wish for if you accept," she had whispered her sweet promises like a snake offering a fruit. "Anything."**

**Ming Hua saw an opportunity and took it.**

**With this power, Ming Hua would get back what she most ardently wished for!**

**With this power –!**

* * *

With Sheba's Eight-headed Protective Barrier, Kohaku was able to defend Sai against any possible attacks Ming Hua tried to inflict on the borg.

The voices tried to call out to Kohaku at first. They taunted, jeered, and lied to her. Sometimes, their words would sound as sweet as honey. Sometimes, their words would sting like saltwater on infected gashes. But they did not affect Kohaku anymore.

Seeing that she was a lost cause, they turned to Sai instead.

"_Aren't you going to try to 'steal' us anymore, Blessed Child?" _

"_Why so silent? Why so still?"_

"_Are you really going to let this __**child **__do all the work for you?"_

"_Aren't you impervious to our lies? Come now, prove your claims. Come on out and fight."_

But Sai did not respond. He didn't even look up.

"_You can't hold up that special borg of yours forever, Princess Kohaku,"_ the mouths reminded the little girl. And it was true. Kohaku was beginning to tire since she had been using her magic non-stop the entire time.

But then, Sai finally looked up.

"Mou, thank you for holding out for this long, Kohaku-chan. Sorry for taking so long. I'll take it from here."

Kohaku nearly cried in relief at hearing his voice. She turned to him as he came over to stand beside her. Sai's grey eyes took in the image of the dark djinn monster in front of him.

"Ming Hua, pleasant to finally meet you out of the flesh. I like this new look. It's very _Fullmetal Alchemist_. Loved the manga, loved its villains, but I _believe _you're cosplaying as the wrong sin." The corners of his mouth twitched at the gurgling of confusion that his comments drew out. "Well, in your defense, it wouldn't have been any good if we _both _wore the same costume." He changed his eye color from grey to gold and back to grey again. "I already have the shape-shifting down after all."

Kohaku's joy at seeing Sai again sunk a little at the many references he was dropping. While she _could _see the similarity between Ming Hua's form and Pride, this _really _wasn't the time. "Sai…"

"Okay, okay, I'll be serious now. I promise, Kohaku-chan," he laughed and turned back to Ming Hua. "Anyways_,_ while I am _flattered _that you liked my lies, I'm going to try with the truth for once."

Sai stared at the shadows, suddenly looking very serious.

"Who is Ming Hua? I'm not talking about your silly ranks and family names that Kou seems to be so proud of, I'm talking about _you_. And you know what I know about you from what I gleaned from your head? I know you used to be an honest soul with good intentions, but let your lies overcome you. You enjoy embroidering, but you never keep what you make. You love the colors blue and green, but you hate red and gold with a passion. You love raising lotus blossoms but despise the thought of having children."

Slowly, Sai raised his eyes to meet the closest pair.

"But most of all, _Ming_, you are a coward."

Agitated, the shadows bit and snapped at Kohaku's borg, making cracks on it with the force of its jaws.

"_Oh,_ not happy that I know so much, are you? It wasn't too hard to figure you out. I'm not a mind reader like Kou-chan, but I know how to see through a fellow liar. Especially you." A rueful smile crossed his face. "You and I, we lived the same lives, after all."

The shadows reared back and began spitting out denials and accusations.

"_No one, no one could ever understand."_

"_Lies, lies. He lies."_

"You say that no one would ever understand your situation," Sai began as he moved disturbingly close to the edge of Kohaku's borg. If it broke, he'd be the first one it consumed. And yet, he stood there, unafraid. "But I think that's a lie. You're just too afraid to acknowledge the truth that you're trying so desperately to hide it. Right?"

The black forms writhed.

"Seishin will never love you, Ming Hua," Sai murmured, ignoring Kohaku's shocked look completely. "No matter what you do, who you hurt, and who you kill, she'll never love you back."

"_LIAR!"_ The mouths all spoke as one, wounded and angry.

"No, it's simply the truth. You should've accepted it a long time ago."

Sai snapped his fingers.

"_Third Degree: Mind Manipulation."_

Screams began to fill the air as the shadows, who were trying hard to break through the barrier, were now ripping each other apart. Kohaku looked around in horror at the creature's self-destruction.

"Sai, what's happening?!"

"Mou, I wasn't standing around doing nothing, you know. I was working hard to manipulate the minds of every single worm. If they have enough self-awareness to pick out another's insecurities, they have enough self-awareness for memories. I simply made them think that their purpose was to eliminate each other and not us." Sai watched the carnage impassively. "It's fine to dispel your borg now," he added.

Both of them watched from the sidelines as the shadow creature ate and destroyed itself. It continued until there was only Ming Hua left. The last surviving piece of the dark djinn monster turned its hungry eyes and teeth onto Ming Hua. Before the woman could get away, it sunk its jaws into her abdomen, nearly splitting her into two.

But a blast of magic stopped it before it got too far.

Kohaku slowly lowered her staff.

"She's still alive," Sai noted grimly and turned to the little girl. "Kohaku-chan, Ming Hua hurt you the most. You deserve to finish her off however you like. So? How will it be?"

"…Sai? Can you help me with something?"

* * *

…

_No. It was an impossible wish._

_Even if Ming Hua killed Kouen and the child, Seishin would never look at her the way Ming Hua wanted her to. _

_She never has._

* * *

Ming Hua waited for death to take her. She knew that she didn't have much time left with the mortal wound she had unintentionally given herself. Her breaths became labored as she coughed out blood. The Blessed Child and the Princess had left her alone to perish a long, long time ago, using transportation magic to go back to wherever they had come from.

Ming Hua closed her eyes. She was surprised she even lasted this long.

Any minute now. She will disappear.

"…Ming?"

Ming Hua's eyes snapped open at the familiar voice. Her chest warmed and clenched at the familiar figure standing in front of her. Ming Hua opened her mouth to greet her but coughed out blood instead. Seishin was at her knees immediately. "Oh no, Ming, this is bad. You're losing so much blood. Kohaku, sweetie, stay back."

At the mention of the young princess' name, the minister's daughter caught sight of Kohaku clutching onto her mother and staring down at Ming Hua with an unreadable look in her mismatched eyes.

"Kohaku explained everything," Seishin hurriedly explained as she tried to stem the bleeding with her hands. "She told me how Al Thamen coerced you into doing those horrible things. Don't worry, I don't blame you for that. You –

"No." Seishin's rambling stopped at Ming Hua's interruption. She coughed wetly. "Your daughter lied to you. I was not coerced into doing those things. I never had been. The rumors of your daughter's eyes, the staff that hindered her abilities, any significant discord between you and your husband, the fall of Kou, all my actions up until now were all of my doing with my free will."

Seishin's expression crumbled at Ming Hua's confession. Hurt laced her expression. "Ming…why?"

A part of Ming Hua broke seeing that.

"I'm sorry." She said, knowing that it wasn't enough to atone for the amount of horror that she committed. "I'm sorry, Seishin. I never meant to hurt you. I wanted to be the one to make you happy, but I was selfish, and I hurt you instead. I'm sorry."

Tears slipped down her face.

"I love you, Seishin. I love you."

Ming Hua didn't pay attention to Seishin's reaction to her confession. She was already far too gone to notice. All she felt was exhaustion and relief.

Seishin's form cried over Ming Hua as the Cursed Child slowly passed on. Her body blackened completely before crumbling into ashes. After a few moments, the tears stopped flowing and Seishin sat back. She glanced over at Kohaku.

"Is that good enough, Kohaku-chan?"

"Yes." Kohaku nodded, not taking her eyes away from Ming Hua. "Thank you, Sai."

Seishin's body and face shifted back into Sai's true form.

"I never expected you to ask something like this of me," Sai hummed. "That Ming Hua didn't deserve that little bit of kindness you gave her for her last moments. Making me use both my second and third degree so she could be fooled into thinking that enough time passed for us to go back to fetch your mother, I thought you hated her?"

"I did. But I don't feel that way anymore." Kohaku looked down sadly at where Ming Hua's body used to be. "In the end, bad people saw her heartbreak and used that to control her when she was vulnerable. I think I can forgive her for that enough for a final farewell." She smiled at Sai. "Besides, she told Mama the truth herself in the end even though I 'lied' to her, didn't she? I think if Ming Hua had the chance and time, she could have been a good person."

Sai smiled at Kohaku's words in fond acceptance.

"Hah, just like Bee-chan."


	64. Chapter 63: Define Truth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Raul just wants to be a good father. Is that so wrong?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Onwards

_Parent (noun): 1. A father or a mother 2. An ancestor, a precursor, or progenitor 3. A source, an origin, or a cause_

* * *

Sai and Selene ended up in the Tenzan Plateau.

Both of them were immediately on guard when they saw Raul stroll over to where they appeared. He still looked the same as he did back at Magnostadt, aside from the bandages on his right arm and the casual choice of clothes that he wore. He gave them a lazy wave and a closed-eye smile.

"Hello, Blessed Child! I see that you managed to trace my spell back to – _Sai? Selene?!_"

Raul gaped at the sight of his children. He looked from one sibling to the other. "What are you two doing here? The Blessed Child was supposed to…" He trailed off before shaking his head. "No, that doesn't matter."

He grinned.

"As a father, I'm so happy to see you both again! How are –?"

"Oi, Selene and I never thought of you as a father before and we're not considering thinking of you as one now," Sai interrupted the man coldly. "I thought I made that clear back in Magnostadt when I blasted you through the wall."

Raul laughed. "Oh, are you talking about that impressive spell you shot at me? Don't worry, your little sister managed to poison me too! If you think that I'm angry about those things, I'm not! As a father, I'm not against my children expressing a bit of rebellion. It's a good way to stretch your wings and become better."

He looked at both of them fondly.

"I used to be like that when I was younger. It's amazing how much like me you are."

Sai's good eye twitched at the statement.

Raul's silver eyes caught the action and his lips twitched, but he didn't comment on it. Instead, he continued with his conversation with his children.

"I learned much about you both after I found out your existence. Legalizing surgery, founding a hospital in Sindria, inventing potent poisons on the fly, _and_ finding a way to tame snakes without using your voice, you are already so talented, Selene!" Raul praised. Then, he turned to Sai, "And you, you're going very well along as a magician! Frontline fighter, spell-inventor at the young age of nineteen, no wonder Matal seemed so eager to have me meet you. It must've been hard growing up where you did."

Sai tilted his head. "Tell me, what would a person like you even know about that?"

"Why, Sai! I can't believe old man Shambal didn't even tell you! How cruel of him to hide something so significant!" Raul's expression pulled back in exaggerated disbelief. "You see, I, too, was once a member of the Yambala Clan!"

Sai froze. "…What?"

"I can't believe none of them told you!" The older magician shook his head. "Or…did they not know? Hmm, strange, I thought that Marius told everyone there about my experiments. No, no, that guy would never have kept his mouth shut about that!"

"…How do you know Marius? He never mentioned you."

"Oh? You knew him too?"

Thrilled that his son was actually trying to connect with him, Raul answered his question.

"Well, as a fellow outcast, Marius and I were pretty close when we were children. A Blessed Child and a magician. Ha! The clan _hated _us. As for him not mentioning me…well, we didn't exactly part on good terms. We had a difference in opinion. And so, I left the Yambala Clan for greater things. Marius stayed to die with the clan that hated him."

Raul paused.

"The night when I left…it was the night when you were born."

"Yeah, Marius found me," Sai commented offhandedly. "Raised me too."

"Ah, I understand now!" Raul's silver eyes landed on Sai, looking at his son with a new kind of gleam in his eyes. "Yes, yes, it's all clear! _You _were Marius' little apprentice! _You _are a Blessed Child!"

Sai stared at Raul for a long moment before scoffing. _"Duh._ It wasn't a huge secret. You're a lot denser than I thought."

"No wonder why both of you have been so against coming with me!" Raul looked apologetic. "It's understandable that you both hate me since I _am_ in the position of hunting you and your friends down. Don't worry Sai, Selene. I'm not against abandoning my title as a Cursed Child for the sake of my children."

Raul held out his hand.

"Come with me. We can go wherever we want to go together. Empress Gyokuen is dead, isn't she? Then, there is nothing tying me to this place now. Let me be a proper father to you – the both of you. I promise that the other Blessed Children will not be harmed by me. I won't even _touch _Sindria."

Raul looked at both of his children entreatingly.

"How about it?"

* * *

_Family (noun): 1. i. A basic, social unit consisting of parents and their children ii. A social unit consisting of one or more adults together with the children they care for 2. The children of one person or one couple collectively 3. The spouse and children of one person 4. Any group of persons closely related by blood, as parents, children, uncles, aunts, and cousins_

* * *

Selene considered it.

Raul was trying _so hard _to reach out to them and Selene, though she was still upset with her father for his wrongdoings, didn't want to fight. She didn't want to fight a battle that didn't have to be fought. If she accepted, it would be one less Cursed Child to take down in order to protect her home.

"No."

Selene looked up in surprise at her older brother's firm but immediate answer.

She was even _more _surprised at the fireball Sai shot between them and Raul, driving the man back.

Their father looked just as surprised. And hurt.

"I don't trust you," Sai continued, regarding Raul with narrowed eyes. The action stretched his scar. "Not once have you proved yourself to be trustworthy. Why should we believe what you say now?"

"Sai, I didn't lie to you," Raul insisted, almost pleading. "I'm not the sort to lie, ever. I hate liars!"

Sai made a rueful expression. "Like Marius? Like me?" He shook his head. "It doesn't matter if you hate liars. I don't trust you. All those promises you just made us? All those pretty words? They feel too empty and vague." He pinned Raul down with an accusing glare. "You left something out, didn't you?"

Raul stared at Sai for a long moment before letting out a heavy sigh of defeat.

"It's true. I won't lie, but me leaving this area won't affect the barrier around Sindria – that's why you're here, correct? I never knew that the sacrifices we decided to give to the old god were people important to you. If I had, I wouldn't have put so much effort in trapping them inside." He shook his head. "I admit, I really went above and beyond with this magic seal. What happened in Magnostadt really inspired me to improve myself. Especially that clever friend of yours – the young Sasanian Prince? – he really pushed me beyond my limits with his way of thinking. The war balloons and those canons were genius!"

Selene had a distinct feeling that, if Jamal were here, he would have strangled Raul on the spot for his compliments. He was still sore at the violent usage of his inventions.

"As for the Blessed Children…I'm sorry. But I can't influence my colleague's actions. They are all very keen on killing off your friends and can't be convinced. Well, maybe Eirenne can be, but there's a high chance that she already took care of her Blessed Child."

Selene tensed. Her friends…

"But it doesn't have to be that way with us," Raul insisted, "we don't have to fight. I don't want to harm family."

"Harm? You already did enough harm. And don't go underestimating us Blessed Children. We're no joke."

Selene relaxed. That's right, their friends weren't as weak as Raul thought. There was no doubt that they were still alive.

"I have no time for this. I have a _real _family to protect and they're not you." Sai's staff began shaking with the energy of a spell ready to be fired. "Bee-chan, Jazzy-chan, Kou-chan, Princeling, Lordling, Selene, Marga – there are so many people who are depending on me to make sure that our home is safe." He pointed his staff forward. "And the person in the way of that? Is _you_."

"How unfortunate." Raul sighed.

"_Alramh alnaar."_

"_Alijidar al'ardiu."_

Sai clicked his tongue as his fire spear was immediately blocked by a large, earth wall. Raul lowered it with a wave of his staff. "What an intricate fire spear. But your reaction time is too slow, Sai."

Raul smiled at his son in concern.

"If you're not careful, I might just defeat you and take you both anyways."

Both Sai and Raul exchanged spell by spell with each other, occasionally taking to the sky when necessary. Selene acted as the defense and healer, making sure that her brother always had the upper hand whenever he traded blows with the older magician.

"_Tathir alnaar."_

But Raul was more talented in magic than the both of them combined.

Sai and Selene lifted their staffs in defense at the sight of the great wall of fire descending upon them. Selene had a feeling that even their borg would be burned away by the force of this spell.

"Oi, oi, I thought this guy wanted us alive," her brother muttered to himself before lifting his hand and curling his finger.

"_Dhoruf Sabaha."_

Sai sent the horrifying spell right back to Raul, who dispelled it easily. He looked thrilled.

"A gravity spell that's able to control the trajectory of the spells themselves? _Remarkable._ Sai, you truly are as amazing as I hoped you'd be. Just a little polishing and focus on the details and you'd be even better than me! But not yet, you're no match for me in magic." Raul gestured to himself. "But I can teach you, Sai!"

"Ha…you're right," Sai's brow gathered quite a bit of sweat from the strain of using the spell. "I _am _no match for you in magic."

A smirk crossed his face as his body began to shimmer and shift.

"**But who said that I'm only competent as a magician?"**

Raul's eyes widened as something crashed through his borg and hit him hard from the side. He coughed out blood as he flew back. Raul barely managed to catch himself with a wind spell as he clutched at his side.

"One rib, two ribs, _ah,_ three broken ribs!" Raul laughed. "I have such a strong son! I wonder how that is…"

Sai landed on his hands and feet with a smug grin and a new hair color.

"Red hair, red eyes," Raul noted as he forced himself to straighten, "that's a Finalis trait. And a strength enough to break a magician's borg? Also a Finalis trait. But how are you able to have them? I don't remember your mother ever having any bloodline outside of Artemyra."

"Nope~! It's all me! I told you, don't underestimate us Blessed Children. We can do a whole lot more than little eye-tricks." He flexed an arm. "Also, I didn't just stop at being a great magician after Magnostadt. I had friends and connections in Reim, who happened to be in the Finalis Corps. They trained to become a _great _Finalis too."

Selene recalled that Hel had been all too happy to _personally _train Sai when her brother came to him.

'_At least all those beat-downs Sai got from him had good results,'_ she comforted herself.

Raul clapped. "Taking advantage of your abilities and resources! Very good. Very, _very, _good. Though I'm sure that Marius taught you much in applying your abilities as a Blessed Child, I have a feeling that you've surpassed my old friend. Just marvelous."

Sai bounded up to Raul's face and aimed a kick at the man's head.

It didn't hit.

"But," he continued as he casually caught Sai's foot with his right arm, "you seem to have underestimated your father too."

The bandages on his arm fell away, revealing that it was completely black and artificial.

With a laugh and a light toss of his hand, Raul sent Sai flying.

* * *

_Obsession (noun): 1. The domination of one's thoughts or feelings by a persistent idea, image, desire, etc. 2. The idea, image, desire, feeling, etc. itself 3. The state of being obsessed_

* * *

Raul caught Selene staring at his new arm after he tossed her brother far, _far _away.

"Oh! Are you curious, Selene? I had to make a new arm after what you did to the other one. Truly, you are a genius when it comes to poisons. Even Eirenne couldn't find a cure and she's _very good._" He wiggled his fingers. "A simple thing such as cutting off an arm is just an inconvenience. I don't mind as long as it helps improve my children's talents!"

In a blink of an eye, Raul was in front of Selene with his hand wrapped around her throat.

Selene immediately struggled against his grip. It wasn't tight enough to choke her, but the idea of him holding onto such a vulnerable part of herself sent her into a panic. It was a relief when Sai appeared. Catching sight of what Raul was doing to her, he immediately broke his hold and kicked him away.

"Hands off of Selene, you bastard!"

Raul backed away with a grin. "That scar across your throat, that is merely an inconvenience to me too," he commented.

Immediately, Selene's hand flew to her throat. To her shock, the familiar outline that had decorated her throat in both timelines was no longer there.

Sai's sharper Finalis senses were able to catch the disappearance of her scar too.

"Selene…your scar…"

"Yes, it healed up quite nicely, don't you think? Oh, come now," Raul looked amused at his children's shock, "I might not look it, but I am talented in healing magic. One needs to know the structure of the body to be successful in the field, you know." He wiggled his fingers. "It only took me a second to fix those vocal chords and another to take away that ugly scar. You should be able to speak now, Selene."

Selene immediately covered her mouth and paled.

"None of that, Selene," Raul chided her lightly. "I promise, I won't make you say any commands unless you wish to. I may have created you with the intention of gaining power once, but I've moved on from that a long time ago. Now, I just want the best for you and Sai."

The next words seemed to resound between them.

"I just want to hear the voice of my daughter. Please speak to me, Selene."

Without realizing it, Selene began to open her mouth.

And then, the moment was broken when Raul had to jerk back from a kick. Sai's lips pulled back into a snarl. "Don't you _dare _use that filthy magic on her. You might have managed to fool our mothers with it once, but I _won't _let you do it again to Selene."

"Now, now, it's just an innocent suggestion. I would never use a full compulsion on you or your sister! She can resist it whenever she wants to. Both of you have my blood, after all."

He hummed.

"You should be more worried about what happens if I use _this._"

Raul jumped a good distance away from Sai while drawing in a large breath. A strange symbol began glowing on his throat as he opened his mouth.

"_Tahduth."_

The spell's name was deceptively simple: Speak.

But when it came to Raul, not all things were simple. Upon getting hit with the spell, Sai's Finalis form melted away. He panicked and tried to bring the form back, any form, but nothing worked.

It was as if every layer of himself was being peeled back by the force of the attack.

In the end, Sai was left with no defense to hold back the parts of himself that he hid behind the many masks he learned to use. Every part of himself – _everything – _was out in the open.

His self-hatred.

His resentment.

His jealousy.

His vulnerability.

His fear.

(His crime.)

Sai fell onto his hands and knees and began to sob. Behind him, Selene did the same.

"Oh Sai, what did the Yambala Tribe do to you?" Raul asked pityingly as he took in Sai's true form. He shook his head. "That Marius. He always meant well, but his emotional weakness always weighed himself and everyone else down. Including you. And old man Shambal never encouraged ambition. If he did, you would have overcome all of this mess."

Raul made a shushing sound.

"It's okay. It's okay. I used to be like this too, Sai. Lost, aimless, without a goal or purpose. No matter how much power and knowledge I amassed, I was useless against the truth that is Time. It strips us away of everything. It leaves us ugly and senile and useless in the end."

He sighed, "I considered immortality first, but I saw what that did to the Magi Yunan and Priestess Scheherazade. One, so fearful of failure that he shut himself away and the other, so stubborn on holding onto the familiar, old ways. I'm sure that they used to be vibrant and driven as their younger counterparts. And _Gyokuen,_" he chuckled darkly, "well, you can see why she repulsed me from the prospect of living forever."

"But then, the answer hit me. _Children. _Isn't it a natural fact of life that a living being's purpose is to pass on a part of themselves through their own offspring? By having and raising my own children with the best parts of myself, I will not disappear. I will continue to ascend and improve and flourish through the successes of my children and my grandchildren and so forth."

He turned to the pitiful forms of Sai and Selene and softened his voice.

"And both of you are _perfect._ Sai, you are so much like me with your ingenuity and capacity to set aside personal emotions to get the job done. And Selene! You have my voice and my interest in learning everything about life! Perfect, just perfect. Even now."

He stepped towards them.

"Do you both really think that anyone would accept your true forms? No. No one in this world ever will…except me. I am the only one who will ever understand you. For I am the same."

Raul stretched out his hands to both of his children as they looked up.

"Come with me."

Crying, Selene reached out her hand to take his.

* * *

_Abandon (verb): 1. To leave completely and finally; forsake utterly; desert 2. To give up; Discontinue; Withdraw from 3. To give up the control of 4. To yield (oneself) without restraint or moderation; give (oneself) over to natural impulses, usually without self-control_

* * *

"No."

Selene stopped. Wide-eyed and tears still streaming down her face, she turned back to her brother.

Somehow, Sai managed to climb back to his feet, using his staff. He shook as he slowly but surely bore himself completely to them.

Even Raul looked taken aback by his ability to get up and resist.

"Yeah, you're right. My true form is pitiful and ugly, isn't it? I know. I knew it all along and I hated it. I still do," Sai glared at Raul through his tears, "but that doesn't mean that I'm going to stumble into your arms just because you think you're the only one who can accept this. _This._" He gestured to all of himself. "You can't accept this in one sitting. No one can. Not even me. _Especially_ not me." He paused. "But I'm learning to."

He took a step forward.

"Three years ago, I would've looked _worse _than I do now. Can you imagine? If that me was here right now, I would've given _anything _to hide myself again. Yeah, I'd even had taken your hand." He took a breath. "But I'm not. I've learned to accept myself – my _true_ self. So many people helped me get to this point. I'm still not happy with myself."

As Sai spoke, he seemed to shine brighter and brighter. His flaws were still there, but they seemed less shameful and easier to look at. Soon enough, he stood straight and tall as he made his way over to where Selene lay and ignored Raul.

She covered her face in shame.

"It's okay. It's okay, Selene. I love you. I still love you and none of this is going to change that." He knelt down and brought her into a hug. "_I love you._ And I'm pretty sure that silly, gullible fiancé of yours loves you too."

"_Tahduth."_

Selene whimpered and buried her face into the crook of Sai's neck. Sai simply stared at Raul, unaffected by the spell. After a moment of nothing different happening, Selene looked up, confused and relieved. "That won't work on us anymore. You already stripped away everything we had."

"…That's fine. It doesn't matter anymore. Since you can't use your djinn equip or any other skills in this form, you won't be able to defeat me. Both of you can't, not with magic," Raul asserted. "Make it easier for yourselves. Give up."

"You really do have a habit of trying to get at people's emotional weak spots so you can drag them down, don't you?" Sai stated dryly as he turned back to Raul. He tilted his head as his good eye zeroed in on the other man's face. "You know," the Blessed Child said slowly, "it's been bothering me this entire time, but for a person who hates liars, you're really a hypocrite."

Raul reared back at the comment, confusion and hurt written all over his face.

"Yeah, like that. You keep doing that. I have to admit, it's very good, but you're doing it wrong. There's not enough…feeling into that."

At Sai's comment, all expression on Raul's face seemed to be wiped off, leaving behind an eerily blank expression. After a beat, he made the same confused and hurt expression with only a few details adjusted. "Is this better, Sai?"

Selene looked confused while Sai nodded calmly. "Yeah. A lot better." He tilted his head. "You know, I finally understand why I always felt like there was something _off _about you_._" Sai laughed. "And to think I was always afraid of becoming a monster like you."

'_Sai? What's happening?' _Selene signed nervously. Raul looked at her hands with interest. "Are you using your hands to communicate, Selene? What do they mean?"

Both of them ignored him in favor of their conversation.

"Well, Selene, I'm no psychologist, but I think our sire is a –" Sai glanced at Raul before his lips split into a mean smile. He held up his hands. Raul and Selene looked transfixed as the Blessed Child slowly signed the letters that spelled the word he had in mind. Selene's eyes widened.

'_Are you sure?'_

"Well, I think that question is best left for Kou-chan, don't you think? She's a lot better at these kinds of things. Again, I'm no certified psychologist. I can be wrong." His good eye wandered over to where Raul stood. "But my gut tells me that I'm right."

"What did you tell her about me?" Raul inquired again. "And who is…Kou-chan?"

"Maa, well, you'll meet her soon."

"What–?"

Sai lifted up his wrist, revealing a bracelet with a glowing magic circle inscribed on the charm, and winked cheekily.

Recognizing the symbol immediately, Raul lurched forward.

"NO!"

Just as Raul's fingers barely grazed the charm, there was a great flash.

* * *

_Psychopath (noun): 1. A person with a psychopathic personality, which manifests as amoral and antisocial behavior, lack of ability to love or establish meaningful relationships, extreme egocentricity, failure to learn from experience, etc._

* * *

For a moment, Raul grabbed onto thin air.

In the next, he was thrown back by a concentrated water spear. He barely managed to throw up a borg before it skewered him.

Kougyoku looked around the area, quickly familiarizing herself with the new environment. The area was rocky, which was a huge change from the destroyed fields of Kou. She turned back to Raul, who was still a bit stunned by the surprise attack. She blinked before letting out a loud exhale.

"What has Sai gotten me into now?"

Kougyoku saw a figure shift from the corner of her eyes and turned to see Selene, haggard and a little puffy-eyed. She frowned in concern. "Are you okay, Selene? Did that guy make you cry?"

'_A little,'_ Selene admitted as she signed a bit shakily, _'but I think I'm fine now.'_

Raul climbed back onto his feet. Kougyoku couldn't help but compare his facial features with Sai and Selene's. He was handsome, that was clear, and probably charming if he managed to convince not one, but _two _Artemyrians to leave their country with him. He appeared young, too. No one would even think that he was the father of two, fully grown children.

"Hello there, you must be Ming Hua's Blessed Child. Princess Kougyoku, correct? It's very nice to meet you," Raul greeted Kougyoku pleasantly. Or, at least, she assumed he meant to come across as pleasant. To her eyes, the corners of his lips seemed to be peeling off like dried paint. "Not to sound too rude, but would you mind switching back with my son? Ming Hua is exactly the merciful type."

"I know," Kougyoku said flatly.

"Then you understand how crucial it is for him to come back, yes?"

Raul looked and acted the part of the concerned parent. But Kougyoku wasn't fooled for a second. She felt the same chill and dread that she felt towards Sinbad when she first met the king. But different. This wasn't a fear that was based on knowledge from her previous life. There was something genuinely _off _about this man. Warning bells went off in her head when he caught and maintained eye contact with her.

"Please?"

'_Oh. So that's how he did it,'_ Kougyoku thought distantly as she felt his request detach from his lips and crawl up to the hem of her dress.

She swatted it away.

'_Mind magic,' _her brain managed to supply from the limited knowledge of magic that she had. It was a dangerous and forbidden kind of magical ability that could only be inherited, not taught.

Well, Sai _did _mention that Raul was a wanted criminal who was capable of 'charming' people to do his bidding. Kougyoku only hoped that it's only limited to the light compulsion that he showed her just now.

Kougyoku somehow managed to smile apologetically even though there was nothing genuine in the action. "I'm sorry, but this is only a one-time thing. Sai didn't exactly have a lot of time to make anything more intricate, I'm afraid."

Not to mention that he didn't want to risk their enemies to take advantage of their little switcharoo trick once they got used to it.

Judging by how Raul was eyeing her bracelet, Sai made the right call.

Kougyoku shifted herself in a way that the bracelet's charm, and the glowing symbol on it, was out of sight.

Irritation bubbled under Raul's handsome face at the action. It was only mild, but it was the strongest emotion that she had felt from him so far. Anything else only felt…shallow. Brief. Inconsequential. They were like dust on the surface that could be wiped away in a blink of an eye.

Raul felt like a hospital. Detached, clinical, and sanitized of everything – including emotions.

He felt wrong. And horrifyingly familiar.

With a sinking heart, Kougyoku realized that she had come across people like him before in her current life. Twice. One was in the palace during her training with Ping. Another was during her travels around the world.

Ping had warned her away from people like them.

"Even _I _have a hard time reading them," her teacher had admitted as she quickly shepherded her away from the soldier with the strange stare. "Just stay out of their way and try not to attract their attention. They're anomalies."

Well. Kougyoku knew what they were and what name to call them, but she had kept her mouth shut and listened to her teacher.

'_Sai, what have you gotten me into?'_ The little voice in her head wailed. Kougyoku stamped out her fears the moment they popped up. This wasn't the time to chicken out. Kougyoku was pretty sure that Raul smelled fear, so she put up her guard instead.

"I see…can you give me that bracelet please? I'm confident that I can reverse the magic. I'm very talented. Don't worry!" Raul laughed in a way that would have assured others, but not her. Seeing her reluctance, he stretched out his hand and looked at her seriously. "You _are _Sai's friend, aren't you? Don't you want him to be safe too? I won't hurt him. I care about him too. He's my son! So please…let me see your bracelet."

It was almost surreal how scripted Raul's entire speech sounded to her ears. He probably sounded so earnest and genuine to everyone else. Kougyoku almost felt sorry that all that effort he was making was going to waste.

'_Don't trust him.'_ Selene signed surreptitiously from the side. The warning wasn't necessary, but it was appreciated.

Kougyoku reached over to her wrist, feeling a little hop of glee from Raul's direction at the movement.

Then, coating magoi all around her hand, she shattered the charm with two fingers. It fell apart into many, tiny pieces that tumbled onto the rocks under their feet.

Kougyoku was prepared to defend herself from any attack, but she was completely unprepared with the amount of _rage _that her actions elicited from the man. The skin around his throat blackened and shifted into something that resembled a collar. At its center, a magic symbol shone as he took a deep breath.

"_Tahduth."_

Kougyoku barely managed to sidestep the powerful soundwave that came at her direction.

Her eyes dilated at the sight and her heartbeat quickened at the familiar attack.

'_Zepar.' _

Abruptly, Kougyoku summoned a giant wave of water. She grabbed Selene and jumped into it, making it wrap around them like a bubble. Since the water around them was always in motion, it was near impossible for anything to get through – especially sound.

Kougyoku was never comfortable with the idea of Zepar getting into her head. _Knowing _that it was a possibility had always put her on edge in the past. It _still _did.

Which was why she had trained and planned and prepared herself for that moment when a Zepar-equipped Sinbad would open his mouth and screech at her. Sound might travel better in water, but it does not change mediums well. It was a fact that Kougyoku fully intended to take advantage of if the time ever came. She was prepared to suck out the entire _ocean _to keep Sinbad away from her head.

"It's okay, it's okay, it's okay," Kougyoku chanted to herself under her breath as she tried to keep herself calm. "He can't get you here. His voice can't get you here. He can't turn you into his meat puppet – _oh my Solomon what if he __**does**__?!_"

Selene did her best to calm Kougyoku from her breakdown, patting her back and sending soothing magic into the other woman's system.

Eventually, Kougyoku calmed down enough that the tremoring stopped.

'_Kougyoku? Are you okay now?' _Selene wrote on her arm.

"Yeah. Thanks. Sorry that you had to see that," Kougyoku sniffed as she relaxed her hold on the blond.

Selene shook her head and signed quickly. _'No, no, don't apologize for that! We're best friends. I'm always here to help.'_

"Okay, thanks Selene," Kougyoku took a steadying breath and threw a look at the blurry image of Raul at the other side. "Now, tell me about this guy. What attack did he try to throw at me? Is it…" she paused for a moment, "is it like Zepar?"

'_Not quite,' _Selene signed, much to Kougyoku's relief. The blonde quickly filled her in on what she knew about Raul's _Tahduth _spell. Its function was seemingly as simple as its name, but it obviously affected Selene enough for her to almost take Raul's hand. From what she gathered, the spell was able to forcefully change an individual's mind by showing them the 'truth'.

"Hmm, it sounds like a pretty powerful ability. I guess we both have our hands full, huh? Well, at least it isn't Zepar," Kougyoku comforted herself after Selene finished her explanation.

'_Raul can heal himself at an amazing speed, so don't expect him to stay down for long after an attack. He is also very creative when it comes to using offensive spells, so be careful. He's capable of replicating the ones used on him too, so expect him to use fire and gravity spells.' _Selene warned her. Then, she hesitated before adding in another comment. _'Sai told me to ask you something.'_

Kougyoku tilted her head. "Yeah? What's the question?"

'_It's about Raul. Is it true? Is that man really a…?'_

Kougyoku immediately gleaned the last word from the blonde's mind when she paused in spelling it out.

Psychopath

Kougyoku nodded, confirming Sai's suspicions.

"No doubt about it. I'm sorry, Selene, but it's true. Raul _is _a psychopath. He's dangerous and he shouldn't be – hey, is it me or is it getting hot in here?"

The water around them started to hiss and boil.

Holding onto Selene again, Kougyoku was forced get out of the water prison she created. She made it so the boiling water around them shot outwards when they flew out, hoping that Raul managed to get a teensy bit burned.

Much to her disappointment, he wasn't.

Instead, Raul floated a good distance away with a dark expression on his face.

* * *

_Curious (adjective): 1. Eager to learn or know; inquisitive 2. Prying, meddlesome 3. Arousing or exciting speculation, interest, or attention through being inexplicable or highly unusual; odd; strange_

_4\. (Archaic) i. Made or prepared skillfully ii. Done with painstaking accuracy or attention to detail iii. careful; fastidious iv. Marked by intricacy or subtlety_

* * *

"You…have no idea what you've done, you stupid girl."

Any pretense of charm and friendliness that Raul had worn previously was completely wiped away. Honestly, to Kougyoku, it was a relief since the duality of his expressions and his true self was beginning to hurt her head.

The magician looked down at her with disappointment written all over his face.

No, that wasn't right. Raul didn't even regard her well enough to even feel disappointment. She had a vague impression that she was the equivalent of the spinning rainbow wheel in a computer to him, inanimate, slow, and frustrating.

"_It's not working,"_ she half-expected his thoughts about her to be.

"That was _very _careless of you. How is Sai going to come back to us alive now? No doubt, Ming Hua's mouth soldiers has already gobbled him up. She's not generous and Sai isn't the sort who would try to get into her good graces."

Raul covered his face with a hand and cursed.

"I was so close, _so close._ Sai was perfect to continue my legacy in every way, even if he was a Blessed Child. He could have become so much more." The grief that Raul felt for the idea was momentary before it was blown away into the annoyed resignation of restarting a project after a blunder.

"_Oh well,"_ his sighed, _"at least there's the other one."_

Kougyoku twitched.

"Another one?" She repeated Raul's comment. _"Another one?!_ What the heck do you mean, another one?! There isn't another Sai, you asshole! How dare you assume that he's someone who could be replaced just like that?"

Raul slowly looked up from his hand. "I…didn't say that out loud."

Kougyoku's blood ran cold.

"Interesting. So your abilities really _do _stretch beyond what is generally believed. As the Blessed Child who can see truths, it's not that difficult to believe that you can hear the true thoughts of others too."

In front of Kougyoku's eyes, Raul transformed into a curious student, throwing her off with his genuine interest and insatiable curiosity. His emotions burst with vibrant colors as he fired off question after question about her abilities.

It was the most human she's ever seen him.

"How does your 'truth-seeing' ability function?"

"How do you hone it?"

"What does it feel like to wield it on others?"

And yet, Kougyoku was reminded of what kind of person Raul truly was when his questions took a more invasive and darker turn.

"How does the transference of power feel like? Does it connect you with your predecessor even up to their death?"

"Would your ability remain in your eyes if I ever removed them from you while keeping you alive? Are they strictly limited to your sight? Oh! That's right! You can _hear _thoughts too! Should I remove your ears too?"

Kougyoku stopped him right there.

"Hold it." She crossed her arms. "What makes you think that I'll answer you? We're enemies. And honestly? I don't have to tell you _shit._"

"Now, now," Raul held out his hand calmingly, "no need to label each other as enemies right off the bat. I've only recently discovered that my son is a Blessed Child. I don't want to hurt Sai. All I want is for all of us to get out of this huge mess of a misunderstanding alive and safe. You're my son's friend and you seem familiar with my daughter too, so I don't want to hurt you either. Even _if_ my son is dead because of your actions, I'm willing to forgive you since you're so important to him. We don't have to fight."

…_Right._

Kougyoku's face twisted as she tried to hold back her incredulous laughter at the amount of bullshit this man was spouting.

"Wow. Just…_wow._ You tend to overperform when you're trying to convince someone. You know that, right? Do you do this to _all _the people you plan to experiment on or am I just special? My answer is _no. _No, I do not want to blindly follow you into one of your creepy laboratories so you can strap me to a chair and cut me open." Her teeth pulled back into a snarl. "And don't kill Sai off as you like, dammit! He's not dead!"

Raul shrugged. "Well…I tried the nice way."

He looked at Kougyoku slyly before tilting his head slightly upwards, revealing his darkened throat.

"_Tahduth."_

Kougyoku shrieked as the spell hit her head-on.

* * *

_Truth (noun): 1. The true or actual state of the matter 2. Conformity of fact or reality; verity 3. A verified or indisputable fact, proposition, principle, or the like 4. The state or character of being true 5. Actuality or actual existence 6. The obvious or accepted fact; truism; platitude 7. Honesty, integrity, truthfulness_

* * *

"…?"

Kougyoku braced herself for some drastic transformation of her opinions or perception of herself but felt and saw nothing different. Selene was looking at her in confusion too.

"Um?"

Raul's brow furrowed before shooting the spell at her again. _"Tahduth."_

Nothing. No difference.

"…I think I get it now."

Both Raul and Selene turned to Kougyoku, who was shaking her head.

"You can't change my mind, Raul. Whatever version of 'truth' you try to force onto me won't work. I mean, seriously, you're trying to convince a person who's had to live with seeing the unbiased truth of the world _ever since birth _to see things your way." Kougyoku pointed to herself. "As for my true image, this is it! I've always been true to myself, no matter what. I have nothing to hide about myself, as Ren Kougyoku!"

Selene stared at Kougyoku in amazement.

Raul, on the other hand, seemed all the more intrigued.

"The unbiased truth of the world?" Raul repeated. "How about me, then? What do you see when you look at me?"

Kougyoku stared at the Cursed Child intensely.

"…A horrible man."

Her comment managed to make him huff out a laugh. But her next words immediately wiped away any semblance of amusement away.

"Well, at least, I'm grateful that you're a horrible man who is capable of making mistakes." She smiled at him sweetly. "Thank you, Raul. It is because of your mistakes that we have Sai and Selene by our side and not yours."

Raul's smile twitched.

"What do you see when you look at me?" He asked again as he flew closer to Kougyoku. In response, she shot a spear of water at him, forcing him to back off.

"Ha! Try harder! I'm not telling you a _thing,"_ Kougyoku taunted.

The darkness around Raul's throat strengthened in response. His right arm, which Kougyoku suspected was fake, reacted negatively to the strain in power. The veins around the black arm bulged and darkened in irritation.

Raul paid no mind to this.

"_Tahduth."_

This time, Kougyoku could _feel _the suggestion he was trying to plant into her mind. The flashes of his own version of truth tried to overlap her own, but she pushed through by using her second degree instead. The manifestation of his thoughts shattered whatever illusion he was trying to put on her and kept her mind strong against his control.

Selene wasn't so lucky.

The blonde collapsed and dropped her staff, clutching at her head as she fought against whatever suggestion Raul placed into her mind. Whatever battle she was fighting, she seemed to be losing.

Selene opened her mouth.

And screamed.

In response to the pained sound of her comrade, Kougyoku activated her extreme magic and brought down a tsunami's worth of water down onto Raul's head.

"_Dhoruf Sabaha."_

Kougyoku's eyes widened as Raul managed to redirect her attack with Solomon's spell. Fortunately, he didn't have complete control or understanding over it as her extreme magic didn't bounce back onto her face.

The spell left Raul magically exhausted. Sweat poured down his forehead as he leaned against his staff.

"Goodness. My son is really something. This spell takes so much out of a magician," he panted. Then, he glanced down at his false arm and the black rukh climbing down to his chest from his throat. "If I push myself more than I already have, I'll lose myself completely."

Kougyoku didn't feel any fear from him. She hadn't felt any fear from him at all the entire time they fought.

"Oh well, the sacrifices I make for knowledge," Raul sighed as he let the dark rukh in his bloodstream begin to consume him.

* * *

_Exchange (verb): 1. To give up (something) for something else; part with for some equivalent; change for another 2. To give and receive reciprocally; interchange_

* * *

Kougyoku knew what Raul was intending to do as the black that ran through his veins, arm, throat began to spread through his body. If he completed his transformation, that was _it _for her, Blessed Child abilities or no.

"_Tahduth."_

The effects of that spell were _much _stronger this time. Kougyoku barely managed to keep her mental defenses up against Raul's suggestions. She couldn't even imagine how much stronger he would be if he _finished _his transformation.

"I guess I have no choice," Kougyoku muttered to herself. Then, she reached into herself and pushed past her second degree.

"_Third Degree: Enlightenment."_

Kougyoku rarely used her third degree. Unlike Yasmine's Time Stop or Amani's Nonexistence, her third degree had crippling after effects to her mind. Using Enlightenment was personal as its purpose was to make people _understand _each other. Of course, the _exchange _of that understanding was not required. It could be one-sided.

Kougyoku had only used the power two times. Once on an Al Thamen member by accident, learning of their plans. She had cut off their connection early, in fear of understanding her enemies _too much _and gave none of herself to them, no matter how guilty she felt_._

And then, there was Judal.

(They had cried as they clung onto each other on their bed. It was the most intimate that Kougyoku has ever been with another human being and she didn't regret a moment of it no matter how frightening it was for both of them.)

Kougyoku never wanted to look into and understand Raul's mind, but it was all she could do now at the face of his transformation.

She tried to keep her delving into his mind shallow and focused only on the memories where his emotions were the strongest. The moments flashed across her eyes like a disjointed movie where she shared the thoughts and feelings of the protagonist. It was strange, alien and not at all like what she experienced with Judal.

A young man – _Marius –_ shouting at Raul as he discovered the cold bodies of a mother and an infant – _"You've gone too far with this, Marius, too far!"_ – Marius shifting his face to mirror Raul's – _just as he always did when they were children when Raul wanted to learn how to make expressions that would make people open up him better –_ more shouting – _"Look at yourself, Raul! You've become a monster!"_

(Disappointment. Frustration. Detachment. Boredom.)

"_Mou, Raul, you know that I'm always at your side, right? No matter what."_

Raul hated liars.

It hadn't been too hard to leave behind his once-friend. It was like dropping off a dying, bleeding, _useless _child at the foot of a hill. Or cutting off a poisoned arm. _Selene. Snake venom. Eirenne. A knife. A lantern. Blood so much –_

A successful experiment –_the corpse was useful and that man was going to die of heart failure anyway, what was a little blood compared to knowledge? _– the addicting rush of emotion that he didn't usually feel always came whenever he found the answer to his question, but what about _the _question he was searching for? How can he persevere even as his body disintegrates at the face of time? How could he achieve immortality?

(No, not like Gyokuen, who is twisted and insane from living too long. Not like her.)

But maybe –

An image of Sai.

An image of Selene.

An image of a beautiful woman – _Eirenne, darling _– always persevering, always strengthening herself whenever she faces the possibility of death – _how awe-inspiring she was at her full potential, like a landscape that he managed to build with his own hands, he couldn't resist and why should he have? _– and beside her, Hakkan.

(Yes, through them and their children and their children's children, Raul would live forever. They just needed to be _polished _and _sharpened _a little. Not something a little guidance couldn't fix.)

Kougyoku couldn't help it as she understood more and more about this madman, this psychopath who saw the world as a scattering of answers ignored and overlooked, who was a contradiction: a liar who despised lies, who lived and breathed for his scientific discoveries, who had the world's knowledge at his fingertips, but failed to grasp at the concept of empathy and love.

'_Oh, how beautiful,' _Kougyoku thought as she witnessed everything that was _Raul_ and then wept.

Raul regarded her emotional reaction curiously, well aware that something great just happened. "What did you do?"

"I looked at you," she gasped as tears streamed down her face, "I saw you. I _was _you."

"How curious," Raul mused as his body darkened even further.

"Would you like to see?" Kougyoku offered, _knowing _that he would jump for the chance. She knew him very well and she had a feeling that a pocket of her mind would always belong to him.

And he did.

"_Yes."_

Usually, Kougyoku's Third Degree would be completely useless in combat situations since it only has the capacity to share experiences and selves between two people. It was a passive ability, incapable of doing any harm. What harm could understanding another person do?

But Raul was a psychopath.

Since Kougyoku focused on Raul's moments of great emotion, she decided to return the favor. She gave him all her feelings and memories of anxiety, fear, remorse, guilt, love, empathy, and any other emotion that made a person human.

And he _saw._

Raul began to scream as he experienced the overwhelming onslaught of emotions he never felt before. He fell from where he floated and clutched at his head and chest, desperate to be rid of these new feelings.

Kougyoku came up to him and transformed out of her djinn equip. With a pair of butterfly swords at hand, she prepared to strike him down.

But then, his right hand snapped out and grabbed her throat.

"Put them back," he demanded with a wild look in his eyes. It took Kougyoku a moment to recognize that it was _fear. _"Put them back where they came from. I don't want to feel them anymore. _Put them back._"

Kougyoku looked at Raul dead in the eyes.

"…I…_can't_…"

* * *

_Empathy (noun): 1. The psychological identification with or vicarious experiencing of the feelings, thoughts, or attitudes of another 2. The imaginative ascribing to an object, as a natural object or work of art, feelings or attitudes present in oneself_

* * *

Ren Kougyoku was Sydney Trent being smothered to death by her older brother again. She dropped Opal's beautifully crafted butterfly swords onto the ground as she scrabbled at Raul's fingers and her own throat to get in at least another gulp of air.

Raul, on the other hand, desperately attempted to squeeze out a different answer from the Blessed Child. The new emotions curdled at his stomach and writhed behind his eyelids upon every blink. They were burdensome, they were horrible, he didn't know what to do with them.

"Take them away," he stressed – he _begged_, "just…take them away from me."

But Kougyoku _couldn't._ Just as she can never forget the beautiful mind behind the horrible man in front of her.

As if sensing her thoughts, Raul squeezed harder.

Just as dark spots began to fill Kougyoku's vision, a shaky yet devastatingly beautiful voice called out.

"Raul," it called, "take your hands off of Kougyoku and your staff. Don't move."

Kougyoku was suddenly able to breathe as she fell onto the ground. She gulped in many, greedy breaths as Raul, whose staff had clattered onto the ground, didn't take his eyes off of the source of the voice.

The Blessed Child wasted no time in grabbing both of her butterfly swords and holding them up to his neck. "Any last words, Raul?"

"Wonderful," Raul murmured, completely enraptured and proud even as he is in the position of fatal defeat. He stared over Kougyoku's shoulder. "Simply wonderful. I knew you could do it, Selene."

Kougyoku sneaked a glance behind her and wished she hadn't.

Unable to disobey the command Raul implanted into her mind any longer, Selene Shambal had finally spoken. Tears streamed down her cheeks as she looked at herself in a way that reminded Kougyoku so much of how Sai did to himself in what seemed like forever ago in Balbadd.

It was heartbreaking.

Even after Kougyoku slit Raul's throat, immediately turning him into ashes before his body hit the ground, she could still feel the remnants of the cocktail of newly discovered emotions he left behind. She turned and walked over to a silently sobbing Selene before enveloping her into a tight hug.

"Don't worry. You aren't him. Neither of you are or will ever be, I promise." Kougyoku hugged the younger girl to her tighter. "You saved me, Selene. I'm sorry that it had to be the way it was, but _you saved me_. Thank you."

Selene clung to Kougyoku and cried.

"He's gone, Selene. He's gone."

But Raul wasn't, not really.

Not to Selene, who just had him in her mind.

Not to Kougyoku, who will always have him in her mind.

Behind them, the wind blew and scattered Raul's ashes throughout the Tenzan Plains.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1\. Okay, I'm going to be real with all of you and say that I have no idea how to properly write a psychopath. Raul is, by far, the hardest character I've ever written. I did a lot of research for him and I'm still not sure if I depicted him right. As Sai said: I'm no psychologist. It's hard for me, who depends on her empathy to connect with the characters I write, to properly bring Raul to life. So please, but gentle with me on my portrayal of him.
> 
> 2\. Raul is the most dangerous character out of everyone I've ever written in this story. If he succeeded in transforming completely, Kougyoku would have died. It was only through luck and Selene that they managed to get out of this alive.
> 
> 3\. The new spells that I created are literally what they are except in google translated Arabic. Anyone who can understand Arabic, please tell me if I wrote one of these wrong. It'll be much appreciated.


	65. Chapter 64: Baby Mine

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There is no grief greater than one of a parent who has lost their child.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Onwards

"_Camilla, my love, a woman must always be beautiful, graceful, and perfect for her husband. She must be the best of the best so she can be happy."_

"_Like you, mother?"_

"…_Yes, love. Like me."_

* * *

Amani, Kikiriku, and Shion ended up in Partevia.

Upon reaching the other side, Kikiriku turned to Amani nervously. "Um, Amani? Can I ask you for a quick favor?"

"Of course, Kikiriku," she assured him gently. "What do you need?"

"Please, don't use your third degree on Camilla. I know that it's pretty selfish of me to ask this of you, but I need to speak with her and she kind of needs to, well, _exist _for that to happen."

Amani nodded. "My third degree isn't something to be used lightly anyways. But if it's my agreement you're looking for, then yes. I won't use my third degree on her. Unless necessary." She added as her eyes flickered over to Shion.

Following the direction of her vision, Kikiriku hastily agreed. "Yes, of course! I won't put Shion's life at risk over this. Thank you, Amani."

Shion, who walked a few paces ahead of the pair, turned back to his companions. "Hey guys? I don't recognize this place. Where are we?" He looked around, taking in what looked like the ruins of a kingdom.

Kikiriku came up beside Shion and took a look around. His eyes widened in recognition. "We're in the Partevia Empire. This used to be the first Sindria, my old home."

"The first Sindria?" Shion parroted quizzically.

"Yes. Before the Sindria you know today, your father built his first kingdom right here." Amani explained. "The previous King of Balbadd…my father told me that it was destroyed as a result of a terrible attack. The country burned and so many people died as a result. He said it had been a tragedy."

"It had been," Kikiriku grimly agreed.

Shion looked around his surroundings with new eyes. He had assumed while reading through his mother's journal that the Sindria that had gone through the destruction she described was the same Sindria he was living in today.

So _this _was where everything went so wrong for both his parents.

No wonder everyone seemed so happy and carefree in the island. There were no bad memories there to begin with.

Shion's eyes caught sight of a figure amongst the ruins and was immediately on alert. This wasn't the time to focus on what once was. He needed to prioritize what was in front of him now. If he wasn't careful, the Sindria that was his home might end up exactly like this one.

Camilla looked down at them from her perch on a dilapidated structure.

"Blessed Child," she called down shortly, "you've kept me waiting."

Amani, who had already noticed the other woman, regarded Camilla silently.

When Camilla caught sight of Shion, her eyes widened in surprise.

"Prince Shion," she recognized with displeasure, "I thought for sure that you were inside that barrier. It would have been ideal if you had been part of the sacrifice."

Both Shion's and Kikiriku's expressions darkened at her comment.

"Welcome to the ruins of the original Sindria Kingdom." Camilla gestured around her as she turned her attention back to Amani. "All of this was built through the efforts and sacrifices of all of the members of the Sindria Trading Company. And here, Princess Amani, is where you will die."

She sneered at the younger woman.

"You should feel honored, Blessed Child. You will fall on the same soil that my friends and countrymen had spilled their blood and lost their lives over."

Kikiriku gritted his teeth at her words and lifted his weapon defensively in front of Amani. "_You,_ out of all people, shouldn't be saying this, Camilla. You turned your back on every person who died here the moment you betrayed Sindria to that organization."

Shion stepped forward. "Arba – no, the woman you know as Empress Gyokuen is dead. Al Thamen has been wiped out. Even Hakkan has surrendered to us. There's no point in doing this anymore. Put down the barrier. All those innocent people in Sindria don't deserve to die."

"No, they do not," Camilla agreed, "but the crack is located in Sindria. Even if Gyokuen is no longer alive to use the harvested black rukh, it doesn't change the fact that whatever is on the other side is trying to get out. We already widened the cracks."

The Sindrian Prince shook at her words. "You have _no idea _what you're playing with right now, Camilla. Once the Black Bird gets out, there will be nothing stopping it from consuming the entire world!"

"If that's true, then doesn't it make the barrier even _more _necessary? It's a pity that all those people have to suffer as a result but it's a necessary evil for the sake of the world, is it not?"

"No, it never is!" Kikiriku snapped from his position. "It won't be necessary as long as you Cursed Children take down the magic seals and leave our friends alone! I don't want any more lives to be taken." There was a flash of grief that cracked through his hard expression. "Especially not here."

"…"

Shion looked between Kikiriku and Camilla. "Take down the barrier," he pleaded, "let my people go."

"…No."

Camilla's expression was set as she made her denial. "No, I will not. I've worked too hard to give up now. I do not care about the price. The person I despise the most needs to die and this is the _only_ way to make it happen. Which also means that I need the Blessed Child to die to make that happen."

"Over my dead body." Kikiriku declared.

Shion's blue eyes shone with determination. "I will not let anyone die."

Unbeknownst to them, a group of black thorns laid in wait beneath Amani's feet. Just as Shion said those words, they rose up to tangle themselves around her ankles so they could drag her under and bury her alive.

But they grabbed onto nothing.

Shion shouted is surprise at the sudden appearance of the plants, prompting Kikiriku to whirl around and swipe at the thorns behind him. They fell into frozen, shattered pieces once he was done.

Kikiriku looked around at the empty space around them. "Where's Amani?" He asked Shion. "Did you see if any of those vines got her?"

"They didn't get her," Shion assured him. "But I have no idea where –

A kunai knife shot out of nowhere at Camilla's direction, cutting Shion off. The Cursed Child barely managed to dodge the blade, receiving a thin slice on her cheek for her efforts. Amani landed on the same structure Camilla was on with blades glinting in both hands.

"You have to try harder than that to catch me, Camilla. Much less kill me."

Camilla picked up the knife Amani had thrown and twirled it in her hand.

"I forgot. You were Fatima's student, weren't you? She was a very talented assassin since she was raised and taught by Sham Lash. She even served Al Thamen for a good amount of time."

Now it was Amani's turn to barely dodge as her own knife was thrown at her face. Blood trickled down her cheek.

Camilla smirked as she drew out her own blades, which were attached to red wires wrapped around her arm.

"But don't get cocky just because you learned a few tricks. I was trained by Ja'far, who had been the leader of Sham Lash before he joined King Sinbad." Her eyes glinted. "I had the better teacher _and _the years over you, little girl."

* * *

"_So, your fiancé decided to throw you in a magical dungeon because you refused to marry the old coot. What a jerk! I swear, it's like this everywhere. Men in this world really don't know how to take rejection. Except Sin, Sin knows better."_

"_Who's Sin, Ranya-sama?"_

"_Geez, it's just Ranya to you, kid! And Sinbad is my precious little brother. We're visiting him soon since the Sindria Trading Company is nearby. Don't worry! He's a great guy! Pretty handsome too!"_

* * *

As the two assassin-trained women clashed, they jumped on and around the crumbling structures around them. Eventually, their fight reached the ground.

Initially, they were toe-to-toe because of their similar fighting styles, but Amani eventually began gaining the upper hand. Camilla snarled in frustration and the blonde pushed her back. "How?! How is this possible?! Ja'far was Fatima's superior!"

"He was only the leader because Sham Lash always overlooked Fatima's ability and talent. Her presence was too weak for them to notice," Amani corrected her patiently. "Don't worry, Ja'far thought that he was better than her too for a time. It's a common misconception."

"Still! I was Ja'far's best student. I had _years _of uninterrupted training over you while yours were cut off early after the burning of Balbadd Palace! It doesn't make sense. Ja'far and Fatima's fighting styles were the same!"

Amani ducked from a strike and swept her leg under Camilla's, knocking her off-balance. She followed it with a hard punch that should have landed on the jaw. While Camilla managed to avoid it, she still smarted a darkening bruise over her right eye.

"Yes," Amani agreed, panting slightly as she drew her fist back, "but it's not just Fatima. She's not the only person I trained with. Yasmine, Sai, Kougyoku, Kouha, Shion – I have so many fighting styles to pick from. _You _might have contented yourself with what you have, but _I've _continued to improve even after my teacher passed on."

Camilla's eyes flashed with irritation and she struck out, making Amani jump back to dodge –

Only to be caught by black thorns that had been lying in wait. The wrapped around her body, sinking themselves into her skin and creating tears all over her clothes.

"Content?" Camilla scoffed as she stood over Amani. "I was never content. If I had been, I would have never given up so much to achieve this kind of power."

Despite the wounds all over her body, the Blessed Child tilted her head. "Oh? Are we using our powers now? Well, if that's the case…" The vines around her seized and stretched as sand slid between her body and them as a barrier. Amani slid out of her thorny constraints as Foras' sand strangled the offending plants to death.

As Amani made her escape, Shion took advantage of the standstill of the fast-paced battle between the two women to jump in. Camilla nimbly jumped away from a strike made by the sword-shaped Andromalius. Thorns grew in front of her as a barrier as she retreated.

"Amani," he called out as his eyes met with Camilla's over her creations, "I'll take it from here."

Shion shifted into a stance that was reminiscent to Sharrkan's as he raised his blade. Camilla's eyes widened as she recognized it too. Before she could do a thing, Shion swept through the barrier, slashing through every one of them as he went.

More than a year before, Shion had watched Sharrkan execute these movements with awe.

The Sindrian Prince was right in front of Camilla's face in seconds. He zeroed in onto her throat as he lashed out. His attack barely grazed her, but it was enough to put her on guard.

"Impressive. I thought you were just a spoiled brat trying to play with swords, but you attacked me with the intent to kill. You didn't even hesitate." She looked at him curiously. "How did you manage to get to this state with Ranya as your mother?"

"Well, it _might _be because Mom was forced into a coma because of a certain attack made by Al Thamen," Shion reminded Camilla tightly as he prepared to attack her again.

To his surprise, Camilla's expression became regretful.

"Did she really? I'm sorry to hear that. It hadn't been my intention to hurt Ranya to that extent. I _told _those fools to make sure not to harm her when they took you away. There was no point in hurting her back then."

Shion didn't know what to say. Or think. Didn't…didn't Camilla hate his mother?

"Hey Camilla, I've been wanting to ask you this for a while, but what did you mean when you told me that you didn't hate Ranya?" Kikiriku spoke up, causing Shion to turn to him with widened eyes. "And if not Ranya, then who?"

Camilla lifted a brow.

"I think you already know the answer, Kikiriku."

"Tell me anyways."

The air around Camilla became tense as she answered.

"Why, it's King Sinbad, of course."

* * *

"_How are you settling into the Trading Company, Camilla? I know that the work is unfamiliar and exhausting, but you have everyone here who is willing to help you if things get too hard. Ranya told me about what happened. Don't worry, the Sindria Trading Company protects its members like family, so no one will hurt you like that anymore."_

"_I'm grateful for what everyone has done for me here. I'll make sure to work very hard so I can be the best of the best, just your big sister, Sinbad!"_

"_Yeah, good goal! Ranya is pretty great, isn't she? …Huh? What did you call her again? No wait, she isn't really my – Haaah~ she's still referring to me as a little brother, huh? Can't be helped. I'll have to work harder too."_

* * *

Shion's expression drew a blank as he tried to process this new information.

"Wait, but, I thought at you and Father–?"

Camilla wore a deadpan expression at his words. "So King Sinbad actually told you about our previous relationship? I'm surprised that he'd be so honest about that part of his life to his beloved son. Yes, it's true. We had a brief fling when I was young and infatuated with his charms. But even that small crush didn't last that long." She let out a heavy sigh. "Honestly, even _I _knew how hopelessly in love he was with your mother. The moment Ranya started returning those feelings, I gave up. I was the one who ended things with your father."

"No way…"

"There is absolutely no way I would risk everything simply because of a long-dead crush on a womanizer." Camilla's expression became irritated. "Only an idiot would do waste so much of their energy on such a hopeless case."

Shion shook his head. "Still, that doesn't explain anything. Then…why did Mom have to suffer for it? Why did you make it so that she thought that Father hated her until recently? What was the _point_?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Camilla asked rhetorically. "Above anything else in the world aside from Sindria itself, Ranya is the person who King Sinbad holds closely to his heart. Separating them in such a way would hurt him. Ranya…well, Ranya's emotional pain was simply collateral damage."

Camilla's hands clenched.

"But it wasn't enough. The pain he experienced was _nothing_ compared to what he put me through. I care for Ranya, but when I saw him smiling even after receiving her goodbye letter…I honestly considered bringing her back and snapping her neck in front of him."

Any warmth on Shion's expression froze over at her confession. He readied Andromalius and took a step forward only to be blocked by a large hand in his path.

"My king, let me fight her."

Shion stared at Kikiriku. He was still angry at Camilla for her words, but he knew that Kikiriku still had things to say and ask the Cursed Child because of their history. The Imuchakk Warrior's expression was resolute, further proving the point. Shion conceded. "Okay. You knew her best out of all of us."

* * *

"_Camilla, Ja'far, Kikiriku, come over here and meet your new sisters."_

"_Rurumu, can I really hold them? They're so cute!"_

"_Of course, Camilla. Both you and Ja'far are responsible of taking care of them from now on. Just like you were to Kikiriku, be good older siblings and protect them. Okay?"_

* * *

Kikiriku froze and hacked at the plants that blocked him from reaching to Camilla. Any thorns and other sharp plants were noticeably absent.

Much to the Imuchakk Warrior's frustration, Camilla avoided his attacks whenever he got close enough but never reciprocated. "Camilla, stop playing around! Fight me! Speak to me! Do _something!_"

"Do you think fighting you is easy, Kikiriku?" Camilla demanded. "Let me assure you, it's not. I don't enjoy hurting children."

"You choked Shion! He's a kid!" He sent ice spears at her way. "He was only _nine_."

Camilla summoned a wall of vines to catch them. "Prince Shion is an exception," she admitted, "but when is he not?"

Kikiriku couldn't argue against that statement. Shion really _was _an exception to so many things, including fate's rules. The rukh loved him, time bent under his will, and he faced no consequences when he decided to change fate. But Camilla didn't know this. To her, Shion was simply a precocious child and the son of the man she despised.

And she tried to kill him.

"The Camilla I knew would have never made those exceptions," he told her instead, disappointment in his eyes as he swung his weapon again. "She would have rather _died _than harm a child. What happened to you, Camilla? What happened to the girl my mother loved as her own daughter?"

"I'm still here," Camilla insisted. "I'm still that Camilla. Please, try to see through my perspective and stop fighting me. I promised your mother that I would look after and protect you and your siblings. I intend to keep that promise."

Incensed by her words, Kikiriku slammed down his Rampaging Unicorn horn down onto the ground freezing all the vines around them and even Camilla's legs, pinning her to place. He glared at her, disappointment and incredulity etched into his features.

"Mother would have been so disappointed in you." He shook his head. "Protecting us? Do you even hear what you're even saying? It's because of** you** that my entire family is stuck in the barrier with that _thing_! If you win here, they'll die. You already broke your promise, Camilla!"

"I am not to blame for that," Camilla insisted. "If you want someone to blame, look at Sinbad."

Kikiriku scoffed loudly. "Right."

"You have to listen to me. Nothing good happens when you blindly ally yourself with people like him. You end up losing what's important to you for the sake of his cause, only to realize those sacrifices were hopeless in the end. Everything that he cares for inevitably becomes targeted or broken in some way." She gave the Imuchakk teen a meaningful look. "Your mother was one of those sacrifices among the thousands."

"At least _King Sinbad _wasn't the one who put my family into a death trap of a barrier!" Kikiriku pointed out angrily.

Camilla shook her head. "Al Thamen had already planned this. Even if I didn't do this as a Cursed Child, they would have eventually. It's simply the fate of being important people to a man like that."

"Seriously…what do you have against him?"

"What I have against him?" Camilla repeated slowly. "Kikiriku, if it hadn't been for Sinbad's actions, your precious prince would have been a younger brother."

* * *

"_Sinbad…the truth is, before the first Sindria fell, I was pregnant. I lost the child during the battle. It was so sudden, and I was so careful but…I'm so sorry. It…it was yours. I –"_

"_So, you're saying that the child is gone?"_

"_Yes. I'm sorry that I didn't tell you before, Sinbad. I didn't want to get between you and Ranya, so I kept quiet. I'm so, so sorry!"_

* * *

"…What?"

Kikiriku's expression went blank. _'What…what did Camilla just say?' _He wanted to believe that Camilla was lying to him but…that she wouldn't lie about things like this. But Sinbad would never do such a thing. He grew up _with _the man! Yes, as a king, Shion's dad had to make hard and shady choices. But he would never go _that far_…

Would he?

Influenced by his inner conflict, the ice around them cracked, freeing one of the vines. It whipped up to the Imuchakk teen's face, revealing a large flower bud. It bloomed into a vibrant flower and spat pollen into his face, making him stumble back and cough.

Camilla broke out of her icy constraints and sent Kikiriku a regretful look. "I don't want to fight you, Kikiriku. So that means that I have to make sure you don't get in my way."

Kikiriku tried to move but found that his entire body was paralyzed. He made helpless noises as Camilla turned to face Shion.

Shion, who was shell-shocked and horrified by what he just heard.

"What? Did your Father never tell you?" Camilla mocked as she began to circle him slowly. "And I thought he told _everything _to his precious little boy."

Shion swallowed and tried to calm himself down. He needed answers.

"…What happened? What did he do?"

Camilla paused in her circling at the question, looking surprised. It took Shion some time to realize that she hadn't expected him to believe her. And honestly? If he were anyone else, he wouldn't have. Between a loving father and the woman who almost strangled him to death, the person he should trust was obvious.

But Shion traveled with a master liar for _years. _And his second sight, the waves, never led him wrong – especially not in the most crucial moments in his life. Neither told him that she was lying.

Camilla wasn't lying.

"Please," he begged quietly, "tell me. I need to know."

"…I found out that I was pregnant not long after I ended my relationship with Sinbad. I didn't know what to do. I didn't want to get in between Ranya and him. They were so happy, and I couldn't ruin that. Then, the fall of the first Sindria happened. I was so scared. I was alone. I fought and killed and did my best to survive. Nothing touched my baby. I made sure of it. But in the end…there was so much blood."

Camilla blinked back her tears.

Shion swallowed and forced himself to speak. "I'm sorry. It must have been horrible. But you have to understand, my father wasn't solely responsible for the war."

"The war? No, Prince Shion. I'm not angry because he was an indirect cause of my miscarriage. I'm angry because your father _caused_ it to happen _himself_. He killed my baby in the womb."

"No," Shion shook his head, "no, you just said that nothing touched you when it happened. You said you were alone."

Camilla placed a hand over her abdomen. A sad look crossed her face. "I didn't believe it at first either. Sinbad was my _king._ He was my best friend. I believed that he would never do such a thing, even if the child stood as an obstacle between him and the woman he loved." A shadow fell over her eyes. "But then Sinbad admitted to it himself."

Shion was lost. He didn't know what to believe. While he wanted to believe his father was better than that, Shion was aware of the lengths Sinbad went through to ensure the safety of his country.

But something about Camilla's narrative sounded wrong. His father wasn't the kind of person to blatantly tell the person he screwed over that he screwed them over. He tended to keep to the shadows and play his cards close to his chest whenever he acted as Sindria's King. If it looked like a coincidence, he made sure it stayed that way as long as he could.

So why did he confess to it? Had he been guilty? Or has it been an accident?

"Ranya had been lucky. She left Sindria the moment she found out that she was pregnant." Camilla raised her eyes and focused on Shion. "If she hadn't, _you _wouldn't have made it alive."

Shion's breath hitched at the truth and certainty that just _rang _in her voice.

His father might love him now, but what about back then when he was simply an idea and not yet a person? He wasn't sure anymore.

"And to think," Camilla said bitterly, "that my efforts in hurting Sinbad and Ranya actually allowed a child like you to come into existence. I should have never made sure to hide Ranya's pregnancy from Sinbad before she left."

* * *

"_So, the spell worked then. Good. I've taken so many precautions in the past to prevent this from happening. It would have done no good if I accidentally had a son. There is no need to allow _him _to meddle with my affairs again."_

"…_Eh? Sinbad? What are you talking about? You…you're speaking as if you caused it to happen. That's not true, right? It's just the grief speaking. There's no way…"_

"_Ah, I was talking out loud, wasn't I? I have forgotten that there was a difference between thoughts and speech. Anyways, I feel no grief over this. Absolutely none at all!"_

* * *

Camilla had saved his life before he was even born.

Camilla had _saved _him.

It was a new idea Shion was trying his best to swallow since the entire time he knew her she was trying to _kill him_.

Camilla, meanwhile, continued her tirade. It was as if a dam of a life's worth of bitterness was broken.

"Why you? Why did Sinbad choose to love you and not mine? Sinbad treated the death of my child as if it was _nothing_. His own child. He just overlooked it in favor of his grand vision. Just because they were never born doesn't mean that they aren't deserving of any love compared to one that was, right?!"

Shion couldn't help but agree with Camilla. Even if his father wasn't the direct cause of Camilla's miscarriage, for him not to even mourn or acknowledge the lost life was just callous.

"He continued on with his life, completely content and happy even after everything he did, while I suffered every day. His kingdom has flourished. The love of his life returned to him after years of separation." Camilla's eyes landed on Shion. "And _you_. The miracle child who was never supposed to be born. Even though he never deserved it or asked for it, Sinbad gets to have his child alive and whole because of _my _actions and efforts. How is that fair?"

"It's not," Shion agreed earnestly. "Camilla, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry for what happened. And thank you. Without you, I wouldn't be here today."

For a moment, Camilla's bitter expression softened.

"Of course."

Then, her expression sharpened again into bitterness.

"I wasn't going to let Ranya endure the same loss as I did in _that monster's_ hands. I can still remember what he said to me that night." Her eyes misted over as she recalled the memory. "After I told him the truth, Sinbad talked about some spell working and _celebrated _my baby's death since he didn't want a son to 'meddle with his affairs again'. He never _had _a son! What did he know? And he ended up loving _you_. If he only gave my baby a _chance_…"

As Shion listened to Camilla's recollections, it didn't take long for him to realize _who_ exactly said those words. And it wasn't his father.

It was David.

It made sense. Since Sinbad wasn't born a magician and hadn't met Yamraiha until that point, performing any sort of complicated spell was impossible for him. And his concern about a 'meddling son' obviously came from an experience that Sinbad never had.

After all, it wasn't such a long stretch since Shion himself had an Alma Toran ghost hitching a ride in his mind.

'_Why am I not surprised that the source of all our problems is David?'_ Solomon grumbled under his breath in Shion's head, confirming his suspicions. _'And he even went through all that effort to prevent the possibility of me from having a connection to this world. Everything is his fault. Everything. That bastard.'_

At the revelation, Shion was caught between crying in relief or screaming in horror.

His father had the ghost of an immortal, genocidal tyrant with a crippling god-complex inside his head. And unlike the ghost in Shion's head, this one has no qualms against taking control.

How did David get into his father's head? How long was he in there? The entire time? Then why…why didn't he kill Shion when he had the chance?

'_I don't know the details, but David somehow ended up in your friend Jamal's mind.'_ While Shion balked at that fact, he felt Solomon's amusement course through him. _'No doubt, David regretted __**that **__particular choice immediately. But he was stuck. Until recently.'_

Shion had so much to worry about with everything he just discovered. But right now? Now he had to focus on the issue in front of him: Camilla.

"Camilla," he called out weakly interrupting her ranting, "I think…I think there has been a very, _very _big – **huge** – misunderstanding. That person who told you all those things, he wasn't Father at all." _I don't think Father even __**knows**__ about the baby._

It was the wrong thing to say.

Of course, Shion realized it _after _he barely ducked from the sudden barrage of black needles sent in his way.

"Already making excuses for your father?" There was a thick undertone of fury in Camilla's tone as she sent out more and more of her plants after him. Shion dodged and slashed at them as best as he could.

"No, **no**! That's not how I meant it at all! _Listen to me._ Both Father and I being used as vessels by ghosts from another world who are continuing their cosmic argument through us!"

The moment the words left Shion's mouth, he felt a little silly. With so many crazy things that happened in his life, things like this was normal to him and his friends. The explanation seemed so sensible in his head, but they probably sounded like some half-assed excuse to someone like Camilla.

Shion wanted to cry.

"You know, I originally wanted to protect you from King Sinbad when you first came to Sindria since you were only an innocent child whose life was at risk in the hands of that _monster_," Camilla spat. "But I can see that the conclusion I made before I left Sindria was correct. You, Prince Shion, are _exactly _like your father."

She pointed at Shion accusingly.

"Not only your appearance, but the way you act and think! It's no wonder that King Sinbad loves you so!" Camilla's eyes turned haunted. "Once again, my actions only ended up helping that horrible man. First, my baby. Then, those letters. And now? _You. _Is this fate? No matter what I do, I am merely a stepping stone for the happiness of people like you."

Frustrated tears began streaming down Camilla's face.

"Friend or foe, it makes no difference. In the end, it is _we _who end up losing everything to amazing singularities like King Sinbad. Like _you._" Her eyes met Shion's hatefully. "I won't let it happen to anyone else, not to another mother or child. _I'll kill you before you ever do._"

After her outburst, black vines and thorns rose from the ground and wrapped around her body until every part of her was covered. Realizing that she was planning something great, Shion prepared himself to face whatever happened next.

A strange sound of something stretching and cracking came from within the clump of plants before the area where Camilla's head was located burst open into bloom. The vines fell away after that, revealing a plant-like creature.

Where Camilla's nails were, sharp thorns took its place. Her limbs were now made of stems and roots. Even her clothes were rendered into withering petals of dead flowers.

And where her head used to be was a great, black rose.

Connected to the roots at the creature's feet, more black vines and thorns burst from the ground, prepared to strike at any given moment.

At the sight of the creature, Shion's eyes went cold.

This form…he knew this form. He knew this creature. He even fought against it during a time that was now nonexistent.

It had been the one to kill his Amani, after all.

* * *

"_You…you…how could you…? Does Ranya even know…?"_

"_No, no one knows. No one aside from myself…and now, you. And it will remain that way. __**Since who would believe you?**__"_

"…"

* * *

Shion slashed at every offending vine in his path as he made his way over to the Camilla Rose.

Any sympathy and pity he had felt for Camilla shattered the moment she changed herself into _that thing._ Now, all he wanted was to destroy that monster before it took away the people he loved _again._

The vines and stems around him began to produce blossom different sorts of flowers that spat out pollen into the air around him. Shion was confident that they weren't the same kind that harmlessly paralyzed Kikiriku.

He covered his mouth.

Unfortunately, the action left him open to attacks from the vines and thorns. Despite his efforts to avoid their blows, he ended up with wounds that ranged from scratches to gashes all over his body. Shion knew that the intent was to make him bleed out.

"_Dwell in my body, Andromalius!"_

Donning Andromalius, Shion flew out of the cloud of dubious pollen and shifted his weapon into a sling. He sent energy bursts after energy bursts to destroy most of the vines and flowers from the surface.

While they weren't the same size as the one he used in back in Magnostadt, they were just as effective.

Shion felt satisfaction upon seeing the shriveled-up state his attack left the plants.

Those vines had held Amani in place and trapped her. Those flowers had **poisoned** her.

And Shion, in his rage, had destroyed the Cursed Child. He did it easily before with Andromalius. He could do it again.

Focusing on the Camilla Rose, he prepared a final energy blast to take care of it once and for all. His swung his sling around as he kept his eye on the enemy. The creature was still reeling from the decimation of its vines and thorns. This was Shion's chance.

Distantly, as he aimed, Shion felt something shift in his head. It had been so subtle, so quiet that he nearly ignored it.

But then, he heard all the voices in his head begin to shout.

'_Shion! The seal!'_ Solomon shouted, sounding panicked for once. _'It's breaking. I need you to stay calm and try to stay out of your head. Focus on what's in front of you.'_

'_Dammit. Dammit.' _Veteran cursed, sounding weaker than ever despite the heat in his tone._ 'I thought I'd have more time. I thought –_

'_Shion? I'm scared.' _Child's voice cut through the rest, rendering them silent.

And then, something in Shion's head shattered. He lost his grip on the ball of energy in his sling, making it explode prematurely. It hit him, stunning him.

Shion fell.

* * *

'_Dear Sin, I know that you're angry with me, but please, don't leave our son out of your life because of my choice…'_

"_It's no good. Ranya is trying harder and harder to get into contact with King Sinbad just recently. If she tries even more, he'll find out about the child and then…"_

"…_Should I tell the organization this?"_

* * *

Memories flashed through Shion's head as he fell.

_Flash. _His mother's last moments. He thought that he had missed it completely, but he glimpsed it over his Uncle's shoulders as he had struggled. She stood in front of the creature…reaching for it?

_Flash._ His Uncle was telling Shion how Sinbad was an amazing man in front of the tomb. "But King Sinbad couldn't protect everyone. He thought that he could save everyone, but that kind of thinking led to _this_. Don't make the same mistake, Shion."

_Flash._ Kouen was talking to him. It was the conversation that he listened to back in Sindria when the seal in his head began to peel. "Should I tell you the truth, foolish student? Should I tell you what everyone is desperately trying to keep from you? …No? So you trust that uncle of yours. Suit yourself. But tell me, has your uncle ever taught you the saying: _Never trust the voices in your head_? No? Well, he should have. There's reason why it exists."

_Flash._ It was Hakkan. They had managed to break him out of captivity after he was kidnapped by Al Thamen. He was bloody, traumatized, and _different._ He grabbed Shion's shoulders the moment he was let out. "_Please, _stop your search for the Black Bird. I beg of you. Just stop."

_Flash._ It was Shion, standing all alone. He stared blankly at the burning world before turning to face the Black Bird. He –

Abruptly, his last memory was cut off as he hit the ground. He coughed as the air was knocked out of his chest. His djinn equip dissipated from the impact. Shion blinked and tried to clear himself from the onslaught of memories. This wasn't the time.

Shion tried to get up but stopped.

The Camilla Rose stood over him with a thorn lance pointed at his throat. While looking a bit worse for wear, it still was able to appear menacing. Shion couldn't move. His body was too injured, too exhausted to successfully fight. Even if he did, he'd be struck dead in a heartbeat with how close the thorn's end was to his neck.

He couldn't do anything.

'_Is this where I die…?'_

If it was, Shion was going to leave this world with his eyes wide open. He stared at the creature across from him challengingly.

The Camilla Rose lifted the lance and brought it down.

* * *

"_Did you hear? In the festival last night, one of the members of Al Thamen snuck through the barrier and hurt our Prince Shion. King Sinbad was absolutely furious! You should've seen him! He tore the guy apart for what he's done!"_

"_Our king truly loves his son, doesn't he? It's such a relief that Prince Shion is fine! King Sinbad would have been so heartbroken if his child died! Right, Camilla?"_

"_Yes, I agree. King Sinbad __**would**__ be heartbroken if Princes Shion died, wouldn't he?"_

* * *

"_Third Degree: Nonexistence."_

Shion's eyes widened at the sudden appearance of Amani in front of him with her arms crossed. Camilla's entire arm was gone, along with the thorn spear that had almost skewered Shion. Around them, the entire earth rumbled before a mass of black vines, thorns, brambles were uprooted from the ground, covered in Foras' sand.

"I think that's enough," Amani informed the Camilla Rose. Her eyes turned to the plants. "_Foras_."

In an instant, everything was crushed into nothing, causing the creature that once was Camilla to fall over and shriek in pain as they were all connected to her main body. Amani stood over the creature, arms still crossed.

"As a mother, I sympathize with you, Camilla. If anything had happened to Kouryuu, I don't think I would have been able to endure it." Her brown eyes flashed with a deep and cold anger as she regarded the beautiful flower that had replaced Camilla's human face. "And that is exactly why I cannot forgive your actions. Revenge against a single man is one thing, but dragging down an entire country filled with thousands of innocent lives just to sate your bitterness? Nothing, not even the life of your unborn child, can justify this. No, you are merely sullying your child's tragedy with your shameful actions."

Foras' sand wrapped around Camilla's three remaining limbs and restrained them, crushing them painfully at the same time. The creature screamed again.

"And fate? Stop using such cowardly excuses." Amani's expression remained cold and unforgiving. "If you truly wanted to help them, you could have told Ranya the truth and let it be instead of meddling in the background. You could have removed yourself from Sindria all together instead of remaining in a place that made you feel so miserable. What help you offered Ranya and Shion was overshadowed by your decision to betray their location to Al Thamen's mercies. You _chose _to side yourself with the organization who already harmed so many people. You _chose _to put your hands around a child's neck. So, don't blame Ranya, Shion, or even fate for _your _mistakes. What David–no, _Sinbad _did to you was horrible, but are you really any different from him now?"

The petals on the rose shuddered at Amani's tone.

"You nearly killed the child who could have been the younger brother to your own, just because you can't separate a father's sins from his son's."

Without taking her eyes off of the enemy in front of her, Amani held out a hand to help Shion up.

"A-Amani? When did you–? _How?_"

"Fatima always taught me to always take advantage of a stronger target's distraction and strike at all of their weak points. The key is to take them down before they realize what's happening. I'm sorry that I didn't intervene sooner, but you and Kikiriku seemed like you had much to get off your chest." She gestured to where the Imuchakk warrior was shaking off the paralysis effects. "You see, it's not good to have that much negative emotions repressed for so long."

It was that moment when Shion looked at Amani. _Truly _looked at Amani. Instead of blonde hair, her hair was black, and a pair of horns were perched on top of her head. The outfit she wore was the all too familiar djinn equip of her husband's. Shion's eyes slowly traveled from Amani to behind her. There was a glowing circle around the area where Camilla's rose head connected with the rest of her body.

"It's better to just _nip_ them at the bud and get it all over with."

With a flick of Amani's fingers, the black rose was right at Camilla's feet, leaving her completely headless. The body buckled and followed down soon after.

Kikiriku stumbled over beside Shion, checking the younger boy over quickly for any serious injuries before turning to Amani. He took in Camilla's decapitated corpse grimly. "She's dead then."

"Yes," Amani confirmed, "don't worry, I made it clean and quick. I know she was important to you."

"She was. Once. Camilla wasn't always like this. She was wonderful and kind before she let the bitterness get the best of her."

Amani hummed as she dropped her djinn equip. She swayed and stumbled as weakness hit her. Kikiriku caught her before she tumbled face-first onto the ground. He set her down slowly. "Thank you, Kikiriku. I'm sorry, Shion. I won't be able to move for a few minutes."

"It's fine." Shion plopped onto the ground beside her, rubbing at his face tiredly. "I think we all need a bit of a break. We deserve it, seeing how we saved an entire country."

Kikiriku did the same. "I don't want to move for a _week._"

The three fell into a comfortable silence as they rested.

"Hey Shion?" Kikiriku spoke up. "Is that thing supposed to do that?"

"What thing? What are you –?" Shion turned to where Kikiriku was pointing and froze.

The markings on the ground were glowing.


	66. Chapter 65: The Truth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shion learns the Truth about the Black Bird

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Onwards

Like a sigh of relief, Sindria's barrier fell, freeing its trapped inhabitants back into the world. In the boats, everyone celebrated for it meant that the Blessed Children were victorious in their mission.

But Sindria's citizens weren't the only ones who were freed.

(Something dark and heavy stirred behind the unlocked cage.)

* * *

"NEE-CHAN!"

Jamal scrabbled for his sister uselessly as Yasmine was restrained by magical seals that had suddenly come to life. The glowing symbols, that had been hiding in the sand, wrapped around her arms and legs like shackles. They dragged her over to a glowing circle in front of the throne.

Yasmine struggled fruitlessly against them the entire time.

"Jamal, go to Sindria," she ordered sharply as she got closer to the circle. The hourglass symbol on its center appeared ominous to Yasmine's eyes. "_You have to go to Sindria._ It's a trap. This entire thing was a trap. This thing is going to force me to open the cage. You need to tell Shion –

Her voice abruptly cut off.

"…Nee-chan?"

Jamal tentatively came over to the glowing circle to where her body was restrained. Yasmine was frozen in place, staring blankly ahead. He tried to shake her awake, but she was completely unresponsive.

A sob ripped through Jamal's throat as he covered his face and cried.

Then, he slapped himself.

"I need to go to Sindria," he told himself. "Nee-chan told me to go to Sindria."

Jamal turned back to Yasmine and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek. "I'll be back," he promised her softly.

Then, he began running over to the transportation circle.

* * *

Kohaku attempted to overwrite the magic seals that crawled all over Sai's body. But no matter how quickly she implemented her own symbols, they were either erased or dismissed.

"No, _no_! What can I do? _What can I do?!_"

Meanwhile, Sai writhed and dug his heels into the ground, doing his best to delay to inevitable. The symbol of the laughing raven in the center of the glowing circle his bonds were dragging him to seemed to mock his plight.

"Kohaku-chan, I need you to go."

Kohaku let out a sob and shook her head. "No, I need to help you!"

"I'll be fine," Sai lied through his teeth, "but Sindria and the rest of the world won't. I need you to go and warn Princeling about the Black Bird. Okay? You can come back and break me out of here later. Go."

Gripping onto her staff, Kohaku forced herself to nod before flying to the transportation circle.

She glanced over to Sai just before she reached it and regretted it immediately.

Kneeling over the glowing circle, Sai's face looked like a static screen on a television. It was flipping through too many faces to have a set face. Everything else was completely stiff and frozen.

Kohaku muffled a scream and forced herself to move forward.

* * *

Selene threw everything she had against the magical restraints.

Kougyoku could only stare in horror at the glowing circle and the lotus blossom symbol at its center. She had dug her butterfly swords onto the ground and held on for dear life to prevent the horrifying truth laid out in front of her.

"Raul didn't know about this." She shook her head. "This was Arba's doing. The Cursed Children were the bait and sacrifices all along, not us. We were needed alive to open the cage, after all."

Kougyoku's butterfly swords began to drag on the ground as the pull began to strengthen.

Selene stared at Kougyoku helplessly.

"You can't do anything to help, Selene. Raul and Arba knew what they were doing. All you can do now is to go to Sindria and try to contain the Black Bird before it comes out of its cage."

'_What is going to happen to you?'_ Selene signed, nervously glancing over at the glowing circle.

"It won't kill me," Kougyoku assured the younger girl. "I won't be conscious, and my abilities will be uncontrolled, but I'll still be alive. Don't worry about me, Selene. Go to Sindria. Stop the Black Bird."

Selene turned away and rushed over to the transportation circle.

Kougyoku held on as long as she could, but she was eventually ripped from her swords.

Before she was completely dragged to the circle, Kougyoku managed to send out one last message to the world with Enlightenment, hoping that someone, _anyone _would hear her.

* * *

Shion and Kikiriku panicked.

When the glowing symbols came to life and shackled Amani, they tried everything they could to take them off. But it was all for nothing. They dragged her over to a glowing circle with a moon symbol at its center.

"Shion," she called out desperately, _"Shion."_

Upon reaching it, her attempts to wiggle out of her constraints abruptly ceased.

"Amani?"

Kikiriku checked her pulse as Shion tried to rouse her from her trance-like state. Both of them yelled in surprise when her entire body began to flicker in and out of view.

"What's happening?" Kikiriku wondered aloud. "What is this thing doing to Amani?"

Shion shook his head, just as confused and worried. "I don't know."

Suddenly, both Shion and Kikiriku was suddenly filled with a sense of dread and alarm. Information about the Black Bird, Sindria's barrier, and the Cage flooded into their heads. Though they already knew the information they were being provided, both of them couldn't help but shudder in horror.

Then, Kougyoku's voice sounded in their heads.

"_The Black Bird is a creature capable of consuming the rukh from all life. And now, the cage containing it is open. You are all in danger. Anyone with metal vessels, please give aid to Sindria and protect this world. Anyone with ships, please help evacuate its citizens before they are consumed to strengthen our enemy. Anyone with magic, please help trap it within the country. Come to Sindria. Help. Or the world will end."_

Shion and Kikiriku stared at each other in horror.

Despite all their efforts, the cage was open.

* * *

Shion and Kikiriku quickly transported themselves back to Sindria.

What they faced was a mass panic. Drakon was spitting out orders to his soldiers from left to right, thousands upon thousands of citizens were flooding Sindria's port, and foreign ships from nearby countries that they didn't even contact were speeding their way.

Jamal, Selene, and Kohaku were also there. They were crying.

When both Shion and Kikiriku walked up to them, they all looked up from their positions. Kohaku cried out and rushed over to Shion, hugging him tightly. "Welcome back," she greeted him with a watery voice, "I'm glad both of you made it. Is Amani…?"

"She isn't dead," Kikiriku assured her from the side, "but she's being restrained by the magic seals on the ground."

"Nee-chan too," Jamal added quietly.

'_And Kougyoku,' _Selene confirmed, teary-eyed.

"And Sai." Kohaku's expression turned haunted. "He told me he was going to be fine. He _told _me. But then…but then…" She covered her face. "When he was dragged into the circle, he lost control of his powers. _Sai didn't have a face_."

Shion tried to comfort her with hushes, forcing himself to swallow down his own horror.

"The same thing happened to Amani too," Kikiriku confessed. "Her entire body wouldn't stop flickering no matter how hard we tried to free her. I think it's the same with every one of them."

Jamal made a horrible, wailing noise at the new information.

Selene wiped her cheeks, _'Kougyoku said that it was a trap made by Arba. The Blessed Children were needed to open the cage. Alive, ideally. Kougyoku only barely managed to send out her message. It reached the entire world. Everyone knows.'_

Shion took deep, calming breaths before standing up, turning everyone's gazes to him.

"Good. Let's not let Kougyoku's efforts be in vain. Let's not let _all _of their efforts be in vain. The cage is open. There's no time to waste. We need to make sure everyone gets out of Sindria safely." Shion turned to Kikiriku. "Kikiriku, can you help direct the traffic of the people leaving the island? We don't want anyone to get hurt. You can find your family that way too."

Kikiriku nodded firmly. "Got it."

Shion turned to Jamal, who was still sniffling. He placed his hands on his friend's shoulders, forcing the other boy to stare up at him. "I know that this is hard and frightening. I know how much you love Yasmine. But we need to focus on what's in front of us _now_. The faster we get everyone else to safety, the faster we can find a way to break all of them out of those magic circles." He squeezed Jamal's shoulders. "Okay? Help Kikiriku in getting everyone out."

Jamal nodded resolutely, blinking back his tears. "Got it, buddy."

"Selene, I need you to take over in tending to anyone who might have gotten wounded in the panic. If possible, I need you to also calm down the shocked. They'll be on ships. Too much negative energy won't be good."

Selene nodded firmly as she clutched onto her staff.

"We're going to need to neutralize the Black Bird immediately." Shion turned to Kohaku. "Find Aladdin and Yamraiha. Try to bring the barrier back up once everyone gets out. It's not a permanent solution, but it'll be enough to give us more time. If Selene is right, Kougyoku contacted _everyone _in the world. That means that we'll get all the manpower needed to face off against the Black Bird if need be. I'll also be helping out with the evacuation efforts. I'm going to make sure that everyone makes it out. Don't bring up the barrier until you see me leave. Understand?"

Kohaku nodded.

Seeing that everyone understood their mission, Shion shifted into his djinn equip and pushed the ship to Sindria port and quickly as he could. Once they reached shore, Shion and the Chibi Generals immediately rushed to perform their assigned tasks.

Kikiriku took care of organizing the civilians to their rescue ships while Jamal rushed around the homes in the outer ring to make sure that no one was left behind. Using his household vessel, the scientist turned it into a megaphone so he could call any stragglers to him.

Shion, on the other hand, rushed into the inner ring. He rushed past the fleeing citizens, stopping from time to time to help someone up or look into houses. The process was slow, and he was running out of time.

After he turned from his recent house after he confirmed that it was empty, Shion bumped into someone.

"Excuse me, I wasn't looking. Do you need help – _Uncle?_"

Yunan looked ready to kneel over with relief. "Shion! I'm so glad that you're okay!"

* * *

" – _okay? Aladdin will be teaching you for today. It's important that you know everything about the Black Bird before going after it, Shion."_

_Shion, fourteen years old, scratched his head as he looked from the younger magi to his Uncle. "I understand that but…why is that girl here too? Isn't she supposed to do princess stuff? Hey, won't your scary teacher be angry if she catches you slacking off?"_

_Amani, who was sitting beside him, crossed her arms and pouted. "I'm here because it's important for me to know about these things, Shion! Besides, Fatima says I can take a break since this is really important for me to know too!"_

"_Why? Aren't you just a princess?"_

"_How rude! You're speaking to a Blessed Child!"_

"_A Blessed…. Child?"_

_Amani frowned at Shion disapprovingly. "How can you be so unaware of such common knowledge? Where have you been living? Under a rock?"_

"_The Great Rift, actually. But close enough."_

"_What."_

"_You two! Pay attention!" Yunan scolded them firmly and whacked Shion gently over the head with his fishing pole staff. The teen rubbed his head mulishly as the Princess of Balbadd giggled behind her Kou-styled sleeves. "Why only me…?"_

_Aladdin laughed at their interaction but sobered up when he turned to the board behind him._

"_The Black Bird is a creature that thrives after consuming rukh," Aladdin explained to the young teens patiently as both of them straightened in attention. "But it becomes stronger upon getting into contact with rukh that have fallen into depravity."_

_Aladdin turned to Shion with a serious look._

"_Since your rukh is special, Shion, you have to be careful to never waver or fall. If you fall into depravity for even a _second_, the Black Bird will come here and consume you."_

"_And if it consumes you, the world will end."_

* * *

Shion shook his head from the memory. It had been before he set out to gather enough forces to go against Al Thamen and the Black Bird. Why was _this _memory blocked out from his mind?

His thoughts were interrupted when his uncle drew him into a tight hug.

"I thought that for sure I was sending you to die when I agreed to let you go to Kou!" The magi cried. "I'm so happy that you're alive!"

"I'm glad that you're okay too, Uncle," Shion said earnestly as he briefly returned the hug. "But now isn't the best time to be happy. The cage is broken and everyone on this island is in danger. Uncle, I _need _you to help me with evacuating everyone. I know you don't like to meddle, but I beg of you, please! Help us!"

Yunan was quiet.

"Just a boat or one person," Shion continued to beg, "I know that you believe saving everyone is impossible, but –

"I'll do it," His uncle abruptly interrupted him as he got to his feet. Shion stared up at his uncle with surprise. "It's about time I stopped standing in the side for once." Yunan took Shion's hands. "While I do not wish for any more King Candidates, you are my nephew. I will not abandon my family or anything else that they hold dear."

Yunan leapt into the air.

"Don't worry about this area, Shion! I'll take care of it! As well as the boats! With my magic, creating them will be no problem! Go on ahead!"

Shion beamed at his uncle before pushing forward to the direction of the palace.

He was stopped by a loud shout of his name.

Shion turned and saw Sharrkan, who looked both shocked and relieved.

"Prince Shion!" His teacher shouted again as he rushed over. Shion was immediately swept up into a crushing hug. Unlike his weak Uncle, Sharrkan's grip on him was almost suffocating. "You're here!"

* * *

"_So you were here. I was right."_

_Shion, age sixteen, turned away hastily from the voice. "…What are you doing here, Hakkan?"_

"_I couldn't sleep, so I decided to take the night watch with you. It gets pretty lonely up here and it's never good to be alone after a battle. Should I leave?"_

"…_No. You can stay."_

_They fall into an awkward silence. _

_Then, Hakkan spoke up. "Shion, are you okay?"_

_When the younger boy didn't answer, Hakkan continued his query. "Today's fight was pretty bad. You've only fought against those Al Thamen magicians until now, right? Crushing dolls and actually fighting a real, living person is a different thing. This was your first kill, wasn't it? How do you feel, Shion?"_

"_I'm fine." Shion responded shortly, looking down at his hands. They trembled slightly._

"_It's easy to forget that you're younger than all of us sometimes," Hakkan mused, his ever-laughing expression turning solemn for once. "You always seem to know what to do and what to say whenever everyone else is struggling. You can depend on us when you're struggling too. You know that, right Shion?"_

"…_Yeah. I know."_

_Hakkan took in the stiffness of Shion's shoulders and sighed. "I owe a lot to you, you know. All of us do. In this world, it's so easy to fall into depravity. But you, you're like a beacon of light. You came into all of our lives and pulled us out of the darkness. To weary and helpless people like us, you're like a stable rock that always encourages us to stay in the light."_

"_Hey! Stop saying things like that!" Shion finally turned to face Hakkan with a red face. "It's embarrassing! First, you keep calling me a king and now you're putting me up in some pedestal of light!"_

"_Hahaha, sorry Shion! But it's true, you know! You're very important to us. So, make sure to tell us when you're feeling sad or burdened, okay? It's no good if you fall into depravity just because you kept something to yourself. I think everyone else would fall too if that ever happened."_

_Shion laughed. "Okay, okay, I get it, Hakkan. Anyways, even _if_ there's a possibility that I'll ever fall into depravity, I trust you to keep that from happening. I depend on you a lot too."_

"_Aww, Shion! I promise."_

* * *

Shion came back to himself just as Sharrkan put him down.

"I'm so happy to see that you're okay, my prince."

Before the Sindrian Prince could answer, he was snatched into another hug. Yamraiha sent a scolding look over to the swordsman. "Don't hog him to yourself, Sharrkan! We were worried too!"

Shion suddenly found himself surrounded by Pisti and Spartos. They, too, expressed their relief in seeing that he was safe and alive.

"I'm glad to see all of you too," Shion somehow managed to gasp out between all the smothering, "but there's big trouble. We don't have time!" They finally dropped him. All of their expressions turned grave at the reminder of the sword hanging above their heads.

Shion took in a deep breath before continuing. "I need your help in evacuating everyone from here. Can you do that?"

At their nods, he sighed in relief before remembering something. "Oh! Yamraiha, Kohaku is outside, trying to find a way to bring the barrier back up. In that way, the Black Bird would be trapped in one place for the time being and give us more time. She's trying her best, but I know she needs your help."

A fire seemed to light up in Yamraiha's eyes at Shion's words.

"Of course! I'll head over to her right away, my prince! Where is my student?"

"Head over to the Western port," Shion offered, "she should be around the area with other magicians."

Yamraiha rushed away.

Sharrkan shook his head. "Seriously, that woman. She didn't even wait for us."

"We can catch up to her if we hurry!" Pisti said optimistically while pulling at the swordsman's hand. "Now, let's go and help everyone out of here and to the ships! Our prince is counting on us!"

"Right!"

Before Spartos quietly followed along the boisterous pair, Shion stopped him.

"Spartos, do you know where Mom is? I forgot to ask Uncle."

Spartos pointed behind him. "Ranya should be close. You'll find her without any problems."

Shion thanked the red-headed general before running to the direction where Spartos had pointed to. The number of people running from the island thinned as he ran further and further into the island.

Finally, he caught sight of his mother's hair.

"Mom!" He called out as he ran faster. Hearing him, she turned around in surprise.

Shion reached out for her as he ran faster.

"Mom!"

* * *

"_Mom!"_

_Shion was eleven and his world was falling all around him._

_A large creature made up of what he recognized as corrupted rukh had suddenly attacked their home. His mother, who was still too weak to properly run, was being supported by Yunan. All of them stared at the creature in horror._

_Ranya pushed Yunan away from her towards Shion. "Brother, take him and go!"_

_Yunan didn't even have the time to argue with her, scooping the shocked Shion up and rushing away to a safe distance._

_Shion recovered and began struggling against his Uncle's hold, somehow managing to escape. Yunan stopped but somehow managed to keep Shion back as Ranya held up a dagger. _

"_**Spirit of Forgiveness and Dignity, in the name of my Magoi and my will to grant me a greater power, I order you and your members, come forth, Ipos!"**_

_Shion never saw a djinn equip until that moment. Ipos was beautiful on his mother, who looked so strong and brave facing against the monster that invaded the rift. Her attacks were so swift and great. She donned onto two other djinn equips too so flawlessly. His mother was like a storm._

_For a moment, his naïve, young mind was confident that she would defeat the monster in front of them._

"_You monster! You're the one who did it, didn't you?" Ranya shouted over her attacks. "You greedy, hungry thing. Sindria wasn't enough, now you're after my son and brother too! Well, I won't let you touch them!"_

_In front of Shion's eyes, Ranya brought down a large lightning bolt onto the creature._

"_Give him back! __**Give him back to me!" **__Ranya demanded the monster with grief-stricken and angry eyes. She brought down one attack after another, scattering the black rukh more and more at every attack. "Give him back to me, you monster!"_

_The Black Bird had shrunken into such a small size. The rest of the black rukh fluttered about uselessly as they clouded the view of the battle, but Shion didn't care. He was convinced that it was almost over. _

_But then, the attacks abruptly stopped. So did Ranya's screams._

_Shion began to panic. He ripped himself away from his uncle's arms and ran into the black rukh, searching for his mother._

_He found her, still alive._

_Relieved, Shion was about to call out to her, but stopped when he took in a strange sight._

_Ranya was no longer angry but awed and transfixed with the monster. She reached out to it, mouthing a single syllable again and again. When her hand came into contact with the mass of black rukh, Shion was abruptly blown back by an explosive force._

_Yunan caught him and held onto him tightly. His eyes looked haunted with a realization as he began to move away from the monster._

_Suddenly, bright, white rukh began to intertwine with the dark rukh of the Black Bird and it began to make a horrible sound. It grew bigger and bigger as the bright rukh became corrupted. Its wingspan was two times greater than it originally had been before when it came to attack._

"_Get away from her, you monster! Mom! MOM! No, I need to help Mom!" Shion screamed as he fought against his uncle's tight grip. Yunan held onto him tighter as he flew away._

"_No, Shion! It's too late for her!"_

_Shion sobbed and reached out to the large, black wings of the monster as it grew smaller and smaller the further they got._

"_MOM!"_

* * *

Ranya hugged Shion to her chest, snapping him from the nightmarish memory that he recalled. He held onto her tightly, afraid to let her go.

"Shion, you're fine! I'm so glad you're back!" He felt his mother press her lips onto his temple before she drew away. "We need to get out of here. This Black Bird creature sounds dangerous. Let's get to the boats with everyone else."

Shion was about to agree but paused.

He looked around, seeing no one else with his mother.

"Mom, where's Father?"

"Oh, Sin told me to go ahead. He wanted to make sure that everyone got out safely," Ranya explained. Seeing her son's concerned expression, she was quick to assure him. "Don't worry too much about your father. He's capable of getting out on his own. We should make him less worried by leaving as quickly as possible."

Shion shook his head. "You don't understand. _I'm _supposed to be the last one out. There are magicians prepared to bring the barrier back up after I come out to trap the Black Bird." He smiled at Ranya. "Don't worry! That just means I'll have to find Father and come out with him! We have our metal vessels, so getting out should be fast! Go ahead first, okay Mom?"

Ranya reluctantly parted with her son

"We'll catch up with you soon!" Shion called over his shoulder as he ran toward the palace. It didn't take him long to reach there. A handful of maids and servants were rushing out. He had the feeling that they were the last ones.

Shion went into the palace and ran through its empty halls. A sinking feeling hit his gut as he couldn't find Sinbad anywhere.

"Father?" He called out. "Father!"

A pair of hands snapped out and caught him by the shoulders.

"Shion?"

* * *

"_Shion?"_

_Yunan called out tentatively to Shion. They were standing by the tomb. Everything was silent._

_Then, Shion broke it._

"…_Why didn't you tell me that he was my father? Why didn't __**anyone **__tell me? And why tell me now?"_

"_It's what your mother wanted. She didn't want you to know until later. King Sinbad…he didn't want any children, so…"_

_Shion couldn't argue against that. He turned back to the tomb with an unknown emotion in his eyes as he regarded it again._

"_I guess that was the right choice."_

"_Hey, Uncle, how did such a great country like Sindria fall?"_

_Yunan turned away._

"_It was the cradle to something dangerous and dark."_

_Shion knew immediately what his uncle was talking about. Apuputsiaq had mentioned something similar when he spoke about his dead family, hadn't he?_

"_So that makes both of my parents that this thing took from me," he said darkly. He took a breath before looking up at the sky. It was right at the edge of sunrise, making the land look as if it was caught on fire. "I swear, no one else will die."_

_Yunan pulled his hat over his face._

"_That guy said the same thing too."_

* * *

It was Ja'far.

"Shion, what are you doing here? You should be off the island! There's something dangerous here!"

By now, Shion was too used to the flashes of memories to let it affect him.

"I know," he assured the freckled advisor, "I'm just here to find Father. Have you seen him?"

"Sin? Well, I saw him walking into his study. He should be there."

Shion breathed out a sigh of relief. "Thanks, Ja'far. You should go. Uncle Yunan shouldn't be too far. He'll get you out of Sindria before it's too late. Don't worry, Father and I will follow after in our djinn equips."

After he made sure that Ja'far left, Shion rushed off towards his father's study. He knew the layout of the palace like the back of his hand, so he got to the location pretty quickly.

'_Almost there.'_

But then, something grabbed the back of his clothes, making him jerk back and fall.

* * *

_Shion stumbled up to his feet, shaking off the effects of the explosion that Hakkan had set off. He had just barely managed to protect himself with Andromalius. The Heliohapt prince wasn't as lucky as Shion caught sight of what looked like the remnants of Hakkan's arm. He turned away from the sight and faced forwards to the small hill where the Black Bird was perched._

_This was it. This was the end._

_Shion limped forward. The creature's wings had already been clipped thanks to the efforts of his Uncle and Aladdin. Their last acts before they rejoined the rukh. The only thing left was its heart._

_Unsheathing his sword, Shion stumbled through the thin mass of black rukh. It stung because of his rukh sensitivity, yes, but it wasn't enough to kill him. Not before he reached the center._

_Shion stopped where the black rukh was the thickest. Wasting no time, he stabbed the center decisively. To his surprise, it slid through something solid._

_At once, the black rukh stilled and dispersed, leaving Shion alone with the last remnant of the Black Bird. He stared at the hilt of his sword before looking up to see –_

* * *

Shion climbed back up to his feet and froze when he met grey eyes.

Hakkan panted heavily, hand still clutching at the back of Shion's robes. He was bloodied, bruised, and trembling. And yet, he was smiling with so much relief.

"I almost…didn't make it."

"Hakkan."

Shion felt sadness rush up his chest at the sight of his once-friend. Hel had mentioned that his brain was scrambled because of the dark seed planted in his mind, right? Shion had a feeling that the Hakkan back in the nonexistent future was also affected by the same dark seed. His friend had changed so much after he was kidnapped by Al Thamen after all.

Shion smiled at Hakkan in assurance.

"Don't worry. I'm not looking to fight the Black Bird. I'm just making sure everyone makes it out of Sindria safely. I just need to go get my father."

Hakkan shook his head and held on tighter. "Don't go inside. Shion, _please._"

Shion opened his mouth to ask him why only to feel Hakkan getting ripped off of him.

He looked back to see Hel and Opal. They looked worse for wear, but alive.

"Sorry about that, Shion," Opal apologized with a grimace. "He somehow got his hands on his djinn vessel and flew all the way over here. It was a miracle that Hel and I managed to grab onto him and hold on the entire way here."

Hel adjusted his grip on the Heliohapt Prince. "We need to go. The Black Bird can come out any second now. It's not safe here," he informed Shion.

"One sec, I need to get Father."

Shion moved forward and placed his hands on the handles of the doors in front of him.

Hakkan reached out for Shion desperately. "No, Shion, don't–!"

Shion pulled.

The doors swung open to reveal the familiar sight of Sinbad's back.

Shion smiled in relief at the sight of his father and took a step forward. His father was safe. He ignored the rising pitch of Hakkan's shouting in favor of calling out to get his father's attention. When that didn't work, Shion tilted his head and wandered a little closer.

Shion's smile immediately melted into horror as he saw that his father was reaching out to a crack on his study wall, muttering to himself.

"Father! NO! Don't touch that!"

Sinbad turned around at Shion's shout.

His hand brushed the edge of the crack.

Shion's was immediately blasted back by the force of the explosion that followed. The wall across from the doors caught him before he could fly back too far and knocked the wind out of him. He was stunned for only a few seconds, but he managed to lift his head to see the damage.

Shion's eyes widened as he saw –

* * *

_A face_

_A _human_ face_

_Shion's grip on the handle of his blade shook and slackened in his shock at the undoubtedly _human_ eyes staring back at him. His eyes slowly trailed down to find that the black had all peeled away, leaving behind only a man. (Yes, a mortal, living, breathing man.)_

_A man with _his _face, _his_ eyes, and _his_ hair_

_His unique, purple hair_

"Shion, you have your father's hair."

"His name was Sinbad. King Sinbad."

_The man. The thing. He opened his mouth. "Son." He said with his cursed mouth, yet he sounded so genuine, so human. "Son."_

_Shion's hands fell away from the sword and he heaved._

_The man-thing heaved too. He heaved blood and black._

"_Son." He called out as Shion moved away. "Son."_

Go away._ Shion wanted to say. _Go away. Go away. Go away. You are not my father. Go away. You are not my father.

_But he didn't because it was obvious that the man in front of him was exactly that._

_Instead, Shion faced that man- his _father_ –and looked him in the eye while taking the handle of his weapon once again. Instead of the evil and glee he had expected, Shion saw only guilt and despair. "Son." The man croaked feebly as he held onto the blade imbedded in his heart as if it was his lifeline. "Son. I'm sorry. __**I'm sorry**_."

"_This whole time," Shion said with horror and realization. "This whole time you have been aware of what you have done. You must have seen all the horrifying acts that you have done against your will."_

_Destroying his kingdom, his people, his friends –_

_And Ranya._

"_Please." The king begged. "Please."_

_Shion understood._

"_Be at rest," He said as he pulled the blade from Sinbad's chest. The man's form shattered the instant the blade left his body. _

"_Father."_

_In the end, only Shion was left behind as the world burned._

* * *

Shion didn't know how Hakkan managed to slam the doors of the study shut before the pitch black rukh got to him. He couldn't hear Opal shouting or feel Hel shaking him. He wasn't aware as he was dragged and carried out of Sindria Palace by Hakkan's djinn equip. He stared as the barrier was erected in front of his eyes, keeping Sindria isolated from the rest of the world.

He didn't care. Or react.

All he could do is replay what he saw in the room over and over again in his mind. _This _is what Hakkan was trying to keep from him. _This_ was what Veteran had been bitter about. _This_ was what was behind the seal. How could he have forgotten? This entire time, it had been his father. His _father._

King Sinbad.

The Black Bird.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And here ends the Cursed Children Arc.


	67. Chapter 66: What Remains

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What do they do now?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Onwards

"Shion! Thank goodness you made it out just in time! I thought that – Shion?"

Kohaku knew that something was wrong the moment she embraced Shion. She had been so relieved to see Shion make it out of Sindria in one piece despite the foreboding feeling of the Black Bird that came from the palace. Shion was okay and nothing else mattered. But Shion _wasn't _okay. He was so still and so quiet. He felt so cold.

_Ba-thump. Ba-thump._

The only thing that kept the Kou Princess calm was the fact that Shion's heart was still beating.

Kohaku slowly drew back and looked into his eyes.

They were blank.

The rest of the Chibi Generals crowded around the couple and tried to rouse their king from his blank state. But it was useless. Shion wouldn't respond to anything. "Shion! Shion, buddy! What happened? Why isn't he talking to us?!" Jamal demanded Hel and Opal, distressed.

"He's in shock. He won't be able to answer you."

Everyone froze at the familiar voice and turned to where Hakkan stood. The Heliohapt Prince stared back dispassionately, looking almost as apathetic and empty as Shion.

"_You." _Kikiriku was on Hakkan in an instant. Killing intent spilled over the area as the Imuchakk Warrior loomed over him. He grabbed at the traitor's collar and shook him, getting angrier when the other boy didn't respond."What did you do to Shion? If he's in shock, it's surely because you did something again. So. What did you do, traitor? I swear, if you don't answer right this instant…"

Kikiriku didn't have the chance to say anything else when a firm hand landed on his arm.

"Let go of him, Kikiriku."

His eyes widened. "O-Opal?"

The Imuchakk Warrior stared at his comrade in shock. Out of everyone, Opal had the most reason to despise Hakkan. He had betrayed her in the worst way in the nonexistent future by stabbing her in the back and killing her. But Opal was now defending Hakkan from Kikiriku's wrath.

_Why?_

"Listen to Opal." Hel spoke up from the side, surprising Kikiriku even more when he pried Hakkan away. "What the Snake said is right."

"Hel?!"

Opal turned to the rest of the Chibi Generals, donning the familiar persona of a leading general.

"Shion is in shock. Jamal, I need you to keep talking to him. Kohaku, stay by Shion's side and lie him down if he gets worse. Selene, are there any of those shock blankets left?" (a). "Good. It's best if he gets one too. The faster our king recovers, the faster we can get to dealing with this mess."

While everyone went into action immediately, Kikiriku was still unconvinced.

"Opal, what's going on? Out of everyone, the last person I expected to stand up for that traitor is you, Opal. So…what caused you to defend him all of the sudden?! You're acting like the entire world flipped over itself!"

"The whole world just _did_." Opal snapped before she stopped and took a sharp breath. It didn't do much to tamp down her frustration, but it calmed her down enough to explain the gravity of the situation to her friend. "This isn't the time to argue. Which threat do you think is bigger? Hakkan? Or the creature that has the capacity of destroying _everything_ we love and care for the moment it leaves this barrier?"

"…"

"Then what happened to Shion?" Jamal suddenly spoke up from his position next to Shion. Opal and Hel stiffened at the question. "I'm asking you guys…what happened to Shion? He's not talking. He's not reacting to anything. It's like he completely shut down. It takes a lot to turn him to this kind of state, so what happened in there to make him this way?!" He ended his demand with a shout.

Opal and Hel shared a look. Both were reluctant to reveal what they had witnessed in Sindria Palace. Honestly, it was a truth that was getting harder and harder to swallow by the minute. How were they going to break the news?

In the end, they didn't have to.

"…I told all of you not to go."

Hakkan looked at all of them ruefully.

"If all of you had just _stayed, _Shion would have never found out the truth and we wouldn't be in this situation."

Hel stepped forward cautiously.

"Snake…."

Hakkan scoffed at the other teen's body language, "Why so reluctant to tell them what you saw? The cat's out of the bag now. What's the use of hiding it from them? The person who shouldn't have found out the secret now knows. Keeping your mouths shut about it now won't change anything." His eyes dimmed and his shoulders shook. "The Black Bird is here and our king is in despair. Without a doubt the world will end again."

"What are you talking about?" Kikiriku demanded. "Hel? Opal? What's going on? What did Shion see?"

Opal bit her lip and shook her head.

"Kikiriku, this is bigger than you think –

"…Where is King Sinbad?"

Everything went quiet at the question. Kohaku looked up from her position beside Shion. Everyone could see the dark and terrible idea that seemed to form in the young princess' mismatched eyes as she looked from Shion to the barrier around Sindria.

Quickly following her line of thought, Jamal shook his head fervently and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Kohaku, don't blame yourself like this. It isn't –

"Did I close the barrier before King Sinbad could get through? Is that why Shion is like this?" Kohaku demanded the trio, shrugging off the scientist's attempts to calm her.

Opal's eyes widened her friend's words. She shook her head quickly in denial. "No, Kohaku! It's not that! The Black Bird –"

"The Black Bird and King Sinbad are one and the same," Hakkan cut in simply.

Everyone fell silent at his proclamation.

Then, Kikiriku broke it with a scoff.

"Ha! Try something more believable! This is even more outrageous than what you usually pull. King Sinbad being the Black Bird? What a joke. Hakkan's lying about all of this, right? Tell me he's lying, Opal." There was an uneasy pause as Kikiriku waited for her answer. His confidence began to waver as the uncomfortable silence stretched. "…Opal?"

She didn't meet his eyes.

Kikiriku turned white as Opal didn't refute Hakkan's truth.

"…No way…" He clutched at his head. "The king that my family had served…the very ruler of this country…how can this be?"

Jamal was just as distressed at the news.

"I thought that the Black Bird was _Sammi._ Wasn't it clear from Aladdin's vision about Alma Toran and the founding of this world? So why is it that you're saying that that thing is _King Sinbad_?!"

Hakkan shrugged at the face of his once-friend's helplessness.

"I don't know who this Sammi person is, but I can tell you for sure that the Black Bird from original time was created from the rukh and power of King Sinbad. It was a secret that I kept to the grave."

He chuckled emptily. "How many times did I see this outcome?" Hakkan wondered aloud. His eyes began to cloud with some far away memory. "Twenty times? Fifty times? A thousand? Who knows anymore? Even though I tried so many different ways to prevent it from happening, the result always stays the same. I guess it's completely hopeless to fight against fate after all. If only I tried harder to…no, that's helpless too. I remember now. That didn't work either."

Jamal regarded the other boy carefully as he muttered away nonsensically.

"…You're insane."

Hakkan broke out of his ramblings abruptly at the comment to bark out a laugh.

"I'm as insane as you are, prophet." He tilted his head. "Tell me, do the voices still speak to you?"

Before Jamal could respond to the verbal jab, Shion ripped himself out of the Sasanian's arms. The inventor squawked at the sudden action as the boy began to stumble away. Kohaku, who had been gripping onto Shion's shoulders, also reacted at the sudden movement.

"Shion?! What are you doing?!"

Shion didn't listen. He didn't seem to hear or see anything aside from what he was focusing on: Sindria Palace. He didn't stop walking until he hit the barrier. When it was useless to go any further, Shion slid down to the ground, keeping contact with the barrier even as he went down like a puppet cut from its strings.

Kohaku ran over to him. "Shion, you shouldn't get too close! We don't know how long this barrier can hold!" She paused when she heard him begin to mutter. "Shion?"

It took only a moment for her to understand his mumblings. When she did, her heart broke.

"…Father. Father." Shion pressed his forehead against the barrier. The black rukh around the palace began to surge in response to his presence. "Father."

Kohaku's mismatched eyes watered as she wrapped her arms around him. "Oh, Shion."

"_Father."_

At his side, the lamp glowed.

* * *

"_So, it happened again."_

* * *

In the center of the Heliohapt desert, there was chaos.

"GAH! General Hager! What did that monster do to you?!"

"Be careful, men! You might step into its vision! Stay back! _Stay back!_"

"Help me! Help me! I can't move! I can't –!"

"How are we going to help our comrades if we'd only be caught up too?"

Soldiers from the Royal Heliohapt Guard were scattered in the panic at the unintentional devastation the Blessed Child's eyes were causing. For miles and miles, soldiers and magicians alike were caught up in her heavy gaze. Their states ranged from the inability to move to being turned into stone.

But then, miraculously, the screaming stopped.

Soldiers and magicians found that they could move again. The ones turned into stone easily broke out of their shells as rock turned into sand. The brave ones turned to look at the source.

The monstrous eyes that had been causing all the trouble was now behind a mask.

Many let out a collective sigh of relief and even shouted praises for the brave soul who intervened.

The said brave soul didn't pay attention to any of them.

Prince Kouha knelt beside Yasmine as he tenderly adjusted the tiger bone mask over her eyes with a fond smile. "I know that you wanted to leave this with Raja, but I don't think he would mind if you used this one last time. Come back to me soon so we can return it together." His smile wavered at Yasmine's complete unresponsiveness. "You'll come back, right? You promised to marry me, so you'll definitely come back," his breath hitched, "right?"

Behind him, his attendants quietly cried for their master.

Pharaoh Armakan watched the scene from afar for a few moments more before respectfully turning his gaze away from the private and vulnerable scene. Instead, he focused on his healers and magicians to see their progress on reversing the Blessed Child's predicament.

All of them were either scrambling around or scribbling furiously onto the symbols on the sand. Their attempts to nullify whatever magic Raul had concocted where in vain. Armakan shouldn't have expected anything more than that, really. Raul had been the best of them.

From the corner of his eye, a stone statue sat in the middle of it all, taunting all of them. The throne was a sad, broken thing. And yet, the stone woman perched on it was nothing less than flawless. It had been one of her only redeeming qualities in life. Armakan wasn't surprised that it carried over even after her death. Though he would have wanted nothing more than to ignore the statue forever, Armakan was a pharaoh.

No, more important than that, he was a father.

Armakan turned his face downwards where his youngest son stood. The boy, sensing his father's eyes on him, looked away from what once was Eirenne and looked right back at him.

"Are you sad?" He couldn't help but ask his son. The moment the question left his lips, Armakan silently cursed at his mistake. What could he offer to the boy if he was? Armakan knew how to handle politics, not distressed children.

_Maya would know,_ a little, traitorous part of his mind reminded him.

Askan shook his head.

"No. I never saw her as my mother."

Whatever relief Armakan would have felt was immediately washed away by the unexplainable weight of guilt and remorse on his chest. He looked between Askan's apathy and Eirenne's tearful expression.

What have they done?

Armakan was no fool. Though Eirenne was undoubtedly more active in pushing Askan away, it wasn't as if he had been any better. His negligence and his willful ignorance to his wife's character had led to all of this. He was no more a father than Eirenne was a mother.

"…I'm sorry." _That she had driven you to that point. That I was never there. That I never saw you or your brother as I should have. That I didn't protect either of you until it was too late._

Armakan jerked suddenly when he felt a small hand slip into the grip of his own. Askan smiled up at him comfortingly.

"Let's go see Hel-nii and Hakkan-nii, Father."

* * *

"_Despite everything that I have given you – power, knowledge, time – it has still come to this."_

* * *

Titus sobbed as he grasped onto the constantly-changing face that Sai's body wore.

He summoned up his magic as a magi and searched. He searched for his lover amongst the waves of rukh, trying to pick out his consciousness through the thousands. If it weren't for Scheherazade's memories, it would have been impossible.

"Sai? Sai! Come back! _Please_ come back!"

Around him, the rukh flittered around them, distressed, as he called out again and again for Sai with no avail.

General Muu Alexius stood quietly at Titus' side with a difficult expression on his face. He had never trusted Sai with Reim's wellbeing, still didn't. But that did not mean that he was fine with seeing the Blessed Child at this state.

"Is it hopeless, then?" Sphintus asked Titus miserably, expecting the worst. "Is Sai gone?"

Titus shook his head. "No. Sai is alive. But his rukh…they're all muffled and far away. I can't find where they are. I'll have to search Scheherazade-sama's memories to see if she has a solution to this. She _has_ to. If she doesn't then…"

Sphintus cursed.

Titus shook his head. "No. It won't come to that. I won't let it! I'll find a way and bring Sai home!"

As Reim's magi fell into his own mind for answers, the Heliohapt healer cursed again.

"What am I supposed to tell Selene and Marga? If Titus can't break Sai out of this state, then it's hopeless!"

Muu placed a hand on his shoulder. "Breaking this kind of news to family is always hard. I can always do it when the time comes."

"No. Thank you, General Muu, for the offer. But no. You're not – it has to be me." Sphintus let out a hissing noise through his teeth. "It'll break their hearts, but they need to hear the truth from a person they know well. I'm sorry, General, but –"

"I understand," Muu assured the younger man quickly, "really, I do. No need for apologies, Sphintus. Let's just," he took a breath, "hope for the best. All right?"

Muu didn't mention to Sphintus that he might not even have the chance to tell them about Sai. Because if they fail to bring any of the Blessed Children back, the Black Bird would stay.

And all of them would die.

Muu just smiled comfortingly (and lied).

He'd like to think that, if he were conscious enough to witness this, even Sai would be impressed.

Meanwhile, Titus remained in his head and tore through his mind for the answer that would save the man he loved.

* * *

"_Sindria fell. The Blessed Children are trapped. The Black Bird returned to destroy all of us."_

* * *

Judal hadn't taken his eyes off of Kougyoku.

Around him, magicians and soldiers alike shrunk away from the sight of the Blessed Child, fearful and ashamed of what they saw. With her abilities running haywire, everyone within her vicinity were barraged with visions of the terrifying truth.

Hakuei did her best to calm down her own Kouga troops as they panicked.

"I don't want to see this. I never wanted to see this. I never wanted _anyone _to see this," one of her soldiers moaned as he shied away in horror and shame. Faced with their true selves, many of the men and women did the same. "Hakuei-sama, please look away."

Hakuei struggled to not do the same, prioritizing her people over her own personal shame.

"It's okay," she soothed all of them, "calm yourselves. They won't hurt you if you don't let them. I know that this is scary and strange, but your Blessed Child needs your help."

As they began to recover and calm down, Hakuei turned back to the prone form of her sister-cousin.

"Kougyoku…was this what you had to witness every day?"

Away from the hysteria, Tao stood by his little brother.

"Tao, is her ghost here?"

"No," Tao quickly assured Judal, "I saw none of the sort. She is not dead. Why? Is there something wrong, Kido?"

"Her rukh," Judal's voice cracked, "it's so distant and muffled. Tao, I can't reach her."

Kougyoku's stare was blank and empty. All her fire and bite were plucked away by the machinations of a madman. Her rukh, the part of her that Judal had once been so confident to protect, were merely shells that he was barely able to connect with.

The helpless expression on Judal's face hardened as a thought crossed his mind. Resolute, he gave Kougyoku a quick kiss before heading away. Tao trailed after him.

"Kido? Kido, what are you doing?"

"Protect Kougyoku for me."

"Protect –? Of course, I'll make sure nothing happens to her, but you didn't answer my question, Kido."

Judal stopped right on the transportation circle and turned to his brother.

"I'm going to find Aladdin." The circle began to glow. "And I'm going to make him fix this."

* * *

"_Despite your claims to prevent this from happening again, you have failed us."_

* * *

For once, Amani was the center of attention.

Magicians, soldiers, and family members alike all flocked around the flickering form of the Blessed Child. Despite the instability of her existence, all eyes were drawn and glued to her and the intricate symbols that held her in place.

'_Indeed, it's only when my wife is in trouble when she could be seen so clearly.'_

The thought would have wrangled out a wry smile out of Koumei at any other situation only curdled unpleasantly in his stomach as his grip on his fan tightened. The symbol on his metal vessel blinked once in warning at his abuse but was left completely ignored by its master.

When Koumei came up to Amani, no one followed. Whether it was out of respect for his feelings or out of fear for the unknown, he didn't know, nor did he care. The only gratitude he was able to scrounge up at that moment was for the fact that Kouryuu was left behind with Zeynab and Hassan.

Koumei knelt down and reached out for Amani's wrist.

It took him a few tries to get a proper grip on her flickering form, but he managed to find a pulse. It was light and inconsistent, but it was still there.

Koumei held onto that.

A little further back, Alibaba stared at his twin. It was disconcerting to see her at such a state. Amani had always been a constant to him. Even though she had warned him about the possibility that something like this would happen, Alibaba had still expected her to come out of it fine.

"Amani…you…"

He shuddered and covered his face.

"_Really aren't being fair._"

From his side, Morgiana frowned down at her wrists.

Just like she had been once before, Amani was currently shackled and trapped in binds that Morgiana couldn't break. Despite her strength and power, there was nothing she could do to bring Amani back.

The beautiful bracelet that Alibaba had gifted to her now felt heavy – heavier than even the chains she used to wear.

When he had given it to her after she had accepted his request to properly court her, Alibaba had expressed his excitement in telling his twin the wonderful news after she returned victorious from her fight. He had been so confident then.

But now? Alibaba looked so defeated and there was nothing her strength could do.

She looked away from her bracelet and back to Amani's flickering form.

Morgiana had really wanted to tell her the news.

Tiare, in her dragon form, let out a grieving warble as she supported her master. Hakuryuu, like Alibaba, had covered his face with his hands.

The heavy silence broke when the transportation circle activated with a loud _crack._ At the center of it stood a very incensed Judal.

Without a word to anyone else, the magi stormed up to his counterpart, who had been standing quietly at the side, and grabbed him. Judal gave Aladdin a rough shake. "You know what I'm here for, Aladdin. Do the thing you always do and bring her back."

When Aladdin didn't respond, Judal shook him even harder.

"Oi! I'm talking to you, Chibi!"

"…I can't."

"Like hell you can't! I don't care what kind of bullshit rules you're trying to follow. This isn't the time! Bring Princess back or I'll –!"

"_Enough, _Judal_."_ A hand landed on Judal's shoulder. Incensed, the magi dropped Aladdin and whirled around to face the intervener. Hakuryuu faced Judal's challenging glare with red and puffy eyes. The emptiness and defeat in those eyes stopped the magi from punching the prince for his intrusion. "Aladdin can't do it."

Judal pulled a face and attempted to talk back.

"_Aladdin can't do it," _Hakuryuu asserted more strongly before he could get a word in. Then, quieter, "He already tried."

Judal froze.

"He already tried," Hakuryuu repeated, sounding morose. "But Amani-dono is too far for even him to reach. Aladdin…he's already tried so hard…so many times…"

For the first time since he came through the transportation circle, Judal looked around himself to see the people around him. No magicians were attempting to break Raul's seal. Everyone's eyes were downcast as the ones closest to Amani mourned.

Then, Judal looked back at Aladdin.

Aladdin saw the realization creep up into the older magi's eyes.

Overwhelmed with his failure, the boy gripped at his hat and cried.

* * *

"_What will you do now? Will you fight? Will you surrender?"_

* * *

"Kohaku!"

In her complete focus on Shion's wellbeing, Kohaku had failed to recognize that reinforcements from all over the world finally came to Sindria's shores. Thousands upon thousands of people were already piling into ships as they left a good distance away from the island.

That also meant that she was completely unprepared when her mother snatched her up and gave her the scolding of a lifetime.

Seishin yelled at Kohaku for her thoughtlessness in her decision to face Ming Hua alone.

"What if you died out there? Your father and I would have been able to do _nothing_ while you bled out on a distant land. Do you know how scared I was? Honestly!" Seishin huffed, "You are just like her father! Giving me heart attacks from left and right by fighting your battles on your own!"

Kohaku, despite her mother's anger, only felt relieved. Her mother's fire and ferocity had returned to her. She knew that she should feel guilty for making her mother worry, but she couldn't feel too torn up over her actions after witnessing Seishin's recovery.

Kohaku's mismatched eyes widened as firm fingers under her chin forced her to look at her mother. Seishin, though lacking in armor, appeared powerful in her daughter's eyes with her stance and expression alone. "Trust your mother more! Your mama is pretty strong, you know!"

'_I really did underestimate Mama's strength, didn't I?'_ She thought to herself self-depreciatingly as guilt finally struck through her.

"…I was selfish," Kohaku admitted. "I wanted to bring down Ming Hua on my own because I was angry. I wanted to hurt her for hurting you. I didn't think about the consequences or how everyone back home would feel." She took a breath. "I'm sorry."

"Oh, Kohaku."

Seishin's eyes softened at Kohaku's admittance. She drew her daughter into a tight hug.

"You're grounded."

In her mother's arms, Kohaku blinked at the sudden, yet simple decree.

"I…deserved that."

"Yes, sweetheart, yes you did."

Kohaku buried her face into her mother's neck as her eyes watered. "I'm sorry, Mama."

She felt her mother squeeze her tighter. "I'm sorry too. I shouldn't have made you feel as if you had to take on the world all on your own."

"Seishin? Kohaku-chan? Have you seen Sin and Shion? I've been searching all around the barrier and I couldn't find them anywhere."

Ranya looked harried as her eyes flickered over and around their shoulders as she asked them this. Kohaku's sympathetic look towards Shion's mother froze into incomprehension after she processed Ranya's question.

"_And _Shion?" She parroted before whirling around to the spot where she had left him. She found it empty.

Shion was gone.

* * *

"_Well? Answer me." _

Andromalius, in his dimension, loomed over the curled form of Shion.

"…"

"_You must have come to me in this dimension for a reason. What will you ask of me? What is your wish?"_

"Be quiet, Andromalius. I'm trying to think."

Shion's blue eyes seemed to glow ominously over his arms as he looked up from his thoughts. It was not unlike the expression he usually wore when setting up his chessboard to find the most ideal solution for his problems. Despite the empty space in front of the Sindrian Prince, Andromalius had no doubt that the chessboard was there in front of his eyes.

At Shion's request, the djinn fell quiet as he marveled at the boy's cleverness. Time ran differently in his dimension. Unlike his brethren, Andromalius had control over what came and went through his realm, including people.

And time.

Ah, there it was. That cleverness. That persistence. That perseverance.

All those characteristics were what had drawn him to his king in the first place. Even as a child, he was more promising than all the bumbling fools who had unwittingly stumbled into his dungeon _combined_.

Andromalius made sure to give Shion all the time to sort through his emotions and plan his next step. It may have been forever. It may have been a mere moment. It didn't matter.

In the end, Shion stood up from his position with a solution.

At the expression, Andromalius let out booming laugh.

"_Have you found your answer?" _

"Of course. But I'm going to need your help to gather the people and abilities I need. Will you share your power with me?"

Andromalius crossed an arm over his heart and bowed. _"Of course, my King. Any wish is at your disposal."_

Shion laughed sheepishly. "Sorry, I didn't mean to phrase it like that. It was a request, not an order."

Andromalius paused before responding with a warmer tone, _"My answer remains the same, my King."_

"Good," Shion shared his smile and tone, "I don't think that what I have planned would have been remotely successful without you."

He turned his eyes forward.

"Onwards."

* * *

Hakkan didn't know if he should laugh or cry at the sight in front of him.

Kohaku, Hel, and Opal were doing their best to control the situation with no avail. Kikiriku was too hurt and betrayed to listen to reason. Jamal was stuck in his own mind – no doubt conferring with the entity in his head. Selene, for once, was being completely overlooked as she rapidly signed her questions, frustration written clearly on her usually patient face.

They were fighting. All of them were.

_Of course _they were. Should he had expected any less? Their leader, their anchor, had disappeared. _'Shattered,'_ Hakkan mentally noted with certainty_, 'it's how he always reacts after he realizes the truth.'_

Hakkan was no magi, but he was confident that if he were able to see the rukh, he would see the ones surrounding the Chibi Generals were blackening to an unpleasant color.

They should be doubting Shion by now. It was exactly how he had feared it would be.

Hakkan rubbed his face and bit back the hysterical laughter that built up his throat. Taking a deep breath, he walked away from the scene. He stopped when his sandaled toes hit water.

Seeing that he was going nowhere at this point, he sat down and buried his face into his legs.

The sound of the waves was soothing and calming. Bit by bit, the tenseness of Hakkan's body began to unravel.

"Trying to leave?"

Hakkan's hard-to-earn calm was shattered in an instant at the intruder. Cursing under his breath, he sprung up to his feet and faced an unimpressed Hel.

Hel raised a hand and pointed a thumb over his shoulder.

"The ships are at the other side of the island."

"I _know that,_" Hakkan hissed, "I wasn't trying to leave!"

Hel shrugged. Then, he wandered over to Hakkan's left and plopped himself next to where the other had sat before his entrance. Hakkan stared at the part-Finalis blankly.

"…_What_," he took a breath, "are you doing?"

"Hm. Comfortable."

"That's not what I just asked you. _What are you doing?_ Shouldn't you be back with the others? Shouldn't you be looking for Shion?"

Hel shrugged. "All those herbivores are being stupid. They'll calm down on their own. And that carnivore will come back to us. He always does."

Hakkan laughed bitterly. "You sound so confident that he will."

Hel only hummed in response and stared out to the ocean. The other teen scoffed and sat back down with a pointed _thump._ After a while, he stopped sulking and went back to listening to the waves.

"…So, was it time loop or dimensional travel?"

Hakkan hacked and coughed.

'_He really isn't letting me enjoy a little calm before the end of the world, is he?'_ Hakkan's calmer, albeit significantly smaller, part of himself wondered. The other was just freaking out.

After he recovered, Hakkan looked Hel in the eye.

"Jamal?"

Hel made an affirmative sound. "Crazy Herbivore," he agreed, "and me."

At Hakkan's gratified look, Hel pointed at his right ear. "I was also a subject of Project: Black Seed."

"So, did you also –?"

"No." Hel averted his eyes. "I don't remember, not completely. I wasn't as…_compatible_ to the substance as you were. There were only flashes. Dreams. Nothing important enough to understand and act upon. I didn't even think much of it until that crazy herbivore asked."

Hakkan visibly deflated. "Oh."

"Would you like to talk?" Hel offered awkwardly. "About everything? I can't promise to understand, but I can try. I can…listen."

The offer was awkward and stilted. Usually, Hakkan would have been reluctant to take that offer – especially one from _Hel _of all people – but he was so _tired_ of keeping everything to himself.

He wanted…he wanted to _tell _someone.

Hakkan licked his lips and began to talk.

"Since a time I don't even remember, I have been caught in a time-loop. It always started at the moment Shion rescued me from Al Thamen and it always ended at the Black Bird."

Hakkan spoke about his initial horror and panic after waking up the first time in Al Thamen's cells. Then, his confusion, denial, and then right back to horror again. It took a few loops before he understood what was happening.

"I tried to attempt what all of you did when you came back here," Hakkan admitted self-depreciatingly, "I tried to _save the world_. I thought that since I knew everything, I'd be able to bring the happiest ending for everyone.

"_It didn't work."_

Hakkan spoke of his efforts and the failures upon failures that piled up as a result. No matter what, Shion always ended up unearthing the Black Bird in his relentless pursuit for justice.

"And then, one day, I just…_told _Shion. The entire truth. I thought that it would fix everything if he just…knew. Then he wouldn't wake the Black Bird back up again and we'd all be happy."

Hakkan turned to Hel with a haunted expression.

"It was the only loop when the Black Bird came for us early. I realized then that it was all hopeless. As long as Shion fell into depravity, either by finding out the truth too early or too late, the Black Bird would always consume the entire world. There was no happy ending for us.

"The best I could do for this world and for Shion…was to kill him before he found out the truth."

The confession fell bitter from his mouth.

"…And what you did to Opal?"

The question wasn't unexpected as it was no secret that Hel cherished the swordswoman, but Hakkan still flinched. Hakkan sobered up from his building hysteria as he recalled his betrayal.

"That was my selfishness."

Hel waited patiently for Hakkan to continue as the other teen gathered himself.

"There was no way I could kill Shion without the others getting in my way. Kikiriku, Jamal, and Selene always ended up dying on their own if I didn't prevent it, but Opal and Amani?" Hakkan laughed hollowly, "They usually made it until the end. Somehow. It took me a couple loops before I was forced to kill them too. For Amani, I had to ensure Camilla's survival. And for Opal…"

Hakkan's fists clenched.

"I did it with my own hands. Opal deserved better, but that was the best I could do. It was the equivalent to putting her out of her misery at that point. Her deaths were always the most horrible during the loops I was too careless. And when she accidentally found out about the Black Bird in one of the loops, she…" he shook his head and stopped the voiced recollection right there. It had been one of the lesser violent deaths, but it was the one that reappeared the most in his nightmares. "I didn't want it to happen again. I wanted her to live _so much_ but I knew that it was the worse alternative for someone as loyal and steadfast as she was. So, I made myself the villain and let her die believing that the cause she was fighting for was right.

"And then, I finally killed Shion."

Hel blinked in surprise at Hakkan's claim. He didn't blame him. Shion really did seem a bit invincible against all odds. He undoubtedly inherited that part of himself from King Sinbad.

It came at the cost of his own life, but it had been worth it at the end.

"Imagine my surprise when I woke up in my childhood home," Hakkan continued dryly, only mildly irked at the memory of the complete setback. "I freaked out and killed almost all the servants until I recalled the new memories." He sighed, almost resigned, "The loop reset even though I successfully killed Shion and prevented the Black Bird from waking up. And it made sure everyone remembered everything to make things harder for me this time. I guess it's just fruitless to go against fate. This loop was the most ideal one and _this_ still happened." Hakkan gestured over to the barrier over Sindria and the Black Bird behind it.

"Carnivore did that, actually," Hel corrected Hakkan helpfully.

"That can't be. I killed him."

"You did a bad job then," Hel concluded, not purposefully being offensive about it, but still offending Hakkan anyways judging by the sound he made. "Because killing someone means that they are dead and Shion wasn't dead when he made that wish to his djinn."

"Andromalius? But his skills are only focused on transformation and gravity, how could he grant something as powerful as a wish to Shion?"

Hel stared at Hakkan straight in the eye.

"Carnivore lied. His djinn controls Time and Wishes."

"What?! But –

"He. Lied. And you didn't kill him," Hel added the last part for good measure.

Hakkan gaped.

"…Is this a bad time to butt into the conversation? Or should I give you two a little more time alone?"

The pair whirled around to face a sheepish yet lively Shion. He waved lamely.

"Hey."

"About time, Useless Carnivore," Hel scoffed as he climbed up to his feet. He eyed the nasty bruise forming under Shion's left eye critically. "Kikiriku?"

Shion smiled neutrally. "We settled whatever was between us. That's all that matters. Everyone else is waiting for you, so you better head over."

Hel looked between Shion and Hakkan carefully. "Will you be fine?" he asked the Heliohapt Prince carefully.

"Just go already."

Hel gave Hakkan another searching look before nodding firmly and heading back to where the others were.

Hakkan looked down at his feet and staunchly avoided looking at Shion.

"…How much did you hear?" he finally asked after the silence became unbearable.

"Enough," Shion admitted freely, "sorry for being so nosey."

"Apology **not **accepted, seeing that it'll only encourage that bad habit of yours. And you _lied _to me about your djinn."

"I never lied! I just…didn't correct you when you guessed."

Hakkan finally looked up, completely unimpressed.

Instead of the faux-guilty expression he expected from the boy across him, Shion only wore a smile that made him want to drop his gaze back to the sand. He somehow managed to fight against that instinct.

"Are you okay?" Hakkan couldn't help but ask. "About the Black Bird?"

"Of course not," Shion answered shortly, "but I'm not going to let that stop me from moving forward." His expression turned regretful. "I'm sorry you had to face all of that on your own, Hakkan. You suffered so much because of my weakness to the truth." Shion grimaced. "Which is why I hate to ask you this."

Bemused, Hakkan gestured him to continue.

"There's something I want to do and I need your help." Shion's eyes seemed to glow. "I'm going to save my father."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hakkan: So. We find out that the villain isn't exactly the villain after all. Just a well-meaning hero who's lost his way and his hope after many, many repeats of failing to save the world. From the very beginning, Hakkan was never meant to be an obstacle or a villain. He was meant to show that Shion, no matter his current role as a key character who's actively saving the world, was actually the catalyst of the entire event in the first place. Sometimes, the lines between hero and unintentional villain are a bit blurry when it comes to perspective. As for his time-traveling ability, it's more of the transference of memories from dimension to dimension of the same time period: the moment he's saved from the Al Thamen prisons after having the Dark Seed shoved into his brain until the Black Bird destroys the world. Hakkan has lost count how many times he had 'looped'. This time is only unique since the Shion-influenced events pushed Raul to give the Dark Seed to Hakkan earlier.


	68. Chapter 67: They Spoke

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shion and the others dive into the Black Bird's mind. Sinbad presents all of them with a test and a question.
> 
> Time's ticking.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Onwards

Hakkan stared at the barrier.

"I can't believe I let you convince me to do this," he said for the thousandth time. He flinched when the Black Bird behind the barrier rippled in response. It wasn't quite large enough to break through the barrier yet, which was a relief to many who were scrambling around for either more time or a solution.

"Yeah, I can't believe it either," Shion agreed honestly. "But I'm glad that you trusted me enough to agree to this." He then turned to the group behind him. "Thank you, _all _of you, for agreeing to do this with me."

Alibaba nodded resolutely. "It's dangerous, but the entire world is at risk anyways. It's better to try. Besides, I'm doing this for Amani."

"For Amani-dono," Hakuryuu agreed.

Morgiana and Tiare, ever loyal and constant, remained by the sides of their king candidates, which was a relief to Shion as he needed them too. He had considered each and every piece on his metaphorical game board during his time in Andromalius' realm and found everyone gathered with him crucial to the plan.

Though he would've been more comfortable having his generals come with him, Shion knew that it was both unfair and illogical to make them do this. They had just come out of a battle, after all.

(Shion firmly ignored the fact that _he _had also just come out of a battle. He had time to rest and gather himself.)

No matter how much all of them had insisted to come with him into the Black Bird, Shion remained firm with his decision. His comfort and personal preferences were only secondary.

Shion turned to Aladdin, who was looking intently into the barrier. "Will it work?"

"Yes," the youngest magi answered slowly, focusing on a specific point, "Since Uncle Sinbad is still in there, I can still use Wisdom of Solomon on him. But we don't have much time. The darkness is swallowing him quickly."

"Then, we should hurry."

From the side, Judal scowled at the young prince. "Oi, you're sure that doing this will bring Kougyoku back?"

"If we succeed, it will bring all of them back," Shion assured him. "But we need to separate my father from the Black Bird. Without using him as a power source, it won't exist for long. And even if it does, you can purify it."

"Then I'll purify the stupid thing. Anything to get Princess home."

Shion spared a small smile at the magi before turning back to the barrier. He breathed in slowly.

"Okay. We're going to do this. Gather around, everyone! Aladdin, if you please?"

"_Wisdom of Solomon!"_

* * *

Of all things, Shion had expected his father's mind to be a little more…creative.

To bluntly phrase it, Sinbad's mind was very underwhelming. The wide expanse of white stretched into an eternity while the only blemish to the entire environment were the eight interlopers.

"Are you sure this is Sinbad's mind, Aladdin?" Alibaba asked, voicing Shion's thoughts perfectly. "It's a bit…"

"I'm certain, Alibaba. I _know _this is Uncle Sinbad's mind. I can sense his rukh." Aladdin frowned and looked around the endless whiteness. "But, it's strange. I've never seen mindscapes shape into something like this before."

Alibaba looked around before his eyes landed on Shion and Hakkan.

"Aaah! Who are you two?!" he demanded loudly while pointing at them. Other eyes focused on the pair and regarded them warily. Only Aladdin seemed to view them without wariness and hostility. In fact, he looked as if he had just reunited with an old, familiar face.

Shion blinked and looked down at himself.

"Huh. I forgot about this."

Just like the last time he was tangled with Aladdin's Wisdom of Solomon, Shion was taller and older than he usually was in the physical realm. His clothes were reminiscent to what he had worn in the future that never was.

He glanced to his side and winced.

Hakkan was staring at him as if he were a ghost. He, too, was in a similar state as him. Shion had forgotten how much older the other man was than him in the previous timeline. If he didn't have so many terrible memories of Hakkan's current form, Shion would've felt a bit nostalgic.

Shion shook his head from his thoughts and turned to the group with his trademark smile.

"Alibaba, it's me," he entreated to the blonde, making sure to make his movements slow and obvious to not scare them, "Shion."

"SHION?!"

"And Hakkan," Shion added cheerfully, gesturing to the older man beside him. It wouldn't be good if they didn't recognize _both _of them. It would negatively affect their teamwork, after all. His brevity immediately sobered when he remembered what they were all here for. "I know this is confusing, but it's going to be _way _too long and complicated to explain everything right now. We're on limited time so we should focus on the task at hand."

Alibaba looked as if he wanted to argue, but Hakuryuu cut him off swiftly. "Understood. I trust that you will explain everything once this is over."

Shion nodded firmly. "Of course."

Any further conversation was cut off as everything around them warped and changed. Color and shapes appeared, using the endless white as their canvas. The eight drew together defensively.

It was a good thing they did too. The scene unfurled in front of them was horrifying and all too familiar to Shion.

"_War."_

Countless bodies and weapons littered around them as flames swallowed the rest. Despite their pale faces and horror, Aladdin and Alibaba stood resolute, determined to not allow this illusion to keep in the way of their mission.

"Welcome!" a youthful, jovial voice shouted from amongst the chaos and battle around them. Shion turned to find a boy, barely at his teens, smiling at all of them despite the horrors going on around him. "It's so rare to have guests!"

"Another Shion?" Alibaba wondered aloud, transfixed by the new person who was interacting with them. Then, he blinked and shook his head. "No…he feels different. And his eyes…King Sinbad!?"

The youth stared curiously at the blonde. There was no recognition flashing in his golden eyes, which made Shion's gut twist at the implications. Mind flashing through the possibilities, Shion relaxed his features into a friendly expression as he regarded the younger version of his father. "I'm afraid we're a bit lost. Can you tell us where we are and what's happening?"

He ignored the odd looks he was receiving from all of his companions and focused only on young Sinbad.

"We are in Partevia, mister. And we are at war."

Shion felt almost imbalanced at the title his father just gave him. _'Mister?!' _he mouthed at Hakkan. The older man snorted at his indignation and gestured him to get on with it already.

"With Reim, I assume," Shion continued after clearing his throat. He glanced down at the blade in Sinbad's hand and nodded when he caught sight of the glowing symbol. "I think I get what's going on."

"What is it, Shion-san?" Morgiana asked him. "What is this place?"

"A test. Or, if it's easier, a dungeon." Shion turned his focus back to the Sinbad in front of him. "And this is a fragment of my father, back when he conquered his first dungeon at the age of fourteen. I think he's here to prevent us from moving forward."

At his words, Sinbad shifted into his djinn equip, Baal. Though he was significantly smaller than usual, he still served as a threat and challenge.

"Correct. My purpose here is to prevent any of you from getting any further!"

Shion nodded. "Well, that's understandable. Father has always been cautious. But," a sly smile crossed his face, "he also loves a challenge. Why else would he style his defense mechanism after a personalized _dungeon_? So, tell me Sinbad, what would it take for us to pass through?"

Sinbad was silent for a moment before he smiled. It was eerily similar to the one on Shion.

"It's true that I love challenges," he began slowly, "but what challenges would any of you serve in here? It's different in my mind. None of you have any of your djinn equips or anything special at your disposal since I can prevent all of that with my control over my own mind. I can easily crush all of you and drive you from here without any sweat."

Shion clicked his tongue. "You're pretty confident in yourself, aren't you? Wow, you really _are _just a fragment of Father's past. Yeah, you're right about individuals usually having control over their own mindscapes. But you forget –"

Shion pulled out his metal vessel and shifted into his djinn equip, much to the shock of everyone there. They were even more surprised when all King Candidates also shifted into their own djinn equips unconsciously.

"Andromalius is no ordinary djinn. His realm is in Time and Wishes. I can easily retain control over my equip, as well as everyone else's. And even without that, everyone I gathered here with me were chosen for the sole purpose of overcoming whatever the Black Bird throws at us." Shion smiled down at the younger version of his father confidently. "I think the scales are even enough for this to be fair for all of us, don't you?"

Sinbad laughed and swung his sword. Shion easily parried it with his own.

"Fine! I'll take you up to the challenge! But remember, by doing this you're challenging _all _of me! I am only one of many fragments, which means you haven't won until you've defeated us all!"

The youth pointed to himself.

"Now! For my challenge, answer this question! What factor drove me to conquer Baal in the first place? More than anything else? What was it that powered my wrath and drove me to become a hero?"

As Shion and Sinbad clashed, Aladdin was distracted by a strange anomaly. He tilted his head curiously at a small trail of rukh. Following them, Aladdin's eyes widened when he caught sight of a crack in the surroundings. He came closer and poked at it cautiously with his staff.

He gaped when it fell open.

"Everyone! I found a door! There's a way out!"

Upon Aladdin's exclamation, Shion and Sinbad's battle paused. The young magi hopped through the door and excitedly waved from the other side.

"I thought you '_weren't going to let us through'_…?" Hakkan quoted dryly, making the young Sinbad flush.

"I only need to test _one _of you," he blustered. "The doors are for the rest to move forward!"

"How convenient. It sounds more like you got distra – urk!"

Hakkan whimpered and clutched his abdomen as Morgiana withdrew her arm after elbowing him. The red-head shot him a reproving look. "Don't antagonize him, Hakkan-san," she enunciated slowly as her eyes narrowed dangerously, "_especially_ when it concerns saving time."

"Y-Yes, ma'am."

"We still need to decide who's going to stay behind and take the test."

Judal blinked when he suddenly found everyone's attention on him. He clutched onto his wooden staff self-consciously and snarled, _"What?"_

"Judal…has a point," Hakuryuu said slowly, looking at himself in disbelief after the statement came out of his mouth. Alibaba patted his friend on the back comfortingly. "Yeah, it's pretty hard to get used to, I know. But he's been doing this for a while."

Judal bristled at the pair's exchange and stormed off past the set of doors, grumbling darkly under his breath. Hakkan followed after the magi, clutching his middle which was still smarting from Morgiana's 'friendly' hit. "Whelp, I'm voting to get out of this place. I don't care _who_ decides to stay behind. Make it quick and catch up with us, okay?"

Alibaba opened his mouth – probably to volunteer to be left behind – only to be promptly dragged out by Morgiana.

Shion and Hakuryuu glanced at each other.

"I'll stay behind, Shion-dono. It's only right that you, as our leader, move forward with the others."

"That may be so in normal circumstances, but this test requires knowledge in my father's past. I can quickly finish this trial and catch up with the rest of you in no time. I insist you move forward."

"No, no, Shion-dono, _I _insist."

"…"

"…"

Shion and Hakuryuu's silent battle of wills was abruptly cut short when something heavy slammed into them, sending them flying through the doors. While Hakuryuu was unfortunate enough to land painfully on his face, Shion somehow managed to twist himself and land on his feet.

The last thing Shion saw before the doors closed was Tiare, smugly chortling at them from the other side in her dragon form.

* * *

_The First Dungeon: Trial of Wrath and Heroes_

**Baal**

* * *

"TIARE!"

Tiare huffed in satisfaction after doors closed and the crack in the air was sealed. Usually, the indignant shout that her master made whenever she did something that went against Kou etiquette would have made her feel guilty. But now? Tiare could only feel satisfaction course through her chest and wings. Her master and Prince Shion really were so silly.

Tiare preened and turned to face the young Sinbad. He, in turn, looked at her with awe.

She sniffed disdainfully at the claws and tail that he wore.

"Weren't you just a girl a moment before? And now you're a giant lizard with wings! Amazing! So there are mysteries like that in the world outside!" Baal Sinbad gushed. Any dignity or intimidation was quickly thrown out of the window as the youth poured compliments upon compliments onto the dragon. "Can I ask you how you came to gain an ability like this?"

There was a pointed, unimpressed beat of silence.

Baal Sinbad remembered himself and cleared his throat. "Right. We still have this trial to complete. Though I'm still curious, rules are rules."

He raised his metal vessel into a defensive position. It frizzled ominously with sparks of lightning in preparation of an attack.

But Tiare was not afraid. She was the unholy offspring of lightning and death itself. More importantly, she had gained her claws and teeth with her own strength and determination against all odds.

She can overcome this.

Tiare began to charge her plasma blast, but wisely kept it behind her teeth as she bared them at the boy who would become the King of Sindria. He laughed at her challenge, though the brevity in his voice and expression was long gone.

"I'll ask again. What drove me to conquer this dungeon? What powers my wrath and serves as my drive to become a hero?"

Tiare fired the blast. Baal Sinbad avoided it and continued to ask her his question.

"What drove me to pursue this power?"

She fired another one. He avoided it again.

"You can't catch up to your friends if you don't answer this question," Baal Sinbad reminded her cheekily, "though I have a feeling you won't get the answer any time soon."

Tiare opened her maw and let out a loud roar of frustration.

She knew. She knew it already! But how could she ever find the answer? It wasn't as if she was close to King Sinbad. At the moment, all the answers she could come up with were "war" and "poverty", which were things she had gleaned from Prince Shion's conversation with this young king.

But those answers seemed too simple, too broad, to be the right one.

As she flew around her opponent, Tiare's eyes scanned her surroundings at the horrible battle around her. Soldiers, screaming civilians, blood, death – nothing really personal.

Following her line of sight, Baal Sinbad's expression darkened.

"Isn't it horrible? Can you believe that this was something that used to be _glorified_ in my hometown? _Expatriots, _they called my family. Just because we didn't support the war. And why should we? So many fathers and sons were sent out to be sacrificed for the sake of their country. And for what? More land? More war? If I didn't take things to my own hands, I would have died on the battlefield like my father, Baldr."

As Baal Sinbad narrated, the angrier he became.

"If I had more power…if I was stronger…"

Tiare tilted her head, feeling a sense of déjà vu as she watched her opponent rant about the unfairness of his situation. His wrath was…familiar. Tiare thought back to her master and his anger towards his cousins. She remembered how desperately he grasped for power so he could defeat the Witch of Al Thamen.

_They are the same, _she realized, _so that means, their reason should be similar too. A person…I need to find a specific person!_

Tiare looked around herself again. All of the soldiers' faces were blurred and impersonal. They weren't the source, no matter how Baal Sinbad tried to paint it that way. It was something else. She spread her wings and flew away from him, stopping him in mid-rant. "Hey – wait! Come back!" She ignored him and continued to fly. As she scoured through the battlefield, a flash of gold caught her eye among the masses.

Tiare flew down and shifted into her human form so she could get a closer look. The young girl, unlike everyone else, had facial features that weren't blurred out. At her feet were shattered oyster shells. Yes! She was the one!

Tiare turned around to face Baal Sinbad, who had chased her all the way here, and spoke.

* * *

_The Second Dungeon: Trial of Falsehood and Prestige_

**Valefor**

* * *

As Tiare went against Baal Sinbad's trial, the group moved onto their next challenge. It didn't take long before they encountered the next fragment of Sinbad.

Unlike the previous vision, the scene that appeared in front of them was surreal. Sinbad, though still in his early teens, was noticeably different. He towered over everyone in a way that reminded Morgiana of the djinn she met during her two dungeon-diving experiences.

At his feet, younger versions of Ja'far, Hinahoho, Masrur, and other faces she didn't recognize stood with him, weapons ready. What struck her as odd was that they were all facing away.

It took her a moment to realize why.

There were enemies in the shadows. Countless of them were shapeless and formless globs of shade, which could only be discerned by their glowing eyes. Some actually had forms and features – one, which she was surprised to recognize: Aum Madaura, that troublesome woman who twisted the minds of children to do her bidding.

The colossal form of Sinbad looked down at the group, completely unsurprised by their presence.

"Welcome. This is your next trial," he proclaimed as he swiped down at his enemies blindly, taking them down by hundreds. "I present my challenge: Defeat me in battle as a ruler!"

With a flash, Sinbad shifted into his djinn equip.

"Valefor, Father's second djinn," Shion recognized aloud at her side. Morgiana had to correct herself when she accidentally looked down to meet his eyes. The abrupt change of his stature and voice was still something she was trying to reconcile. She hoped it wasn't permanent. "So, it's like this, huh? The further we progress through the mental defenses, the closer we get to Father."

"Which of you will take my trial? The rest can move forward to the next stage," Valefor Sinbad offered magnanimously.

Morgiana stepped forward with a raised hand. "I will."

"No hesitation! I like your spirit!" With a snap of his fingers, the rest of the group was magicked away, leaving the Fanalis alone to face him.

Morgiana immediately got into her fighting position as Valefor Sinbad turned back to her.

When the first of his many tails descended onto her, she was not afraid. She was a Fanalis with the physical strength equivalent to that of a hundred men. She jumped, dodged, and kicked as best as she could to stay head-to-head in battle with her opponent.

That was when Valfor Sinbad began to use his hands.

It was a strange thing – his abilities. The palms of his hands had a tattoo of an eye and when he brandished them, strange bursts of energy came out of them. While she respected the King of Sindria, she also did not know him well enough to predict what the attack was going to do to her. So, she did the practical thing and avoided them at all costs.

As she dodged, Morgiana was able to catch one of the Valefor Sinbad's attacks hitting one of the shadows and freezing it into a block of ice.

Well. That answered her question.

"Go Sinbad!" The illusionary people around her began to cheer. "You can do it! You can beat her!"

Morgiana ignored them as she began to add in some very well-aimed kicks at her towering opponent. Much to her satisfaction, her opponent grunted and flew back upon contact. She had always fought better with a bigger target.

"Give up! Our Sinbad has overcome challenges greater than this!" A younger version of Ja'far declared fiercely. Beside him, an Imuchakk woman who Morgiana recognized as a younger Pipirika and an unfamiliar Sasanian who resembled Jamal nodded in agreement. "He is the King we chose to follow! He won't be defeated by something like this!"

"I will not give up," Morgiana spoke plainly before activating her Household Vessel, _"Amol Selseila!"_

Bright, fiery wings erupted from her leg chains as she jumped up into the air. Valefor Sinbad yelped in pain as her wings caught his tails. He managed to wiggle them away before she could do any permanent damage and went out of her range.

"A fire type, huh? Geez, this is such a bad pairing!" he complained with a nervous smile. His ears were pulled back a little as his eyes flickered over the entirety of Morgiana's 'wings'. "But still, what a beautiful attack. Of course, not as beautiful as the young lady herself!"

Valefor Sinbad's attempts at blatant flattery slid off of Morgiana like water from a duck's back. The most reaction the compliment got out of her was a blink – which could have just been a blink so, no reaction at all.

"Tch, first Pipirika, now this one."

Morgiana took advantage of his distraction to kick him down from the air and onto the ground. She landed on his chest quickly after, knocking the wind out of him.

"Sinbad-san, I think it would be best if you submit right now," the Fanalis stated as she stared ominously down at the gigantic teen, "I have places I need to be, after all."

Valefor Sinbad winced. "You're crazy strong! I have to admit, I'm no match for you in strength. But…" His expression became smug as his form melted away under her feet. It was only by Morgiana's sharp instincts that she was able to dodge the attack aimed at her back. She turned around. Valefor Sinbad towered over her, bigger than before. "This trial is not to unseat me as the _strongest,_ but to prove that you are a better ruler than me! But I can see that you are more of a fighter than a negotiator. I'll cater to that! Now! Let us battle with our djinn equips! What is your djinn?"

"I do not have one," Morgiana said truthfully, tilting her head, "I am the household member of Alibaba Saluja, who wields the djinn, Amon."

Valefor Sinbad and the people around him seemed to freeze at Morgiana's statement. "Household member?"

"Yes."

To Morgiana's confusion, her opponent burst into loud laughter. "Ah, I guess it's already my win then!"

"I do not understand. Is there something wrong with my status as a Household Member?"

Valefor Sinbad wiped his eyes and gestured over to his comrades. "As a Household Member, you cannot challenge me for the right of kingship. You are bound to your duties to _serve _kings chosen by djinn, not _act_ as one."

Morgiana twitched at his wording. Bound? _Serve?_

"But then again, the sure way to win at this is to convince you that I'm a better ruler than your king." His eyes softened as he reached down to her with an open palm. "Why don't you join –

"Absolutely not. I do not acknowledge you as an acceptable King, much less my own," Morgiana declared coldly, glaring up at Sinbad. Her hands were clenched into tight fists, looking near-ready to beat him into pulp despite the restraint she was currently showing.

Valefor Sinbad took a weary step back, recognizing immediately that he had made a mistake somewhere in his speech and had upset her.

Even as the ground cracked under her feet in her repressed anger, Morgiana spoke.

* * *

_The Third Dungeon: Trial of Spirit and Puppetry_

**Zepar**

* * *

While the previous two 'dungeons' were vivid in their environment, this one was sparse. The only, noticeable prop was a marble stage where two individuals stood.

Sinbad was noticeably older now. Shion could only guess he was around seventeen at this stage. His clothes were more refined, and his hair was braided in a style that made Shion think of the sea and adventure. The pink-haired woman beside him was someone he didn't recognize. From the corner of his eye, Shion saw Judal stiffen.

Upon noticing the group's entrance, the pair immediately transformed. Shion reared back when he recognized the djinn equip, Zepar. He was already nervous around this particular form of his father, but to have _two _of them?

"That's Zepar," he muttered under his breath, "but why two? And who is that woman with him?"

"Welcome," the two chimed together, "we are here to present the next trial. Our challenge for you comes in the form of a choice: live by your own will or by the will of others?"

Aladdin took a step forward. "I –

"No," the pair interrupted the young magi simultaneously, "_we _choose the next participant for the trial this time. And **we** choose **him**." They pointed down at Judal, whose face was completely shadowed.

With the wave of their hands, everyone except Judal fell through the floor as if it had turned into liquid. For a moment, the dark magi worried.

"Your friends have gone forward to the next trial," the woman assured him with a grin, "so don't worry anymore and pay attention to us, Judal-chan!"

Judal flinched at the term of endearment. He forced himself to look up at her.

"…Princess Serendine."

"Aww, no Seren-nee?" The long-deceased Princess of Partevia pouted at Judal's subdued greeting. "Well, I suppose that it's to be expected. You're much older now. How many years was it?"

Her eyes narrowed.

"Since I died."

The accusation rang clear between them as Serendine's sunny countenance darkened to match Sinbad, whose expression was already stormy.

The blank, white space around the platform turned into a scene directly taken from the night when the first Sindria fell. The buildings that used to stand proudly were either ruined or burning. Soldiers from both sides of the battle were scattered around the area. Someone was crying.

Judal's hands tightened around his staff. "Many years," he answered. Honestly, he didn't even remember. The first Sindria was simply another country in his checklist of destruction. Judal was aware of the sheer amount of people who had died due to his whims and actions – he had even reveled in the violence and despair he caused. But now, because of Kougyoku and Tao, he was more than a tool to be used by Al Thamen.

It seemed that this particular atrocity that he committed was going to bite his ass until the day he died.

It wasn't the first time Judal felt like this, but he sincerely wished he could go back and beat some sense into his younger self.

"I was stupid and a little shit for pushing things to turn out this way," Judal spoke up suddenly, surprising the Zepar pair. "I was never supposed to be this way. I was supposed to be a good magi who supported a good king and a good country. But I was stolen away by Al Thamen when I was a baby and both of you got me. If I could change all the things I've done back then, I would. But I can't. I'm sorry."

Briefly taken aback by the magi's apology, the Zepar pair stared at him for a moment before sharing a look. Then, they nodded at the same time with matching smiles.

Their surroundings changed once again, wiping away the scene of bloodshed and desolation to replace it with two, tall podiums that loomed over Judal, which comically contrasted the small and round bodies of the Zepar pair.

He scowled at them. He didn't like feeling small.

"We have decided! For this trial, we want to hear how you, Judal of Al Thamen, plead in your role in the fall of Sindria: as a villain who controlled a series of events that resulted with tragedy or as a victim controlled by forces greater than your own?"

Zepar Sinbad stretched out his hand, all sympathetic smiles now. "I shall stand by him being a victim! From what I can see, Judal is only another victim of the flow of fate! If he hadn't been influenced by Al Thamen at such a young age, he would have grown up to be a decent magi! But instead, he has been turned into a tool used to further the agenda of that organization!"

Zepar Serendine stretched out her own hand. "And I shall stand by the side of him being a villain! I don't believe that Al Thamen's involvement in his growth should have nothing to do with how he should be judged for his actions! Judal still made plans to destroy Sindria and Partevia! After all those years of acting as my magi, he still betrayed _me_!"

Judal looked from one Zepar to the other.

"So," he began slowly, "you want _me _to decide whether or not I'm innocent or guilty?"

"We want you to convince us," Zepar Sinbad corrected him, "tell us your side of everything that had happened _then _and _now_. Of course," his eyes trailed back to Zepar Serendine's shivering, indignant form, "we would be the ones making the final decision."

As the two gazes bore down onto him, Judal shifted slightly from foot to foot.

"I don't know what to say. Or where to start."

"How about explaining to us in more detail about how you fell into Al Thamen's hands?" Zepar Sinbad asked, genuinely curious. "The organization definitely didn't tell you about this, so how did you find out? Who told you?"

A funny smile stole across Judal's face.

"Well, I got my ass whooped by a chibi half my size," he began before recounting his first – and last – official battle with Aladdin.

The story used to sting whenever he had to admit even a _part _of it back then. It felt so light on his tongue now.

"I found out that Al Thamen stole me away and used me," Judal concluded when he reached the part when Aladdin had hit him with his _Wisdom of Solomon_. "And then…I met Tao."

"Tao?" It was Zepar Serendine who spoke up this time. "Who's Tao?"

"My older brother." Judal felt a bit proud when he revealed this to her. Back when she had been alive, Serendine would fill the younger him with so much envy when she talked about her little brother and the vision of the past she never really let go of. Now, Judal had something to offer in return. "He was the only survivor from Al Thamen's attack. He spent years searching for me and he found me. He never stopped until he did." The last part never stopped filling Judal with a sense of wonder. "He told me about my family. He told me about my name – I had my own _name_."

Kido.

It was such a stupid name, but Judal liked hearing it attached to him.

"Because of him, I'm tryingto become better. I _am_," he insisted. "It's slow. But I'm learning."

Zepar Sinbad nodded approvingly. "And that's good. I'm glad your brother found you."

"That doesn't change what he did," Zepar Serendine cut in severely. She turned to Judal. "Just because you decided to change _now_, doesn't change all of the lives you've ruined _before_. People died. An entire country fell. You deciding to be a better person won't bring them back."

Judal shook his head. No, it didn't.

"And you think you deserve forgiveness just because it turned out that Al Thamen was using you as their puppet? Those are just _excuses,_" she spat.

For a moment, Judal felt as if he was dumped into cold water. Then, the anger came.

"_I'm_ the one making excuses?" he demanded, seeing red, "_Me?! _I was just a dumb kid when this all happened! What about _you_?! You keep bringing up how I was being manipulated like a little puppet, but I bet you wished that was what happened to you! But _no_, you jumped into this with your eyes wide open." He pointed at her – Zepar, to be exact. "_You_ were the puppet master of this entire mess, or did you forget how you controlled Sinbad over there to declare war on Barbarossa and his forces? You didn't even think twice about throwing away all of those people who had helped you at your weakest. And _Ranya_." Judal wanted to speak further, but felt he made his point. "Instead of blaming others, Princess Serendine, you should take responsibility for your own actions for a change."

By the end of it, Zepar Serendine was crying. Judal couldn't find it in himself to feel sorry.

He was _tired _of feeling sorry.

"Why did you choose me?" she asked brokenly, "I never – I wouldn't have – _why _did you make me into this? I thought that you meant it when you made me your king candidate. Was it all a lie? Did you feel nothing at all?"

And just like that, the anger was gone. All that was left was a magi and a ghost of his king candidate trying to make sense of all their hurt.

"I chose you because you were angry and miserable," Judal admitted honestly after a moment, "and I needed someone angry and miserable. But you reminded me of someone, so I ended up getting attached." His eyes strayed to her pink hair and a wave of regret squeezed his heart. "You were wonderful. I'm sorry that destroyed that, Seren-nee."

Then, he turned to Zepar Sinbad, who looked content and expectant.

Judal spoke.

* * *

_The Fourth Dungeon: Trial of Ecstasy and Rending Darkness_

**Furfur**

* * *

"I wonder if Judal is okay," Aladdin fretted once they safely landed on solid ground after their sudden fall. Despite how long and quickly their descent was, reaching the bottom wasn't as painful as it would have been if they were outside of a dream.

"It doesn't matter. We can't help him now," Hakkan answered indifferently as he brushed himself off. "Those two seemed pretty determined to keep him there."

"Hakkan is right. Let's trust Judal's abilities and not waste the time he just gave us," Shion agreed, softening the harshness of Hakkan's statement. He was about to say something else but paused when he took in his surroundings. "…Sindria?"

It was as if they were back home and everything connected to the Black Bird was just a nightmare.

"I don't trust this…" Hakuryuu looked took note of his surroundings and frowned.

"Welcome to Second Sindria!"

The group jumped and whirled around to face this new Sinbad fragment. Though younger than the King Sinbad they all knew, this one looked the most like him. Behind him were the Seven Generals and the people of Sindria, celebrating the re-creation of their country.

"After the fall of first Sindria, I have rebuilt and strengthened this country so that it would survive against any future attacks that may come from Al Thamen." Sinbad stood proudly in front of the crowd of happy faces. Just behind him, stood a younger and more vibrant Ranya. She looked at Sinbad with pride in her eyes at his achievement. Shion looked on to the scene wistfully.

"After the tremendous loss that I experienced, I swore that the same event would never happen again. So, that's why, the trial that I present to all of you is –

Sinbad donned his djinn equip, Furfur. This one was almost bat-like with its leathery wings and elongated claws. Magic circles appeared around him, readying an attack that Shion was all-too-familiar with.

" – destroy this Sindria!"

"WHAT?!"

Shion was horrified. He looked from the happy scene of his own country to the Sinbad in front of him. Alibaba and Aladdin weren't any better. They cried out their disbelief.

"_Destroy _Sindria?! But that's what we were trying to prevent all along!"

"Uncle Sinbad, what kind of challenge is this?!"

"…I'll do it," Hakuryuu sighed as he began to step forward. "It's obvious that everyone else has their reservations about this trial. But, unlike them, I have the resolve to – gah!"

The air around the scarred prince warped as he unintentionally stepped through a doorway with his action. He flailed helplessly and grabbed onto Shion, which made the other begin the stumble toward the doorway too. Seeing this happen, Hakkan grabbed onto the Sindrian Prince and served as an anchor.

Unfortunately, the concerned Aladdin, who had come over to help them, tripped over his feet and bowled into the Heliohapt prince.

All four of them fell through, leaving a gaping Alibaba behind and alone with Furfur Sinbad.

"…"

"…"

Furfur Sinbad sighed. "Oh well, a trial taker is a trial taker. I suppose you'll do."

The blonde barely managed to snap out of his shock as blasts of energy shot out of the many magic circles around Sinbad to his direction. He managed to cut some of them down with Amon's sword. The rest, he did his best to dodge out of the way.

Much to his horror, they followed him.

"No, wait! Guys! _Don't leave me here with this crazy trial!_ Come back!"

Alibaba continued to shriek and cry as he avoided all of the attacks. He cried even more when the other inhabitants of Sindria began to join in on attacking him.

"Protect Sindria from the invader!" They cried out. "Take out the villain before he kills us all!"

Alibaba shook his head in denial so hard that his head felt like it would fly off if he tried it again. "You're wrong! I'm not interested in destroying Sindria at all! It's all a misunderstanding!"

The illusionary citizens of Sindria were completely deaf to his begging and pleas.

"Everyone, stop attacking him!" A voice called out.

Alibaba pulled himself short at the shout and cried out in relief at seeing a familiar face.

"Master Sharrkan!"

His joy was short-lived when his teacher drew his blade. He pointed at the blonde with a determined glint in his eyes. "He might be too dangerous. Stay behind me! The Eight Generals will all handle this! We won't let you cause any harm to our Sindria!"

The rest of the Eight Generals joined in on the battle, driving the poor blonde into hysterics as he did his best to avoid all and every attack made by the people he considered his allies. Whenever he lifted his blade, he only used it to deflect and defend. All the while, he tried to verbally talk down the Eight Generals only to be completely ignored or to have his words completely twisted.

Furfur Sinbad, on the other hand, watched Alibaba's actions with bemusement, stopping his own, personal attacks a long time ago.

"Why aren't you taking this trial seriously?" he wondered aloud. His voice carried over well enough for Alibaba to hear. "I'm sure your other comrades are all trying their best to succeed in their own. You haven't even put any effort in overcoming the task I gave you."

"How could I?!" Alibaba squawked from his position, pushing back Pisti with a ring of fire around himself while he moved up to the air to avoid the rest of his opponents. "I have no reason to destroy Sindria! Besides, destroying an entire country for no reason is wrong!"

"Why? Your friend was willing to do it."

"Hakuryuu is his own person. While I disagree with some of his ideals, I respect them too," Alibaba said firmly. "But me? I can't destroy Sindria. It's too important to me. After I lost Balbadd, Sindria offered me sanctuary and a second home. To even _consider_ hurting the people and place that helped me heal and grow is just…it's unthinkable! Besides! I'm fighting to _save _it, not _destroy _it!"

Furfur Sinbad sighed. "You're the idealistic heroic sort, aren't you? You know, with that kind of thinking, you won't be able to succeed without people doing the dirty work for you."

Alibaba couldn't argue against that. This wasn't the first time he was berated for thinking the way he does. Kassim, back when he was alive, had repeatedly complained about how indecisive he was in his planning because of his refusal to have any collateral damage during the Fog Troupe raids. Koumei had also scolded him for his idealistic approach in marriage, stating that he was placing his feelings before practicality.

But still!

These were all the ideals that his mother taught him ever since he was a young child. Despite the difficult world she had grown up in, she had made the effort to preserve his optimistic way of thinking until her last breath. It was these very ideals that drew Aladdin and him together in the first place!

And Amani…

While she was more cautious and critical of the world, Amani had also encouraged him to keep ahold of his beliefs and ideals, insisting that she would support him no matter what decision he made.

Alibaba shook his head and veered left to avoid a well-aimed spear Spartos threw at him.

"I still refuse to destroy Sindria!" he insisted. "There must be another way!"

Furfur Sinbad shook his head, acting like a disappointed parent. He waved a hand, stopping all attacks coming from the citizens of Sindria at once before turning back to a befuddled Alibaba. "How are you going to protect the people you care for with a mindset like that?" When the blonde didn't respond, the Sindrian King ran a hand down his face. "Look. I'll give you about ten minutes to get yourself together. For the son of the man who acted as my mentor, I can give you that much."

Okay. Okay, Alibaba could work with this. Ten minutes? Ten minutes. It was like an eternity for a planner like him. He could think up of something to get out of this mess without being blown into smithereens by familiar faces.

…

…

Alibaba had nothing.

"Five minutes," Furfur Sinbad called out, driving him further into panic.

Was it hopeless? Was it really the right idea to simply go along with the trial like Sinbad said? Alibaba grimaced at the thought. The idea of it made him sick and guilty, but was his pride and ideals truly worth it?

"Four."

Wait. No. Even casting aside his ideals, there was something wrong with this entire trial. How was it even logical for a single person to take down an entire country? Alibaba didn't have the means. No country, no soldiers, no magi, nothing.

Even with his metal vessel, he was still inferior to Sinbad in both experience and strength.

So, what should he do?

"Three~"

'_What would Amani do?'_ Alibaba wondered to himself almost helplessly.

Something clever, most likely. She would always think up of little loopholes and solutions to every problem that seemed so simple in hindsight. Even though Alibaba was sure she could tackle every problem with her own hands, Amani usually just used her mind to negotiate out of it. She knew the importance of every word and used her knowledge to her advantage.

Wait.

Alibaba ran through his thoughts again.

'_That's right…words…"_

"Two~"

In the short time that he had, Alibaba was hit an idea that made him grin with confidence for the first time ever since he ended up taking this trial.

"Sinbad, wait! I will destroy this Sindria after all!"

Furfur Sinbad turned to Alibaba with relief in his eyes. _"Finally._ I –_"_

Alibaba held up a hand.

"Without fighting you. Or anyone. I'll just use my words."

And then he spoke.

* * *

_The Fifth Dungeon: Trial of Rule and Submission_

**Focalor**

* * *

"_Alibaba is not okay."_

Unlike his previous worry for Judal, Aladdin was in a full panic-attack thinking about his best friend who was left behind.

"Alibaba is definitely not the type of person who can overcome this type of trial!"

While Shion did his best to calm Aladdin down, Hakuryuu and Hakkan shared a dry look.

"Think he'll make it?"

"Absolutely not."

Shion patted Aladdin's back and made soothing sounds. With his original size, he dwarfed the magi and was able to support the child completely. "Both of you have been through worse. Besides, I'm sure that Alibaba will find another way. These tests are usually more complicated than they seem. Now, come on. Let's move forward."

Despite his anxiety, Aladdin did well in gathering himself up and trudging forward. Still, Shion was worried for his friend.

The remaining four members of the group watched and marveled at their strange surroundings. There were no people this time. Instead, giant pieces of all different sorts of board games were arranged tastefully around them. The area also had limits as it was tailored after a game board. The edges of all four sides revealed a seemingly bottomless drop that was not dissimilar to the appearance of the Great Rift.

And, to be expected, at the center of it all was Sinbad. To Shion's faint surprise, he was already equipped in djinn armor. As Focalor was usually what his father used in their spars, he recognized the form immediately.

"Welcome," Focalor Sinbad intoned with a funny, little smile on his face. "For this trial, I would like to play a game with one of you." Focalor Sinbad gestured around himself to the many, giant game pieces around them. "As you can all see, the pieces are all here. I simply need an opponent to begin."

Thinking back to the many games he had played with his father, Shion made movements to step forward. Before he could, Aladdin stepped in front of him with his arms stretched out.

"No, you can't! I know you're good with games, Shion, but you don't have time for this! You need to get to Uncle Sinbad before he does something that he regrets!" Aladdin turned to Focalor Sinbad with a determined expression on his face. "I will be taking your challenge. Please clear the board so we can begin."

With a sweep of his hand, Focalor Sinbad did just that, leaving the two of them alone to begin the game.

"What did you do to them?" Aladdin inquired worriedly, as he looked over the edge of the giant game board for any sign of his friends. "You didn't hurt them, did you?"

"No. I just helped them along to their next trial." Focalor Sinbad waved his hand again, procuring two chairs. "Please, take a seat. Games like this tend to drag on for a long time. You should make yourself comfortable."

Aladdin thanked him and cautiously climbed onto the chair. It was comfortable, but the stakes set in front of him made him anxious.

"You're very young," Focalor Sinbad noted as he took in the small form of Aladdin, "not the age to take these kinds of trials. What is your name?"

Aladdin started in surprise at his question. "Uncle Sinbad, don't you remember me? I'm Aladdin! You invited me and Alibaba to Sindria many times."

"I'm afraid I don't." Focalor Sinbad looked genuinely apologetic as he said this. "Still, it is very nice to meet you, Aladdin. Would you like me to explain how to play this game? We can start easy before building it up. We have all the time to play, after all."

'_No we don't,'_ Aladdin wanted to say, conscious of the time limit they all had, but he knew he had no choice. He had to receive all the handicap he could get if he could even _consider _a victory against the obviously more experienced Sinbad. For a moment, the magi regretted not letting Shion take this trial. He was never really the best at strategy.

They began small. Since Aladdin was clueless in the rules of this game, Focalor Sinbad went first. He explained the function of every piece and was patient with Aladdin as the child fumbled through his own, more inexperienced moves. Despite the complicated setup of the game, the concept was surprisingly simple: assign a specific role and ability of each piece and stick by your own rules from then forward.

After Aladdin began to ease into the rhythm of the game, Focalor Sinbad began to complicate it.

"You know the function of each piece. Good. Now, we can consider the structure of the board game itself. You see, your pieces can only move in certain ways when they reach different sections of the board."

As Focalor Sinbad explained the different setting of each section of the board, Aladdin's head ached as he tried to remember the new rules.

Seeing his confusion, Focalor Sinbad laughed. "It's okay," he assured him patiently, "it was difficult for me too at first. I'm actually very impressed that you're able to remember so much in so little time."

Aladdin held his head and whined. "There's just too much, Uncle Sinbad."

"I see, I see, well that's not good. I want this to be as fair as possible. Maybe this kind of setup is too difficult for children to understand? That's strange. I felt as if I played something similar with someone younger…"

Aladdin perked up. "Shion! You must've played this game with Shion! He's very good with games!"

Focalor Sinbad laughed and Aladdin froze when he saw the blankness in his eyes.

"Who's Shion?"

Aladdin swallowed nervously and looked away.

"A friend who's good at playing games."

Focalor Sinbad shrugged, completely unfazed by Aladdin's sudden discomfort. "I see. So, this Shion is one of your friends. It's okay, Aladdin. He sounds very talented so you shouldn't try to compare yourself to him. Again, we have all the time in the world. Now, back to the game…"

Aladdin somehow managed to get over the hurdle that was the confusing layout of the entire board game. Much to his frustration, the game only got _more _complicated as Sinbad added in more rules.

Sometimes, the function of each piece would get more complex.

Sometimes, the layout of the board game would change – either subtly or drastically, making Aladdin's head spin at trying to take in the changes.

Though Focalor Sinbad was patient and indulgent, it was obvious that he was winning. The more he played, the more of his pieces covered the entirety of the board.

Aladdin didn't like playing this game.

But he had to play until the end as the trial dictated. He can't let everyone down.

He had overcome more than this.

Still, Aladdin began to notice some things about how Focalor Sinbad played the game. He tended to favor and stay around a certain area of the board. While he wasn't _limited _to that area, he still placed his more powerful game pieces there.

He also noticed that Focalor Sinbad tended to favor certain pieces over the other. Some he could sacrifice without blinking an eye while others he held onto with the possessiveness of the dragons – not like Tiare – that would sometimes appear in Shion's stories.

The cogs in Aladdin's mind began to turn.

"Uncle Sinbad…is this game actually representing something bigger?"

"What makes you say that, Aladdin?"

"Well," the magi gestured over to the entire board, "at first, the game pieces had simple rules attached to them, but the more we played, the more complex they became. The same goes for the different parts of the board. The more you taught me about how they worked, the more they began to shift and change. It's almost like…"

"Almost like this game is replicating real-life events?" Focalor Sinbad finished with a satisfied smile. "Yes, it is."

Aladdin looked around himself in confusion. "But, it's just a game!"

Focalor Sinbad snapped his fingers, changing the layout of their surroundings completely. Much to Aladdin's surprise, the board changed into familiar structures of different countries while the pieces turned into individuals he knew.

"Yes, this is all a game, Aladdin. A game with rules and consequences that all powerful knew how to play. It was difficult for me too when I started out," he assured the boy when he saw his distress, "but I had a good teacher who made sure I learned. I made many mistakes, of course. Lost many people too." He glanced over to where they had disposed of their game pieces – mostly pawns. Aladdin made a whining sound at the sight of the pile of bodies at had replaced the pieces.

"This is horrible…I never meant to do any of this!"

Focalor Sinbad hummed sympathetically. "I never knew how steep the consequences were either when I first began playing this game. I had to learn my lessons the hard way. The fall of the first Sindria is a testament to that. Though it was a steep price to pay, the lessons I learned that night were crucial to my growth as a player."

As he narrated this, Aladdin's gaze was drawn to the area he assumed represented Partevia. There, three figures stood. Around all three of them were countless of bodies scattered around them wearing the Sindrian uniform. He was quick to recognize the smallest to be a younger Judal since his unique braid was a dead giveaway. The pink-haired woman was also familiar as Aladdin had encountered her in one of the previous trials.

The tall man with green-hair was the only figure out of the three who Aladdin didn't recognize. Focalor Sinbad noticed his focus on the specific figure and followed it.

"Ah, yes, _him_." While he continued to wear a smile, it was clear by the glint in his eyes and the way his fingers curled that the man wasn't someone he recalled fondly. "Since you seem very familiar with me and Sindria, you must know Drakon, yes? This was Barbarossa, his older brother. He had already claimed two djinn of his own by the time the first Sindria fell, Guison and Glasya-Labolas if I remember correctly. He was a clever politician, who supported the creation of the first Sindria. He taught us so many lessons about the game."

The air became taut with a tension that Aladdin couldn't even begin to understand.

And then, Focalor Sinbad broke it when a snap of his fingers. Aladdin flinched as the figure that represented Barbarossa fell over into a lifeless heap. The pink-haired woman contorted into a monstrous spider creature before shattering into a thousand, black shards. The tiny Judal flew off back to the section of the board that represented Kou.

"Barbarossa was also involved with the fall of the first Sindria. In a way, he inspired me to play the game _better _so I would no longer lose so many people again."

Aladdin swallowed and looked at the entire board with a newfound sense of horror.

"This…do I really have to do this?"

"If you do not play this game until the end, you won't pass the trial," Focalor Sinbad said almost apologetically.

Aladdin panicked. It was natural, of course. He was in an unfamiliar and overwhelming situation. And he was all alone. What should he do? What _could_ he do? He wasn't experienced in these scenarios. He wasn't a king. He was a –

A magi.

Aladdin's thoughts screeched into a complete halt.

'_That's right. I'm a magi.'_

A sense of calm and certainty washed over him as he clutched onto his staff tightly.

"It's your turn, Aladdin," Focalor Sinbad reminded him, "make your move."

After much thought, Aladdin made his decision and spoke.

* * *

_The Sixth Dungeon: Trial of Endurance and Change_

**Vepar**

* * *

Hakuryuu wailed loudly into his hands. Beside him, Vepar Sinbad patted his back awkwardly, attempting to quell the prince's waterfall of tears.

It happened like this:

Shion, Hakkan, and Hakuryuu landed into a room after they were literally swept off of the giant game board.

"This is…?"

This was Sinbad's office. And yet, there were a few minor differences to it. The windows, which were usually open to let in a nice breeze were covered with blankets, which made everything gloomy. The scrolls and paperwork, which were usually organized on Sinbad's desk by Ja'far, were all scattered over the floor.

"What a mess," Hakkan noted as he casually kicked one of the scrolls away, "this is pretty undignified for a trial." He nearly shrieked when a pile of papers moved in the corner.

Sinbad's face popped out of the paper pile. He was almost unrecognizable with his unkempt hair, unshaven face, and wrinkled clothes. He stared at the group with red-rimmed eyes for a long moment before turning away and burying himself deeper into the paperwork. The trio were quick to grab him and heft him back out.

"Where the fuck do you think you're going?! You're number six out of seven of these stupid trials! Give us your challenge so we can move on!" Hakkan snapped, grabbing onto Sinbad's loose robes and shaking him. "We're at a pretty tight schedule, so spit it out."

"Challenge? Oh. That." Sinbad let out a heavy sigh and slumped against Hakkan's grip. "I don't have one."

All three king candidates blinked and looked at each other. "…None?"

"Yeah, none."

"But we can't move on until you give one of us a challenge to face," Hakuryuu insisted. He had already looked everywhere in the room for a doorway, but he had no luck. Still, he was combing through the room again, trying to see if he missed something. Shion was doing the same. "We're close to the end! You can't just do this to us _now_!"

Sinbad shrugged and halfheartedly attempted to prying himself out of Hakkan's grip. "That's not my problem."

Hakkan's lips pulled back into a dangerous snarl as his grip tightened. "Look here, you sad, pathetic, piece of –!"

"What's this?"

Hakuryuu held up a strip of paper. Shion couldn't read its contents from where he stood, but he could tell the quality of the paper was poor.

"Don't touch that!" Suddenly incensed, Sinbad lurched away from Hakkan's grip and made a mad grab for the paper. To aid him in his endeavor, he equipped his djinn that was a mix of butterfly wings and a fish tail. The many sword-bearing ouroboros around him threatened to skewer the trio within the room. Hakuryuu was quick and nimble enough to dance away from Sinbad's grasp long enough for Hakkan _and_ Shion to wrestle him down. "Give it back!"

"Not until you assign us a trial," Hakuryuu insisted, taking the opportunity like a beast would to prey. "If not, then I can easily use Zagan to turn this paper back into a tree." As if to prove his point, he made a small, sprout grow on the edge of the paper. The king froze in response, abruptly vanishing the snake and the swords that came with it. "I'm waiting."

Sinbad glared holes into the scarred prince's body.

Shion, meanwhile, looked between the note and this version of his father.

"That note was from Ranya, wasn't it?" Shion asked, looking around the room with new eyes. He knew that his father adored his mother – loved her, even – but it another thing to see with his own eyes how much her absence had affected Sinbad, who had already gained the reputation of 'Lady-Killer of the Seven Seas' by that point.

Shion had just assumed that…well, he didn't know what he had assumed. Just not _this_.

Shion's guess was confirmed correct when all the fire and indignance left Sinbad's eyes. The man slumped over into a heartbroken, droopy mess.

"Ranya," he started to quietly as he buried his face into his hands, _"Ranya._ What did I do wrong? I thought I made you happy. Please come back._"_

Even Hakkan looked a little sorry for Sinbad at this point.

Surprisingly, it was Hakuryuu who hardened himself against the pathetic state that Sinbad was in and stepped forward. "The trial," he reminded the wreck in front of him firmly, "we're short on time."

Sinbad's head snapped up from his hands, irritation written all over his face. "Oh for - ! _Fine!_ My trial for you is to help me stop this from hurting!" He pointed at his chest right over his heart.

"Thank you," Hakuryuu sighed in relief as a set of double doors suddenly appeared on the other side of the room. He gestured for Hakkan and Shion to head on. "I'll take this trial. You should go."

Hakkan glanced at the miserable lump of wings and scales on the ground before shrugging. "Yeah. I'll leave this in your hands. C'mon, Shion. Let's go separate your father from the Black Bird and finally save the world. See you on the other side."

The pair was gone in an instant, leaving Hakuryuu and Vepar Sinbad alone in the room.

"…So? What do you plan to do?" Vepar Sinbad challenged while crossing his arms childishly.

Hakuryuu shrugged and began picking up the scrolls and papers that had scattered around the room in their previous struggle. "Nothing, really."

"…Really?"

"Really," Hakuryuu assured him as he began to organize the haphazardly-placed scrolls into their proper shelves. It really was a mess in here. While he was a prince of Kou, he was also one who wasn't as favored as Kouen and Koumei after Emperor Hakutoku's death. More often than not, the maids did not pay that much attention to him and Hakuei. Because of this, Hakuryuu was very good in organizing, cleaning, and cooking.

Once he was done with the scrolls, he moved onto the papers.

Much to his dismay, most of them were letters that were penned in the same handwriting as the small note he had shoved into his pocket. He managed to shuffle the letters and the actual paperwork into two, neat piles before wiping down the dusty desk.

By the time Hakuryuu managed to procure the proper cleaning supplies to wipe the floor, Vepar Sinbad spoke up.

"Do you think she left me because she knew I was a failure?"

"You're not a failure." The statement leapt unbidden from Hakuryuu's lips since, well, this man was _King Sinbad of Sindria and Adventurer of the Seven Seas_. If _he _was a failure, then a good amount of the rest of the world was too, including Hakuryuu. He cleared his throat. "I mean, I'm sure that's not the reason why she…Ranya…left you. She must have her reasons."

"What reasons?!" Vepar Sinbad looked up from his hands with an almost maniac expression. It really was a pity that his wings and tail were at such a dull state. Hakuryuu was sure that they were once vibrant and beautiful before the king fell into depression. "Was I too forceful? Or clingy? Did she only stay with me only out of pity and left after everything was fine? Does she still view me as a little brother? _Tell me!_"

Hakuryuu sighed and set aside the cleaning materials in favor of patting Vepar Sinbad's head as he continued to wail about the many possible reasons why Ranya no longer loved him.

"Okay, okay, why don't we start in the beginning? I need to know about what happened before making my judgement."

Hakuryuu originally had intended to have Vepar Sinbad vent out his feelings as a way to alleviate his heartache, but he ended up becoming engaged with the story about this woman named Ranya.

Ranya had been found and adopted into Sinbad's family at a young age after saving his father's life. While he had initially viewed her as an older sister, Sinbad had learned at a young age that was not case, which had been a relief to Sinbad later on when he began viewing her in a more amorous light during his travels.

Unfortunately, Ranya had not seen it that way, with how she continued to treat and view him as a younger brother. Despite his efforts and many triumphs, Sinbad remained in the brother slot while the number of her suitors increased exponentially by the years.

" – And so, after _years_ of trying to have her see me as something more than a little brother, I finally managed to become someone Ranya could see as a man only to hear that she was_ married to a royal from a foreign country,_" Vepar Sinbad sobbed.

Hakuryuu patted him on the back consolingly. "That's rough, buddy."

"Ranya came back to me eventually and cleared up the misunderstanding," he sniffled, "but by then I was with Camilla. Argh! It was such terrible timing! Somehow, everything turned out fine and she ended up staying with me in Sindria. But then, but then, she _left. _She went back to her _real _brother – that shady bastard, Yunan." He hiccupped. "Why? Why did she leave? What did I do wrong?"

"Wait," Hakuryuu paused in his comforting, "Yunan? As in, the _magi_, Yunan."

"Yes. Weren't you paying attention?"

Hakuryuu froze as he processed the new set of information presented in front of him. Yunan. The most mysterious and oldest magi who was such a recluse that Judal had vocally wondered whether or not he suddenly died after Aladdin's appearance. Recently, it was also common knowledge that Shion was magi Yunan's beloved nephew.

Which meant…

"Of all the – you're crying over nothing!" The Kou prince drew his hand back, feeling a bit betrayed and cheated. "That Ranya who you're crying about isn't gone forever! She'll come back to you in the future! Definitely! So stop sulking already!"

"…Even I'm not that delusional." Vepar Sinbad sent a disappointed look at the prince. "Let me guess," his voice took a sharp and mocking turn, "you have this kind of naïve mindset because you've never felt the pain of a one-sided love, right?"

Hakuryuu became unnaturally still as Vepar Sinbad continued to taunt him.

"Look at you. You're still young. What does a greenhorn like you know about what I'm going through right now? Come back to me after you get your heart broken and tell me the same thing to my face."

All of this came from a bitter place. Hakuryuu was well aware of this.

But still…

Hakuryuu placed his hands on Vepar Sinbad's shoulders and stared down at him ominously, silencing the older man.

"You are crying over nothing," he repeated more calmly, making sure that every word he said was clear and understandable, "Ranya _will_ return to you and you _will_ be happy. Those are both facts. Stop. Sulking. You have a hopeful future ahead of you." Hakuryuu hung his head for a moment before looking up again. This time, his eyes were threateningly watery. "Unlike me," he managed to choke out before bursting into tears.

And so, that was how Hakuryuu ended up at this sorry state.

"There, there," Vepar Sinbad tried to soothe while simultaneously trying to wrangle his mystification in their abruptly-reversed roles, "I'm sure that – what was her name?"

"Amani-dono," Hakuryuu whined and hiccupped.

"Amani," Vepar Sinbad tacked on agreeably, "I'm sure that Amani is a smart girl, right?"

Hakuryuu nodded miserably. "The smartest. Amani-dono loves to collect and read all sorts of books. She can spend hours in libraries and come out happier. She can also think up of ways to win wars with that mind. Probably better than our best tacticians."

"Yes, so a smart girl. I'm sure that she'll realize soon enough that you're better than – who was the other guy again?"

"Koumei-dono. My step-brother and cousin. He's also her husband."

There was a heavy beat before Vepar Sinbad slowly backpedaled.

"Okay, okay, so she's married. Is she…happy?"

"Very."

"Shit," Vepar Sinbad tried to grasp for something, "well, um, how do you _know_ she's happy? She might be lying. Some married women tend to keep their unhappiness to themselves so they wouldn't cause trouble within the household."

Hakuryuu shook his head as he wiped his face with his sleeve. "No, Amani-dono is happy. Even though I think Koumei-dono is the _worst_, he is a good husband. He's a good father to Kouryuu too."

"A kid already? Damn. A cute one?"

"The cutest," Hakuryuu bemoaned and bragged at the same time, "he has her face and her eyes. Amani-dono named him after me, you know." He shoved his face into his hands and poured out another waterfall of self-pity, both metaphorically and physically. "I didn't even have a chance. By the time I realized I loved her, Koumei-dono had already swooped down and claimed her. For such a lazy and self-insufficient guy, he was quick about it even though Judal did his best to meddle. They prevailed even with a petty oracle trying to hinder them every step of the way. If that isn't true love, then what is? I never had a _chance_."

Then, he looked up to glare at Vepar Sinbad. "At least _you _did."

"Yes, yes, I was horrible for saying what I did. You're obviously worse off than I am."

"Don't say it like that!"

"Sorry, sorry."

It took a while, but eventually, Hakuryuu calmed down.

"Better?" Vepar Sinbad asked, inwardly praying that the scarred prince wouldn't dissolve into another fit of tears. He didn't think he could take another round. Much to his obvious relief, Hakuryuu nodded. "Yes. I think I'm good now. I really needed that." He wiped his face a final time and composed himself. "Well, that's that."

Vepar Sinbad tilted his head. "That's that?"

"Yes, there's no use crying about Amani-dono anymore. I've known that I had no chance a long time ago. I'm still learning to be okay with it, but I accept it." Hakuryuu took a shuddering breath. "Time to move on."

"Move on? You make it sound so easy."

"It really isn't," Hakuryuu admitted, "but we have to start somewhere, don't we? It's good to cry and mope for a little bit, but we can't stay here forever." He turned to the older man with a sour look. "_You,_ at least, have something to look forward to."

Vepar Sinbad laughed helplessly. "Why do you keep saying that?"

"Why do I say this? Because in a few years for you, a young boy with your hair and her eyes will come into your life and make you the proudest father of the Seven Seas. Not only that, his mother will return after a miraculous recovery to reunite with both father and son in the following year. You are a lucky man, King Sinbad." And after a moment, Hakuryuu felt it necessary to add, "Damn you. I hope you step on a splinter."

Vepar Sinbad laughed, looking lighter than he ever had before.

"The way you say it really does make me sound like the luckiest man alive."

Hakuryuu nodded and spoke.

* * *

_The Seventh Dungeon: Trial of Darkness and Mysteries_

**Crocell**

* * *

How long had it been ever since they entered this place?

Hakkan gripped his scythe and swiped at his opponent. Or, to be more precise, where he _thought_ his opponent would be. Everything in front of him was pitch black, giving his opponent the perfect cover to avoid every attack. Hakkan gave a hiss of frustration when his weapon hit nothing. While Belial was a dangerous djinn to wield, Hakkan knew that his abilities were only useful upon contact. At his back, Shion held up a small lantern. While Hakkan faced only darkness, Shion was able to see his surroundings. And yet, it came with the cost of his own weapon.

"Father," Shion called out desperately into the darkness, "Father, it's me – Shion! Come out! Please, I know you're there!"

There was no answer. Only silence.

_Is it hopeless, then?_ Hakkan wondered as he picked up on a slight shift in the air near his left. He struck out again, only to miss whatever was in the darkness once again. _Did the Black Bird already consume King Sinbad? _

_How long would it take before __**they **__were consumed too?_ He continued to wonder as his eyes trailed up to the stars above him. They were too small and faint to offer actual light. Instead, they served a different purpose: to taunt.

Instead of the constellations he knew and recognized, the stars spelled out a message:

_Submit yourself to the dark and you shall gain what you need the most._

Hakkan had wanted to scream the first time he read it. _Like hell I'd submit!_ He had used his rage to hunt for what was left of King Sinbad within the darkness. Aladdin had said that he was there, after all.

(But how long ago was that? Was what they were chasing this entire time even King Sinbad?)

But now, he could barely muster up enough energy to continue prodding around the darkness. Hakkan glanced back at Shion. Originally, he lit up the way for Hakkan to find whatever it was that hunted them in the darkness. When both of them realized that the light was only driving whatever it was in the darkness away, Shion focused the light completely on his side to offer Hakkan a more limited space to, hopefully, find Sinbad.

Sinbad was nowhere to be seen.

(Are they going to lose again?)

"Father!"

(If they are, then…)

"…Shion?" Hakkan didn't bother to raise his voice. He knew that Shion had sharp ears even with all the yelling. "If this is where we're going to die, I want you to know something."

"We're not going to die here," Shion said dismissively, "so don't bother."

Hakkan ignored him. "I want you to know that I'm sorry for killing you."

"_Trying _to kill me, you mean. I survived that suicide explosion you sprung on me," Shion reminded him absentmindedly, still searching in the dark for his father. "There is nothing to forgive. And even if you had killed me back then, the sentiment is the same. There is nothing to forgive. What happened back there was my fault. I'm not angry about what you did anymore."

Shion paused for a moment.

"Okay, maybe I'm still a little angry. What you did to my Amani and Opal was _not cool_, so apologize to them when we get back. I expect proper groveling."

"Noted."

"Opal might lop your head off before you can, though," Shion mused, "so maybe stand behind me when you apologize. If you haven't noticed, she kinda hates your guts right now."

"If you haven't noticed," Hakkan echoed with wry twist in his lips and words, "_everyone _kinda hates my guts right now. So don't worry. I already know. I'll be careful when I deliver the proper apologies."

Shion laughed nervously. "Ah, c'mon. You still have me. And Hel! Usually, that guy is pretty judgey and single-minded when he interacts with people, but he was understanding when it came with you. He _never _does that with me. I guess that's how it is between brothers."

"He's not my brother."

"Okay, okay, fine. _Half-_brothers. So picky."

"No, he's not that either." Hakkan studiously inspected the ceiling of stars again for some answers. The dots of light twinkled mockingly in the darkness. "We share neither mother _or_ father. At best, we're ambivalent acquaintances whose only similarities are having Askan as a little brother and loving Opal."

Shion stiffly looked over his shoulder with a blank expression.

Hakkan avoided his eyes. "After going through so many time-loops, some secrets can't stay hidden. It was pretty shocking to me at first too. To have thought that the real reason why mother fought so hard to drive out the woman who caught Pharaoh Armakan's eyes was to hide her own infidelity." He shook his head ruefully. "Really, Mother was such a horrible woman." He finally met Shion's gaze. "Would you like to know who it was?"

Shion took in Hakkan's eyes and found the answer on his own.

(There was a reason why it took a while for Shion to get comfortable with meeting Sai's eyes during the first year of their travels.)

Shion blinked and let the realization settle into his mind.

"…Nah. I'll pass."

Well, the parentage of his friends never really mattered to Shion. Obviously, it was a sore spot for Hakkan, so he decided to skim over it as briefly as he could for his friend's sake.

Hakkan stared at Shion oddly. "That's it?"

"Yeah." Shion shrugged. "It's obviously not something you're comfortable talking about, so let's stop here. Still, thanks for opening up this much to me. It must've been hard."

"Well, it's the end of the world," Hakkan pointed out, ignoring the chiding look Shion sent him. Just because Shion insisted on being in denial didn't mean that Hakkan would cater to his mentality. "Lots of hard things become easy to do when faced with the end."

"What truth!" A familiar voice rang out, making the pair stiffen in alarm. Abruptly, they were blinded by light.

Hakkan was the first to blink away the light from his eyes.

In front of him stood King Sinbad. While he wore his ever-present smile, the Sindrian King looked more feral and threatening than he ever had before. A lion's skin was strewn over his shoulders, barely covering his naked chest. The rest of him was a strange amalgamation of a tiger and a kangaroo and some other creature with long, gripping claws. While the drastic difference of size between the front legs of the creature that Sinbad's upper body was attached to should have been ridiculous, the sight only emphasized their strength and exaggerated the danger of getting caught by those claws. The appearance of his djinn equip was wild and threatening to the point that cold sweat ran down Hakkan's brow at the thought of being hunted and played around by this beast in the dark.

It spoke volumes that the large sword at this Sinbad's side was merely an afterthought.

"Crocell. No wonder we had such a hard time trying to track him down." The small lantern in Shion's hands shifted into his favored long-ranged weapon, the sling. Despite his defensive actions, Shion looked happy. "We found him! We really found him, Hakkan!"

Hakkan grunted in affirmation, not taking his eyes away from the man in front of him.

Crocell Sinbad tilted his head as he looked at them.

"Welcome," he greeted them, "and congratulations. You have taken your first step in passing my final trial."

Hakkan looked around himself, noting that, while there was light, the area still had patches of shadows. "So, the message in those stars really meant –

" – revealing your secrets, which are an integral part of your identity, to the darkness in order to obtain what you need the most," Crocell Sinbad answered as he gestured around himself, "light. And your victory."

"So the secret that I revealed to Shion isn't enough to light up the entire area."

Still, it was a lot. It was enough to nearly blind both of them.

At his side, Shion leaned over. "Hey, do you have any more, earth-shattering secrets to share?"

Hakkan felt a spark of irritation. His secrets weren't candy to hand out!

"Oh, I don't know," he began sarcastically, "how about the little crush the younger me has on you? He was under the impression that you were a girl crossdressing as a boy for some reason. You looked very pretty in a dress, by the way. All those laces and ribbons were a very nice touch. Compliments to the designer."

Some of the shadows receded at his words.

Huh, so lighter secrets counted too. Good to know.

Shion flushed and sulked. "Does this even count as your own secret? It seems more like you outed me."

"Now, now, you shouldn't trivialize younger me's feelings like that. Honestly, he would've been _heartbroken _listening to you right now. Do you have any shame?"

It was hilarious how genuinely chastised Shion looked.

Hakkan's amusement didn't last too long. He somehow managed to block a strike aimed at his throat with his scythe. His arms strained against the force of the attack. The weight was gone in a moment as Shion had shifted his sling into a sword to strike at his father.

"What's the meaning of this?" Shion demanded as he shifted his weapon back into a sling. He began to spin it in warning.

"Can't make it easy for you now, can I? Darkness and secrets are no light matters," Crocell Sinbad informed them with a fanged grin. "The darkness in this place exists solely to hide away my secrets. I have done many things for the sake of Sindria and I will continue doing so. I have also learned of many truths that are better heard instead of told. I am willing to continue bloodying my hands to keep these shadows that serve to protect my country and my people. Surely, both of you feel the same way."

Shion couldn't refute his father's statement. He had, after all, hidden away his identity as a time-traveler from mostly everyone for so many years.

He knew better than anyone else how important it was to keep many secrets.

Hakkan, on the other hand, pulled a face.

"That's great and all, but in the end it's just your opinion. You can shove whatever batch of heinous secrets you have wherever you want since I legitimately don't give a fuck about your business, but the secrets that are at stake for this trial are _mine_._ I_ choose what's considered light and heavy. _I_ choose what needs to be kept or told."

Sinbad's smile became strained. "Didn't you hear me? The more secrets you impart here, the less space I have to keep my own secrets." His eyes narrowed threateningly. "I will not let them be carelessly left out in the open."

Sinbad attempted to pounce but was driven back by a blast of energy. He glared at Shion, who already had his next attack ready in his sling.

Hakkan stuck his tongue out. "_You _were the one who made this stupid trial and put your precious secrets at risk. Don't back out so easily just because I don't value my own secrets as much as you do."

He hummed thoughtfully.

"Let me see…when I was seven, I wet the bed and blamed Askan for it."

"I made a servant boy around my age do my readings and work for a day while I snuck out of the palace to explore and play."

"There is this secret passageway behind Pharaoh Armakan's room which acts as an emergency exit. Askan and I played there so often that we knew how to safely go through the passageways with our eyes closed."

"My first kiss wasn't with Opal – I lied about that to her. It was with a pretty girl in Sasan I met during a diplomatic errand."

Hakkan continued his stream of confessions. They started out as innocent adventures and mishaps that he was lucky enough to get away with. Of course, those weren't enough to satiate the shadows around them. So, he began to pull up the secrets that stung so much that he buried them deep into his mind.

"Even before the Black Bird came into existence, I knew that my mother was up to no good, but I kept my silence until it was too late."

"The last interaction I ever had with my little brother was an argument. I was frustrated, so I told him that I hated him and I wished him dead. Until the end, I made him cry."

"Pharaoh Armakan had always intended to hand the throne over to his little brother. He never even considered me or Askan as his heirs."

Sinbad hissed and snarled but could not stop Hakkan from spilling his own secrets. When he tried, Shion drove him back, determined to not let his friend's actions be in vain.

At the same time, the shadows began to retreat more and more, revealing more and more of their surroundings, which turned out to be a forest. In the end, there was only a concentrated corner of darkness that remained like a stubborn stain. It seemed to only swallow up every secret Hakkan revealed to it.

By then, Crocell Sinbad ceased his attempts to silence Hakkan. Instead, he seemed content to sit back onto his four legs and watch.

Shion tried to offer up his own secrets, but the small patch of darkness remained stubbornly intact.

"Damn. What more does it need to go away?" Shion complained before tossing out one of his more embarrassing secrets. Hakkan grunted in agreement as he brought up a stream of inconsequential childhood secrets.

_Something's off…_

Hakkan paused in his flow of secrets and turned his attention to Sinbad. He didn't like the smile the king was wearing.

_He doesn't seem worried even though we're so close in completing his trial. What is he up to? It can't be that there's more to this trial than we thought. _

His eyes flickered over to the patch of darkness. He stared right into it until his head began to throb. With a hiss, he tore his eyes away.

_It is._

"You know," Hakkan said slowly, "I've been wondering…what's the point of these trials you set up here, King Sinbad? It can't be to test our worth as kings. You're no djinn. So, to torture us? Playing with our little minds and giving us false hope?" He tilted his head as Crocell Sinbad subtly shifted, smile still pasted on his face. "Hmm, not quite the answer, but it's close. You were pretty vague about the results of the final trial, weren't you? Tell me, King Sinbad, about what you meant by our _victory_? What does it mean?"

At his silence, Hakkan scoffed.

"Fine. How about an easier question? Who's this guy over here?" He pointed over to Shion.

Crocell Sinbad's smile turned a bit mocking. "He's 'Shion', of course."

There. There it was. That tone. The expression in his eyes. The very answer.

(Hakkan recalled in his younger self's memories of King Sinbad proudly presenting Shion to Pharaoh Armakan. _"This is my son," _he had said.)

It was all wrong.

Shion was clever. He should recognize that the _thing _in front of them wasn't his father with just this. He was sharp like that. At best, this version of Sinbad was only an imprint of a memory of a man who captured his final dungeon.

"Another fragment," Shion voiced quietly, disappointment set on his shoulders. "Then, Father…?"

"Probably somewhere beyond here," Hakkan suggested calmly, watching carefully as Crocell Sinbad got up to his feet and readied his weapon, "we should look for the door before we waste any more time."

Yeah. As if he hadn't found it already.

That last piece of shadow was exactly what Crocell Sinbad was trying to hide the entire time. Yes, the metaphorical representation of his many secrets as a king was also very important to this fragment, but protecting the final doorway seemed to be his main concern.

As the bearer of the Black Seed, Hakkan was well-attuned to the Black Bird as it was the source of the prime material Raul used to make the thing that ruined his life. That 'shadow' was actually a piece of the Black Bird – which, despite his automatic reaction to keep well away from it, was actually their goal all along. Where the Black Bird was, King Sinbad probably will be

And Crocell Sinbad was using them to close the door themselves with his so-called 'trial'.

Judging by how defensive Crocell Sinbad's body language is, though, Hakkan had a feeling that making his knowledge obvious isn't the _best _idea. A torn throat tended to make it a bit difficult to function, much less communicate to Shion about discovery.

Hopefully, Shion drew his own conclusions long ago. Hakkan wouldn't underestimate him and assume otherwise.

"You wish for the location of the doorway? I will not be as generous as the others. Defeat me in battle and I will send you forward."

When Crocell Sinbad sounded his challenge, Hakkan knew that it was a trick. He was trying to take away more of their time. He did not intend to lose.

But Shion, that idiot and fool, shifted Andromalius into a sword charged forward.

(He was always blind when it came to the Black Bird and his mother. Hakkan supposed that King Sinbad fell underneath the same category.)

"Shion, NO!"

When their blades connected, Crocell Sinbad bared his sharpened incisors into a parody of a grin.

Shion smiled back.

It was silly – so silly – but that smile assured Hakkan that everything was going to be okay since Shion only smiled like that when he knew he was going to have the upper hand. As if magnetized, Hakkan turned his eyes from the battle to the piece of the Black Bird that also served as a doorway.

Standing there was an almost intangible figure of a stranger. And yet, he seemed so familiar. Catching Hakkan's gaze, the man – _magician_, judging by the staff he was leaning against – raised a finger up to his lips and winked.

Hakkan heard Crocell Sinbad let out a roar. Turning back to the battle, he saw Shion launch himself up and over the fragment of his father using the energy of the next blow of their swords as leverage. He shifted out of his djinn equip to make himself lighter so he could go farther. Upon landing, Shion made a mad sprint to where the doorway – and the stranger – was.

Much to Hakkan's horror, Crocell Sinbad was not too far behind.

'_Stop him, stop him!'_ Something inside Hakkan screeched. At the same time, a fearful yet logical side him wondered, _"but __**how**_?"

Out of habit, Hakkan raised his gaze upwards for an answer.

_Submit yourself to the dark and you shall gain what you need the most._

(Oh. So the answer was _that _simple.)

Crocell Sinbad reached out with both hands and claws, brushing against the end of a braid. On the other side, the stranger's fingers made contact with Shion's.

(Time's up.)

Hakkan opened his mouth and spat out a single secret and truth that defined his very existence.

Many things happened at once:

Crocell Sinbad froze for a moment in his shock, losing the end of Shion's braid before he could pull him back. The stranger, suddenly solid and real, got a firm grip on Shion's hand and dragged him into and through the doorway.

And the doorway itself?

It collapsed after Shion got through and not a moment before.

* * *

Shion's lungs burned. He was by no means unfit. But he had just barely managed to outrun a creature with four legs. He felt that he deserved to feel a little winded after he fell out of his adrenalin high.

"Shion."

Shion grinned and tightened his grip on the other person's hand.

"Solomon. Thanks for the save. What are you doing here?"

"I am anchored to you, Shion. Intentionally or not, you brought me along with you," Solomon explained patiently as he waited for Shion to regain his breath enough to move forward. "Still, I am happy to aid you in this mission." There was guilt heavy on his features. "It's the least that I can do after all of my past transgressions."

Shion laughed. "Water under the bridge," he assured the creator of Alma Torran, "and I appreciate the help. There's a high chance that David would be involved, so I'll be in your care."

Solomon sighed, more resigned than frustrated with the re-emergence of that man. "Of course, he is. That bastard."

Shion repressed the next wave of chuckles in favor of keeping himself focused. He looked around himself and faintly recognized this place. He regarded it with some surprise. "This is…Balbadd."

It was the very stage-like area where Shion and the Blessed Children had all reunited after the many months apart. It was where Judal made his entrance and named Shion as one of Aladdin's King Candidates.

Shion and Solomon made his way toward the center of the stage where a recognizable figure stood.

"Shion!" Sinbad greeted his son warmly. "Welcome!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Overall Plot Summary of Each Dungeon:
> 
> 1st  
Sinbad: So the test is -  
(Tiare fires a plasma blast at Sinbad's face.)  
Sinbad:...What.  
Tiare (ashamed): I thought violence was the answer.
> 
> 2nd  
Sinbad: Enough! You are beneath me! I am a King, you mere Household Member, and I will not be bullied by -  
(Morgiana kicks Sinbad's ass all the way to next Tuesday)  
Morgiana:...puny King.
> 
> 3rd  
(In a court room)  
Sinbad: With these facts, I say he's innocent, your honor!  
Serendine: OBJECTION! These facts here contradict the previous facts! I say he's guilty!  
Judal:...So, can I talk about my awesome big brother? I have a really awesome big brother.
> 
> 4th  
Sinbad: You need to be the villain.  
Alibaba, an anime protagonist who accidentally ends up taking the challenge: (crying uncontrollably and running away) I hate this fucking trial!
> 
> 5th  
Sinbad: (pulls out a board game) Since you're a kid and new, I'll go easy on you.  
Aladdin: :D  
Sinbad: (revealing that all of this is actually an intricate allegory for backstabbing politics and a bloody war) Psyche! All your choices have CONSEQUENCES!  
Aladdin: :D :0 :o :(
> 
> 6th  
Sinbad (sobbing): You'll never know the amount of pain and heartbreak I'm going through!  
Hakuryuu, who's very well aware that everything ends up happily for Sinbad romantic-wise and family-wise while he's stuck pining after someone who's married to his cousin and already has a kid: (cries a waterfall) Bitch you thought.
> 
> 7th  
Sinbad: So, what's all your greatest secrets?  
Hakkan: Well, there was this one time I formed a crush on Shion because he wore a pretty dress -  
Shion: (soap opera gasp) Don't tell him that!  
Hakkan: What, it's my crush.  
Shion: Well, it's my dress. Lay off.


	69. Chapter 68: His Name was Sinbad

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shion speaks with his father.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Onwards

For once, almost all metal vessel wielders were all at the same place and ready to fight for the same cause. Ranya didn't know whether to be at awe at the impossible happening in front of her or despairing at the reason why.

"_No, no despairing,"_ Seere scolded lightly from the bracelet around Ranya's left wrist, _"that is the last thing we need right now, Fry."_

Ranya chuckled under her breath at the term of endearment made by the matronly Koi fish that was her djinn. She was no longer so young to deserve that title as she already had a child of her own.

_Children_, Ranya corrected herself as she brushed a hand over her belly. The bump was small, but it was still there. All of her djinn worried over it and its fate as the Black Bird gradually grew bigger and bigger behind the barrier.

"Are you sure you can do this?" Seishin's daughter fretted at her side. And for a good reason too. Ranya knew too well of the consequences of using up too much magoi while pregnant. Her brother was a magi after all.

"We'll be the last line of defense," she assured the small magician, "and we'll pull back before we reach our limit."

At her side, Maya nodded grimly. Since she was the furthest along, it was agreed that she would use her djinn equip against the Black Bird the briefest. At her insistence, she would also be the first. "No good to depend on the weakest link as the last line of defense, right?"

"You're not," Hel stubbornly insisted at her side, "you're the strongest person I know. Just because you're protecting an extra person _while _fighting doesn't mean that you're weaker for it. I'll bite anyone to death if they even suggest it."

Sometimes, sons just say the sweetest things to their mothers. Ranya thought that Maya did a wonderful job with her boy, who was nothing but polite and considerate to her in their interactions. Shion chose well when making him his friend.

At the thought of her son's name, something caught in Ranya's throat. After disappearing on them, all of Shion's friends fell into panic. No matter what Ranya tried to do, she couldn't calm them down. It didn't help that she was trying to fight down her own growing panic at the absence of Sin. The looks that the children shared whenever she asked didn't help.

But in the end of it, her son came back – he always did.

The strange thing was, he wasn't alone.

With Shion, there was her savior Judal, the fourth magi, Hakuyuu's youngest brother Hakuryuu, Amani's twin, a Fanalis, and a…dragon.

"_I'm sorry for worrying you and for so much more,"_ Shion had apologized to them, _"but I needed to take care of some things. I __**still **__need to take care of some things."_

Then, he had turned to her.

"_Mom, trust me, okay? I'll be back with Dad."_

Ranya hoped desperately that Shion would hold true to his promise. The way that his friends had reacted to his comment made her nervous, but she still let him go. Shion had asked her to trust him after all.

"_Trust him. The boy is sharp. He knows what he's doing,"_ Bifrons rumbled in their no-nonsense tone. Ranya could tell that their beautiful feathers were ruffled by her doubt. Both heads tended to despise wandering on past worries. They embodied the concept of "choice," after all. _"Focus on the present."_

Ipos, her first, was more sympathetic. _"Your son is special, but you are his mother. It's normal to worry. I would be more concerned if you didn't. But your instinct was correct, it was right to let him go. Fate has plans for him. Shion will be fine."_

Ranya was ripped from her thoughts when someone gave her a hard slap on the back. She turned to find Seishin grinning at her unrepentantly. "Done moping yet? C'mon, we need you here and ready if we're going to face this thing."

"Yes, don't worry. I'm here," Ranya laughed. She stopped when she heard someone running up to them. It was Shion's friends, Kikiriku, Selene, and Opal.

"All civilians are off the island and sailing to safer shores," Kikiriku reported, looking tired. He managed to offer Ranya a reassuring smile. He then translated for the blonde beside him. "While it's no permanent solution, we bought them more time by getting them out of range."

Opal nodded and offered, "Only metal vessel users, household members, and magicians are left here to hold the fort. We're free to duke it out against the Black Bird if it ever gets out of Kohaku's barrier. How long do we have after it starts trying to get out?"

Kohaku grimaced. "Five to ten minutes."

Opal sighed. "Well, at least we're all here together."

At that, Hel's head whipped up as he looked around.

"Where is that Crazy Herbivore?"

* * *

Somewhere on the island, Jamal sat hunched over a tree with his fingers curled into his hair.

"No…._no_, shut up. I know what you're trying to do. The last time a voice in my head pulled something like this, I ended up with a leadership position I never wanted. Besides, I can't do _that _to her. She's Shion's mom! And she's _pregnant! _I don't know who taught you to think that way but we don't do that to pregnant ladies here!"

"…"

"Well, I can't trust that. What if you're lying? Think of another way. Or convince me."

"…"

"…Never mind. Don't convince me. I don't like what you're saying. Like, at all. You can sound logical and reasonable all you want and I _still _won't do it. I'm not like Hakkan! I won't betray my buddy like that!"

"…"

"…"

"…"

"Is there really no other way?" Jamal sounded broken and wretched. "Is that it? The grand plan? The finale that all of us were fighting for? Why did you choose me, huh? Out of everyone in the world, why did you choose _me _to be your little mouthpiece and puppet? Not that it was any help. You let the coo-coo wizard hijack the entire thing." He paused for a moment before shaking his head. "No, don't answer that. I don't want to hear it. I'll only do it if _she's _willing to do it."

"…"

"Yeah, that's right," Jamal taunted with a satisfied smile on his face, "_I _decide how it plays out. I never took any shit when David was the one hitching the ride, I'm not taking any shit from some spaghetti god either. If we're doing this, we're going to do this with our eyes open. _Both _of us."

* * *

Behind the barrier, deep within the Black Bird, a father and a son faced each other, suspended in time.

"Father, you need to come back with us," Shion was pleading to the older man, "I don't know what David told you, but you can't trust him. Everything is wrong back at home. We need to go back so we can fix it."

But Sinbad wasn't listening. He had already turned away from both Shion and Solomon to give his entire attention to what was in front of him. It was a pair of doors, Shion realized with a chill, the same ones that Shion had opened himself moments before he learned about the truth. Shion wondered what already trickled out and, worse, what was still locked in.

Sinbad traced the door handles with an awed sort of reverence that was off-putting. "Amazing, to think a power like this was hidden in Sindria for so long. If I can reach the other side, then –"

"_Don't."_

Shion was at Sinbad's side in a moment. He grabbed his father's wrist warningly before he could open the door any further than he already did. He would barr the door if he could, but Shion instinctively knew that it wouldn't help a bit.

Sinbad was frustratingly baffled by Shion's intervention. "Why not?"

"Why _not_?" The anger that reared its head surprised even Shion himself. "The entire world will _die_ if you open that door. You have no idea what you're going to let out if you let it consume you."

Sinbad shook his head and laughed.

"Oh, Shion, let it consume me? No, David already warned me about that. He's a very informative fellow, isn't he? Well, after centuries of being alive, I'd expect him to know many secrets. I learned a lot during our conversations. And I'm using what I learned to get what I want right now." Sinbad gave Shion an expression that begged him to understand. "Shion, I'm planning on consuming _it_."

Shion stared at Sinbad blankly.

Then "Father? I'm going to punch you now."

Before Sinbad could fully process what Shion just said, he found himself on the ground nursing a horrible bruise that was forming on his cheek. His son stood over him with a dark expression on his face. "Here's what's going to happen," Shion stated with a calm that he wasn't really feeling, "you're going to come with me and away from this place. Then, you're going to forget anything and everything David's ever told you since he's a horrible influence. _Most importantly, _you're going to go to Mom and _apologize _for worrying her."

Shion came up to where Sinbad was and forced him up so that they were face to face.

"How can you be so stupid?!" Shion asked, angry and disappointed with his father. He refrained from punching him again when Sinbad's eyes remained blank and confused. "You're usually more careful than this, why are you so short-sighed right now?!"

Shion shook his head and _pleaded _for his father to understand. "Whatever David told you is behind that door…it isn't what you think. The truth is terrible and horrible, and I don't ever want it to happen again."

* * *

"_**King Sinbad, you are the Black Bird!"**__ Hakkan shouted._

* * *

Sinbad blinked and shook his head, slightly disoriented by the sudden flash of a memory that was not his own. His cheek still throbbed, and he was still seeing stars in the edge of his peripheral, but his mind never felt clearer than it had now.

"I…was the Black Bird?"

Shion froze at his question, dread and grief in his eyes. "Where did you hear that?"

Sinbad wrinkled his brow in thought as his secrets and caution came back to him. How did he lose them all in the first place? He grew wearier the more he regained. "I don't recognize him. That man was with you? No, you were being chased. By…me? He was shouting for some reason."

"Hakkan," Shion realized, calming down a little when he recognized the description, "that was Hakkan. But how?"

"Shion," Solomon called out from the side, acting only as the spectator as he waited for David to make his move, "your father, he's scattered." At Shion's expression, he nodded solemnly. "Yes, it's David's doing."

"Those trials," Shion realized under his breath, "but then how did Father suddenly remember about that?"

A corner of Solomon's lip quirked up. "Well, you and your friend managed to overcome that said trial. So, it's safe to say that a victory is an equivalent to the fragment returning to your father."

"I don't understand," Sinbad shook his head, still reeling from the truth forced upon him, "_how _am I the Black Bird? It destroyed Sindria. It was the very thing that you and your friends were trying to prevent from ending the world. How could it be me?"

Shion winced. "I don't know how it happened in the previous timeline," he admitted honestly, "but I swear it wasn't by your own will. It was planned by the Cursed Children. Back then, when I found out the truth, you were suffering. You wouldn't have done it on purpose."

"You must hate me," Sinbad realized, looking wretched in his understanding, "that was why the Veteran despised me so much and refused to call me father. _This_ was why he was so upset at Yunan. This was the truth that the seal was trying to prevent you from finding out."

* * *

"_**You have so much to look forward to in the future**__," Hakuryuu promised as he grabbed onto the blanket that covered the nearest window, __**"so strive to become someone who deserves it."**_

_Outside, the sun shone brightly over a happy Sindria._

* * *

Sinbad swayed only a little as he let the new wave of memories pass through his mind.

He remembered heartache and disappointment. He remembered himself at his lowest. And yet, despite it all, he remembered how he picked himself up from the event and pushed himself further.

"No, _no_. Father, I don't hate you." Shion shook his head in denial, unaware of the stream of memories that he had recently gained. "The Veteran – _I_ used to resent you for the role you played in the tragedy, that's true. It was easier that way. You were only a stranger, a historical figure at best. All that I learned about you was from stories and a tomb embellished with your name. But then, I met you."

Shion gestured to their surroundings, reminding him about Balbadd. "You brought me to Sindria. You officially recognized me as your son. You trained me. You protected me. You _tried_. And I love you for it. If there is still something that should be forgiven, _I forgave you a long time ago._ Please, believe me."

Something in Sinbad's chest warmed at Shion's words.

"I believe you."

Relief crossed Shion's eyes.

"Good. Now, let's go home."

* * *

"_**I choose to end this game."**__ Aladdin waved his staff and disappeared all of his own pieces, leaving only the ones that represent the other side. His opponent looked at him strangely for his actions._

"_So, you choose to forfeit? Are you sure that this is the correct choice? You still have a trial to take, you know."_

_Aladdin smiled calmly, completely unconcerned. _ _ **"You said 'until the end', didn't you Uncle Sinbad? You might be better at playing this game, but I am not bound it like you are so I can stop whenever I want."** _

* * *

Sinbad was ready this time.

The skills he accumulated through time as a king settled into his mind without much trouble. It was one of the more natural parts of him after all. All of the information and details that had seemed to slip out of his mind like sand from cupped hands were now solid in his thoughts. Something inside him hardened and turned cold when he remembered _why _he had reached out for the crack in his office in the first place.

Shion's relief turned into confusion when Sinbad took a step back.

"Father?"

"I'm sorry, Shion. But I can't do that."

"Does it have to do with something you remembered?" Solomon questioned from the side. Sinbad turned to him and glared, acknowledging him for the first time. "Yes, I did. In fact, it has something to do with _you _and _what you did to my son._"

Solomon looked apologetic. "King Sinbad, I never intended to hurt him when I reached out to him. The seal in his head –

"I wasn't talking about the time with the seal. Or anytime during this timeline." Sinbad began to smile. It wasn't a nice one. "I was talking about what you did to him in the _other _one."

Solomon stilled.

Shion looked between his father and Solomon wearily. "…Solomon? What is he talking about?"

"You fiend!" Sinbad snarled. "David told me everything about what happened in the future. You used my son! You're _still _using my son! Shion _still _thinks that he's responsible for what happened! And you _let him_."

"What is he talking about?" Shion repeated. "Solomon –

"Your father is implying that _I _was the reason for your obsession in the pursuing the Black Bird – and the reason why the world ended."

Shion stared at Solomon for a long moment before scoffing and shaking his head.

"That's ridiculous. Solomon isn't the kind of person who would destroy the world. He's not _David._ Besides, he has no reason to."

Instead of looking irritated by his son's doubt, Sinbad only looked sympathetic. "Doesn't he?"

Shion paused.

Solomon shifted but kept his expression blank.

"Doesn't he?" Sinbad asked again, knowing all too well that Shion came to the same conclusion that he did. "The one behind this door, the one who designed this prison, wasn't she his mother? If it were Ranya, would you have let it be? If you had the opportunity to free your mother from her eternal loneliness, wouldn't you?"

Shion couldn't answer.

"I can't trust him, Shion. And until I sever the connection between you two permanently, I won't be returning home."

* * *

"_**I am here to negotiate the survival of Sindria**__," Alibaba proclaimed brightly._

"_The survival? Didn't you just say that you'd destroy it just moments ago?" Sinbad asked, looking annoyed. "Did I give you all that time for nothing?"_

_Alibaba wagged his finger. _ _ **"Uh-uh, I said I would destroy ** _ **this ** _ **Sindria – which is a beautiful dream and all, but it's standing in the way of the survival of the real thing."** _ _ At seeing Sinbad's confusion and mounting concern, he continued to talk._

"_**Your people need you, Sinbad,"**__ Alibaba entreated. __**"Please, be a king and make the right choice."**_

_After a long, tense moment, Sinbad sighed in defeat. Behind him the beautiful vision of Sindria faded away into nothingness._

* * *

The next set of memories, as well as his love for Sindria, only strengthened Sinbad's resolve.

Back then, Sinbad had his doubts at first when he became aware of David's presence within his psyche. How could he not? After witnessing what the madman did in Aladdin's memories of Alma Torran, he had every reason to be guarded against anything that the man had to say.

But still, the potential of the knowledge that David offered was too tempting to ignore.

And wasn't it good that he listened? Shion would've remained under the control of that _ghost _until it finally killed him_._ It was bad enough that Solomon was able to overtake Shion's body at will, but it _put his son's life at risk._ Many times.

Sinbad felt that he finally got through to Shion.

But then –

"No," Shion smiled ruefully, looking up, "no matter what Solomon's intentions were or are, the obsession with the Black Bird? That was all me. None of it was his influence."

Sinbad opened his mouth the retort.

"Father," Shion said gently, "that's enough. David was lying to you. Let's go home."

Sinbad didn't let his resolve waver. He reached behind him and felt the cool wood of the door behind him. The sad calm between him and his son dissolved immediately at his action. Shion was on alert, too far to stop his father.

"Even so," Sinbad allowed, "it does not change that you and I are currently their puppets in a war that should have ended a _long _time ago. David is wily and there is no telling when Solomon would risk you in order to protect the world from him. The only solution," he managed to grasp at the handle of the door, "is to take power into my own hands. David and Solomon may hold a _millennia's_ worth of knowledge and magic, but this…this is the power of a dying god. If I can take it and control it then…"

* * *

"_Excuse me, what?"_

"_**I plead guilty,"**__ Judal repeated patiently, which was an odd thing of itself. But the usually temperamental and immature magi was neither of those two traits at the moment. He was the epitome of calm as he stared back at Sinbad and Serendine._

_Serendine shook her head, confused. "But…you just said…"_

"_**I meant what I said about taking responsibility for your actions, so I'm doing it: I'm owning up to all of my crimes."**__ Judal shrugged and leaned into his staff. __**"Yeah, I was being manipulated and used and all, but if I don't cut away those strings and take the consequences as my own, I'd stay as Judal of Al Thamen forever."**_

_Sinbad nodded pensively. "So, you've decided to shoulder all of their lives. It's heavy," he warned the magi, "but I think you can bear it."_

_Judal may have muttered something about 'fate not ever letting him forget about the fall of Sindria by throwing a reminder at his feet every other second so why the fuck not' or he may have not._

"_You've grown up, Judal." To Sinbad's amusement, the magi flushed._

"_**My name is Kido."**__ Judal – Kido – declared, trying his best to hide his bluster. Then, half- jokingly and half-done with everything, he added, __**"So, what's the verdict?" **_

"_Guilty," Sinbad decided with solemn finality. _

"_Guilty," Serendine quietly agreed, tears of guilt still streaming down her face._

* * *

Sinbad paused for a moment at this new memory. The contents of it hit too close to home.

"Father, Father, _don't_. Please don't. This won't give you power the way you think!" Shion took a step forward and stopped when Sinbad moved again. "This is what David wants. I don't know why – I can't even begin to understand what goes through his mind, but that never means any good. He doesn't _care _about my safety. He doesn't _care _about this world. Whatever he wants beyond that door…it's not the kind of power you can control."

There was a sense of foreboding that began to creep into his heart at Shion's expression, but Sinbad brushed it away. Shion's fears were valid, true, but he didn't have the fortune and experience that Sinbad had.

"Whatever tricks he tried to pull on me, he failed a long time ago," Sinbad claimed confidently, "I already know that he's mad. David already made many suggestions. But this – this is something I decided on my own."

* * *

"_**As someone who used to be a slave, I cannot trust my life and loyalty to a King like you."**_

_As Sinbad blinked in shock at Morgiana's declaration, his household members were quick to jump to his defense. The imaginary shadow enemies that had surrounded them were all gone as the group turned on Morgiana._

"_How can you say that?!" The young Ja'far was quick to draw his blades and narrow his eyes. "You have no idea what Sin sacrificed for the Sindria Company – for us! He's the king I chose after he saved me, Vittel, and Mahad from our miserable lives as Sham Lash Members!" _

_Behind him, a man with a scar across his nose and a large, bulky man appeared, exhausted and bloody from their battle with the shadows. They both stared at the Fanalis judgmentally._

"_Sinbad showed me a bigger world beyond the walls of my home!" Mystras exclaimed, limping over to join in on defending Sinbad. "He showed my country and my father a better and brighter path!"_

_And finally, there was Masrur, who barely came up to Morgiana's waist. At his leg was a chain connected to a metal ball. He said nothing._

_Sinbad, who finally recovered from his initial shock, ventured to ask, "Can you tell me why?" _

"_**You view yourself as a higher being than your people,"**__ Morgiana pointed out bluntly gesturing to Sinbad's gigantic form with a critical expression__**, "and because of this, you believe yourself completely and utterly infallible."**_

"_Isn't that what a King is?" Sinbad asked. "A King is a person who is responsible for his own. In order to lead and protect my people, I have to have complete faith in my own skills and decisions. Everyone here follows me for that reason."_

_The Fanalis looked around herself and made a light, chuffing sound that seemed to be an equivalent of a scoff. She walked over to Masrur and broke his chains with her bare hands. As the metal pieces fell from her hands one by one, she stared at Sinbad. _ _ **"Did you even think to ask him if he wanted them gone, or did you assume his thoughts?"** _

"_I…" Sinbad had the decency to look abashed. He looked around himself and saw the wounds on his friends and the exhaustion in their eyes. He was so high up in his size that he had failed to notice them. "I didn't ask him. I didn't even notice."_

"_**You are allowed to be wrong, but you need to listen to your people so you can grow into a better king," **__Morgiana lightly scolded the young king. __**"While Alibaba is slow in many things, he was always good at doing this – listening and changing."**_

_Sinbad nodded contemplatively. "I see. I have so much more to learn." He closed his eyes and opened them. Unlike before, he was the size that anyone would expect from a fifteen-year-old. He looked at Morgiana contemplatively. "I yield to you in this trial."_

* * *

Sinbad blinked and paused again.

Perhaps…perhaps, he should think a little more on this. Shion was so scared and he was trying to say something. Shouldn't he try to listen to him at least? And Solomon, there was still a sense that he was hiding something, but what if Sinbad's assumptions were wrong?

(What if _he _really wasn't the danger?)

No. No, he was King Sinbad of the Seven Seas. Whatever would come he would face it and overcome it. Just as he always did. Sinbad _needed_ this power. This was _necessary._ To protect Shion, who the world seems so determined to put into the path of risk, Sinbad would do this.

Sinbad began to open the door. It was only a little crack.

Shion began to scream.

* * *

"_**This person is important to you, isn't she?"**__ Tiare asked, oddly quiet for someone who had almost burst Sinbad's eardrums with her roar._

_A complex mix of longing, grief, and regret flashed across the not-yet King's eyes as he took in her small form, her tears, and the oyster shells at her feet. _

"_Her name is Ranya. We grew up together after Dad found her at the battlefield. She used to always look after me when we were little," Sinbad said wistfully. "This was after she used the oysters she collected as weapons to save me from a man who was threatening my life. He knocked her out and Dad had to step in. She was already so brave and sacrificing at that age."_

_Both of them watched the girl as she wiped her cheeks and marched forward with newfound determination._

_With every step, she grew older and older._

_When she stopped, Ranya was fourteen years old. Her golden hair, which had given her so much trouble back when the hair color was the equivalent of belonging with the enemy, was long and was pulled back into a braid. While she wore no dress, her pants and shirt revealed budding curves that whispered of maturity. Sinbad couldn't help but wince at the image of her standing at the edge of a village, waiting fearfully for what was to come._

_Tiare, blissfully ignorant, watched her with admiration._

"_**She's very beautiful…but why does she look so sad?"**_

_Sinbad didn't answer as a troop of bandits on their horses came into the scene and stopped in front of Ranya. At the head was the infamous Bandit King, who collected more wives than he did horses, which were very expensive._

_Tiare gasped as he snatched Ranya and left with her._

_It was not quite the most accurate depiction of the event, but Sinbad made do with what he heard. He hadn't been there, too far out at sea to get back in time._

"_**You lost her."**__ There was pity – and worse – understanding in her voice now. Sinbad wanted to slap his hands over his ears and wish it all away. He couldn't because that was childish, and he had a trial to finish overseeing._

_Tiare didn't stop there._

"_**You lost many people to things you couldn't control or fight against, so that's why you needed power,"**__ she said solemnly, __**"because you were scared of losing anyone else."**_

"_Scared? Scared?! I wasn't scared!" Sinbad snarled at her. His entire body frizzled with lightning and he rounded on her. Tiare looked back fearlessly, still in her human form. "I was frightened of the very idea of it!" And then, just like that, all the anger and resentment left him as he fell to his knees. _

_Sinbad ran a clawed hand over his face and looked back at the empty spot where Ranya once was._

"_It was my powerlessness that made me lose Dad to the war. I didn't have enough power to save Ranya when she needed me the most."_

"_**You got the power you needed to protect the ones you love at the end, didn't you?"**__ Tiare asked._

_Sinbad looked down at his arms. A faint outline of a woman lied there with a trembling yet proud smile. Her chest hitched with her last breaths as her mouths formed words that he couldn't read because his sight was too blurry with tears. "No," Sinbad confessed, words heavy and bitter on his tongue as it said it, "I still lost someone. I lost her because I left to conquer Baal and came back too late."_

_Tiare was sympathetic. She came forward and wrapped her arms around him in comfort as he cried._

"_**Sometimes, you can't prevent things from happening, no matter how powerful you are, so just be with the people you love as long as you can."**_

* * *

Sinbad's eyes widened as he looked at his son.

Shion was on the floor. The wave of darkness that escaped from that small crack pooled at Sinbad's feet and surrounded Shion. His son, who had been a young man, shrunk back into his ten-year-old self. He sobbed in pain as he tried to get the corroding substance off of himself.

Sinbad was quick to leave the door. He hastily wiped away the substance from his son.

"I'm sorry, Shion. I was wrong. You were right," Sinbad scooped his son up and held him close, "Shion, I'm so sorry. Are you hurt anywhere else?"

"Father…let's go home." Shion sniffled pathetically as he buried his head into Sinbad's chest. "Don't become a god. Stay. Please. Let's just go back home."

Sinbad nodded. "Okay, let's go home."

* * *

"Miss Ranya."

Ranya blinked in surprise at the sudden appearance of Jamal. "Oh! Everyone was looking for you. Where have you been, Jamal?"

The Sasanian boy shook his head. "Never mind about that. We don't have much time. I have something to tell you, Miss Ranya. Well, it's more of a request. You can say no!" He quickly added. "Actually, I hope that you do…"

Jamal told her.

Much to his dismay, she listened all the way through and nodded.

"All right."

"Wait, what?! You heard me, didn't you? This is _insane!_ You should be screaming at me right now!" Jamal insisted.

"Shion never said that he had a prophet as a friend. You're all full of surprises, aren't you?" Ranya mused, ignoring Jamal's mini-breakdown. "You're not the first I met, you know. Usually, your lot are a bit dreamier, but to each their own."

Jamal stopped. "Wait…I'm not the only one who hears voices?"

Ranya shook her head. "No. Well, I suppose you're more sensitive and in tune to whatever is on the other side than most," she conceded, "but you're still one of the gifted with the ability of foresight. Most likely, one of the last."

Jamal snorted. "Some gift, I'm sending my best friend's mother to her death right now."

"Hey, chin up. It's not your fault. The voice told you to do it," Ranya joked. Her eyes softened at Jamal's expression and she placed a comforting hand on his head. "Who knows? There might be a last-minute miracle."

"No," Jamal's eyes were knowing, "it's already too late."

* * *

Shion felt his father stiffen.

"Father?"

Shion felt himself get peeled off of Sinbad's chest. He looked up at his father in confusion. "Father –

He froze.

David's face stared back at him. The man regarded him curiously. "Such a small thing. And yet, you caused so much trouble for me. Ah, well, as expected of my son's avatar." With a snap of his fingers, the doors flew open, inviting more of the darkness from the other side. Shion's stomach sunk at the sight.

"Finally…"

"Where is my father?" Shion demanded. "What did you do to him, David!"

Then, he glanced down at Shion. "Ah, yes, I almost forgot about you." He then casually tossed the boy into the sea of black.

Shion fell.


	70. Chapter 69: The Black Bird

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Solomon never wanted to be a king or a god. Still, he's made some big mistakes and he's going to help Shion fix them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Onwards

Contrary to common belief, Solomon was not, in fact, a perfect god.

Honestly, he was no proper god at all. At best, Solomon was just a squatter who preferred to spend time amongst the great flow of the rukh instead of helping out delegate Ugo and Sammi's world. He was _aware _of the general happenings and goings through the rukh, but he had absolutely no hand in maintaining it.

Solomon never wanted to be a king, much less a god.

It was the greatest ironies of all ironies when Solomon, after a series of events that he preferred not to think of, ended up tied to an impossible boy who had the fate of a king.

Of course, by the time he found out that he was completely and irreversibly stuck, Solomon had a _reason _to stay instead of frolicking amongst the rukh. The world that his mother had created so lovingly with her own hands was ending.

And it was his fault.

Of course, it wasn't at all the way that David had framed it to Sinbad. Aggravatingly powerful and knowledgeable David may be, but even _he _was sorely limited to the events that happened in the future that never was. Solomon was only able to have that particular insight because of his connection to Shion.

Solomon made his mistakes. He acknowledged every last one of them. But then, he saw what his mistakes did to so many lives, including Shion. _Especially _Shion. Years with the boy made him fond. Solomon never really had the chance to be a father to Aladdin or any other future he may have had with Sheba – another result of his many mistakes. While Shion was no replacement, he still became someone important to Solomon. It had hurt to see Shion suffer again and again due to his own careless actions. Because of that, Solomon was willing to go through great lengths to make it right again.

But now? Now, everything was falling apart again because of David and his supernatural ability to fuck things up.

Solomon chased after Shion's small body as he fell deeper and deeper into the darkness that was the Black Bird. Thankfully, it hadn't begun to eat away at Shion quite yet when Solomon reached him.

"Shion? Shion, can you hear me?"

Shion's tearful face stared back at Solomon. The magician winced at the apparent pain that he was enduring. While Shion was the perfect power source for the Black Bird in his despair, he was also the complete opposite when his rukh was the brightest. His body and the darkness were rejecting each other completely.

"Solomon?"

"Yes, yes, it's me. Shion, I can save you, but I need your permission and your trust."

Shion didn't even hesitate. He nodded, gritting his teeth at the movement. Solomon couldn't help but feel proud of how well he was holding on so far. Everything must hurt. "Do whatever you need to do. Just save Father and stop David."

With his permission granted, Solomon wrapped his arms around Shion's body.

Solomon hated sharing any similarities to David. The way he spiritually overtook Sinbad in the last moment was vile. But still, the idea of it was useful in this situation and was far easier to put into practice with the mutual participation. With Solomon taking the lead, the darkness wouldn't hurt Shion as his presence was acting as a barrier.

Shion saw through Solomon's eyes as they looked around the darkness for a way out together.

To their surprise, they quickly encountered a familiar face in their search.

Well, not a familiar _face_, but Solomon recognized Arba all the same. Arba, despite her completely disembodied and consumed state, recognized Solomon and Shion in an instant too and was _not _happy to see them.

_Troublemakers_, she didn't quite say, but Solomon and Shion were able to understand what she was trying to communicate, _why here? Destroy my Father again? Ruin? No, no, get out! Leave!_

Solomon held up his hands – well, a hand and a staff – in a peaceful gesture that he hoped Arba would be able to see despite having no eyes. She had recognized them, hadn't she? "We're trying to leave, Arba," Solomon told her soothingly, gambling that she'd be able to understand even without ears. "We didn't mean to come here in the first place. David tossed us in here."

At the mention of David, Arba's presence began to lash out and writhe with hatred. Shion buzzed with weariness at the back of Solomon's mind.

"If you can point us to the exit, Arba, we'll get out of your hair and never come back," Solomon promised, completely unaffected by the sudden wave of hostility aimed at himself. He continued to speak and negotiate with the being that once was his closest confidant. "Better yet, we'll stop David from whatever devious plans he has for Il Illah."

_No! No! Threat! David! Leave! LEAVE!_

In an instant, Solomon and Shion were booted out of the mass that was once part of Il Illah and back into the light.

…And barreled right into David.

* * *

_The Ones Who Died_

_(1)_

There was something twisted about having to reenact a death multiple times. Harley knew. She'd been run over almost a thousand times already. While the first ten times or so were shocking and traumatizing, the effect honestly ebbed once everything became predictable.

She was used to the blood and pain. Fighting barbarians off at the borders was far more exciting and bloodier than this.

…? Harley never fought before. Her train of thought was interrupted by yet another impact with the car. _Again,_ she was thrown back. _Again, _her world went black.

Harley began noticing some things as the cycle continued. She noticed how the car had no business in appearing when it had. She noticed how the streets were strangely empty. And most importantly, she recognized the driver behind the wheel.

'_Oh Eric…'_ Harley winced sympathetically. He really _had_ been slowly becoming more and more unstable after Sammi had died. _'Poor guy.'_

'_Poor guy? Poor __**me**__. It was __**my **__life that he just took. If I have the chance to go back again for real, I'll tear out his spine and beat him with it for pulling something like this.'_

Harley jerked in surprise at the aggressive thought. Yet again, what she was suggesting really was a more merciful option than the messy butchering that a certain someone would do if he knew about this.

…What was his name again? This person's name drew only as a blank no matter how hard Harley thought about it. It certainly wasn't Remy, but she _swore _that he was a friend. Perhaps someone even more dear to her…. what was she even thinking about again? No, no, she had to focus, so was _so close _in finding his name. She could taste it on her tongue. This was important. This was _important. _He was – he was –

Harley paused.

"Kouha."

That's right. Her prince. Her stubborn, stubborn prince, who wouldn't leave her alone no matter how many times she pushed him away. And she had been a princess once, wasn't she? A Disney one. The one with the tiger – Jasmine? No, close, but not quite…_Yasmine_.

The name settled comfortably into her chest.

Her name was Yasmine Leoxses. Not Harley, not anymore. Harley Kingston was long dead.

(She woke up.)

_(2)_

Sydney was in a nightmare.

She would always wind up in the same place again no matter how many times she died: under the pillow. No matter how hard she fought against it, she couldn't come up for air. The man above her wouldn't allow it. And how could she? Sydney was too weak.

Sydney suffocated to death once again. And right after that, she wound up right back under the pillow. Again.

'_Stab him with your hairpin.'_

Sydney instinctively reached into her hair and found nothing. And why would she have? She never wore anything in her hair when she went to sleep.

Something rang wrong with that thought. She always made sure there was something sharp on her whenever she went to bed. How else would she defend herself from all the possible assassination attempts? Her teacher had always warned her that –

Her teacher? Sammi had never said anything like that.

_But Sammi wasn't her only teacher was she?_

Sydney suffocated to death once again. And then she returned. She was getting better at thinking without air.

Who was she to warrant so much defense and protection? Sydney was only a normal girl. A normal girl who was getting suffocated to death because she overheard the wrong thing at the wrong time. Because knew the truth.

…Yes, she knew the truth, didn't she? More than anyone else in the entire world. That was why they were so eager to find her and kill her. But they couldn't because she discovered them all _first. _She was a Blessed Child. She was Kougyoku Ren and _all of this wasn't real._

The suffocating pillow finally fell away.

(She woke up.)

_(3)_

Remy looked at his reflection in the water. His plain face stared back. For a moment, he wished he could be anyone else other than himself. He did it before, didn't he? Many times. So many to the point he nearly forgot his own. Remy tilted his head. Was that a metaphor? Must've been. The bathtub water was murky with blood, but he paid it little mind. He had already died many times before – all painful and slow. Going out through slit wrists was never easy. He could call for help, but he knew instinctually that nobody would come.

Nobody came.

Remy woke up once again hanging at the edge of the bathtub and was struck with a sudden sense of disbelief. What was he even _doing_? This wasn't the time and place to die! He had people waiting for him!

…Who, though?

His father and mother would still have another child, who wasn't a disappointment and a murderer. Marga was always such a sweet and smart girl. She'd take care of him when he was gone.

No. Wait. His sister's name was _Maggie, _not Marga. Who was Marga? And who was _he_? Eric?

Wrongness spread through him from head to toe as he felt repulsed at the thought. Not Eric then. But who? Marga, Marga, Marga, who? She was in a place so dark. Dark and darker. She would've died in there. But somebody came for her. Who?

A face flashed across Remy's mind. It brought so much warmth. He felt…loved.

Slowly, oh so slowly, the mask of Remy Purdue slid down his face, leaving behind another. He looked down at his wrists and felt his next death coming. He could wait for it to happen again like the other times.

But he refused.

Sai stood up and walked over to the cabinet, dripping blood all over the floor. He carefully bandaged both of them up as best he could before turning to the phone. With a small smile, he picked it up. It seemed like a hopeless task – it had already happened after all. But he wanted to do this before he moved on. For himself.

Sai called for help.

(He woke up.)

* * *

For once, David looked surprised.

Solomon, who was always extremely petty when it came to his father, took pleasure in seeing the expression cross the madman's face milliseconds before he crashed into him. It was never a planned thing, but Solomon was never one who looked a gift horse in the mouth.

Of course, he was quick to back away a safe distance from the winded David – and wasn't _that _a phrase never said before! – at the insistence of Shion. It really just involved him crawling backwards and grabbing his staff to help himself up as the impact shook his head a bit too.

So far, the final battle that decided the fate of the world was completely undignified.

Shion looked around the area with Solomon's eyes and realized that everything changed again. Instead of Balbadd, they were on an intricate, raft-like structure. It was sailing down a sea of black that went on forever.

"Solomon…" David coughed as he got back onto his feet. He straightened his robes as gracefully as he could, which was not very graceful at all. "Why am I not surprised?"

"That's what _I _should be saying after everything you pulled," Solomon stated flatly, readying his staff into a battle pose, "you bastard."

David sighed.

"What an ungrateful son. You really weren't worth all that trouble. And yet, for some reason, Sammi wanted to have you no matter how much I insisted otherwise."

At the mention of his own mother, Solomon's expression darkened.

"Ah, yes," David took pleasure in his son's ruined mood, "you finally remembered Sammi, didn't you? Your poor mother cursed to remain alone forever. How could you have let it come to this, Solomon? Worse yet, why do you stand in my way? I'm doing this for her."

"You're destroying her sacrifice."

David shrugged. "Think of it as a gift return. As charming as it is, this world was never worth my Bathsheba's suffering. She may despise me and curse at me all she wants, but I refuse to let her be locked up."

"Like _you_ did to her?" Solomon accused, perfectly aware of the man's hypocrisy. Shion shared his indignance as he had seen snippets of that particular part of the story in his many dreams.

"Solomon," David chided, "you know what I did is _nothing _compared to this."

He gestured over to a direction both Solomon and Shion recognized as the direction where the doorway stood. Instead of the familiar set of doors that led to Sinbad's office, there now stood the opening of a cave. While it spurted out streams of black goo, what lied inside was far worse.

True darkness.

Solomon staggered back.

"A horrible place to be, isn't it? And all alone. Sammi was all alone," David appeared genuinely upset by this fact as he, too, stared into the void. Then, he tore himself from the endless darkness and smiled victoriously. "But no longer! With Sinbad's body acting as the perfect vessel for Il Illah, Sammi can finally be freed from her burden and return to me. I simply have to find her."

Shion felt sick. He wondered if Solomon felt the same thing. It was all wrong. Was this really Sammi? It was all wrong.

Solomon was tired.

"Stop this already, David," he commanded, "You won't find her here."

"How can you be so sure, Solomon? You haven't even _tried._ Sammi loved you enough to rebel against me and you never _tried _to find her_._" Pure and utter loathing flashed across David's features as he regarded his son. Solomon had once thought of his father as above these emotions. He had always been so emotionally distant and continually smug in their interactions. But it seemed that David only came to life when it came to Sammi.

"I did." Solomon's confession was quiet and defeated. Still, David heard him and…stopped. He listened. Shion listened, too. "I did look for her. After the moment she sent herself away from Ugo and the new world, I…"

Solomon had searched. He had searched far and wide for her. With the rukh, he traveled to different worlds, different dimensions. The universe was a vast place, but if he searched far enough, he was sure that he would find her.

"I tried. It took centuries, but I finally found the dimension where Mom sent herself." Solomon smiled self-depreciatingly. "I was selfish. I didn't think of the consequences when I brought that dimension over to this world where my powers were the strongest. I just wanted to get her out and take her home."

Solomon remembered how excited he was when he found her prison. How idiotic he was when he dared to bring it close to the very thing that his mother feared of destroying. But he wasn't thinking clearly. He was only happy at the idea of seeing Sammi again.

But then.

But then…

"I found nothing there," Solomon said blankly, still hurting at the mere memory of it. "Mom wasn't there. I sent in rukh to search for her. That was my first mistake. Whatever was in there was almost completely dead, but I brought it back to life. I made it _worse._"

Solomon's hands shook as he continued to confess. This time, it was for Shion. He knew David didn't care about this part.

"I closed the prison before any of it got out. But not tight enough. That was my second mistake. When Al Thamen found it, they managed to pry it open enough to get what was on the other side. I tried to banish that dimension as far away as possible. But it already knew where we were. It kept coming back. It didn't cause much trouble to any individuals, so I thought that it was fine to leave it be as long as I banished it whenever Al Thamen found it. That was my final mistake."

"_I'm sorry, Shion,"_ Solomon apologized, _"for what I did and everything that happened because of it."_

Whatever response Shion may have wanted to convey was cut short by a chuckle. Both Solomon and Shion zeroed in on David, immediately on guard.

"You surprised me, Solomon," David said with a pleased smile, "to have thought that this was only possible because of you…perhaps you truly are more my son than hers." Solomon's head reeled back at that comment. "But still, I can't believe that Sammi is not there. She has to be. You simply haven't searched hard enough. Don't worry. I'll find her now."

Solomon was on the defense once again, ready to obstruct him from whatever he had planned.

But David turned his back on Solomon and jumped off of the raft.

"…"

"…"

Shion asked Solomon what David just did.

"Nothing good" was all the answer Solomon could give him.

Inside the barrier, the Black Bird began to surge.

* * *

**One Last Lesson**

**(1)**

Yasmine stood across from Raja with a sad smile playing across her face. Her teacher, in turn, watched back. He was silent and solemn as a mountain. Behind him, there stood a long line of people wearing masks over their eyes.

"Princess, you should cover your eyes," Raja warned her gently. "We have a country to serve. Join us."

Yasmine shook her head.

"No. I watched you die a thankless death as they watched. That is not the death I want," she told him honestly. "And my eyes are fine just the way they are. I'm sorry, Raja, but I have to go on ahead."

To Yasmine's surprise, Raja looked happy at her response. "Go," he urged her, "you were always made for better things. Go and live and be happy, princess."

Yasmine nodded and looked Ahead. Far, far, at the back of the line, Yasmine finally found her. She blinked and the long distance no longer existed. The line of predecessors no longer existed. It was just her and the dreamy child in front of her.

"A knight," Harley said in surprise, "Will you save me too?"

Yasmine took her hand.

**(2)**

Illusion or not, Ping's pinching still hurt.

"Careless! Hopeless! I taught you better!" Her teacher scolded her as she yanked at Kougyoku's ear again. The young woman bared her teeth and snarled back. "Cut it out, Ping! I did more than great, considering!"

From the edge of her senses, Kougyoku knew that there were others behind the many doors Ping and she was walking down. _Like her,_ her senses whispered. _Predecessors._

"You let yourself be found! You told a high-ranking member of Al Thamen about your abilities! _You made yourself a Priestess!"_

Kougyoku sighed fondly at the mention of her greatest achievement. "Best decision ever, honestly. I was getting tired of constantly hiding, Ping. I know you wanted me to be safe, but what would that really do? I can't run away from the problem forever. Not when I can do something."

Ping and Kougyoku stopped when they heard someone crying behind a thin door. Kougyoku gravitated towards it, curious and concerned. "You shouldn't open that door," Ping warned her, "it's dangerous."

Kougyoku threw back a challenging smirk. "Didn't you hear me before, Ping? I can't run away every time there's danger. Someone needs my help."

Ping shook her head with fond exasperation. "Hopeless."

Kougyoku opened the door and found a crying Sydney curled up in a ball. "Help me," she cried, "I'm so scared."

Kougyoku took her hand.

**(3)**

"You know, you could've just _told me_."

Sai knew that it was a long time ago, but he was still bitter. Across from him, Marius laughed. He paid no mind to the Yambala members that surrounded them with their wooden masks. Sai instinctively knew that they wouldn't hurt them.

Masks…

Sai had to admit that he was curious to see the true faces of his many predecessors. But he respected their wishes and left them well alone. He focused on Marius instead, who was calming down.

"There was nothing you could do. It was my time," Marius told him sadly. "They would've taken you down too if I didn't."

"Or they wouldn't have," Sai argued. "We could've worked out a way that we got out of it _together. _Yes, it might never have worked, but trying is better than nothing. You should have trusted me."

Marius' eyes softened before he reached over and ran a thumb down the ugly scar that marred Sai's face and blinded his eye. "Yes," he mused, "yes, you're right. I should have trusted you more, Sai. Our type of Blessed Children always had a bit of a trust issue, but grew out of that, didn't you? You're showing your true face to me, after all."

Then, Marius drew back. "Go on," he urged Sai, "you can't stay here. I have no more lessons to give you and no more lessons to learn. Find what you came to look for and move on now."

Sai stood up and pushed through the ring of Yambala masks. He searched and searched until he found the right one. Remy's sour face stared back at Sai when he removed his mask. "Leave me alone," he said, "don't you have anything better to do?"

Sai took his hand.

* * *

Outside of the Black Bird and the barrier around Sindria, the one proof that Solomon had, in fact, misjudged how much his choice affected the individuals in this world was trying to pull a fruit from a tree as a last snack before the world ended.

See, Solomon's concept of time and space was a bit skewed after joining with the rukh. Sammi's prison had appeared _many _times around the world and Solomon had missed a good amount of them.

Including the one that had opened in Sasan a decade ago.

"Shut up! I don't care if this is a waste of time!" Jamal Leoxses, second-born grandchild of Darius Leoxses and innovator of many things that fell into the 'fantastical' category snarled at, well, himself. It was hard to pinpoint where a supernatural entity that used to be another world's god would be floating around, so he settled with himself. "It's not like I can do anything over _there_!" He flung his arm over to where Ranya, Seishin and Maya were gathered along with other metal vessel users, ready to face the Black Bird. "I told her what you wanted me to tell her. She agreed. Now, _leave me alone_."

"…Jamal?" The Sasanian looked down to see a very concerned Kikiriku. "Are you okay?"

Jamal managed to wiggle the fruit free. "Fine. Even better now that I managed to get this sucker."

"…You know that's poisonous, right?"

Jamal curled protectively over the fruit. "I fought for this. I'm going to die for this."

"Jamal, _no_."

Somehow, Kikiriku managed to make Jamal release the fruit and settle him down. "I know that you eat when you're stressed, but you shouldn't be so irresponsible," the Imuchakk teen scolded him, "the last thing Selene needs is to perform a detoxification at the brink of the world's end."

"…Sorry." Jamal crossed his arms and sulked for a moment. Then, he turned to Kikiriku. "I didn't expect you to be here. Thought you would've booked it a long time ago with your siblings."

"Well, Shion and Sindria needs me more," Kikiriku shrugged with a sad smile. "My siblings and Aunt Pipirika weren't happy, but they understood in the end." He frowned and looked around. "Where did he go, anyway?"

_Oh boy, buddy, do I have a lot to tell you_, Jamal nearly said but held his tongue. He had gotten this information from a spaghetti god, after all, and Kikiriku usually had a hard time suspending his disbelief. "Shion has a plan," he chose to say instead, "he's probably somewhere on the island." _Like, somewhere behind the barrier. In the Black Bird's stomach._

"Well, we're out of time," Kikiriku said grimly, looking at the Black Bird slamming itself behind the barrier. Jamal could imagine Kohaku trying her best to hold it back as long as she could to buy more time. It was amazing that she managed to hold on this long.

Jamal let Kikiriku take him to where the others were. He tried not to feel too guilty as they welcomed him with tired yet warm expressions that said _at least you're here with us._ Since they were all practically useless to battle for once, they were sidelined as witnesses. Useful to tear down armies their household vessels may be, but they were only ants and fodder when it came to the Black Bird.

Jamal watched as the barrier began to break. Small cracks spiderwebbed along the transparent dome. He was the only one who was completely unaffected when the ground began to shake, when volcanoes arose from the sea and began to erupt, and especially when the sky darkened.

Every flap of the Black Bird's wings was supposed to be catastrophic. Jamal knew what to expect. And even as everyone else panicked, he watched as Maya used Ronove to blaze around the barrier. She quelled the earth with her wild dance before it could cause any harm. It was a sight that Jamal was familiar with as he had seen her practice many times before. Jamal admired Seishin as she flew over the surrounding volcanoes, sucking away their firepower before they could devastate the island. She seamlessly switched in between Malphas and Sitri, an earth and fire djinn respectively, as she bullied every volcano and landslide to submission. It was an impressive display that gained the admiration of even Hel.

But it was Ranya, who showed herself to be the most frightening.

Jamal thought it was very clever that Maya passed along the extra magoi coursing through her veins onto the blonde, whose pregnancy was leaving her with _not enough_. Ranya shot into the sky and battled with every whirlwind, budding hurricane, and possible tsunami. While Seishin was able to quickly change between djinn equip, Ranya seemed to use all three at once. She was able to calculate and divide her attacks, making the most of the magoi she borrowed from her friend.

"What the heck, I want to be like them," Opal marveled as Ranya shoved back another tsunami. Selene nodded in enthusiastic agreement with shining eyes. "Why didn't Shion ever say how _cool _his mom was?!"

"I don't think he really knew how much," Kikiriku mused, "Ranya always held back unless necessary."

Jamal didn't add any commentary to the flashy spectacle that happened in front of him. He was too much at edge at what would come next. The Black Bird was still straining against the cracking barrier.

Maya had already retreated to rest by the time the barrier finally broke. Seishin should have been the one to face the Black Bird as she was the only one without the handicap, but she prioritized scooping her daughter up and away from the Black Bird's range. Other magicians had left and ran far away by then.

Jamal knew that the Black Bird would normally begin to suck away all life upon its first contact with the island. It would swallow up Sindria in a _second _and submerge it underwater. That was what happened the first time around.

But not this time.

Because the first thing that it touched was Ranya, who greeted it with an outstretched hand.

* * *

"Chosen Reasons"

(1)

Yasmine remembered.

The memories were hazy and a bit distant with Harley's mental state, but she still reclaimed her experience in Alma Torran. It was…overwhelming.

"Blessed Child."

Yasmine looked up. "Gamigin," she said in surprise before looking around. She was back in the dungeon she had captured long ago with Shion's help.

"Tell me, why did you think that I chose you?"

"I was a Blessed Child," Yasmine said simply, knowing the truth. "I needed power and you, with your connection with one of my progenitors, felt honor-bound to help me."

Gamigin chuckled. "True. That was part of it. But you also had qualities that I admired. Loyalty. Grit. The willingness to do what was necessary. And yet, you were also quite disillusioned and defeated. I confess, I would not have accepted you as my King back then for that alone if you were not a Blessed Child. But now?" He let out a victorious laugh. "You have regained your fire! Your imagination! Your dreams! You truly became a King I was honored to serve."

He reached down and pressed something onto Yasmine's chest. She instinctively wrapped her hands around it.

"Because of that, I believe you can make the right decision."

Yasmine found herself in a new place.

(2)

Kougyoku remembered.

She _saw _what had happened in the Colosseum but _experiencing _it all was completely different. She buckled against her old fears and insecurities. She tried not to cry from losses that had happened long ago.

"Princess Kougyoku."

Kougyoku looked up. "Vinea? What are you doing here?" She looked around and realized that she was back in the dungeon Judal had helped her jump. "What am _I _doing here?"

"It is almost the end of all things," the dragon informed her gravely, "and I have one last duty to fulfill as your djinn."

Kougyoku looked sad. "I'll miss you, Vinea."

Vinea's eyes softened. The jewelry on her head glittered as she turned her head. "A pity," she sighed, "if you weren't a Blessed Child, I would have truly made you a proper King. That magi of yours would have helped make it happen too. Imagine! The kind of kingdom you would have helped foster! You, my dear princess, have always been one to inspire strength in others. I am just glad that you have managed to inspire that same strength onto yourself."

She plucked something off of her neck with her teeth and leaned down until they were face-to-face. Kougyoku took the gift from the serpent's sharp teeth gratefully.

"I know you will make the right choice."

Kougyoku found herself in a new place.

(3)

Sai remembered.

It was always so heavy when he gained new information. Remembering an entire other life weighed down on him like Atlas shouldering the entire world.

"Little Liar."

Sai groaned and refused to look up. "Barbas," he acknowledged, knowing too well that the fox didn't like it when he was ignored, "this isn't really a good time. Maybe later? Wait – why am I even here? Didn't I already capture your dungeon?"

Barbas snickered at Sai. "Oh, that? You didn't capture it. I _gave _it to you. As amusing as you are, Little Liar, a good king you do not make. Too chaotic and too much self-loathing. No," he ran an accessing eye over his 'chosen' king, "I think you're far more suited to destroy kingdoms."

Sai didn't answer him.

"Still," Barbas sighed, "This situation calls for a little bit of chaos and destruction, doesn't it? Do what you do best, Little Liar. The world needs it."

He casually tossed something into the air and watched as Sai caught it.

"Don't screw up."

Sai found himself in a new place.

* * *

Time was a bit strange within the Black Bird.

While each trial became progressively longer to take, all seven trial-takers ended up finishing at the same time since time flowed differently in their respective areas. What was only about ten minutes for Tiare was two hours for Aladdin.

When the illusion fell away after the end of the seven trials, all of them were surprised to see each other at the same place.

There were so many questions, but no one had the answers. And just when the group managed to piece together a plausible explanation for their current situation, they were all abruptly swept away by a sea of black.

Normally, they would've all been dead the instant the dark substance hit them. The Black Bird consumed, and it consumed completely. Keyword: _normally._

There was a reason why Shion chose the people he did. While the Chibi Generals were more than qualified for the job, they were also, well, _normal_. Their rukh was perfect and unaltered aside from their time-traveling.

Shion needed something _different_. Something that was harder for the Black Bird to chew on when things got bad.

Which resulted with the current line-up of heroes and heroines who were doing their best to keep together despite the mess and confusion.

It was Judal, who had managed to save them all in the end. In his panic, he had lashed out at the sea of black as he flailed and sensed rukh. They were tiny and weak, but he could still sense them in there. And, just like any decent, reformed magi, he began instinctively prying the tiny rukh away from the suffocating darkness and breathing life into them.

The result was instantaneous.

Judal dropped onto the ground as the dark substance surrounding him gave way into a scattering of rukh. It looked as if the whole body of not-water had split around him, giving him the breathing room he needed. Judal was quick to realize that he had the ability to clear out whatever-it-was and began to do exactly that, collecting the others on the way.

"Thank you, Judal-san." Morgiana, who was the most affected and hurt by the strange river, looked completely relieved to be out. Alibaba supported her as she swayed in place. "I did not like being there at all."

"What _is _this thing?" Hakuryuu wondered, inspecting the dark and corrosive substance around him from the safe distance. Tiare, while usually curious to new things, stuck close to her master's side in case it closed in on them again.

Hakkan was grim. "The Black Bird."

Alibaba gaped and nearly stumbled over in his shock with Morgiana. After apologizing profusely for jostling her, he turned back to Hakkan. _"What?!_ Then…then, how are we even _alive?!_ Isn't this thing supposed to eat everything alive like that thing in Magnostadt?"

"Shion knew this might happen, so he made sure he chose the right people to withstand it long enough to escape. A person who has two different rukh coursing through his veins, a child of a traitorous magi from another world, a household member who literally ate something from a dungeon, you're all a bit too unique for the Black Bird to consume quickly," Hakkan explained. Then paused. "Well, perhaps, Shion miscalculated with Morgiana. Fanalis are a bit of a toss-up when it comes to conforming to the rules of the rukh. Your counterparts beyond the Great Rift don't follow the same rules as we do."

"For a moment, I felt as if I had grown claws and fangs," Morgiana quietly said. Hakkan nodded. "Makes sense. It's technically your true form, isn't it? It was the only part the Black Bird couldn't take. That might be the only reason why you're alive right now." He looked around himself. "It doesn't look like it's weakening at all. Judal can't hold this up forever. Aladdin, get us out of here."

Aladdin nodded and his forehead began to glow.

"No, wait! I can do this!" Judal insisted loudly. "Just, just wait one more second, okay? I think I –" Then, he cursed loudly. "Stupid thing! Stop moving around so much!" He cursed again. "I would've been done with you a long time ago if you just stayed still!"

Hakkan tilted his head at that.

"On another thought…Aladdin, sorry to ask you this, but can you leave me and Judal behind while sending the others ahead? I think we're onto something here."

Aladdin blinked. "You are?"

"We are?" Even Judal looked surprised.

"_Yes_," Hakkan stressed as he stepped up next to Judal, "we are. I have a plan."

It was more of a suggestion and a guess. Judal needed a single point to purify everything at once. The Dark Seed embedded into Hakkan's brain served as the perfect focal point as any. Better yet, since it was a part of the Black Bird, the not-water was already attracted to it, as he had experienced during his brief swimming period. Hakkan could have taken some time to test his theory, but they didn't have time. It could all be for nothing for all he knew. But he was willing to take this risk.

"Remember," Hakkan told Judal firmly for the nth time as he felt the magi's hands settle onto his shoulders, "you need to make sure there is nothing left by the end of this or it'll all be for nothing."

"Fine, fine. So, how exactly are you planning to do this again?"

Instead of answering, Hakkan shoved his hands into dark substance.

The experience was not particularly comfortable. Hakkan felt like he drank too much water and had to force down another cup. Or studied for three days straight and still had to memorize one more line. It was possible, but it wasn't comfortable. Thankfully, his contribution was exactly what Judal needed as the magi began to purify the Black Bird through Hakkan.

Waves upon waves of rukh fluttered about as Aladdin guided them out with his Solomon's Wisdom. It was good, wonderful even.

They were winning.

And then, they weren't.

The dark substance kept coming. The moment Hakkan and Judal thought they were finished, more would come. The pressure in Hakkan's head was beginning to build up. If he hadn't experienced all those timelines, he would've caved a long, long time ago.

For a moment, it felt as if the Black Bird would win. There was so much, too much, no matter how many times Hakkan had looped over.

But then, it all stopped. The dark substance was still there, of course, but it all stopped flowing. It was as if it was quelled by something.

Or some_one_.

Hakkan was never one to leave an opportunity alone, no matter how curious he was. He absorbed every last drop of the Black Bird and kept it all concentrated to the Dark Seed. "Judal, _now_."

For one, frustrating moment, Judal hesitated. "Are you sure? Is it –

"Yes, I'll be safe. Now, do what you do best and destroy it or it'll all be for nothing," Hakkan hissed at the dark magi's concern as he struggled to keep the Black Bird still. Strength. He just needed a little more strength. Hakkan began to think of his friends and their adventures. He thought of Shion and his endless determination despite the impossible odds.

He thought of Opal, the one he left behind before his first, hellish loop. His Opal. He thought of her strength and her smiles. He missed her. He missed her so much.

"Do it."

With his magic, Judal reached for the Dark Seed and crushed it.

* * *

Much Needed Reunions

(1)

When Yasmine searched through the rukh for the purpose of her djinn sending her there, the last person she expected to find was Ithnan.

"My knight?" The term of endearment spilled out of her lips thoughtlessly. Yasmine closed it and looked away with an embarrassed flush. She wasn't a dreamy kid anymore and she had long since outgrown the mentality of being a fairy tale princess.

Ithnan, though, seemed to think otherwise as he stumbled forward and swept her up into an engulfing hug, making her drop what was in her arms.

"Princess," the Al Thamen member rasped as he held her tighter, "I thought – I can't believe I didn't recognize you back then. I should've recognized you."

Warmth and fondness filled Yasmine's chest as she hugged him back. "Well, to be fair, I didn't recognize you either. I lost my memory of everything about Alma Torran until recently."

"You're so different," Ithnan marveled as he released her to look at her more clearly.

"Well, I _did _become stronger. I had to become my own knight, you know. I even have my own pretty prince to protect."

Ithnan's expression soured at that.

Yasmine laughed and picked up what she dropped. Ithnan looked down and stared at the orb in her hands. The symbol of an hourglass floated in its center. "Isn't that…?"

"It's that troublesome ability that I've inherited, yes," she confirmed. Then, she asked, "Is it just you?"

Ithnan looked around himself sadly. There _were _some magicians who had remained faithful to Solomon's cause within the rukh, but he knew that they weren't who Yasmine was asking for. "Yeah. Just me. Everyone is…outside the flow. Somewhere else. Sorry, princess."

Yasmine hummed consideringly as she looked down at the orb in her hands. It buzzed under her fingers expectantly. "That's not good. How about I change that?"

She brought down her orb.

(2)

Kougyoku found herself amongst her enemies.

Somehow, she had wound up in the middle of Al Thamen territory with only an orb as her weapon. She mentally cursed Vinea as she took a hand off of her package to wave at the eerily silent crowd.

"Um, hi, everyone. I don't think that you recognize me, but I'm –

"…Sydney, aru?"

Kougyoku froze at the familiar voice. She turned slowly to find herself face-to-face with a disbelieving Falan. The woman placed a hand on her cheek before letting out a sob. "It really _is _you, aru. I thought I would never see you again, aru!"

The foreboding atmosphere disappeared immediately at Falan's cry. Familiar faces peered out from behind masks and veils. Kougyoku found herself surrounded by familiar faces.

"What are you doing here, aru?" Falan asked after she cried a good amount. Kougyoku looked at her and then at everyone else around her. She could see their genuine relief. And yet, she could also sense a festering sort of grief that did not age well within the prison dimension that Solomon had trapped them in. They couldn't stay there.

Then, Kougyoku looked at the orb in her hands. A lotus symbol spun innocuously in the center. Who knew the a fourth of great power was held in there? And what better way to use it than to let them all free? Falan followed her gaze and gasped. "Isn't that…?"

"Yeah, the representation of my power as a Blessed Child. And I just realized why I came here with it."

Kougyoku lifted her orb and brought it down. She felt the walls around the prison that trapped Al Thamen shake.

"But you shouldn't do that!" An Al Thamen member shouted behind her.

"You'll find," Kougyoku gritted, "that this is my own power. And I can do _whatever the fuck I want with it_."

She brought down her orb again and felt something crack.

(3)

"Big bro Remy! It's Remy!"

"Remy?"

"Kid?"

Il Illah's stomach was as underwhelming as Sai had feared. Not that he had _meant _to wind up there. Barbas had all but tossed him into this place, expecting him to get out on his own. Everywhere Sai looked, there were mushrooms on people and little stones scattered around the floor.

The only highlight of his little detour was reuniting with Wahid, Setta, and Tess again.

"You're so tall!" Tess admired him from the side excitedly. "I _knew _you would grow up one day! Can you pick me up now?"

"Give him some room, Tess. Remy must be confused," Setta gently scolded the child. "But still, it's wonderful to see you again."

"Kid," Wahid said gruffly after he had finished hugging the breath out of Sai, _"Why are you here?"_

_Nothing much, _he would've said, but that wasn't exactly true, was it?

Sai felt the weight of the orb with the laughing raven symbol in his arms and made his decision. "Maa~ getting you all out of here, of course. It's about time you reunited with your loved ones, no?"

Before Setta and Wahid could gently inform Sai that it wasn't possible, he had brought up the representation of his abilities as a Blessed Child and brought it down with a loud _crack!_ The magicians of Alma Torran stared as the walls shook.

"No? Okay, another one!"

Sai hit the barrier again and felt some resistance despite the cracks that began to show. Something was blocking him. But if he hit it one more time, it might finally give. People began to murmur with excitement and hope. Tess tugged at his father's pants. "Are we going to see Mama?"

"Yeah," Wahid croaked out, "we're going to see Mama again."

Setta thought of Ithnan and began to pray.

Sai brought down his orb for the third time.

* * *

Again, time was strange within the Black Bird.

It either flowed slower or faster depending on the place. And even then, time was unpredictable. Sometimes, though rarely, it even went through loops – a fact that Hakkan could confirm. While Hakkan, Judal, and Aladdin struggled against the might of the Black Bird in their own, hardly any time passed with Solomon and Shion after David had jumped off of the illusionary raft.

So, when everything disappeared, dark water, raft, and all, only a minute had passed for them _at most_.

That should've been the end of it. The most threatening part of the Black Bird had disappeared. But things were often unfair, and Solomon knew from experience that David never left things end peacefully.

Solomon's concerns were confirmed the moment his surroundings began to warp. His grip on his staff tightened as he readied himself from whatever his father had to throw at him this time.

He didn't have to wait very long.

With a series of on-the-spot yet still intricate maneuvering of the magical kind, Solomon barely managed to avoid being incinerated on the spot. And spliced. And melted. David was very knowledgeable killing and Solomon, knowing this, had become very good at avoiding being killed. In his mind, he heard Shion yelling.

"_You."_ David finally stepped out of whatever fabric of reality he had been hiding behind, gaining the attention and horror from Solomon and Shion. Unlike his usual form of a man, David was now some eldritch abomination that was better off hidden in the dark. His limbs were all wrong. They were too skinny and too long and bent in all the wrong ways. Huge horns sprouted from his head. While his eyes were milky and sightless, his entire body was covered in eyes that belonged to other creatures. They rolled and leaked black tears as they looked in different directions. The rest of him looked like a poorly filled-in scribble, shifting and wiggling like worms. He towered over Solomon. "Did you know what you just _did_? She's gone. Because of you. _Gone._"

In Solomon's mind, Shion cringed at the sound of David's voice. _"What did he do to himself?"_

"The Black Bird is dangerous to anyone who takes it in to themselves completely, even for David," Solomon explained patiently, not taking his eyes off of the creature in front of him. "But still, despite his appearance, he's currently stronger than he usually is."

"_And how strong is that?"_

"Very strong."

Solomon didn't fool himself into thinking that he was alive because of his own skills. He was currently in Sinbad's world, which also meant it was David's. No matter how cleverly he approached this, he knew that he had no chance in winning. Not this way.

Still he put up a good fight before he lost.

David loomed over Solomon after he had shattered his son's staff, leaving him vulnerable and significantly weaker.

"Useless…hopeless…instead of taking Fate with your own hands, you left it free and completely unattended. Now look where it got you, Solomon. A weakened state. Thousands suffering. An ending world. No _mother._" The last part was snarled out. After a moment of silence, David seemed to have gathered himself. When he spoke again, he was much calmer, almost as if he had put everything behind him. "What _irresponsibility_, Solomon."

David hummed thoughtfully.

"That _acting replacement _of yours – Ugo, was it? – he hasn't been doing a good job either, has he? Having him step down is the first thing I will do once I pay that Sacred Palace of yours a visit. Perhaps, it would be best if I handle everything from now on. I have enough power to act as this world's god, after all. Oh, don't worry," he was quick to assure Solomon when he saw his son's expression, "after I'm done with you, I'll make sure to reshape this world into something more _perfect _and _worthy._ Nothing but the best for Sammi's last creation."

Solomon looked ready to say something insulting before he jerked abruptly and began to flail.

"No…Shion, _don't –_"

Solomon's form seemed to invert and shrink until all that was left was Shion. His purple hair that usually hung proudly down his back into a braid was bunched up under a turban he hadn't worn ever since that night at Balbadd. Feeling this, he let out a disbelieving huff and tugged it off.

He didn't need to hide anymore. He didn't for a long time.

After he was done, Shion got up to his feet and brushed himself off before facing his opponent completely. The David creature tilted his head and followed his movements.

"Oh? Here to try again, little Prince? I must warn you that it's hopeless to fight against me now. Even Solomon couldn't do anything."

"Solomon is not all-powerful," Shion conceded as he reached over to touch his lamp, "but I still have to try."

Noticing his movements, David began to laugh.

"Andromalius won't be able to help you here, child. He's too weak to perform any more miracles."

Shion shrugged and began tying up the cloth from the turban. "I don't need a miracle. Andromalius has already given me enough of those." The lamp began to glow and shift. "I just need a rock."

It was something like those stories that Sai had told Shion way back during their travels together. He had teased Shion incessantly about his choice of the sling as his weapon, likening him to a character in story he had grown up with. The small David facing off against the terrible Goliath. "He's an underdog. Any tiny. Like you," Sai had cooed, knowing all-too-well that Shion's small size was a sore point of his.

But the scene was different here.

_David_ was the Goliath and Shion was going to do his damn best to bring him down. He began to spin his makeshift sling. Andromalius remained nestled at the end as a completely normal and unassuming rock.

(One shot.)

"_Thank you,"_ Shion wished he could say to his djinn because he felt that no matter how things would turn out, this would be the last time Andromalius would be by his side, _"thank you for your miracles. Thank you for this chance. Thank you for granting my impossible wish. I'll do the rest of the work now. Thank you. Thank you."_

And then, he let go.

David, even with his many eyes and incredible amount of strength, was too busy laughing to notice how the rock sliced through time and space and magic. He made no move to defend himself or avoid Shion's throw. Why would he? Djinn or not, a rock was still a rock. David felt confident. David felt invincible.

And then, David was not.

When he went down, he went down howling, rock embedded into his head. While he didn't bleed, he was certainly weakened.

Andromalius could no longer perform miracles, that was true. But it didn't take a miracle for him to knock David down a few levels in the godly hierarchy. That man was no Black Bird, after all.

As David went down, something shifted in the rukh. It was as if many dams had shattered and all the water was rushing back in. While there was nothing missing Before, there was _more_ Now. Much more.

Shion felt it. David felt it. Solomon _most certainly _felt it.

"What's happening? Why does the rukh feel this way? Solomon?"

"_I don't know."_

And then, Shion heard someone speak.

"The barriers that used to separate different kinds of rukh are now down, thanks to my clever students. And to you, of course. Nice throw."

Shion slowly turned around and faced the speaker. While her eyes didn't hold the sky like his mother's, they were still familiar and well-loved. "You're Sammi," he said, completely befuddled at the strange turn of events.

"Hello, Shion," Sammi said with a twinkle in her eye, "it's nice to finally meet you and all, but I would like to speak with my son."

* * *

Their Choice

(1)

Yasmine flew and opened up the rukh to the newcomers. They will no longer travel the flow alone.

(2)

Kougyoku flew and brought the sinners to the open sky. They shed their masks and marks and let themselves be swept up by the feeling of warmth.

(3)

Sai flew and brought the lost back home. They cried and laughed as they were reunited with their loved ones at last. _At last._

(*)

They flew.

* * *

When Solomon opened the Black Bird's prison, he was wrong about Sammi not being inside. She _had _been. For such a long, long time.

But, by the time he had checked, she was already out into the world that she had created. It was too bad that she had been too dazed and confused to properly admire it before she was automatically sucked into the system that she created.

Ugo hadn't recognized her when her soul settled down in front of him. She had been an _anomaly_ to him, sure, but he quickly dismissed her for being Yunan, who had experienced an earlier death than usual and sent her on her way to the Great Rift where the befuddled magi would find her at his front door.

Ranya was never meant to exist.

But still, Ranya lived a wonderful life and the rukh loved her, even though they didn't know _why_. She experienced many adventures and traveled the world. She learned many languages and met many people. She lived, she learned, and she loved.

When Ranya reached out for the Black Bird, the Black Bird reached back and settled. How could it not? The very soul that had been missing from it this entire time had returned. It didn't have to search and destroy anymore.

Sammi stood and waited patiently as Shion recovered and did as she had asked.

When Shion stepped back and let Solomon come forward, the first thing that Sammi did was draw him in for a tight hug.

"I'm sorry," Solomon mumbled into her shoulder like a chastised child, "I'm sorry for leaving you and Sheba behind. I didn't think. Mom. _Mom._ I missed you so much. I missed you."

"I missed you too, sweetheart." Sammi squeezed him tighter. "So much."

After what seemed like forever, they finally released each other.

Behind them, David's monstrous form began to chip away until he was back to his human form and self. He didn't pay any mind as he simply stared at Sammi and Solomon. His disbelief in the entire situation was palpable.

"What happened to him? Where did all his power go?" Solomon wondered as he faced his significantly weakened father.

Sammi huffed. "That power never belonged to him in the first place. It's _my _body. Or, well, the one Il Illah had given me when I came into this world. I'm surprised it even last this long without me." Sammi shook her head. "It must've been because of my wish. Stubborn thing. It held on and tried to survive until the end."

"Wish?"

"When Il Illah took me from my world, it granted me three wishes. The first was for a body that allowed me to fit into this new world. The second was for magic – Il Illah had been very generous with that one. The final one, the one I didn't make until the very end, was to hold you again."

Solomon's eyes widened.

"It was a very selfish one," Sammi conceded, "but I was grieving, and I missed you so much. To have thought that my wish would cause so much painful consequences. Still, what's done is done. It's almost over now. Solomon…"

She took a breath.

"Solomon, I need you to answer a question for me. Would you like to stay here or return to the rukh?"

Solomon opened his mouth. _I want to return, of course, _he was about to say,_ I've stayed here and meddled long enough. Shion needs his own life now._

But then, a thought hit him.

This world…Sammi had created it, hadn't she? She changed the rules of the entire system he had been familiar with. It wasn't all just rukh, was it? There were _more_. More experiences, more diversity, more _weight._

Tentatively, Solomon reached down inside himself. He paid no mind to the whirling and inquiring confusion of Shion. Instead, he reached deeper and deeper until he found it. He nearly reeled back at discovering its existence.

A soul. Shion's soul. His soul.

_Their soul._

If Solomon chose to return to the rukh, Shion would no longer exist.

"You _are_ his reincarnation, after all," Sammi laughed when she saw the expressions flash across her son's face. "Of course you would share a soul. Shion is a part of you and _more_."

Solomon made his decision.

"I would like to stay."

Sammi smiled sadly. "I knew that would be your choice. But a soul bearing too many memories isn't always good, is it?"

Solomon shook his head slowly. "No." Then, more confidently, "No. I think I've spent enough time awake. It's Shion's turn now."

"I'll be here, Solomon," Sammi said, "I'll be here entire time."

And then, Solomon closed his eyes and began to sink. He felt his mother's comforting presence with him as he went down. He lost his five senses one by one until there was only darkness and Shion. But it was fine. It felt _right. _His mother was right, it was time to step aside. He readied himself to sink down further than he had before for the final time. At the last second, he was stopped.

"_Don't go,"_ Shion sounded so lost and sad, _"Please don't go."_

Solomon almost laughed fondly._ "Shion, I'm here. I'm __**you**__. Now, go and take your parents back home."_

And then, finally, he slept.

Shion, meanwhile, resurfaced alone. It felt lonelier without the weight of Solomon. And yet, it felt lighter. Sammi looked back at him happily. "Welcome back, Shion." Seeing his expression, her eyes softened. "I'll handle the rest. You've fought long enough. Wait here."

For the first time ever since the creation of this world, Sammi faced David.

"David."

Whatever reverie David was in, it was broken the moment Sammi spoke. Rapture spread across his face as he got up to his feet and took her into his arms. The blonde remained still and waited patiently as he expressed his relief and happiness in seeing her again.

"Sammi. _Sammi._"

Once, a long, long time ago, Sammi would have never allowed David to touch her willingly. She would have pushed him away and spat curses at his face. But that was before losing her students, her son, and Alma Torran. That was before the prison and the eternity spent alone. Hatred and hurt tended to burn for a long time, but after what Sammi went through alone? She felt nothing now. It was almost frightening how there was a big, empty spot inside her chest even as she looked at David now.

"You shouldn't be awake," Sammi told him bluntly when his murmurings began to get repetitive, "you're ruining the order of things, David. You should give Sinbad his body back."

David's dreamy happiness was cut short in an instant. His expression smoothed over to something more neutral as he leaned back and loosened his hold. "Sammi, this is as much of my body and soul as it is his," he tried to convince her, "just as the body you are in now is just as much as yours."

"No, that's not how it works, David, and you know it," she said reprovingly, "we're remnants of a bygone era. Ghosts. It's not right to take their place when they're living their lives and making their own changes."

"But we can be _better,_" David insisted clutching onto her shoulders, "we can be _gods, _untied by any Fate or Destiny_._"

Sammi looked sad. She reached up and threaded her fingers into David's hair. He closed his eyes for a moment at the soft touch before they snapped back open in pain. Sammi had reached over to where Andromalius was embedded into David's head and pressed onto the wound. The splitting pain forced David down onto his knees.

Through Andromalius, Sammi sent a channel of magic that began to forcefully send David down to sleep for good. David may have been weakened and in pain, but he still fought back against her and stayed afloat.

"Why? _Why?_" he demanded, genuinely hurt and confused. "We're finally free, you and I. Why are you doing this? You're trapping the both of us again."

"Oh David," Sammi sighed and felt pity for the man she used to love, "you're still so tied to the old ways. Neither of us would be free if we continue this your way. Sinbad and Ranya are not beings who serve as placeholders for us. They are more than that. They are _better._"

Anger and indignance shot through David like lightning. He fought harder again Sammi's hold. "They _are _us! They have made the same choices, the same _mistakes_. They have inherited our ties with Destiny and Fate! How can you say otherwise?"

Sammi showed him. She sent down gentle scenes of love born from trust from the mind of Ranya. She rose up moments in Sinbad's mind when he had chances to tie and shackle Ranya down but chose otherwise because he knew that it would make her unhappy. Sammi borrowed Shion's feelings of love and respect for his father, something that David had never inspired from Solomon.

She wove them all together, leading them all towards a single, budding life. All of them knew that it existed within Ranya, but to _witness _it was another thing. It was so small and bright with possibilities. It was weighed down by nothing – no ghosts, no previous Fate.

A new soul.

David's breath caught and everything stopped.

"See?" Sammi said more gently than he deserved, "They've already surpassed us and our destinies."

"Oh." _Oh._

And then, David let go. Whether it was from shock or acceptance, Sammi didn't know, but she took the opportunity to push him down into his final slumber. He curled, settled, and disappeared.

Sammi did the same too. It was easier for her since she had only woken to reunite with her son. Before she finally put herself to rest, Sammi allowed herself one, final thought of concern about Phoebe. She had an important choice to make on her own. Sammi hoped that she would make one that she wouldn't regret.

_It'll be all right,_ Sammi finally decided before she fell asleep for good, _it'll be just fine._

* * *

Only one second had passed since Ranya came into contact with the Black Bird. Everyone who witnessed it nearly fell over in relief and awe as it scattered into a million, chirping rukh under her hand.

Alibaba, Hakuryuu, Morgiana, and Tiare were the first to stumble out. Judal, Aladdin, and an unconscious Hakkan were next, much to the relief of the previous four. Later, much later when Hakkan awoke, the teen would not remember what happened for the last few months or what he had done. But that was something that happened in the future. At the moment, five of them celebrated together as Judal jumped into the closest transpiration circle to Kou.

He found Kougyoku awake.

Titus and Kouha also witnessed when the life returned to Sai and Yasmine's eyes. As there was no more Black Bird, there were no more seals to keep them down. There was much crying, hugging, kissing, and celebration in the many corners of the world.

Back in Sindria, Ranya blinked in surprise as she felt something weave through her fingers and squeeze. When the rukh cleared away, she cried out in joy when she was faced with Sinbad holding an exhausted Shion.

"Hi Mom, I'm back."

Shion was tired, but he couldn't stop smiling. Even as his parents kissed and his friends crushed him under the avalanche of their hugs, he never stopped. He just looked out at the calm sea and the beautiful, clear sky.

They were alive.

They have saved the world.

* * *

Somewhere in the world, a lone voice spoke up.

"Where is Amani?"

* * *

...

...

...

"Phoebe, you need to make a choice."

Uraltugo Noi Nueph stared expectantly down at the small form of his old friend. Behind him, the Sacred Palace buzzed with so much energy at the sudden introduction of the many different rukh that was suddenly introduced to the system. If they didn't do something soon, there would be a catastrophe.

Phoebe Winthrop stared right back.

"I already have."


	71. Chapter 70: Blessed

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They fought for this ending. They fought for this world. 
> 
> The Blessed Children are no more.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For the final time, onwards

Phoebe Winthrop's biggest concern used to be whether to become a doctor, a lawyer, or neither.

Now, the entire world's Fate was in her hands. Literally.

Phoebe considered the orb in her hands as the entire Sacred Palace held its breath. The simple design of the moon spun slowly, reminding her of the power that she currently wielded. Ugo looked down at her expectantly, eyes still running through numbers and calculations as he mentally scrambled for control.

"What is your decision, Phoebe?"

Phoebe Winthrop tossed one-fourths of a dead god's power through the center of the Sacred Palace.

"My decision is to fire you, Ugo."

Ugo gaped. Honestly, it was the first expression that he made that seemed human and genuine ever since she wound up in this place. Then, he broke out of his trance and began to panic as the space around him began to crumble and deteriorate. "Oh no, no, _no_! Phoebe, what did you _do?!"_

"I made the most logical decision," Phoebe informed him calmly, "and I acted. Just like you had wished me to do when you summoned me here." Then, in a more sympathetic voice, "you can't stay here forever, Ugo. This place was already driving you mad."

"But it's my duty!" Ugo insisted. "Sammi created this world and she left it to me to protect it! The Sacred Palace is the only means to properly circulate this world!"

"And you did," Phoebe assured him. "You did a very good job until the end. But the danger is gone now. The barriers are down. There is no more reason to stay here all by yourself. So, in conclusion, you're fired."

Ugo shook his head, completely lost. "But don't you know what this means? There will be no more djinn to pick out proper King Candidates. No more Magi System. No more Blessed Children."

"And that's bad, Ugo?"

Phoebe looked at her old friend with a funny little quirk playing on her lips.

"The Sacred Palace was a place that used to belong to Il Illah, isn't that right? It was part of something very old and very limiting. You and Sammi changed that. Solomon changed that. But not enough. Ugo, you're holding the world back with old ideals and beliefs. It's time to move forward."

The ground beneath them began to fade, but Ugo continued to hold on. "What if you're wrong? What if all of this ends up descending into chaos, Phoebe? What then?"

"Trust Sammi," Phoebe urged him, "there was always a method to her madness. Trust her at least. This world was never meant to be shackled by the old ways. She always wanted us free."

Her eyes met his.

"Ugo…you're free."

Ugo finally let go. The rest of the Sacred Palace crumbled into dust around her as she was left alone. And yet, the rukh continued its flow. Souls continued to cycle. Ghosts wandered and moved on.

"Good choice."

Phoebe looked back. Amani smiled teasingly back at her. "I wonder who influenced you to make such a decision?"

"Don't you have anything better to do?" Phoebe wondered. "You heard me back there. It's time to leave behind old things and move on. Your husband is calling you, Amani. Time to go back home."

"Goodbye, Phoebe."

Amani turned and jumped. She didn't look back to the ghost she left behind. Instead, she looked forward.

_Home,_ Amani thought as she felt Koumei's arms wrap around her as multiple voices cried out in relief, _home._

* * *

_10 years later…_

* * *

Alibaba Saluja, citizen of the Republic of Balbadd and adventurer, was finally coming home. Behind him, Morgiana and Aladdin chatted cheerfully as the sight of Balbadd became closer and closer.

The entire world had become a peaceful place after the Black Bird disappeared. Though a few skirmishes and acts of violence happened here to there, Alibaba could confidently say that a full-out war was no longer a possibility in the near future – or for many generations. When Kougyoku had sent out her distress call on that day, she had sent the knowledge out to the entire world. People still feared that the Black Bird would return one day to destroy the world and prioritized preparing to defend themselves from that possibility instead of fighting amongst each other.

Even Alibaba shuddered at the thought of the thing returning so soon. Still, the fear stopped wars and encouraged alliances, so he couldn't complain _too_ much.

"Ready for the big homecoming?" Aladdin asked him, fondly smiling at his friend's obvious excitement. He was no longer the boy Alibaba found eating up his watermelons at the back of his caravan, but a grown man. "Your sister is expecting again, isn't she?"

Morgiana spoke up before Alibaba could gush about it. "Amani must be pleased that you will finally be there for the birth since you missed the last two."

Ah, yes, even after many years of their marriage, his wife was still blunt and straightforward as ever. Alibaba resisted the urge to curl up and cry at the reminder. While he had an excuse for Kouryuu's birth, his adventures to the lands beyond the Great Rift, unfortunately, had delayed him from being there for the second time. Both Kouha and Hakuryuu had given him so much grief for his tardiness.

"You know it's true," Morgiana said, offering no mercy for her silly husband when she noticed his expression, "so accept it and make sure to not make the same mistake again. Which we will _not_," she stressed.

Right. Morgiana had also been upset with missing the birth.

"Yes, dear."

Aladdin laughed at the couple's interaction. Even after years of adventuring together, it never ceased to amuse him how whipped Alibaba was. The blonde shot his best friend a dirty look before giving up completely. This was a happy day. Alibaba wasn't going to let anything bring him down.

Alibaba caught sight of two, small figures as he drew closer to Balbadd.

With a wide grin, he quickened his pace.

"UNCLE ALIBABA!"

Alibaba deftly caught his twin nieces and hugged them both close to his chest. He rained kisses after kisses onto their giggling faces and golden crowns. Alibaba could proudly claim the position as the twins' Favorite uncle, a title that he pettily held above Kouha's pink head. While he was usually absent in their lives, his many stories and unique gifts had endeared him to his sister's girls.

"Leah! Kouren! My little angels! I've missed you so much!"

"We missed you too, Uncle Alibaba!" Leah chirped excitedly. To the surprise of everyone, including Amani, Koumei had insisted on naming one of their girls after Amani's most loyal maid despite Kou tradition. Personally, Alibaba thought that his brother-in-law had cursed himself as Leah was just as excitable and passionate as her namesake. "Did you go somewhere cool this time? What did you find? What did you _see_? Can you bring me with you next time? Please?"

Kouren, who was a little more focused, tugged on Alibaba's sleeve. "Mama said that we need to bring you to the transportation circle as soon as we see you."

"Why's that?" Aladdin asked, gaining the attention of the twins.

"Auntie Mor! Uncle Aladdin!"

Alibaba pouted as the twins flew from his arms. He watched longingly as Leah and Kouren latched onto their 'coolest' Aunt and favorite magician. They chattered excitedly as they hung off of their shoulders.

Later, after they calmed down, Aladdin asked the twins again. "Why does your mother want you to take us to a transportation circle?"

"Yes, did something happen?" Morgiana asked in concern. "Is there something wrong?"

Her worries were for nothing when they burst into excited giggles. "No, no! Only good things! Best things!" Leah assured them. Kouren nodded. "There's going to be a huge party at Sindria tonight and Mama wants you three to be there!"

* * *

Emperor Koumei walked out of the meeting hall exhausted and triumphant. Yet another day facing down the council. Behind him, his eldest trudged behind him dutifully with an armful of scrolls. Kouryuu looked up at his father, looking equally as ready to kneel over and take a nap. "Last one?"

"Last one," Koumei confirmed, making his son slump in obvious relief. He patted him on the head in approval. "You did well to sit through the entire meeting. I know it's boring, especially at your age."

"It's okay. I can do it. Besides, Mom told me that it helps build responsibility."

When he was his son's age, Koumei had done everything to run from said responsibility despite his intellectual talents. Though many would insist otherwise, his son's character was completely different from his own. Yes, they shared a love of sleep and the ability to lead greedy nobles around by their noses, but those were only details. In Koumei's honest opinion, Kouryuu's determination and willingness to face challenges were undoubtedly from Amani's side of the family.

It was his son who had been partially responsible for the freeing of Balbadd, after all.

Of course, the rest had been Amani's doing. Always Amani. Koumei couldn't bring himself to be upset or surprised when it happened, honestly. Balbadd's independence had been a long time coming. Koumei had been well aware that his wife had made many plans ever since Kou snatched up the place.

When it happened, he didn't fight either his wife or son on it. Emperor or not, Koumei knew a losing battle when he saw one.

And so what if all the nobles kicked up a bit of a fuss over the loss of Balbadd? It had been _their _idea to instate Koumei as the next Emperor of Kou after Kouen's abdication in the first place. They really should have known better.

Koumei shook his head, chiding himself for the ridiculous thought. Those nobles? _Knowing better? _That implied that they still had the capability to grow and change. If those old nobles _had _learned their lessons, he and Kouryuu wouldn't have had to endure six hours of their complaints.

"Mei! Ryuu! I thought those old coots would never let you two out!"

Seishin's cheerful shout shook Koumei from his thoughts. He nodded at her in greeting as she scooped Kouryuu up, making him drop a couple of scrolls in the process. Kouryuu resigned himself to his aunt's overenthusiastic spoiling. He was all too aware that his cousin Kohaku's absence had made his aunt a bit lonely, so he allowed her squeezing, cheek-pinching, and squishing. "Will we be leaving for Sindria soon, Aunt Seishin?" Kouryuu asked his aunt after she was done. At her happy nod, he turned to Koumei. "I'll take everything back to your room and fetch Uncle En since I'm faster. Can you wait for me with her at the transportation circle, Father? I'll be quick! Promise!" Without waiting for his answer, Kouryuu rushed away to get ready for the party.

Koumei sighed at his son's unintentional jab at his physical weakness. Seishin snickered at his side. "Told you that you should keep in shape, Mei. You should train with me and my force sometime."

"No thank you."

After a bit more teasing from Seishin, the two fell into a comfortable silence as they made their way over to their destination. Koumei couldn't help but admire how much the palace had changed ever since the attack. It seemed lighter and more peaceful despite the occasional palace drama.

Koumei glanced at Seishin's figure. She had changed too. No longer did his sister-in-law don any armor that declared her as one of Kou's generals. Kou didn't have those anymore.

Instead, they have a police force.

It was a bit of an odd concept at first. Reim began the trend with successful results. Many other countries picked up on it, replacing their active military with this new form of protection.

Things had changed in Kou. Things had changed _everywhere _ever since the Black Bird. But Kou? The change hit his country the most. The military had been the backbone of the entire country and the unanimous decision to stop wars around the world had taken all power away.

It was difficult and it took work, but Koumei and Amani managed to build Kou's power back up without bloodshed and war. Instead, they depended on trade and innovation using technology they had originally created for conquering. The entire experience was a bit eye-opening for Kouen and Koumei, who had assumed that maintaining a certain level of violence was _necessary _for their country.

To admit that they were wrong stung. But they moved forward despite it. They changed with the world and came out of it better. Well, at least, Koumei thought so.

Koumei broke out of his thoughts at the familiar sound of metal on gravel. He looked up to see his older brother walking towards him with Kouryuu in his arms. His lost limbs had long ago been replaced with metal constructs.

"Automail," Jamal had called them proudly when he presented the invention with Kohaku. It was a clever mixture of metal and magic and quickly spread throughout the world.

Though they were significantly slower and stiffer than his actual limbs, Kouen regained his ability to walk, write, and carry things, which was completely fine with him. The days of battling and ruling was long behind him. He now enjoyed his retirement drinking tea and spoiling the many nieces and nephews Kouha brought back with him from time to time.

The lucky bastard.

Kouen's lips quirked up at his younger brother as he came up beside him.

"So, ready for the annual celebration, your majesty?"

Koumei's expression fell flat as the transportation circle activated.

"Please shut up."

* * *

A little outside of Reim, Jamal waited excitedly for his family to come. Behind him, an array of fireworks of all sorts of shapes and sizes were gathered into a large pile. His assistant, Marga, had helped him with bringing the shipment there before heading over to greet Titus and Sai, leaving Sindria's brightest innovator alone to wait for his own family reunion.

Something buzzed under his skin, alerting him that his Nee-chan was getting close. Jamal nearly jumped for joy when he saw the long line of caravans come into view. Once they got close enough, a gaggle of children jumped out and scrambled over to him.

"Uncle Jamal!" they screeched loudly.

"Kids!" he shouted just as loudly, opening his arms to accept all of them. They tumbled into him, knocking him over as they all chattered excitedly. He had so many nieces and nephews and he loved all of them. And they all loved him too.

And so what if they were all adopted? Yasmine and Kouha loved them all unconditionally. It wasn't surprising to Jamal. Both Kouha and Yasmine knew better than most about found family being just as important than blood – sometimes even more in certain circumstances.

As for where Yasmine picked up the children, well, Heliohapt had a surplus of mistreated bastard children. Jamal knew that Eirenne's story had struck something within his sister but for her to go into Heliohapt and come out with as many children she could carry was something that he didn't expect. His awesome Nee-chan even went as far as to create a traveling orphanage so each and every abandoned, mistreated child would be able to find a home. Kouha had shrugged and went along with it, preferring to live his life traveling with her than stay within palace walls.

While Yasmine and Kouha's mission successfully made many families all the happier, there were some children who stayed – whether it be with Kouha's men or with Yasmine and Kouha themselves.

Jamal suddenly found himself torn out of the happy pile by a strong hand.

"Okay, okay, calm down already before you suffocate your uncle to death!" Most of the children calmed down from their father's scolding and backed away. Three didn't.

Seth, Lapis, and Andrew tried to look as innocent as they inched as close as possible to their uncle. They weren't the oldest of the lot, but they weren't the youngest either. He had heard of their little adventures and chaos-raising from the occasional letter and Shell Call – another one of his joint inventions with Kohaku.

Jamal's lips quirked up at their show of defiance. Troublemakers. Just like him.

Then, he turned to his brother-in-law and pouted. "Put me back! I was happy in there! It's been forever and a day since I've seen them all and you're still hogging them! You sister-stealing fiend!"

Jamal didn't really mean it. At least, not as much as he had ten years ago. Kouha knew it too and took the titles and jabs that Jamal sent him with as much grace and resignation as he could. _He_ was the one who won at the end, after all. It was best to humor his more than dangerous brother-in-law if he wanted to spend his married life with Yasmine to the fullest.

The wedding had been lovely. Jamal remembered how it was a gathering outside of Yasmine's old home right at Sasan's border. Though it was simple, the flowers and decorations that everyone pitched in to set up were beautiful enough to make the bride cry. Only the bride and groom's nearest and dearest attended the ceremony. Kouha had insisted, much to everyone's surprise, to conduct a Sasanian ceremony instead of a Kou one. The ministers had thrown a fit over that one, but the third prince remained firm in his decision.

Many Sasanians who heard about it were moved by Kouha's selfless decision. Knight King Darius personally acted as the vow-binder, which Jamal knew was the equivalent to a priest in some traditions back in the world his nee-chan came from. It was all a big deal.

Both Yasmine and Jamal knew the truth of it. Kouha had already seen what brides of Kou had the endure during the unnecessarily long ceremony and had wanted none of that. He also enjoyed the idea of the Knight King giving away and releasing his now-wife from her bonds of 'family' for the final time with his own hands.

Jamal honestly couldn't blame him. Even in the present, he still has a difficult time trying to forgive his grandfather for his inaction and cruelty.

So, because he knew better than to react with irritation at Jamal's half-hearted insults, Kouha sighed and dropped him. "You're so lucky Yasmine wants you alive. I would've just left you to them if it was just my choice."

Seth, Lapis, and Andrew were quick to cling onto their uncle again. They stared up at him with excitement brimming in their eyes. Jamal knew _exactly _what they were asking for.

"Science?" Jamal suggested.

"Science!" The trio cried out joyfully.

"No."

The short and curt statement drew all four of them short. Sheepishly, the troublemaking trio scuttled over to their mother. Yasmine gave her children a firm look before turning back to Jamal. She had cut her hair again, Jamal noticed as he rushed over to give her a tackle-hug. She looked healthy. Her face had more smiling lines and her shoulders seemed lighter than they were ten years ago.

Best yet, her bare arms were still completely unmarked and her brilliant, blue eyes met his without any hesitance or fear of what they could do.

"Ready to head for Sindria?"

Jamal beamed in response and got ready for the celebration.

It has been ten years since he last heard a voice in his head.

* * *

Officer Helios Alexius was making his final rounds around his area with his partner when he heard a stray firework go off. The inhabitants of Reim were completely unfazed by the sharp sound, bustling back to their homes or to bars to celebrate this day with their friends and family. Hel simply blinked.

Ah. So the crazy herbivore and his minions managed to make it to Reim.

Beside him, his partner snickered. "Mou, that guy always knows how to make an entrance. All of Reim should know that he's here by now." Sai's grey eye glittered with mirth. "Not that he'll be here for very long. We should get ready to wrap up and leave for the transportation circle. Princeling is waiting for us."

Hel grunted affirmatively, keeping his eyes trained forward.

Sai tilted his head. "Hey. You okay, partner?"

"No," Hel admitted honestly. After a brief pause, he added, "I'm worried."

Years ago, he would've rather cut off his sword arm than to admit such a weakness to Sai. But that was before their partnership, before the loss of djinn and Blessed Children. The man in front of him now was a magician Hel grew to trust and respect.

It helped that, without his powers, Sai was refreshingly expressive. Yes, he still snarked and trolled whenever he could, but he seemed more comfortable with himself all the same.

"…Maa, you and Princeling are overthinking this. Nothing is going to go wrong. Everything we worked for is not going to disappear just like that. Rubber Band Theory, remember? We're way beyond the Fate we were originally supposed to lead. I think we even snapped it. So, stop worrying. There's going to be a next year. And many years after that," Sai finished confidently.

Hel hoped so.

Both of them made their way over to the transportation circle where their families were. Hel watched as Sai greeted Marga with a tight hug that Titus quickly joined. Enveloped between them, the freckled young woman beamed with so much joy that even Hel was a little moved by the scene.

Behind him, Jamal stumbled and nearly set off another firework.

"Don't be so careless! There won't be any fireworks left for the celebration if you keep tripping over thin air!" Hel heard Opal scold their friend. He turned to see his wife helping the crazy herbivore and while checking him over to make sure he was unscathed. Hel briefly smiled at her obvious concern before he was interrupted by an excited shout.

"Hel! Hel! Look! Look who's here!"

Remus Alexius rushed over to his older brother, dragging a person along behind him. Though he was only ten, Remus already showed a Fanalis-level strength. His red hair and red eyes were also clear signs of his lineage. Years ago, those signs alone would have had slavers hounding at his younger brother's heels despite his title as an Alexius. Hel thanked the seas, the skies, and even the wily Scheherazade for Titus Alexius. The magi-turned-magician remained in his seat of power despite the loss of his magi abilities. During his time, he had managed to wipe out slavery completely in Reim and, with work and support, the world.

Remus stopped right in front of his older brother, eyes shining with hero worship. Behind him, a disheveled Askan waved. "Hey, Hel. Surprise!"

Hel drew him into a rough hug. The previously tiny boy had grown into a confident, young man who resembled his Uncle Sharrkan. When they separated, Hel looked around. "And Hakkan?"

"Back at home. He coming to Sindria with Father, Selene, and her husband."

"Then we should start heading over, right?" Muu asked, making his way over. Maya was all too happy to bring Askan into her arms and fuss over him. Remus grinned up at his father as he took his hand. "Let's go, everyone!"

Hel did his best to ignore the weight that settled in his stomach as he followed his family.

Today was a day of life, after all.

* * *

Sphintus Carmen was the luckiest man alive.

He watched dreamily as his beautiful wife patiently instructed Prince Hakkan in the proper herbs needed to treat a certain strand of poison. While Sphintus initially had some reservations in temporarily returning to Heliohapt after how the royal family had treated his family, he was glad that he did. Selene flourished in a place that specialized in medicine. Better yet, the pharaoh himself had apologized to him and, in extension, to the entire Carmen family.

Life was wonderful.

Sphintus watched as Prince Hakkan did his best to follow Selene's instructions. That prince was determined and focused in his studies in healing – there wasn't any doubt about that. Sphintus knew why he was so devoted to his studies in the medical field. Everyone did. After it was revealed that his mother, Queen Eirenne, was responsible for many crimes against Heliohapt and the royal family itself, Prince Hakkan took it upon himself to try to repent in his dead mother's stead.

Sphintus couldn't help but pity him. The poor guy couldn't seem to catch a break. First, he was possessed and forced to commit unspeakable deeds by some unknown entity connected to Al Thamen. Then, he had to come to without any memory of his previous actions to discover a broken family and the weight of many crimes he never committed.

Still, Hakkan remained resilient and Sphintus respected the younger man for that. He even went out of his way to help him out along with Selene. Sphintus was a magician who was willing to back a determined ruler-to-be, who aimed to make the world better.

And if the rumors were true, Prince Hakkan had ties to the Carmen Clan. Sphintus couldn't ignore family.

"_Hakkan!_ You have to help your uncle!"

The wail that suddenly erupted from behind Sphintus nearly made him shriek as he whirled around to see a miserable Prince Sharrkan. The healing magician nimbly avoided to swordsman as he flung himself over to his oldest nephew's feet. Prince Hakkan paid his uncle no mind as he urged his mentor to explain more about the herb's properties. Selene just barely managed to bite back a giggle at the scene.

Never in his youth had Sphintus ever expect to realize how _undignified_ some of the royals could be. Not that he ever _expected _to work directly under them in the first place. But still.

"Yamraiha isn't responding to my calls! She sent back all of my letters! What do I _do_?" Sharkkan continued to wail helplessly into his hands. Sphintus tried not to scoff. He really did. But what did Sharkkan expect after being so forgetful and insensitive to his wife? He even had the gall to hold onto his pride and not _apologize_. Sphintus knew that he made his own mistakes as a husband, but even he knew when to apologize when the situation called for it – which was every time.

"You should've apologized to Aunt Yamraiha when you could, uncle," Hakkan drawled, voicing Sphintus' thoughts perfectly. "Next time you see her, grovel like your life depends on it and hope she forgives you."

"But – but – but –"

"Sharrkan, stop bothering the healers."

Sphintus stiffened at the Pharaoh's voice. He bowed respectfully as the ruler passed him. He waited as the Pharaoh forced his brother up and signaled his son to follow. "It's almost time for the annual celebration in Sindria. We shouldn't delay." He turned his attention to Sphintus and Selene. "Both of you can accompany us on our personal transportation circle if you wish."

Sphintus thanked him and accepted before turning to his wife.

"Selene, ready to go?"

Selene got up to her feet and brushed off her dress. The red choker around her throat contrasted greatly with her skin, but Sphintus paid no mind to it was around her neck for many years now. It was odder to see her without it. She came over and linked her arm to his.

"Yes, Sphintus," she said sweetly, "I'm ready."

* * *

"I assure you, Miss, seeing ghosts is completely normal," Tao informed the near-hysterical woman in front of him, "it's not bad. Really, it isn't! It's actually a duty given to the living to help the dead with lingering regrets to be put to rest."

There was a doleful sniff. "R-Really?"

"Yes, really. This is not a curse. At worst, it is a minor inconvenience. You are not the only one who is experiencing this, Miss. You are not alone."

Hakuryuu Ren never knew his life would ever come to this.

Years ago, when his now brother-in-law had claimed that he could see ghosts, Hakuryuu had just assumed that the man was teasing him. His shared appearance with his younger brother, an infamous troublemaker, hadn't done him any favors in appearing trustworthy.

But Tao had been telling the truth.

Ghosts were everywhere and, after the fall of the Black Bird, a certain percentage of the world suddenly began to see them.

Including Hakuryuu.

Suddenly being able to see the regrets of the dead was…an experience. Hakuryuu hadn't really taken it too well when he woke up to the faces of his definitely dead older brothers looming over him at his bedside. The rest of the _world _hadn't really taken their sudden sight too well.

When news reached Tao, he made it his mission to help ease the suddenly aware individuals into their new ability. It was a truly frightening ability to have, after all. Tao also felt that it was his responsibility as he was the only source of guidance and information on this subject. Hakuryuu decided to join Tao in his mission so he could stay close to Hakuei. While it was slow at first, Tao managed to help many people who, in turn, traveled to help others. Some of Tao's 'students' even took on his family name – Gui.

Hakuryuu sensed that it hadn't been _exactly _how Tao had envisioned the reemergence of his clan, but the man didn't complain.

Hakuryuu felt a small hand tug on his sleeve. He looked down to see Mei look up at him with an adorably impatient pout. Though she resembled her mother the most, Hakuryuu recognized traces of Judal's brattiness in some of his sister's eldest's actions.

"When's papa, goin' to be done, Uncle Haku? I'm _bored._ Can't we go on ahead to Sindria?" Little murmurs of agreement came from Jin and Jun, who clung onto their mother's dress. While not twins, the younger sister and brother tended to answer together, rarely disagreeing with their responses. Hakuei giggled and cooed at them as she assured them that Tao wouldn't take too long. "Besides, there is only one flying carpet that your Uncle Kido and Auntie Kou brought to pick us up. We don't want to leave papa behind, do we?"

"No!" Jin and Jun chorused, completely horrified by the mere idea of it. Mei, on the other hand, seemed to seriously consider her mother's words.

Trying not to sigh at his niece's antics, Hakuryuu gestured over to the open door where he knew Judal and Kougyoku were. "Why don't you go wait with them?"

Mei, to his surprise, made a face. She usually loved playing with Judal and Kougyoku.

"No! Uncle Kido and Auntie Kou are bein' gross!"

"Gross?" Hakuryuu repeated and peered outside, fearing the worst. To his relief and confusion, Kougyoku and Judal weren't doing anything that he'd label _gross_. The pair was simply sitting on the giant carpet, admiring the beginnings of the sunset. Judal, who preferred to go by Kido nowadays with a few exceptions for those who knew him _before, _had cut away his hair into a more manageable length. While he was dressed for warmer weather as he had moved away to live in Sindria, his clothes were more modest. _Kougyoku, _on the other hand, was a completely different story. Even after ten years, she was still determined to scandalize the world with her fashion choices. She even took it a step further and made a _trend _out of her clothes by designing and selling them. Hakuryuu had long before resigned himself to her revealed shoulders and pants – times were changing, after all.

Hakuryuu watched as Kougyoku laughed at something that Judal said as he lifted her hand to run his lips over her knuckles teasingly. She laughed again and slapped his shoulder before pressing her lips against his temple. The moment was so tender and private that Hakuryuu averted his eyes and moved to close the door.

Years ago, Hakuryuu would have been bitter to see such a sight. It was easy for envy make him broody and snappish as he hadn't really gotten over his unrequited feelings for Amani back then. Now, he only felt a little guilty for witnessing such a private moment, no matter how accidental it was.

As he shut the door, Hakuryuu felt arms wrap around his shoulders from behind. Lips sweetly pecked his cheek before nuzzling his neck. "Tao is almost done. We should start getting ready to head for Sindria."

Hakuryuu turned to see Tiare grinning up at him. His chest warmed at the sight. He thanked the skies and stars for the amount of patience she had shown him throughout the years as he grappled with his personal issues.

With a soft smile, Hakuryuu leaned forward to give Tiare a proper kiss.

"You two are bein' gross! Go outside an' be gross there!" Mei demanded, shattering the moment and making Hakuryuu sigh.

* * *

The magical academy in Magnostadt was nearly empty as students had filed out long ago to return to their families for the holiday.

Though young, Kohaku had returned to her old school to act as one of its instructors while Yamraiha took over the Chancellor position. Since Judal decided to move to Sindria with Kougyoku, Yamraiha no longer needed to be concerned about powering the barrier around the island – not that it was really needed anymore with the peaceful state of the world. Kohaku also worked on projects with Jamal, incorporating magic into some of his inventions like her father's prosthetics - _"goddammit Kohaku, they're __**automail**__!"_ – and Selene's magic voice-repressing collar.

Kohaku and Jamal had spent _years _on the latter project, determined to have Selene and any future children she had with Sphintus to freely speak without the fear of controlling another person. Their success had moved the blonde to tears.

Magic was beginning to become common and the divide between magicians and goi grew smaller through the efforts of the members of the academy.

Kohaku smiled to herself as she gathered her finished paperwork from her desk. She began to make her way out of her office to meet up with Yamraiha but was stopped by a student.

"A-A-Ah, Professor Ren!"

Kohaku's mismatched eyes widened when a bouquet of flowers was practically shoved into her face. She tried not to drop it while keeping a firm hand on her notes. The student, meanwhile, stuttered through what Kohaku assumed was a confession. The magician winced as she tried not to think of a way to let down this student gently.

Thankfully, Kohaku didn't have to do anything. Yamraiha swooped over and handled it for her, completely unrepentant of the potential heartbreak. "Sorry, Professor Ren isn't interested. She's already taken by the Prince of Sindria. Now shoo before I call your parents."

The student was quick to scamper away as Yamraiha took the flowers from Kohaku with a smile. She immediately tossed it out of the nearest window. "No need to have anything get in the way of you and Shion's wedding~!" She sang. "Since you've come of age, I'm sure that he's going to propose to you soon!"

Kohaku sighed, already used to the many comments about her relationship with Shion. "Shion and I don't have plans in getting married this year."

"Oh," Yamraiha said meaningfully, "trouble in paradise?"

Kohaku gave her mentor a dry look. "Yamraiha-sensei, please don't project your own marital problems onto my relationship with Shion. Shion and I actually discussed about this and we agreed that I'll stay in Magnostadt a bit longer to teach and study before marrying him."

Yamraiha winced.

"Yes, you're right, I was projecting," she admitted. Then, her expression became cross. "That sword-wielding idiot! It's all his fault! Why is he so oblivious to everything?! 'Not that important,' he says after he _forgot our anniversary!_"

"Sharrkan is probably going to grovel once he sees you again."

Both Kohaku and Yamraiha turned in surprise to see Kikiriku. The Imuchakk warrior waved at the pair cheerfully. He was taller and bigger than his father now, much to his pride. "Hi! I'm here to escort you two to Sindria!"

"Kikiriku! Oh! Are we that late?" Yamraiha worried as she looked at her wrist for the time. Ah, yes, wristwatches, another one of Jamal's inventions that became widespread so quickly in a world that was speeding up. Kikiriku laughed and shook his head. "No, no, I was just impatient to see you two again, so I volunteered to get you. So, shall we?"

Kohaku smiled and took his hand.

"Let's go."

* * *

"Welcome to Sindria!"

Many visitors were either shocked, dazzled, or excited to be greeted by an _empress _once they reached the island_. _And who could blame them? Empress Amani was practically _glowing _in her late stages of pregnancy. The blonde waited patiently as familiar faces began to pile in through transportation circles. She beamed when she caught sight of a familiar shade of golden hair.

"Alibaba!"

"Amani!"

The siblings laughed as they pressed their foreheads together in greeting. It was more than a year since they last saw each other. Amani then turned to greet Aladdin and Morgiana warmly. "It's good to see all of you. It's been quite some time."

"Mou, you shouldn't forget us either, Bee-chan."

Amani was tugged away into familiar arms. She allowed it to happen with a laugh. Sai grinned down at her, flanked by Yasmine and Kougyoku. Around them, the Chibi Generals, who weren't so small to deserve such a title anymore, reconnected with many hugs and stories. The children ran off to play or stuff snacks into their mouths.

Somewhere in the background, Sharrkan's profuse apologies to his genius wife could be heard but was completely ignored by the crowd. Amani didn't worry. She knew that Yamraiha would forgive him by the end of tonight.

"Welcome, everyone! I'm glad that you are all here to celebrate with us this year!"

All attention turned to King Sinbad. Despite the years, he was still as charismatic as ever as he greeted his guests. Queen Ranya remained at his side during his welcoming speech but was quick to break away at the end to speak with Seishin and Maya.

Ranya was capable as a queen, but the pressure of being the 'World's Savior' after the stunt she pulled to calm the Black Bird was sometimes too much for the woman. She preferred traveling and spending time with her family without being bothered or worshipped by the people. Amani sympathized with her position. After losing her powers as a Blessed Child, she had also experienced a lot of attention. It was as if the entire universe was making up for the times she was overlooked.

"Excuse us. Pardon us. Make way, make way."

Yunan's voice carried above Amani, making her look up. The oldest magi flew slowly over everyone with a little girl with purple hair in his arms. Amani immediately recognized her as Princess Dinah, Shion's little sister. She was loved the moment she came into the world. Sinbad especially adored her and did his best to be as involved in her life as he could since he had missed Shion's early years. Ranya worried if she would grow spoiled with the amount of love everyone showered her.

Thankfully, Dinah grew up just fine.

"She's grown so much since I last saw her," Yasmine noted beside her. "Her birthday is coming up, isn't it? I should find a good gift to give her. Nine is an important age, after all."

Kougyoku snorted. "Yeah. Better not make it last-minute like the _last _ninth birthday."

"It was a _good _last-minute birthday gift, thank you very much," Sai saw it necessary to pipe in with a sniff. "I worked very hard on it for Princeling."

They watched as Yunan dropped off the little girl into her father's arms. Sinbad gave her a quick kiss and didn't let her go until she wiggled free to mingle with her friends.

"Oof, it's going to be a nightmare when she reaches dating age," Kougyoku winced. Everyone else within hearing range quietly agreed. All of them also thought that Sinbad deserved it with his constant flirting and wooing during his youth.

But that was a problem for the future.

Now, there some another issue to focus on. And a very important one too.

"Where is Shion?"

Dinah pouted in agreement at Amani's question. "Shion is taking _forever_. Everyone is already here, and the fireworks are ready! What's taking him so long? He's making poor Kohaku-nee wait for him all by herself!"

Kohaku flushed at being pointed out, but smiled at Dinah for being offended on her behalf.

"Patience, Dinah," Ranya urged her youngest, "your brother said he had something to finish up in his fishing boat, didn't he? I think he's writing again. Let's trust him to make it in time."

Dinah grumbled her agreement and waited.

Shion still didn't show by the time families settled down on seats or blankets. Amani settled with her family, leaning against Koumei with all of her children around her. Alibaba was nearby with Morgiana and Aladdin. Since it was their first time attending the annual celebration, their clear anticipation was understandable. While all of her family waited with bated breath and excitement, Amani was a little tense.

According to Shion, this was the day he had made his wish. He was exactly this age when he had lost everything to the Black Bird. Though it wasn't certain, his fear was that everything might revert back to how it once was since Andromalius was no longer there.

Amani didn't want to believe it. No one did. But many of those who knew were so used to the other shoe dropping. She quietly counted down in her mind as she prayed for the magic to hold.

'_Please…we fought too much to lose this now…'_

And then – nothing happened.

Amani cautiously waited a little longer before she relaxed. Her sharp ears caught many sighs of relief around her. The weight on her shoulders loosened and disappeared within a heartbeat. It was over. It was finally over.

"Okay, everyone! Time to light it up!" Jamal crowed loudly, jumping to his feet and rushing over to the fireworks.

"That's it! I'm going to get Shion whether he likes it or not!" Dinah announced, losing her patience as Jamal began to make his preparations. She rushed away towards the docks. "He can't miss this!"

Sinbad and Ranya let her go, sharing amused smiles before turning their gazes back upwards to the sky.

"To the King and Queen! To their children! To peace and prosperity!" The crowd cheered loudly as they drank and feasted. Though it had been a day of fear and despair for many ten years before, it was now a day of celebration. It was a reminder of what they managed to overcome. "Many blessings to the world! Many blessings to life!"

Amani, Yasmine, Kougyoku, and Sai looked to each other as the fireworks went off behind them and they smiled.

The stars, ever constant, twinkled back down at the celebrating world as it turned on, alive.


	72. Epilogue: Granted

"I wish…"

A sigh sounded within the small cabin. The only source of light was a cheap, old lamp on a desk. The light at its spout flickered, offering a faint light to write and read.

Once, it had held a power that made kings and changed fates.

Prince Shion sat back as he re-read his final line. That was all. There was nothing more to add onto the leather-bound journal he had used to recount his adventures and discoveries. Of course, these were events that technically never happened thanks to his wish and the actions of many.

Shion looked at his ink stained hands and tried not to think of blood and smoke. He tried to think of seawater wind, of Mahrajan festivities, and of hummed melodies. There were so many memories he created here. So many bonds. So many pulled and pinned rubber bands. It was so much more than what he made in the timeline that no longer existed. It _must _be or what was the point?

Shion glanced at the lamp again. Its dents spoke of how much it went through in his hands as both a weapon and a wish-granter. To him, it was still as magical. A lucky charm. A piece of sentiment of a friend who was long gone.

Djinn did not exist in this world anymore.

Still, Shion ran a thumb over the surface of the lamp and closed his eyes.

"I wish…"

For what? More time? More miracles? …For things to stay as they were?

"I wish…"

The door to his cabin suddenly slammed open. Shion jumped and whirled around to face a red-faced Dinah. Behind her, a firework flew up into the sky and painted it with beautiful colors. Shion's breath caught at the sight and time restarted again, marching forward and leaving everything that Shion feared and fought against behind in the journal's pages.

Then, he laughed. His fears all seemed so silly now. What was he doing? Turning to empty lamps for more wishes. How ridiculous. Everything he ever wanted was outside.

The only direction now was onwards.

"Come on, Shion! It's already starting! Let's go! Let's go!" Dinah impatiently pulled her brother from his chair and through the doorway, slamming the door shut behind her as she led him over to the people he loved on the other side.

The burst of wind from the force of the door should have snuffed the lamplight right out, but, against all odds, it persisted. It shone over the single line that Shion had written.

'_The world was burning.'_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To those who has been with me in the beginning, joined me in the middle, or reached here far after the end:
> 
> Thank you for taking this journey. A story is nothing without its readers and it has been an honor to tell this tale to its end.
> 
> Good Night.


End file.
